One Hundred Years of Solitude

            Its the largest diamond in

the world.

            No, the gypsy   countered.

Its ice.

José Arcadio Buendía,
without understanding,
stretched out his hand toward
the cake, but the giant moved
it away. Five reales more to
touch it, he said. José Arcadio
Buendía paid them and put
his hand on the ice and held it
there for several minutes as