by John Kelly
George Balwyn sat half slumped across his office chair, resting his left hand on the desk, thrumming his fingers as if playing the same notes on a piano over and over again. His once brilliant plan had now gone pear-shaped. Not only did Quentin Avers know almost as much about the plan as he did, Avers seemed to know a lot more. Avers' research appeared to be better than his own, a matter that stunned him and hurt him deeply. Soon, he realized, Amanda Blackburn would know the truth too, and would likely be coming home confused and angry. He could perhaps pretend that it was all part of his plan for her undergraduate training in preparation for a great future in the publishing industry, but he knew she would never fall for that. Andrew Patterson and David Maclean would be coming back soon too, and they too, would want answers. Andrew Patterson was a dark horse. George thought he had him in his back pocket. Now he wasn't so sure. Some of the information Quentin Avers acquired could only have come from Patterson, George surmised. Had they done a deal? David Maclean would want to know why he was sent on a ridiculous treasure hunt through the forests of Kamakura for gold bullion that didn't exist. But most of all, George considered the injustice he had committed against his father. After encouraging him to write the journal in the first place, George then made some changes to heighten the drama. He included references to Derek Avers that were harsh and untrue, knowing that he was dying and litigation was unlikely. He included references about gold bullion to sweeten the attraction; all this, to embellish a blockbuster account of a little known part of Australian history. However, he had not counted on the tenacity of Quentin Avers. The news of the train crash came as a complete surprise. Nothing in his father's records or memorabilia contained any such account. It seemed the army wanted to keep the matter quiet, assuming they even knew of his involvement; a case of the less said the better. But if Michael Balwyn was inadvertently responsible for the carnage, then that was a major stumbling block. George had wanted to present his father as a hero. If Amanda Blackburn learned of the crash as George assumed she would, then it would have to be written as it happened. That small matter compromised George's plan for the way the story was to be told. The book was still there to be written, it could be salvaged but at what cost? Was losing his father's respect worth it? Perhaps his father might never find out. Perhaps, he could shelter his father from the truth; after all, Michael Balwyn would be eighty-one this year. Did it really matter?
Yes, it did. And George knew it. The book could only be written as fact, and that meant vindicating Derek Avers and elevating him to whatever stature was appropriate; even hero status. Whatever Amanda Blackburn uncovered would have to be incorporated into the story no matter how benign. It might not become the blockbuster George had hoped for, but at least it would be accurate. He owed that to his father. In the end, it looked very much like Quentin Avers had triumphed; he would clear his father's name and in the process relegate George's father to a failure.
26.