OLGA GRUSHIN
381
small offerings of wine and fruit, the guilty look on the face of the
recently married Andreas, Maria's stern admonition about the villagers'
ways, and the seemingly imagined smell of perfume. Everything fell into
place with disappointing simplicity. Yes, here it was, the mystery of Lev–
kothea laid bare, and silently he laughed, cringing a little at his recent
thoughts of dark conspiracies. A woman of easy virtue not welcome in
the village, perhaps plying her trade from island
to
island, a summer
here, a summer there, and a few straying sheep of the flock-a story
almost as old as the sea itself. ... Not strictly legal perhaps, but Maria
was right, no need
to
upset the order of things, better leave it alone.
Turning, he began
to
walk away, but a few steps later glanced back.
The harlot who spoke ancient Greek was still standing on the shore, and
for a moment it seemed to him that she was looking in his direction.
III
FOR
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
Constantine avoided approaching the farther
tip of the island; but as the year softly padded away into autumn, he
grew restless. The mere knowledge of that woman's taunting, mildly
illicit presence on Levkothea made him feel his own loneliness more
acutely. The fishermen's daughters all had thick ankles, heavy thighs,
and dreams of marriage in their heads, and he had decided early on to
avoid any local entanglements. Of course, there was also the matter of
the girl he had left behind in Athens-but Angeliki had never said she
would wait for him, and it had now been over three weeks since the
boat from Chios had brought her last letter.
Finally he made up his mind. One Sunday evening he carefully pol–
ished his best pair of shoes, gave his mustache a little extra twirl, and
even considered pomading his hair, but then decided against it, remind–
ing himself this was not
to
be a social visit, just a necessary dispensation
of duty, a trip
to
make sure nothing illegal was indeed taking place on
the island entrusted
to
his care.... Well, no, he was not going
to
put it
quite like that, of course, it did sound a bit pompous.... And, mur–
muring possible opening lines under his breath, with an uncertain smile
flickering on his face, he hastily descended to the shore beyond the hill.
The sun was getting low when he approached the cliff.
It
was so quiet
that he could hear the wet, crunchy sound the sand made as his city–
man's shoes sank into it. "Should I have brought flowers?" he thought
and then, ashamed, shook his head and decisively strode
to
the cave.
"Hello, anyone there?" he called out in his most official voice.
It
was dim inside, but he instantly saw scattered signs of human pres–
ence. In one corner stood an enormous amphora whose sides glowed
