Mji Uliosimama Ukingoni

Upepo unakuja kwanza. Polly anaruka kuelekea kusini kando ya pwani ya Korsika hadi kisiwa kinapoishia. Mbele yake kuna maji wazi, na mbali kuna kisiwa kingine, cha chini na cha buluu. Hicho ni Sardinia. Maji kati yao yanaitwa Mlangobahari wa Bonifacio, na upepo unavuma kwa nguvu humo.

The wind comes first. Polly flies south along the coast of Corsica until the island ends. In front of her there is open water, and far away another island, low and blue. That is Sardinia. The water between them is called the Strait of Bonifacio, and the wind blows hard through it.

Anageuka na kuuona mji. Umesimama juu ya genge jeupe, ukingoni kabisa. Nyumba ni ndefu na nyembamba, na madirisha yamefungwa. Kisha Polly anaona kitu cha ajabu. Hakuna nafasi chini ya kuta. Jiwe la nyumba linaingia moja kwa moja ndani ya jiwe la genge. Na genge linashuka takriban mita sabini hadi baharini.

She turns back and sees the town. It stands on a white cliff, right at the edge. The houses are tall and narrow, with closed shutters. Then Polly notices something strange. There is no space at the bottom of the walls. The stone of the houses goes straight into the stone of the cliff. And the cliff falls about seventy meters down to the sea.

Polly anatua juu ya ukuta wa zamani wa mji na kutazama chini. Mwamba ni hafifu na mkavu. Shakwe wanaruka kwa duara mbali chini yake. Kisha anaona kitu cha ajabu. Kuna mstari mwembamba uliochongwa katika genge, na ndani yake kuna vidato.

Polly lands on the old town wall and looks down. The rock is pale and dry. Gulls fly in circles far below her. Then she sees something strange. Someone has cut a narrow line into the cliff, and inside it there are steps.

Anajaribu kuvihesabu, lakini mwanga unaondoka. Vidato vinashuka na kushuka hadi gizani. Bahari inasogea dhidi ya mwamba chini. Polly anawaza: nitashuka huko.

She tries to count them, but the light is going. The steps go down and down into shadow. The sea moves against the rock below. Polly thinks: I am going down there.