Tarrapaldi

by Wayne T Mathews

  “You’re asking a lot. I’m going to have to think about it.” Nathaniel turned Bo, heading up the track.

  Tarrapaldi turned to look at Nathaniel when she heard him coming up beside her. “Has he agreed?”

  “In principle,” Nathaniel said. “But he’s made a counter offer that’s going to take some thought.”

  “All right.” Tarrapaldi kicked her carthorse hard to make him keep up with Bo. “Think about communicating with Tunggaree as well as me while you explain the offer. That way we’ll both hear your thoughts.”

  Nathaniel explained the proposal Harrington had made.

  “Can we trust Dennis Harrington, Tarrapaldi?” Tunggaree’s words were clear in Nathaniel and her minds.

  “I believe so, Father. His woman has followed him. She is very sure of herself, and is learning our spoken language very quickly from Billy Pike’s two younger brothers, who’re also with us.”

  “Very well. Bring them up to the valley’s southeastern pass. We’ll meet you there.”

  “Are the soldiers still in the valley, Tunggaree?” Nathaniel asked.

  “The last we saw them,” Tunggaree replied. “They were going back the way they came. Although we may have a problem. A falling slab of rock killed one of the soldiers. The soldier who was with him, the one with three stripes on his arm, he found a rock with gold in it. He has hidden the rock in his pocket and nobody else knows about it. But he’s been arguing with the officer over the lines they’ve been drawing on their map.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” Nathaniel snapped a look at Harrington before concentrating on his thoughts again. “The bastards have seen the valley, and they’ll be marking it out on their map. Damn. Caruthers is probably the land commissioner out here now, and they’re probably arguing over who’s going to get what. This changes things, Tunggaree.”

  “Why? You have the Governor’s representative with you. Does he, or does he not, have the power to give us what we want?” Tunggaree asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to ask him. But before I do. Tell me. What is the minimum land you will accept?”

  “All of the land I’ve asked for on the map has gold in it. Some more than the rest. Most of it will be very difficult for the Goobahs to find, but it’s there. If the Governor doesn’t want his people to find it,” Tunggaree said. “He must give us the Valley of Wonggaroa. And he must prevent his people from going onto the land I have marked that is east of the most western point of our valley.”

  “All right.” Nathaniel squinted while he imagined in his mind, the area Tunggaree had described. “It’s still a huge tract of land. I doubt he’ll agree to it as a grant. But what if we get the valley granted to us, and the rest leased to us as breeding grounds for the horses?” Nathaniel said.

  Tunggaree’s chuckle tickled his listener’s minds. “Do whatever it takes, my son. Just get us the land we need to raise your children in peace.”

  Nathaniel turned to Tarrapaldi. “Lead us to the next clearing. I’ll need to be able to dismount and look at the map with Dennis for this next bit.”

  Tarrapaldi kicked the carthorse hard to keep it moving when Nathaniel reined in Bo and pulled off the side of the track. Claire and the Pike boys smiled, but made no attempt to speak to him while they filed passed.

  “That was quick.” Harrington tightened the reins and patted the mare’s neck to steady her when the stallion stepped out beside her. “Have you made a decision?”

  “That’ll depend on some answers I need.” Nathaniel said.

  “All right. What’re the questions?”

  Nathaniel studied Harrington closely. “If we agree to your compromise, do you have the authority to grant us the land now? And will your grant override one that may have already been made by the current land commissioner on this side of the mountains?” Nathaniel asked.

  Harrington returned Nathaniel’s steady stare. “All grants are submitted as recommendations for approval by the Governor. Including any that little twirp Caruthers might make. But I can assure you my recommendation will carry far more weight than his.” Harrington took a letter from his tunic pocket, unfolded and then handed it to Nathaniel. “This is my letter commissioning me to survey the land we’re talking about. It specifically authorizes me to negotiate contracts for the supply of horses for the King’s army.”

