The Climb PDF

# The Climb ## John Escott ## Level 3 ## Series Editors: Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter ## Contents ### Page - Introduction - V - Chapter 1 - A Man Called Holland - 1 - Chapter 2 - Eagle's Rock - 4 - Chapter 3 - The Visit to the Shop - 8 - Chapter 4 - The Real 'Mr Holland' - 13 - Chapter 5 - Mr Vi...

# The Climb ## John Escott ## Level 3 ## Series Editors: Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter ## Contents ### Page - Introduction - V - Chapter 1 - A Man Called Holland - 1 - Chapter 2 - Eagle's Rock - 4 - Chapter 3 - The Visit to the Shop - 8 - Chapter 4 - The Real 'Mr Holland' - 13 - Chapter 5 - Mr Vitalis' Plan - 17 - Chapter 6 - The Climb - 22 - Chapter 7 - The Call For Help - 27 - Chapter 8 - Climbing Again! - 31 - Activities - 37 ## Introduction 'What's the matter?' Eleni asked Costas when they were inside the house. 'You look worried. Is something wrong?' 'I'm sure I've seen Mr Holland before,' Costas said. 'But where?' Eleni said. 'He says he's never been to the island.' 'I know he said that,' Costas said. 'But I don't believe him.' Who is the stranger who has come to the little island off the coast of Greece? Why is he here? Why does he look at Eagle's Rock, and at Mr Vitalis' house? What is the mystery about this man who calls himself 'Holland'? Is that his real name? And what is his secret? Costas and his sister, Eleni, want to know the answers to these questions. And Costas also wants to be the first person to climb the dangerous Eagle's Rock. But will the stranger climb it first? John Escott writes books for students of all ages. Most of all, he likes writing mystery and detective stories. When he is not writing, he enjoys long walks by the sea, along empty beaches. He also looks for old, forgotten books in little back-street bookshops. He lives in Bournemouth, a large town on the south coast of England. John Escott has written The Missing Coins, Lost in New York and a number of other books for Penguin Readers. ## Chapter 1 - A Man Called Holland It began one day in the summer. It was the day that the man came to the island. The man who called himself Holland. It was early in the morning. The plane flew in a circle above the island, and then it began to come down. Holland was nervous. He looked out of the window at the island below. It was beautiful, but he thought to himself, 'Was I right to come?' The plane landed just as the sun came up. Holland walked across to the airport building with the other passengers. It was already hot. He was travelling alone. It was his first visit and it was probably his last. A second visit was probably too dangerous. 'I don't have to do it,' he thought. 'There's still time to say no. I can get on the next plane and fly out of here, away from this island.' But he knew that this wasn't really possible. He needed the money. He needed it badly. He saw a telephone and walked across to it. He took a notebook from his pocket. Then he turned the pages until he found a number. His hand was shaking as he picked up the phone. 'Hello?' said a voice at the other end. Holland knew the voice. 'It's me,' he said. 'I've arrived.' 'Ah, good,' the voice said. 'Your flight is on time.' 'Where am I staying?' Holland asked. 'In a holiday villa on the cliff, the voice said. 'OK,' Holland said. 'You sound nervous. You are going to do the job, aren't you?' 'I don't know,' Holland said. 'I told you before. I want to see the place first. I want to see exactly what I have to do.' 'You'll be able to see the house from the villa,' said the voice at the other end. 'That's what you wanted?' 'Yes,' Holland said. 'But how do I get there?' 'Pick up a car and a map from the airport garage. They're both waiting for you, in the name of Holland. You'll find the villa easily. It's on the cliff road. It belongs to a man called Kazakou. He knows nothing, of course.' 'What about the money?' Holland asked. 'You'll get it later today,' the voice said. 'Half the money now. The other half after the job's done.' 'Where do I meet- ?' 'I've already told you that!' The voice sounded angry now. 'Tell me again,' Holland said. The voice told him. 'OK,' Holland said. 'Eleven o'clock. I'll be there.' He put down the phone and went to the airport garage. The airport was half-empty. He looked at the faces of the other people. They were tourists on holiday, with none of the worries that he had. 'Will anybody know my face? I hope not,' thought Holland. 