"Alexander Green - The Seeker Of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Alexander)

II. ARRIVAL


Early in the morning Ammon saw the blue and white snow of
mountains from his train window; their jagged thrust stretched in a
semicircle around a hilly plain. A sunny stripe of the sea was shining in
the distance.
The white station-building, with wild grape vines entwined about its
walls, cordially came running up to the train. Emitting puffs of exhaust
steam, the engine came to a halt; the cars clanged, and Ammon
disembarked.
He saw that Liliana was a truly beautiful place. The streets along which
Ammon drove, in the carriage that he had hired to go to Dogger's, were
not impeccably straight; their gentle winding caused the eye to constantly
expect extensive vistas. Meanwhile Ammon was quite diverted by the
buildings' gradually unfolding diversity. The houses were dotted with little
balconies and stucco moulding, or they displayed semi-circular towers;
grey arches against a white facade and roofs turned up or down, like the
brim of a hat, provided diverse welcomes to the onlooker. All of this had
quite an attractive appearance, immersed as it was in the majestically
blooming gardens, the flower-beds, the sunlight, and the sky. The streets
were lined with palms; their umbrella-like tops cast blue shadows onto the
yellow midday earth. Now and then in the middle of a square there would
be a fountain, as ancient as a granddad and full of water that rippled from
the falling spray; in places a winding stone staircase rose in a side-street,
and above it, shaped like an eyebrow, would arc a small bridge, as light as
the arm of a girl held akimbo.




III DOGGER'S HOUSE
 When he had ridden through the town Ammon caught sight of a garden
and a tiled roof in the distance. The gravel-covered road led along an
avenue of trees to a simple entrance that was in keeping with the entire
house, which was built of light-coloured, unpainted wood. Ammon
walked up to the house. It was a one-storey log building with two
projections on the sides and a terrace. The climbing greenery filled the
facade's piers with flowers and leaves; there were many flowers everywhere
-- carnations, tulips, anemones, holly-hocks, asters, and gilly-flowers.
Dogger, who had been standing by a tree, approached Ammon with the
relaxed, effortless steps of a powerful man. He was hatless; his strong
neck, pink from sunburn, was hidden by his curly blond hair. Dogger was
as powerful as a broad-chested statue of Hercules that had come to life,
and he produced an impression of indestructible health. Ammon very
much liked the bold features of his hearty face, his warm grey eyes, and