  Nathaniel read the letter carefully before folding and handing it back. “This gives you a lot of very broad, discretionary power. Caruthers will be furious when he finds out.”

  “That’s his problem. Not ours.”

  “Uh huh. Well let’s get down to the brass tacks. What will you give us?”

  “I haven’t seen the land yet, Nathaniel.”

  “You’re looking at it.” Nathaniel waved his arm to indicate everything around them.

  Harrington turned back from the view. “You’ll need to show me where we are on the map. And how it relates to what we’re going to ask for.”

  Nathaniel nodded before concentrating on Tarrapaldi riding out in front. “Keep traveling, Tarrapaldi. We’ll stop and study the map when we reach the valley rim.”

  Muchuka leapt to her feet with her spears in hand. Looking over at Tunggaree, she saw that he too had heard the horses approaching, and was studying the track Nathaniel and Tarrapaldi had taken.

  Billy Pike was sleeping, his back resting against the trunk of a large tree, his hat tilted forward, the wide brim shielding his eyes. But he woke instantly, rolling into a crouching position, rifle cocked, when Muchuka prodded him with the blunt end of her spears.

  Following the direction Muchuka indicated by jutting her chin, Billy looked down the track and positioned himself to be able to have a clear shot at the approaching horsemen. When they came into view, he uncocked his weapon and leaned it against the tree. Putting both hands around his mouth to form a speaking trumpet, he tilted his head back. “COOEE, Andrew, Richard,” Billy yelled, before running to meet them with a huge grin on his face.

  Both the dusky brothers spurred their horses into a flat-out run and charged at Billy. Without attempting to slow their horses, they swung out of their saddles and hit the ground running. All three brothers collided with a force that made the watchers wince. But the brothers were all laughing, hugging, and slapping each other’s backs.

  Finally, Billy stepped back, holding his brothers at arm’s length. “By God, it’s good to see you blokes looking so good. How’re things back on the farm? Mum, Dad and the rest of the kids, they’re all well?”

  “They’re just fine,” Richard said. “Nora’s got a belly full of arms and legs, and Ned Patterson has agreed to marry her, just as soon as a preacher comes by they can stand up in front of. Ned’s Mum and Dad aren’t too pleased, but so what. Ned’s a good bloke, and he treats Nora well.”

  “Yeah, Ned’s a good bloke.” Billy looked at Andrew. “How’re you getting on with his sister, Mary?”

  Andrew shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “Mary and me were getting along fine. But Old Man Patterson came after me with a whip at the last dance we went to. Reckons it’s bad enough his son’s living with an Aboe. He won’t have a bar of his daughter stepping out with one.” Andrew said.

  Billy frowned. “Bloody snot. He wouldn’t know a band was up ‘im ‘til someone beat the drum.”

  “Yeah, But it wasn’t just him, Billy. The Morans, the Coles, and the Green boys,” Richard said. “They all got together and made it dead set clear, we’re not welcome round their lily-white sisters. Wound up having a hell of a punch up. But there was too many of them. They kicked us half to death. So Dad gave us what he could, and sent us out here to team up with you.”

  “Bloody bastards,” Billy said. “Well, we’ll show ‘em though, lads, never you fear. There’s more opportunities out here than you can point a stick at. And if we team up with that fellah over there,” Billy pointed at Nathaniel with his chin, “we
’ll go a long way. He’s got the gift.”

  Andrew and Richard both looked at Nathaniel before turning back to their brother.

  “But he’s a white fellah,” Andrew said.

  “So?” Billy smiled. “We’re not all brainless idiots, you know. Tarrapaldi and Tunggaree are training him. He’ll be a Koradji one day, you mark my words.”

  Both the boys blanched.

  “He already might be, Billy,” Andrew said. “You should have seen the signs back there on the track where Tarrapaldi held us up. Only a Koradji could have done that. And if Tunggaree was here with you, it must’ve been Nathaniel.”

  Billy smiled. “Or Tarrapaldi.”