'I don't have to stay,' he thought. 'I can leave now.' But he went to get the car. ## Chapter 2 - Eagle's Rock 'He's a better climber than he was,' she thought. 'But he gets into dangerous places. I don't like it when he climbs alone. It's more dangerous. I'm almost afraid to watch him.' Some time later, Eleni looked across to the holiday villa that her father owned. It stood between other villas at one end of the cliff top. There was a car outside Mr Kazakou's villa. It looked small from the sea. But Eleni could see that it was a long, low car with an open top. It wasn't a car that she knew. 'That car wasn't there earlier, Eleni said to herself. 'It probably belongs to the person who's staying in the villa this week.' She swam for another half hour. The water was warm and pleasant. She watched Costas make the climb back down. He began to walk towards the other end of the beach. The cliff was steeper there, and the rocks were more dangerous. Eleni saw where he was going. She looked worried as she came out of the water. Costas was studying at university. He wanted to be a doctor. Eleni was still at school. But now they were home, on holiday. Eleni liked swimming. Costas liked climbing the cliffs around the island. The cliffs were high on this part of the island. They were shaped like a letter 'C' around the beach. The beach was almost empty because it was still early in the morning. There were only a few people walking along the sand. Two or three others sat or stood outside their holiday flats. The island woke up slowly. Costas liked to get up early and climb the rocks above the beach. That morning, Eleni decided to go with him. She wanted to have an early swim. She was lying on her back in the water, looking up at the cliff. She looked around the cliff until she saw the small, brightly-coloured shape of her brother in his climbing clothes. He was half-way up the cliff. The island wasn't far from the coast of Greece. It was popular with people who wanted a quiet holiday. There weren't many bars, and there were no nightclubs. It was a place for people who liked to walk. Or they could swim, or sit in the small cafés with a glass of wine. On another part of the island, a young man was climbing a cliff. His sister, Eleni, was swimming in the sea. Costas and his sister lived on the island. Their father, Mr Kazakou, owned a holiday villa and some holiday flats. 'He's a better climber than he was,' she thought. 'But he gets into dangerous places. I don't like it when he climbs alone. It's more dangerous. I'm almost afraid to watch him.' Some time later, Eleni looked across to the holiday villa that her father owned. It stood between other villas at one end of the cliff top. There was a car outside Mr Kazakou's villa. It looked small from the sea. But Eleni could see that it was a long, low car with an open top. It wasn't a car that she knew. 'That car wasn't there earlier, Eleni said to herself. 'It probably belongs to the person who's staying in the villa this week.' She swam for another half hour. The water was warm and pleasant. She watched Costas make the climb back down. He began to walk towards the other end of the beach. The cliff was steeper there, and the rocks were more dangerous. Eleni saw where he was going. She looked worried as she came out of the water. Costas walked along the beach and looked up at the cliff at the end. The rocks were steep. One was shaped like the head of a bird; a large eagle with a sharp-looking beak. There were signs at the bottom of the cliff. **DANGEROUS. KEEP AWAY. NO CLIMBING.** This rock was called Eagle's Rock. It was steep and dangerous to climb. Costas stood and looked up at it for a long time. He often thought about the rock. He even dreamed about it. He thought about climbing it. But how? Which way? It was what he wanted to do. He dreamed of climbing Eagle's Rock almost every day now. At the top of the cliff was a large white house with a long garden down to the cliff edge. It was a very handsome house which belonged to a man called Mr Vitalis. He sometimes had guests, but he lived in the house alone for most of the time. He owned a computer company on the island. Almost everybody on the island knew him. And everybody knew about Mr Vitalis' house. It was the biggest house on the island, and it had a high electric fence around three sides of the garden. The fence had a special burglar alarm. When somebody climbed over the fence, the alarm rang in the police station. Mr Vitalis wanted everybody to know that, too. 