Chapter 40

           Thelongpathzigzaggedupacliffface,andleavingthelowerworldbehind,wecameoverthetopintotheupperParnassus.Avernallycoolwindblewacrosstwoorthreemilesofmeadowland.Beyond,somberblackfirwoodsandgraybuttressesofrockclimbed,archedandfinallydisappearedintofleecywhiteclouds.Alisongotoffandwewalkedovertheturfbesidethemuleteer.Hewasaboutforty,withafiercemoustacheunderabrokennoseandafineairofindependenceabouthim.Hetoldusabouttheshepherdlife:alifeofsun-hours,counting,milking,brittlestarsandchillingwinds,endlesssilencesbrokenonlybybells,alarmsagainstwolvesandeagles;alifevirtuallyunchangedinthelastsixthousandyears.ItranslatedforAlison.Shewarmedtohimatonce,establishingahalf-sexual,half-philanthropicrapportacrossthelanguagebarrier.HesaidhehadworkedinAthensforatime,butthenhyparchiesychia,therewasnosilentpeacethere.Alisonlikedtheword:esychia,esychia,shekeptonrepeating.Helaughedandcorrectedherpronunciation;stoppingandconductingher,asifshewereanorchestra.Hereyesflickeddefiantlyatme,toseeifshewasbehavingproperlyinmyeyes.Ikeptaneutralface;butIlikedtheman,oneofthosefineruralGreekswhoconstitutetheleastservileandmostlikeablepeasantryinEurope,andIcouldn’thelplildngAlisonforlikinghimback.Onthefarsideofthegrasslandwecametotwokalyvia,roughstonehuts,byaspring.Ourmuleteerwastakinganotherpathfromthenon.

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