Mountains of Dawn

"Gianci, Mrs. Olfrandi asked me to come play chess with you this afternoon." Giuseppe stood before him, hands clasped behind his back.

"Good," Gianci said with satisfaction. "I play the white, you play the black."

And the games began. Gianci won the first game, but Giuseppe won the next three. Gianci's teeth clenched in frustration. It was dusk when they finally stopped playing.

"Tomorrow, I'll go to play at a tournament," Giuseppe said with pride. "The junior club organized it."

"Where?" Gianci asked, interested.

"On the small beach west of the harbor. Twelve players in all. Most are schoolboys, like me." Giuseppe thrust out his chest, proud and arrogant. "I won the contest three years in a row."

"I want to play, too. Fit me in."

"No can do. We have the twelve players we need and you have to register three days ahead."

"An Olfrandi doesn't have to follow rules," Gianci said, contempt again coloring his words. "I'm sure you're more afraid to have me as an opponent."

Giuseppe stood and prepared to leave without a word.

"Wait. I'll give you three hundred dollars if you let me play in your place."

Giuseppe paused, turned and looked at the smaller boy. "We play early. Nine o'clock in the morning. You'll never be up in time," he said and this time, the contempt was his.

Gianci pulled his Piaget watch from his wrist. "Here, take it. It's worth more than one thousand dollars. It's yours if you let me play in your place."

Giuseppe considered the watch. "No," he said. "People will think I stole it from you."

"Too hard," Gianci said in disgust. "Here, take this." He pulled a sheet of paper off his score pad and wrote: "I give this Piaget watch to my friend Giuseppe. Gianci Olfrandi." He thrust the paper at the older boy. "Is it all right now? Will you do as I ask?"

Giuseppe took the watch and paper, examined them for a moment, then thrust them into his pocket. "Okay. Saturday, tomorrow morning, at nine o'clock sharp. The little marina west of the harbor. Do you know where it is?"

"I'll find it. Don't worry, I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Around seven the following morning, Gianci, who had not slept for the entire night, began to walk toward town. He was only a short distance from the Oleandro Rosso when a car stopped beside him. A burly giant of a man grabbed him and shoved him into the back seat. No one saw them. No one realized Gianci was missing until well past one o'clock, when he didn't appear for lunch.