'I don't want burglars,' he said. 'So I tell everybody about my burglar alarm.' There was no fence on the cliff side of the garden. There was no need for one. A person had to climb Eagle's Rock to get into the house on that side. 'And nobody's going to try that!' Mr Vitalis always said. The house was called Eagle House, named after the cliff below it. It was a good name for a fine house. But Costas wasn't looking at Mr Vitalis' house. He was looking at Eagle's Rock, thinking about the climb. 'Twenty-five metres high ... follow the crack to the bird-shaped overhang. Move on slowly until it gets easier... then up the shelf above. Then a difficult climb for the next few metres...' he said to himself. He was excited, just thinking about it. Eleni dried herself with a towel and walked across the beach to Costas. She knew immediately what he was thinking about. She could see it in the look on his face. It worried her. 'Stop looking at it, Costas, she said. 'Stop thinking about it. You can't climb Eagle's Rock - it's too dangerous. Two men and a woman have already died. That was true, Costas knew. There were a lot of accidents and three deaths already - while people tried to climb the Rock. 'But don't you understand?' Costas said. 'I want to be the first person to climb it to the top. Then I'll be famous!' 'Or dead,' Eleni said. Costas just laughed. 'Why don't you go up with other climbers, Costas?' Eleni said. 'It's much more dangerous to climb alone all the time. You frighten me.' 'You don't understand, Costas said. 'It's more exciting. Just me against the cliff! A real test of my climbing skills of my nerve!' His eyes shone as he spoke. She took his arm and tried to pull him away from the cliff. She was angry with him now. 'Come home,' she said. 'I want a shower and some breakfast before I go to the shop.' She pulled him away. 'All right,' Costas said at last. 'And don't tell father that you want to climb Eagle's Rock,' Eleni told him. 'He'll go crazy.' Mr Kazakou didn't like his son climbing rocks and cliffs. He thought it was stupid. But Costas loved to climb. It excited him. It tested his nerve. 'I feel free!' he said. 'Just me and the birds. Sometimes I even feel like a bird up there!' He tried to tell his father how he felt. But Mr Kazakou didn't listen. He didn't understand the excitement of using a climber's skill. Eleni and her brother walked across the sand to the cliffs on the other side. They found the steps up to the cliff road above. The sun was warm on their backs. 'It's going to be a hot day today, Eleni said. The holiday villas were on the cliff road. Their father was outside the villa that he owned. He was a small man with a thick moustache and a happy smile. 'Costas! Eleni!' Mr Kazakou called to them. 'Come and meet Mr Holland. A fair-haired man stood next to Mr Kazakou. He didn't seem interested in meeting Costas or Eleni, but he waited. He watched them closely as they walked across to the garden of the villa. Costas and Eleni shook hands with him. Costas looked hard at the man's face until the man looked away. 'Mr Holland seėms nervous, Eleni thought. 'Mr Holland has come from England, Mr Kazakou said. 'He's staying at the villa for two weeks. He's a writer.' 'A writer?' Eleni said. "That's exciting! Do you write books?' 'Sometimes,' said the man. He didn't seem to want to talk about it. 'Have you been to the island before?' Costas asked him. The man shook his head. 'No, never,' he said. 'I thought I knew your face, Costas said. 'Do you have any friends on the island, Mr Holland?' Mr Kazakou asked. Holland shook his head again. 'No. I know nobody on the island, he said. 'There are a lot of good walks, Mr Kazakou told him. 'Yes,' Holland said. 'Perhaps I'll do some walking.' Then he turned and went inside the villa. Mr Kazakou walked back along the cliff road with Costas and Eleni. Their home was up the hill, in the town. 'Mr Holland didn't want to talk,' Costas said. 'He just wanted to get inside the villa.' 'Perhaps he's shy, Mr Kazakou said. He was pleased that the man was staying at the villa for two weeks. It wasn't a good summer for tourists. 'Perhaps he just likes being alone.' They walked up the hill to the small town. A few shops were open. A waiter was putting chairs and tables outside a small café. A woman was washing the step outside her house. Costas was silent as he walked. 'Where have I seen Mr Holland before?' he thought. 