Undara

by Annie Seaton

  ‘More bloody snakes than I’ve ever seen in my life.’

  They pulled up short of Larry as they stared down at the reptiles.

  ‘Maybe it’s a mating ritual,’ Emlyn said softly.

  Greg shook his head as Larry edged back towards the rock wall behind them. It was hard to estimate how many snakes were in the writhing mass on the fine dirt. Brown and grey twirled in a sinuous dance as the reptiles curled against each other. Every few seconds a head would lift, and the forked tongue would flick out.

  ‘No,’ Greg said. ‘Someone’s trying to scare us away. Look.’ He pointed to the wall and dipped his head, so his light shone on the ground. Two hessian sacks were lying on the ground, and as they watched another snake came from each.

  ‘Who on earth would do that?’ John exclaimed.

  ‘I don’t care who did it,’ Larry said. ‘But I’m not fussed on spending a few weeks down here.’

  ‘It’s all right, Larry. They’re harmless pythons and tree snakes.’ Emlyn tried to placate him. ‘I’ve got a fair idea who did this, and I’ll tell him not to do it again.’

  Bluey’s word rang in her ears. ‘You need to listen to the locals, love.’ She’d be having a word to him if this happened again. A bag of snakes wasn’t going to scare them off.

  * * *

  Travis nudged the flank of the horse with his heel and followed Gavin down the hill. Jase and Joel had gone ahead on the motorbikes, but he’d asked Gavin to come on horseback. It wasn’t a bad day out here; the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and the property looked a bit greener than it had last week.

  ‘How much longer, Trav?’ Gavin’s whine floated up to him. ‘I’m getting bored.’

  ‘We’ll just move the last paddock, and then we’ll break for lunch at the spring.’

  ‘Okay. You got yourself a lady friend now? She was there early. Did she stay the night?’ Gavin’s eyes were wide.

  ‘No, Gavin, she didn’t. Dr Rees came over because there was an internet problem.’ Travis kept his tone patient. He knew Gavin was trying to pick a fight so he could go back to the house in a huff and get out of the work.

  Gavin kicked his horse into a gallop and shot ahead of Travis. When they rounded up the last few cattle and got back to the yards Bluey was shutting the gate.

  ‘What’s he doing there?’ Gavin said.

  Travis gritted his teeth. ‘He’s helping us get the cattle in.’

  ‘You know I hate the old prick. He gives me the creeps, he always has.’

  ‘He’s a good worker and he takes up your slack.’

  ‘He must be heading for eighty, the sneaky old bastard. I see him in places that he shouldn’t be.’

  ‘Like where?’

  ‘Just places. I reckon he set that boy up.’

  ‘What boy?’

  ‘The one you had working for us. The one who took the backhoe out. That was Bluey’s fault. And Bluey was out at the huts the other day. Why should he go there? I reckon he still thinks our property should be his. That’s why Dad sacked him. Dad told me about it. Bluey said his grandfather had a fight with ours and lost it. It’s in the family diaries. I read it there.’

  ‘The diaries were destroyed in the fire, so you couldn’t have.’ Travis knew what his brother’s problem was. Gavin had a couple of hidey-holes on the property that he considered his own. He’d resent Bluey being out there—if he had been there at all. Lately, Travis couldn’t believe a word his brother said.

  Gavin had moved into one of the old huts when Alison and Travis had first married, but he’d soon got sick of looking after himself. Alison had put up with him when he’d moved back to the farmhouse, and Travis had appreciated her forbearance.

  ‘Well, Dad must have told me. I still don’t trust him. Dad got rid of him when we were off at school and then you hired him back as soon as you were in charge.’

  Travis ignored the resentment in his brother’s tone and sighed. ‘Gav, despite his age, he’s a great worker. If he wasn’t here, you’d have to work every day, so just put up with it, okay? And if you were running the property, you’d be the one having to do the worrying, so just can it.’

  After they finished at the yards, they went across to the other side of the springs, and Travis pulled out some sandwiches and cold drinks. Joel and Jase sat leaning against the trunk of a huge gum tree.

  ‘So what do you think of your dad’s girlfriend?’ Gavin said as he reached for a sandwich.