  “That’s not funny,” Richard said. “Even Tunggaree wouldn’t teach a woman to be a Koradji. The feather foots, the Kadatchies, they’d kill him if he did.”

  Billy and Andrew swapped glances.

  “Not necessarily,” Billy said. “The Kadatchies would only go after him if a council of elders ordered it. And they won’t do that if no-one tells them what he’s doing.”

  “Oh, really,” Richard said. “And what makes you such an expert about the Kadatchies? When they put on their feather shoes, so no one can tell from their tracks whether they’re coming or going, they’ll kill anyone who breaks the tribal laws. Everyone knows that.”

  Andrew placed his hand on Richard’s arm. “Little brother, it’s time you learned. What you just said is one of the stories mothers tell their children to make them behave. And it isn’t quite true.”

  Billy leaned in closer and whispered, “Kadatchies carry out the law of the Kooris. And yes, sometimes they kill people. But only when a council of elders orders it. They’re not evil men, Richard. They’re enforcers of the laws of the Koori people.”

  “How do you know?” Richard asked.

  Billy and Andrew looked at each other again before Andrew said, “A Kadatchi told us.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Harrington chuckled and looked across at Nathaniel when the Pike brothers began slapping each other on the back.

  “You don’t suppose they’re pleased to see each other do you?”

  “It’s either that or they’re trying to dislodge fish bones from each other’s throats,” Nathaniel said, while swinging down from his saddle. “But never mind them for the moment. Come on over here and I’ll show you what it is we want.”

  Harrington whistled softly when he saw the valley stretched out beneath them.

  Nathaniel coughed and looked around nervously. “Ah, look, Dennis. Could you do me a favor? Please don’t make whistling sounds around here. For some reason, whistling makes these rocks come crashing down. And I’d rather not see it happen again, if you don’t mind.”

  Harrington raised an eyebrow. “You’ve seen rocks come down because somebody whistled? Are you serious?”

  “Serious as a snake bite. See that fresh fall over there?” Nathaniel pointed to where the tunnel had been. “John Newman’s buried under there. Muchuka put two fingers of each hand in her mouth and whistled,” Nathaniel said. “And I swear to God, it caused that fall. Now admittedly, it was a loud whistle. But Tarrapaldi assures me, that in the right place, and at the right time, even a soft whistle can cause it.”

  “All right.” Harrington turned from the rock fall, looked at Nathaniel, then turned his eyes to the valley stretching off into the distance. “Is this the Valley of Wonggaroa?”

  “Yes. We want all of it. And if you’ve got your map handy, I’ll show you what else we want.”

  With a nod, Harrington turned to his saddlebag and took out the requested map. Unfolding it, he laid it on the ground while he and Nathaniel knelt, looking at the triangle drawn on it.

  Taking a pencil from his pocket, Nathaniel carefully drew a north-south line at the western end of the valley. He drew an east-west line just north of the valley, and the triangle was divided into three parts. The small western triangle being equal in area, to the sum of the two oblongs.

  “For this plan to work, Dennis,” Nathaniel said, tapping the triangle that had been formed just west of Wonggaroa. “You’re going to have to be able to secure for yourself, this land to the west of what we want. Can you do that?”

  Harrington whistled softly. Then, seeing the stricken look on Nathaniel’s face, he said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. It’s just that that represents about half of what you asked for. We’ll have about a million or so acres each. It’s a lot of land.”

  “I know that, Dennis,” Nathaniel said. “But there’s gold out there. Gold that we don’t want people finding. Now, as a commissioned officer. Can you secure it for yourself?”

  “I suppose so. But you’re going to have to show me where you found the gold.”

  “I can’t do that,” Nathaniel said. “The gold I know about is in a sacred place, and not everyone can go there. I’m told that bad things happen to people who go there who aren’t initiated.”

  Harrington smiled faintly. “Come on, Nathaniel. Don’t give me that nonsense. You told me you and Billy know where it is. And you’re not initiates.”