'I'm sure I've seen him.' Mr Kazakou went to help his wife in the garden. She was picking tomatoes for lunch. 'What's the matter?' Eleni asked Costas when they were inside the house. 'You look worried. Is something wrong?' 'I'm sure I've seen Mr Holland before, Costas said. 'But where?' Eleni said. 'He says he's never been to the island.' 'I know he said that, Costas said. 'But I don't believe him.' ## Chapter 3 - The Visit to the Shop 'Are you going out again?' Eleni asked her brother. 'Later,' Costas told her. 'First I have work to do. I have to finish a book and then write some notes.' 'Don't say anything to Father about Eagle's Rock, she told him. 'He'll have to know soon, Costas said. 'But I won't say anything yet.' Eleni went to have a shower. Costas went up to his room to change his clothes. Eleni dressed and ate some breakfast after her shower. Then she went off to the shop where she worked in the school holidays. The shop belonged to Mr Papas. It sold books and postcards. It also sold pictures from a small gallery at the back of the shop. Most of the pictures were by painters who lived on the island. Many tourists came into the shop, and to look at the paintings in the gallery. 'Good morning, Eleni, Mr Papas said. 'I saw you swimming this morning. I waved, but you didn't see me.' 'Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Papas, Eleni said. 'But it was lovely in the water.' Mr Papas went for a long walk along the cliff each morning. 'I see that you have a visitor staying in your holiday villa,' he said. 'I saw an open-topped car outside in the road.' 'Yes,' Eleni said. And she told Mr Papas about Mr Holland. 'He's a writer.' 'Is he?' Mr Papas said. 'I'd like to meet him. I've never met a writer.' 'Perhaps he'll come to the shop and buy a book, Eleni said. She didn't say anything about Mr Holland's unfriendliness. Perhaps her father was right. Perhaps Mr Holland was just shy. It was a quiet morning in the shop. There weren't many tourists that day. Eleni put some things in the window and tidied the bookshelves. Mr Papas went into the gallery to look at some new paintings. Later, a large black car stopped outside, and a man got out. He was a big man and he wore a white suit. 'Mr Vitalis!' said Mr Papas, when the man came into the shop. 'It's good to see you again!' Mr Vitalis liked buying paintings. Many of the paintings in his home Eagle House were by famous artists. Eleni knew about them from Mr Papas. 'The pictures are worth a lot of money,' she told Costas. 'Some are probably worth thousands and thousands of pounds. Mr Vitalis is very rich. He can buy as many paintings as he likes.' Mr Vitalis came to the shop two or three times a year to see the new pictures. Sometimes he bought one. Mr Papas was always pleased to see the big man. 'Good morning, Mr Papas,' said Mr Vitalis. 'What can you show me today? Any interesting new paintings?' 'Good morning, Mr Vitalis, Mr Papas said. He took the big man through to the gallery at the back of the shop. 'Make some coffee for Mr Vitalis, will you, Eleni?' he called over his shoulder. Eleni went into the little kitchen at the side of the shop. She began to make some coffee. The shop looked out onto the narrow road and a café opposite. A waiter stood in the doorway of the café, looking bored. There weren't many customers. There was a man sitting at one of the outside tables. He was drinking coffee and reading. 'It's Mr Holland!' Eleni said to herself. 'Eleni!' Mr Papas called from the gallery. 'Where's the coffee?' 'Coming, Mr Papas!' Eleni said. She took the coffee into the gallery. Mr Vitalis was looking at a picture. He seemed to like it. Mr Papas was watching him nervously. He was hoping to make a sale. A woman came into the shop. 'Good morning, Eleni said, going back into the shop. The woman bought some postcards, and Eleni put them in a bag and took the money. Then a young man came in and bought a book. Soon after that, Mr Vitalis and Mr Papas came out of the gallery. Mr Vitalis didn't want to buy any of the paintings. Eleni saw that Mr Papas looked a little sad. 'Perhaps next time I'll see a picture that I like,' Mr Vitalis said. 'Thank you for the coffee,' he said to Eleni. 