  ‘Gavin. That’s enough.’ Travis shook his head in a warning.

  ‘It’s okay, Trav. Have you done the sex-education bit yet?’

  Joel lifted his head and stopped chewing as he stared at Travis. ‘Emlyn’s your girlfriend? She’s only been here a little while, hasn’t she?’

  ‘Yes, she has, and your uncle is being stupid. He’s stirring me.’

  ‘I haven’t ever had a girlfriend.’ Gavin shot a shy look at both boys. ‘Your father started young, I can remember back in high school—’

  Jase’s lip curled in a sneer. ‘Ignore him, Joel. He’s full of shit. They didn’t even go to high school together. I know you went to boarding school and Uncle Gavin stayed here and was homeschooled.’

  ‘Too sooky to leave home, were you, Uncle Gav?’ Joel asked.

  ‘Jase and Joel, some respect, please. That’s enough ribbing, we’ve got work—’ Travis went to intervene because Gavin had clenched his fists and he knew the situation was about to get out of control, but Gavin spoke over him.

  ‘Your grandparents could only afford to send one of us, and as usual your father got all the benefits. I had to stay home and help Dad with the cattle between my lessons.’

  Both of the boys rolled their eyes, and Travis was pleased when the conversation stopped as they demolished the last of the sandwiches.

  When they’d finished eating, the twins headed across to the large expanse of water and walked around the edge, deep in conversation.

  Gavin frowned. ‘What are they talking about now?’

  Travis leaned back, closed his eyes and ignored him. He listened to the flies buzzing around his head. It was a toss-up what was the most annoying: Gavin or the flies.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘I don’t know, Gavin. If you’re so curious, go and ask them.’ Travis sat up and reached for his hat, flapping at the small black flies. ‘By the way, I’ve written you a cheque for your share from the cattle sale last month.’

  ‘That’ll come in handy in Townsville.’

  Travis pushed himself to his feet, carried the pack over to the saddlebag and slipped it in. He mounted the old horse. ‘We’ve got more cattle to move tomorrow, so I want you to give me a hand before you go.’

  ‘What about Bluey? I suppose he got a cheque, too?’ The whine was back, and Travis fought for patience.

  ‘It’s a big job. And if you were out with us, you’d know that Bluey hasn’t had a day off for a couple of weeks. And you know that he gets a pay cheque, not a cut of the sales. I want to move the small herd right over to the back paddock. And then I want to head out to the back boundary. Apparently, the road needs grading. Did you unlock the back gate and give anyone access to the station?’

  ‘No, I didn’t.’ Gavin dropped his lip into a pout. ‘Just because Mum left you in charge doesn’t mean you can accuse me of things.’

  Travis put up his hands and kept his voice calm. ‘Okay. Okay. Settle down. I’m not accusing you of anything. I was just asking.’

  ‘What do you think I am?’ So, the stirring hadn’t worked so now it was time for the hard-done-by front; Gavin had been doing that to get out of work recently. ‘You told me to tell the mining company that there’s not enough water on the place, and that’s what I did.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t know why you even gave me the responsible job of dealing with that company.’

  ‘Because I didn’t have time and I knew I could trust you to get our message across.’

  Gavin smiled. ‘It’s good you appreciate me for something.’

/>   ‘Of course I do. I know you love this place as much as I do.’ Travis forced himself to smile back. ‘I just wish you could help me more. The property has taken a big hit with the drought over the past few years. I’ve had to let Jeff Collins go.’

  ‘No loss.’ Gavin’s mind flitted from one thing to another as usual. ‘So what about the road?’

  ‘I’ll check it out when I move the cattle. Can you help me or not?’

  ‘I’m sorry for being mean. If you can leave it a week, Trav, I can give you all the week after next on the property.’ Gavin stood and walked to the horse. He put his hand on old Sam’s head and gave him a rub as he looked up at Travis. ‘Look, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a bit slack lately. I’ve had a lot on my mind.’

  ‘You and me both.’ Travis doubted whether the promised week would eventuate. There was always an excuse for a trip to Townsville. ‘Well, if you’ll give me that week out there, we could get a lot done. I want to have a look at the road myself before I waste money on a grader.’

