YANNIS (Cretan Saga Book 1) (15 page)

‘You are the curator.’

For the first time Mr Kouvakis smiled. ‘I am an administrator. My interest is in sculpture.’

‘I see. That explains why the cases are in such a bad state.’

‘What do you mean?’ A red flush spread up from the man’s neck until it reached his bald head.

‘The pottery is all jumbled up together and you can’t read the notices on the cases. It all needs sorting out.’

Mr Kouvakis glared at Yannis. ‘What do you know about Minoan pottery?’

Yannis flushed. ‘Not very much. I’ve read a number of books on the subject. It would be much easier and more interesting for visitors if the pottery were grouped into different types, although originating from one site and of the same period. Also, if the labels were re-written, so many of them are dusty or faded that it’s impossible to read them.’

‘I have no one who could undertake that kind of work.’

The germ of an idea was forming in Yannis’s head. He was amazed at his own audacity. ‘I’d be willing to work on it. To sort it out and make new displays and labels.’

‘Why should you want to do that?’

‘I’ve collected bits and pieces from my father’s fields since I was a small boy. I’ve gained a scholarship to the High School and I want to go to University. I hope one day I might be an archaeologist.’

Mr Kouvakis looked at the boy before him with renewed interest. ‘Let me see your coin.’

The curator examined the coin carefully under a magnifying glass. He reached for a book from the shelf, flipping through the pages. Finally he looked at Yannis.

‘You seem to be correct in your dating, young man.’

A broad grin spread across Yannis’s face. ‘That’s wonderful. I wish I’d brought my pottery with me. Maybe I could bring it tomorrow?’

Mr Kouvakis nodded. ‘I’d be interested to see it. Where did you say you found it?’

‘In my father’s field at Plaka.’

Mr Kouvakis looked at the map on the wall. ‘It’s quite possible there was a small settlement there. Probably working the salt mines at Olous.’

Yannis shook his head. ‘I disagree. I think the mineworkers would have lived in and around the city that fell into the sea. Anyone living at Plaka would have been a farmer or fisherman.’

Mr Kouvakis raised his eyebrows and looked again at the map. ‘You could be right,’ he admitted grudgingly. The boy was obviously intelligent. ‘Maybe you could try your hand at sorting out the pottery, on a trial basis.’

Yannis held out his hand. ‘You don’t understand how much this means to me.’

‘I can’t offer you much in the way of wages.’

‘Wages!’ Yannis gasped. ‘I had no idea I’d get any money for doing it. I can only work at weekends and after school.’

‘Hmm. Well, we’ll see.’ Mr Kouvakis was annoyed with himself for mentioning money. He had not expected the young man to offer his services for nothing.

‘May I stay until you close today? I’d like to have another look at the cases and decide where I should start tomorrow.’

Mr Kouvakis smiled at Yannis’s enthusiasm. ‘By all means, I have work of my own I should attend to.’

Yannis became engrossed in the pottery displayed in the cases. The more he looked the more errors he noticed. He was disturbed by an apologetic cough and turned to see Mr Kouvakis.

‘I have to close now and I’m sure you must have some homework. I must not be blamed for interfering with your studies.’

Yannis almost ran back to the taverna, longing to tell Mr Pavlakis his news. He found him sitting with Louisa, talking to her earnestly. They both jumped as he burst through the door, his eyes shining with delight.

‘What’s wrong?’ Yiorgo was half out of his chair.

‘Nothing’s wrong. I’ve got a job.’

‘You’ve what?’

Yannis sat down at the table with them. ‘I have a job at the museum. I’m going to sort out the pottery and I’m going to get paid for doing so.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ murmured Yiorgo Pavlakis. ‘What about your studies?’

‘Oh, it’s only after school and at weekends,’ Yannis assured him. ‘I shan’t let it interfere with my school work.’

Each day after his classes Yannis hurried to the museum. He never seemed to have enough time there and was frustrated each night when Mr Kouvakis told him it was time to leave. Yiorgo showed an interest each evening, but Yannis had an idea that he was more concerned that he was not neglecting his studies. When he entered the taverna that evening it looked deserted, but the smell from the kitchen told him Louisa had been busy.

She greeted him with a smile. ‘Good day at school and the museum?’ she asked.

‘Fine. I’ve got a lot of homework tonight, though.’