'That's all right, Eleni said. After he left, Eleni went back to the kitchen. She began to wash the coffee cups. Then she looked out of the window at the café. The waiter was standing outside now. Mr Holland was still sitting at his table, reading his book. Another person was sitting down at a table behind him. It was Mr Vitalis. Mr Vitalis called the waiter and spoke to him. The waiter brought him a glass of wine. Mr Vitalis read his newspaper. Eleni went back into the shop. There were three tourists looking around. Eleni stood ready to help. Mr Papas was talking to a woman who seemed interested in a painting in the window. A man brought a book to Eleni. 'I'll take this one, please, he said. Eleni took the money, and then the man and his wife left the shop. She looked across at the café again. Mr Vitalis was paying the waiter. A few minutes later, he walked back to his car. He left his newspaper on the café table, Eleni noticed. Soon, Mr Holland got up to leave. He turned and looked behind him. Then he picked up Mr Vitalis' newspaper and put it under his arm. 'Why can't be buy one?' Eleni thought. Mr Vitalis left the café and went back to his car. He drove past the shop belonging to Mr Papas and out of the town. Soon he was on the road to Eagle House. It was a steep, narrow road. The big car had to slow down to turn the corners. Other cars waited for Mr Vitalis to pass. Mr Vitalis knew the road well. He didn't have to think about his driving. He was able to think about other things to worry about his computer company. 'There's not much more time,' he thought. 'I have to have money soon. Something will have to happen quickly if I'm going to save my business. It's been a bad year. Business has been poor. I've lost money in other ways, too. I've had to sell other businesses which I owned on the island.' He did this secretly. Fie didn't want other people to know about his problems. He looked up at the big white house, standing high on the cliff top. 'Perhaps I'll have to sell Eagle House, too, he thought. 'If that happens, I'll have to leave the island. I can't live here in a small house. People will laugh and say, "Look at him now! He's not a big, important man now!" I don't want that.' Mr Vitalis was afraid. As a young man, he knew how to be poor. But not now. It was easy to forget. 'I've made a lot of money in my life,' he thought. 'Some honestly, some not.' Mr Vitalis didn't worry about this. When he had to cheat someone, he didn't think twice about it. His wife cheated him a long time ago. She took his money and went away with another man. Others cheated Mr Vitalis when he was younger. But nobody cheated him today. He was too clever for that. Now he was in trouble. Money trouble. But Mr Vitalis had a plan. He thought about the man in the café. 'Will he do what I want him to do?' Mr Vitalis thought. 'If he doesn't, I'm in trouble. There's no time to find another man. There's no time to make another plan. He has to do it.' He arrived at Eagle House and pushed a switch inside the car. The tall metal gates opened slowly, and he drove through them. The gates closed and locked themselves after him. ## Chapter 4 - The Real 'Mr Holland' That afternoon, Costas went to the beach and looked again at Eagle's Rock. He sat in the sun for an hour and looked up at the bird-shaped cliff. Eleni thought it was ugly. But Costas thought it looked beautiful. He imagined himself climbing the Rock. He imagined the feeling. 'I'm going to be famous!' he thought. 'Everyone on the island will hear about the climb. All over Greece, people will talk about Costas Kazakou, the famous climber! Even my father will know that I'm brave and clever. I must get to the top!' Costas thought he knew the best way to the top now. 'I'll make the climb soon,' he decided. 'It's stupid to wait. I'm ready. I'll choose a fine, clear morning.' Later, he was smiling to himself as he walked home. He went past his father's holiday villa. Suddenly, he saw the man Holland at one of the windows. Mr. Holland was looking through binoculars at something. Then Costas saw that he was looking at Eagle's Rock. Costas crossed the road. He stood where Mr Holland couldn't see him. He watched the man. Mr Holland looked at the Rock for a long time. Then he moved the binoculars up, and looked at Eagle House. At last he moved away from the window. Costas started walking again. 'I don't understand, he thought. 'What's Mr Holland doing? Why is he so interested in Mr Vitalis' house? And why was he looking at Eagle's Rock? Is he going to try to climb it, too?' Costas stopped suddenly. His eyes became wide with surprise. 'Now I remember!' he said. 'Now I know where I've seen Mr Holland's face before!' After supper, Costas took Eleni into his bedroom. 'What is it?' she asked. 