  ‘Who said it was a mess, anyway?’

  ‘Emlyn did. She went out to unlock the back gate for the delivery truck from Mt Surprise.’ He pushed his hat back. ‘I might even give Kev a call. He can tell me how bad it is.’

  ‘Trav, don’t waste your time or money—our money. She’s a city slicker. A bit of a bump would make it a bad road for anyone who’s used to driving on tar. If Kev got through in his delivery truck, it’s probably just a few channels on the edge from that one storm we had a few weeks back.’

  ‘Yeah. You’re probably right. So, I can take your word that you’ll give me a week? We’ll camp out there to save some time.’

  ‘Scout’s honour. The week after next.’

  ‘Okay. It’s a deal.’

  CHAPTER

  14

  Walking across to the mess room for dinner a few nights later, Emlyn surprised herself as she began to sing quietly. The air was fresh and clean this evening, and a cooler wind, tempering the constant heat, was blowing in from the south. Her shoes clicked on the steps in time with the song in her head. She stopped at the top and took a deep breath. Silence surrounded her; the only sound was the wind high in the trees, and the faint sound of animals. With a smile, she pushed open the screen door.

  The idea that could be the answer to Travis’s financial problems began to take shape in Emlyn’s thoughts last night around the dinner table. The past few days underground had been excellent, and Larry had taken dozens of photographs that Lucy was going to cross-match with the international tropical-insect database after dinner. By the end of their first day they’d set up their first grid, and the eight-metre-square working area defined by metal pegs and string had made it seem real. The conversation was animated as they sat around the table talking well into the night. Emlyn had made their first discovery today after hours of brushing the dirt.

  ‘If only we had more manpower,’ Greg said. ‘Imagine what other troglomorphic species are down there in those kilometres of tubes. Especially where there’s been no human intervention.’

  ‘Translation please? Trog what?’ Larry asked with a laugh.

  ‘Sorry,’ Greg said. ‘A troglobite is a species that is bound to underground habitats … like the tubes here or underground caves. So troglomorphic means a species that adapts to living in the constant darkness—the conditions—of caves. You see things like loss of pigment, reduced eyesight, and often with very fine bodies. Not to mention unique appendages.’

  ‘Like that white “thing” you got me to photograph all afternoon.’ Larry sat back and picked up his beer.

  ‘That’s the one.’ Greg nodded. As they ate dinner, Greg’s eyes were bright, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Emlyn had come across the unfamiliar creature late that afternoon. Encased in a white shell, it was the shape of a leaf and it seemed to be walking backwards as she brushed the dirt away from it, as if the antennae were at the front of its head. The white antler-like sticks were waving around, and when the light from the camera flash had bathed the insect, it had stopped and lifted the front half of its body.

  ‘I reckon it’s a genus of the callipodida.’ Greg hadn’t stopped talking about it since they’d sat down, and Emlyn was quietly delighted, too. It was why they were here, and the first indication of new species. The headache she’d been nursing disappeared in an instant as she’d observed the creature on the red sand.

  ‘A similar species has been recently discovered in limestone caves in Southern China with pale colouration, long antennae and long legs,’ Emlyn said.

  ‘How do you know all this?’ Larry asked. ‘You’re a bloody walking encyclopaedia.’

  ‘Just as well I made mango ice-cream for dessert,’ Bill said with a grin. ‘Sounds like a celebration is called for.’

  Ice-cream Girl. Emlyn put down her fork, her appetite gone. Even though she’d told David not to email her again, another message had arrived from him last night. She had to force herself to stop thinking about it and focus on her work in the caves today. She hadn’t slept well and had been plagued by a niggling headache all day.

  Sitting on the side of the bed last night, she’d opened the email, after a few minutes of trying to ignore it.

  So the nerdy IT student thought he had a chance with Ice-cream Girl, did he? Let’s show her what a he-man he is, he decided. Let’s go camping for our first real weekend away. Let’s show her that he’s a real man.

  Emlyn’s chuckle had surprised her.

  So, Ice-cream Girl neglected to mention she was a seasoned camper. You grew up in a camping family. How many research camps had you been on by then, Em? Lots, if my memory serves me correctly. How many times had I been camping? Once when I was about four, with my dad, and that had been a disaster.

