The young man came down the mountain, his wide straw hat flapping as he walked. He stopped as he breasted the rise and stood for a moment entranced by the view. Below him the valley dropped away until it was lost to sight, then rose again towards the coastal range, standing out hard against the pale blue sky. The sea, deeper blue, stood cupped in the valleys between the mountains. The young man gave a deep breath, then looked back to the valley.
There, sheltered at the head of the ravine, was the house he had come to see. It was a sprawling cortijo with outbuildings branching out in all directions from the main house, the roof-line a crazy pattern of different levels. Roughly in the middle, an oddly-bent chimney reared up, reminding him irresistibly of a tea-pot spout. As he made his way