'You were very quiet during supper.' 'I know where I've seen Mr Holland before,' he said. 'You do?' Eleni said. 'Where?' 'I'll show you.' Costas went across to some bookshelves under the window. He took a book from the top shelf and gave it to her. Eleni looked at it. It was a book about mountain climbing; High Adventures, by David Ashken. 'What's so special about this book?' Eleni said. Costas had many books about climbing, and a lot of them were by David Ashken. Costas took it from her and turned it over. On the back was a picture of the writer of the book. He had a beard, but Eleni knew his face. 'It's Mr Holland!' Eleni said. 'So this is the kind of book that he writes.' 'Not now, Costas said. 'What do you mean?' Eleni asked. 'Mr Holland's real name is David Ashken, Costas said. 'He was a famous climber.' 'Was?' Eleni said. 'Yes. He had a bad fall from a mountain in Austria five years ago,' Costas told her. 'Another man was climbing with him. The other man was killed. After that, Ashken was too frightened to climb again.' 'Oh,' Eleni said. 'But why does he call himself Holland?' 'He's afraid!' Costas said. 'He doesn't want people to know him now. He was famous when he was a climber. Now he's nobody.' 'Why do you sound so angry about it?' 'I thought he was one of the best rock climbers in the world, Costas said. 'I wanted to be like him. I read all the books about his climbs. But then he had the accident and became frightened. He became a coward. I don't like cowards.' 'He says he's a writer,' Eleni said. 'His books were about climbing,' Costas said. 'Now he's too frightened to climb. What can he write about? Nothing. He says he's a writer. But he doesn't write.' 'Poor man,' Eleni said. She felt sorry for Mr Holland. 'Don't say anything to Father,' Costas told her. 'He mustn't.. know who Mr Holland really is. He'll ask Ashken to try to stop me climbing. He'll try to frighten me. He'll tell me I'll probably be like Ashiken in a few years. But I won't be. One day I'll be a great climber.' 'Like David Ashken, Eleni said quietly. 'Right?' Her brother didn't answer. After a minute, he said, 'Listen. Ashken was looking at Eagle House through a pair of binoculars earlier.' And he told her about 'Mr Holland' at the villa window. "What's the problem?' Eleni said. 'Just think for a minute, Costas said. 'Mr Vitalis has a house full of paintings. Many of them are worth thousands of pounds.' 'I know, Eleni said. 'Ashken isn't famous now, Costas said, 'so he needs money. Perhaps he's heard about Mr Vitalis' paintings and is planning to steal them.' 'That's a silly idea, Eleni said. 'Mr Vitalis often talks about his paintings, Costas said. 'Even to strangers. Perhaps Ashken knows about them. 'It still doesn't mean that he's going to rob Mr Vitalis,' Eleni said. 'Eagle House is safe. Only a person inside the house can open the metal gates. And if anyone climbs over the fence, the police will know. Everybody on the island knows that. Nobody can get in and take any of Mr Vitalis' paintings. The only way is up Eagle's Rock, and that isn't possible-' She stopped suddenly. 'David Ashken was able to do it five years ago, before the accident, her brother said. 'And he was looking at it through the binoculars this afternoon. Eleni looked surprised. 'But he's too frightened to climb since his accident. You said so.' 'I know, Costas said. He became angry. 'But perhaps Ashken will try to climb the Rock, because he wants to get into Eagle House. Eagle's Rock is my climb. It's my way to become famous. Ashken isn't going to climb Eagle's Rock first!' He wasn't worried about an old man and his paintings. He was only worried about David Ashken climbing Eagle's Rock. 'Ashken can't tell anybody if he climbs the Rock, Eleni said. 'Not if he steals Mr Vitalis' paintings too.' 'But people will know if paintings disappear, Costas said. 'It's the only way that a thief can get into Eagle House. He mustn't do it first. Eagle's Rock is mine. I must be first!' 'You can't! You'll kill yourself!' Eleni said. 'Promise me that you won't try, Costas.' Costas said nothing. ## Chapter 5 - Mr Vitalis' Plan David Ashken sat next to the window of the villa. He was looking through his binoculars. He could see Eagle House across the C-shaped beach, on the other cliff top. He could see the high electric fence on three sides of the garden. He could see the tall metal gates that opened on to the cliff road. Gates that were only opened by a switch inside the house. 