  The trip he had taken her on had been an absolute hoot. They’d gone up to the Scenic Rim on the New South Wales border to the Natural Bridge walk. The car park had been full of Maseratis and Ferraris, and one Lamborghini. Luxury cars—and luxury people—on some afternoon excursion from the Gold Coast.

  David had whistled. ‘Wow. Feel a bit guilty parking the old Hyundai next to them.’ He’d put his hand out and she’d taken it, as he’d helped her down the path. It had been nice being looked after and cared for, and Emlyn had lapped it up. And he was so good-looking, and his voice was deep and sexy like Alan Rickman’s. She’d been to every one of his movies because she’d loved his voice; David’s had the same timbre, without the posh British accent.

  They’d both smothered giggles as they’d passed the group coming back up to the car park. The perfume had preceded the women wearing heavy makeup and the shortest skirts Emlyn had ever seen.

  ‘I think I’d rather be in the Hyundai,’ Emlyn had whispered as she watched the women totter up the path on stiletto heels.

  David had shaken his head. ‘Why would you bother?’

  They’d chuckled together all the way to the campground in the national park.

  First disaster: David hadn’t brought tent pegs. Emlyn had smiled as she’d continued to read.

  So, I had a tent. Who told me you needed to peg it to the ground? I thought I was clever watching it on the YouTube clip. And the food? Did you really have to giggle so much when I’d forgotten the matches? So you can’t light a campfire successfully with the cigarette lighter from the car. I know that now. But weren’t the hamburgers we bought at Crystal Creek fantastic? Ever since that night, I’ve measured my hamburgers against them.

  I couldn’t provide you with shelter, and I stuffed up the food. But you laughed and told me it didn’t matter, and I fell in love with you a little bit more with every second that passed.

  The rest of that night is etched into my memory and it will always be there. Remember how I used to tell you about data on a hard drive?

  You are etched onto my soul, Em. Even if I never see you again, if I never touch you again, if I never hold you again, I will survive because you are written into my soul.

  I love you
, babe. Wherever you are today, hold that thought close to you. David.

  She’d closed the laptop and laid down, even though it wasn’t dark yet. That had been the first time they’d slept together, and like David’s memory, it was imprinted on her mind forever. Tears had welled in her eyes and Emlyn had let them seep from the corners as she lay there until she’d fallen into a restless sleep.

  ‘Emlyn, where would you go?’

  She jumped as Meg touched her arm gently. Looking down, she was surprised to see her dinner plate was gone and had been replaced by a bowl of ice-cream and jelly.

  ‘Sorry. I was miles away,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Always thinking about work, aren’t you, love.’ Bill nodded at her as he cleared the plates.

  ‘Yes. Always work,’ she agreed.

  ‘We were talking about the best place for holidays,’ Meg said.

  ‘It’s a shame they can’t do something here like that dig we did over at Winton last holidays,’ Lucy said.

  Meg laughed as she held up her wineglass for a refill. ‘You mean to say your scientist husband took you on a dig for a holiday?’ She was sitting next to Greg and she nudged him. ‘If John ever tried that …’

  ‘I’d be in the doghouse,’ John cracked a rare joke. ‘Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island, that’s Meg’s choice for a holiday. But if you’d like to go to the Dinosaur Dig, love—’

  Meg held up her still-empty glass. ‘Pour me another wine and button it, John.’

  Professor John Kearns winked at Emlyn as he did what his wife instructed, but Meg’s comment got Emlyn thinking.

  ‘Tell me a bit more about this dig holiday,’ she asked quietly. ‘I’ve read a bit about the fossil work over at Winton, but I didn’t know about the holiday program.’

  ‘Yes.’ John sat up a bit straighter. ‘I can see what you’re thinking, Emlyn, and I like it.’

  Greg nodded. ‘Yes. It could work here, too. Over there, you pay to be a part of the dig for a short period. At the moment it’s five to six days. In the beginning, Winton was supported by a national magazine fundraiser and private donations from a heap of volunteers and supporters. Now, it’s big business. When we were up there, we had the choice of going out on the dig or working in the prep room cleaning the rock away from the fossils.’