| OCR Text |
Show been approached by one of the boys soliciting him to hire one of the animals, if not for himself or the lugguge at least for the comfort of the lady. But now they just grinned. It didn't matter. David figured they could make better time on foot anyway. The taxi driver smiled broadly and took a long slow bow as they passed. David looked away. Darcy had started down the steps. Carved directly into the cliff, the narrow stone steps zigzagged their way to the bottom in a series of dizzying reversals. And, falling as directly as possible to the pier, they were unusually steep, .always more than a foot high, sometimes two. More brass railing, tarnished by generations, guarded the seaward side of the route. "Faster," yelled David. "You've got to go faster." "I can't. I'll slip." Darcy was still slightly ahead but each step seemed to pose a greater task for her short legs, and with each step she hesitated longer. Her hand never left the rail. Passing her he took the lead. He would set the pace. Below he could make out the small dark shapes of men moving about on the pier, pushing and dragging other dark shapes. Now and then they met a donkey, its back laden with bags of grain or suitcases, homecoming Greek or tourist. Indifferent to oncoming traffic, the animals kept to the middle of the path, forcing David and Darcy to the side. When one brushed against Darcy she screamed. The donkey bolted ahead, a leather valise slid from its back and bounced on up the steps at the end of a rope. |