'Mr Vitalis knows how to keep people out, Ashken thought. 'There's only one way into Eagle House, and that's from the cliff side. Up Eagle's Rock. He was right. But can I do it? Can I make the climb?' David Ashken's first meeting with Mr Vitalis was in England, a month earlier... Ashken was working in the bar of the hotel where Mr Vitalis was staying. Mr Vitalis saw him and knew his face. 'You were a climber, weren't you?' Mr Vitalis said. 'That's right,' Ashken said. 'But please don't say anything to other people in the hotel. I've told nobody here. They haven't guessed who I am. Only you know I was a famous climber.' 'So why are you working in a bar?' Mr Vitalis asked. 'Because I need money,' David Ashken told him. 'I needed a job.' 'I see,' Mr Vitalis said. And he watched Ashken thoughtfully for the rest of the evening. The next night, he spoke to David Ashken again. 'I need money, too,' Mr Vitalis said. 'Perhaps I can help you - and you can help me.' Ashken was surprised. 'How?' he asked. 'Do you think you can make one more climb?' Mr Vitalis asked. Ashken began to shake. 'No,' he said. 'No, I don't.' 'Not even if you're paid a lot of money?' Mr Vitalis said. "Then you can stop working in bars.' 'Why do you want to pay me a lot of money for a climb?' Ashken wanted to know. And then Mr Vitalis told Ashken about the paintings in Eagle House. 'Some of them are worth many thousands of pounds, Mr Vitalis said. 'I want somebody to steal them, and then hide them for two or three weeks. And then I want them back again.' David Ashken began to understand. 'And you'll get money from the insurance company,' he said slowly. 'Then you'll sell the paintings and get money for them twice. Very clever. You'll sell them to somebody who has other stolen paintings. Somebody who'll keep his mouth shut. I've heard that there are people like that.' He smiled. 'Who is it?' 'You don't need to know, Mr Vitalis said. 'You'll get the paintings out of the house. Then you'll hide them until I want them. You don't need to know what happens after that.' David Ashken looked at Mr Vitalis for a long time. Then he said, 'Tell me about the house. What's so special about it? Why do you need somebody who can climb?' So Mr Vitalis told him about Eagle House and Eagle's Rock. 'It must look real, when you rob the place,' he said. 'And nobody can get in over the fence or through the metal gates because of the burglar alarm. The police will be able to catch the robber before he can escape. The only way in is up the cliff.' 'So you need somebody who can climb Eagle's Rock. Somebody who can get into the house that way,' said Ashken. 'And somebody who will keep quiet because they need money. Somebody like me.' Mr Vitalis smiled. 'Yes,' he said. Ashken thought for a minute. 'How will I get out of the house with the paintings?' he asked. 'Through the metal gates to the road, Mr Vitalis said. 'You can switch off the alarm and open the gates from inside. Then you can leave that way with the paintings.' Ashken looked thoughtful. 'Will you do it." Mr Vitalis said. 'I'll pay you well. 'I - I don't know,' David Ashken said. 'I'll tell you before you leave the hotel.' Ashken didn't sleep well that night. He had bad dreams and woke up two or three times. But three days later, he spoke to Mr Vitalis again. 'I'll come to the island and look at Eagle's Rock,' he said. 'I can't promise anything until I've seen the climb.' 'All right, Mr Vitalis said. 'And I shall want half the money when I arrive, Ashken told him. 'Agreed, Mr Vitalis said. That was a month ago... Now, David Ashken sat in the holiday villa, looking at Eagle's Rock. It was between the white house and the beach. 'Steep and dangerous,' Ashken thought. Money, that was the problem. He had to have money to buy a business. A shop, perhaps. The money from Mr Vitalis was enough for that. He couldn't write books since the accident. And he couldn't keep other jobs. 'I can't work for other people,' he thought. 'I know that now. I have to be the boss, but that takes money.' Most of Ashken's money was gone now. The books stopped selling after he stopped climbing. Nobody wanted to buy a book by a climber who didn't climb. 'I'll have to make this climb one last climb,' he told himself. 'There's no other way. Then I'll have the money to buy a shop or a small company. Ashken's hands began to shake ... He looked back at Eagle's Rock. 'No,' he said after a minute. 'I - I can't do it.' He picked up the phone. 'Vitalis?' he