‘That’s a pity. Pavlos and Yiorgo are out and I was hoping for some company.’

‘Oh? Where’ve they gone?’

Louisa shrugged. ‘To a political meeting at the Town Hall.’ Louisa sat on the edge of the table, exposing her legs almost to the knee. ‘I thought maybe we could get to know each other better,’ she suggested.

Yannis was embarrassed by the amount of Louisa’s leg he could see, but maybe the behaviour of women in Heraklion was different from the countrywomen. ‘We could sit and talk whilst I eat,’ he suggested.

Louisa flashed her smile at him again. ‘I have stuffed tomatoes ready. I haven’t eaten yet myself, so I’ll join you.’ She disappeared into the kitchen, returning almost immediately with a bottle of wine. ‘They won’t hurt for another five minutes. We’ll have a drink first.’ She poured the wine and held her glass up in salutation. ‘To your long and happy stay in Heraklion.’ Louisa leaned across the table towards him. ‘Tell me what you’ve been doing at the museum.’

‘Can we eat whilst I tell you? I’m terribly hungry.’

‘Of course.’ Louisa went to the kitchen and returned with two steaming plates. ‘I hope you like them. It’s my own recipe.’

Yannis ate hungrily and agreed the tomatoes were delicious. In between mouthfuls he told her about the pottery he had listed. Louisa poured more wine into Yannis’s glass and he held up his hand in protest. ‘Please, Louisa, I have to do my homework. I’d love to stay and talk to you, but I can’t. Maybe a customer will come in and you can chat to them.’

‘I’m not expecting any customers tonight. They’ll have gone to the meeting.’ Louisa looked morosely into her glass. ‘I suppose you wouldn’t look after the taverna for me, Yannis?’

‘Me?’ Yannis was most surprised.

‘I really should go to visit an old friend of my father’s. This would be an ideal opportunity. You could bring your homework down here and I should be back before you’ve finished.’

‘Suppose a customer comes?’

‘Just give them whatever drink they ask for. If they want any food tell them the cook isn’t here tonight. I doubt that anyone will come, though.’

Yannis agreed doubtfully and to his embarrassment Louisa squeezed his hand.

‘You are a kind boy, Yannis.’ She whisked away from the table and Yannis heard her hurrying upstairs, in a few moments she had returned, a shawl about her shoulders and her hair freshly brushed. ‘I shan’t be very long.’ She smiled and blew a kiss to Yannis from the doorway. ‘Be good.’

Yannis grinned. He was relieved she had decided to go out. He had a suspicion that she planned to chat to him all evening. Thankfully he carried the plates to the kitchen, washed them in the bowl of murky water and returned to the table with his books. His homework took him a good deal longer than he had anticipated, although he was able to work without interruption. Finally, with a sigh, he closed the book and shuffled the papers together. He withdrew his notebook from his pocket and began to look at the notes he had made in the museum, making additional comments to some of them.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door of the taverna opened. A tall blond man stood there, his eyes roving round the room. ‘Louisa?’

Yannis shook his head. ‘Louisa has gone out. Can I help you?’

The man frowned. ‘Louisa?’ he repeated.

Yannis realised the man did not speak Greek. He pointed to the door. ‘Louisa out.’

Without another word the man left, slamming the door behind him. Yannis dismissed him from his mind and bent his head back over his notes. It was another hour before Louisa returned.

‘I’m so pleased I went. He said a visit from me had made all the difference to him. Did we have any customers?’

Yannis shook his head. ‘I’ve finished all my work.’

‘Good.’ Louisa produced the bottle of wine and glasses again. ‘You have time to sit and chat now.’

Yannis hesitated. ‘I’d planned to go to bed as soon as you returned.’

‘Five minutes won’t make any difference.’ She poured a glass of wine and handed it to him. She sat opposite and gazed at him over her glass. ‘Tell me about Yiorgo Pavlakis.’

Yannis looked at her in surprise. ‘I don’t know anything about him.’

‘Don’t be silly. You’re his friend. You must know him.’

Yannis smiled at her. ‘Yiorgo and I are friends now, until July he was my schoolteacher. He’s been very good to me. I doubt I would have passed my exams without his help, but I don’t know anything about him.’

Louisa shook her head. ‘You’re just not thinking along the right lines. What is he like as a person?’

Taking a sip from his glass Yannis considered his answer carefully. ‘Well, I know he’s always worked hard. He used to work in a taverna in the evenings so he could save enough money to visit Europe. He’s been to a number of countries, to visit the historical sites and museums.’

Louisa nodded and refilled their glasses. ‘Go on.’

‘He’s very interested in politics, not just in Crete, but in the whole of Greece, in fact he has a worldwide interest. Comparing the system of government in other countries with our own. He loves to talk about his ideas for a better society. I don’t understand all he talks about, but the men in Aghios Nikolaos used to listen to him when he spoke and seemed to agree with him. What else do you want to know?’

Louisa finished her glass of wine. ‘Has he any family?’

Yannis shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. He told me his parents were dead and I’ve never heard him mention any other relatives. Why?’

Louisa smiled. ‘Yiorgo has asked me to marry him. I would look very foolish if I agreed and he was already married.’

Yannis threw back his head and laughed. ‘I can assure you that Yiorgo has no wife in Aghios Nikolaos. I’ve never seen him with a woman. I don’t think he knew they existed before he met you. Are you going to marry him?’

Louisa ignored his question. She rose and took the glasses over to the counter. ‘I thought you wanted to go to bed?’

Yannis felt he had been dismissed. He gathered his books and bade the beautiful girl goodnight. He was half way up the stairs when he remembered the man who had called for her. Returning he opened the door of the taverna in time to see Louisa pushing a bundle of notes into the box which served as a till.

‘Have you forgotten something?’

‘A young man came looking for you. I told him you were out.’

‘Did he say what he wanted?’ asked Louisa sharply.

‘No. He didn’t appear to speak Greek. Good night again.’

Yannis withdrew from the door and made his way to his room. He felt uncomfortable. There was something very disconcerting about Louisa. He heard the sound of voices below and guessed Pavlos and Yiorgo had returned from their meeting. His first instinct was to go down and join them; then he changed his mind, undressed quickly, extinguished the oil lamp and climbed into bed. Sleep evaded him; the noise that floated up from the taverna announced more arrivals. Yannis buried his head under the blanket, trying to muffle the sound of talk and laughter. Gradually exhaustion took over and he fell into a deep sleep.

Through long habit Yannis woke as dawn broke. For a short while he lay in his bed until doubts about the quality of his homework assailed him and he decided to read it through and check that he had assembled his facts correctly. By the light of day it did not seem as lucid as it had the night before. With a sigh Yannis put it to one side. It must have been the wine he had been drinking, but it would have to do. There was no time to re-write it.

Louisa set his breakfast before him. She looked tired and strained and Yannis guessed she had been kept busy after he had retired to bed. Yiorgo was full of enthusiasm for the meeting he had attended and began to relate the context to Yannis.

‘Tonight some of the speakers are coming here again, we want to continue our discussion. I hope we didn’t disturb you last night. Louisa said you were tired and had gone to bed. Your lamp was out or I would have asked you to join us.’

Yannis shook his head. ‘You didn’t disturb me. I heard you arrive, but I soon slept. I must go. I want to compare notes with some of my class.’

Yannis hurried to the High School, hoping he would have a chance to visit the library before his tutor arrived. The point he had wished to check had not been covered in the books he had at the taverna. He ran up the stone steps two at a time until he reached the top floor where the library was situated. The door was shut and locked. He waited patiently, hoping the librarian would arrive before the bell for the commencement of lessons rang.

He was unlucky. Mr Angelakis, his tutor turned the corner towards the classroom at the same moment as the bell rang. Yannis raced for the stairs. Somehow his feet went from under him and he bounced and rolled down the full flight, banging his head and cutting his face against the iron railing. He lay in a crumpled heap causing alarm and consternation amongst both his classmates and Mr Angelakis.

Vassilis knelt by his side, his face white. ‘Yannis, Yannis! Can you speak?’

Yannis groaned, and Mr Angelakis let out a sigh of relief. The boy was alive.

‘Can you hear me? Yannis, try to sit up.’

His head throbbing Yannis raised himself on one elbow and with the help of Vassilis struggled into a sitting position. The cut on the side of his head was pouring blood and Vassilis pulled his own shirt from over his head and tried to staunch the flow.

‘I’m all right,’ he muttered.

‘No, you’re not. You sit still. Don’t try to get up until we’ve stopped this bleeding. Do your legs hurt? What about your arms? Can you move them or have you broken something?’