  “Yes we are. Both of us have been circumcised as part of the initiation into the tribe. Do I have to prove it?” Nathaniel put his hands to the front of his trousers. “Or will you accept what I’m saying is true?”

  “Spare me the gory details.” Harrington grinned outright, and held both hands up, to shield himself from what Nathaniel was threatening to do. “Just tell me where the sacred site is. That way, I’ll never go there by accident and have bad things happen to me.”

  “Don’t laugh, Dennis. This isn’t a joke. In the time I’ve been with these people, I’ve seen things done, and had experiences, that defy rational explanations. But they happened. And they were real. That rock fall as an example,” Nathaniel said. “It used to be a natural tunnel. And these people whistled it down, to make Caruthers think we’re dead. Believe me, they have unbelievable powers.”

  “All right. I believe you,” Harrington said. “But that only makes it more important to know where I mustn’t go.”

  Nathaniel looked out over the valley for several seconds, then turned to Harrington while pointing into the distance. “You see that mound of rock in the middle of the valley?”

  Harrington nodded.

  Nathaniel took a deep breath. “Well there’s a pool beside it, and an underwater tunnel that goes to a cave under the rock. The nuggets you’ve seen came from the floor of that cave. It’s a sacred site to these people, Dennis. Please respect that, and don’t go there.”

  Harrington nodded again. “Thank you for your trust. You have my word that I’ll honor your request.”

  “I sure hope so,” Nathaniel said. “Because unless I miss my guess, anyone who goes in there without permission, is going to wish they hadn’t.”

  Harrington looked out over the valley again and for the first time, saw the huge wedge-tailed eagles soaring above the rock, as though they were on guard duty. He felt a slight, involuntary shudder run through his body. Shaking it off, he looked back at the map.

  “Why’ve you drawn a line half way through the half you want?” Harrington asked.

  “I’m a ticket-‘o-leave who’s about to be pardoned. And I have to agree, getting a million acres, clear and free, would cause too many questions.” Nathaniel looked over the valley before turning back. “But if I’m pardoned, appointed as a magistrate, and have a contract to supply horses for the army, there’s not many who’ll say anything out-loud about what I want.”

  Harrington smiled. “Got you. You’re going to stay and help me run this country, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I’m going to stay.” Nathaniel tapped the map with the pencil tip. “But I want clear title to this bottom half. And I want a perpetual lease, that’s one that goes on forever, Dennis. I want a perpetual lease of this top half, for a penny per acre, per year.�
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  Harrington stared at the map for several seconds before looking up. “That’s going to cost you about £4,000 per year. Can you meet that without using the gold?”

  “Look out there, Dennis. You can see about 100 horses from here. But what else can you see? – The sheep and cattle, man. Your minds locked on the horses, and you’re ignoring the sheep and cattle. What you can see from here is only a fraction of what’s out there,” Nathaniel said. “Admittedly, the animals are all as wild as dingoes, but the land is already stocked. It can more than pay for itself.”

  “In the good years perhaps,” Harrington said. “But what about the bad years? Have you seen what a drought can do to this country?”

  “I’ve not seen one yet. But let’s speak the truth here. Between you and me, we know we’re going to be sending out gold secretly. Not a lot, for sure. But enough that we’ll be able to meet our commitments and live very comfortably. And if you haven’t worked that out yet, let me tell you, from what I’ve seen of your lady in just this short time, she has.”

  Harrington looked across to where Claire was still sitting on her horse. When she saw him look at her, she nudged the big gelding over, and swung down to stand looking at the map. “Have you agreed as to who’s going to get what?”

  Nathaniel looked from Claire to Harrington, and then raised an eyebrow as if to say, I told you so.

  Harrington caught the message, extended his hand, and replied without looking at her. “I believe we have, my dear. We’ve still got details to iron out,” Harrington said. “But I believe we’ve come to an agreement, have we not, Nathaniel?”

  Nathaniel took Harrington’s proffered hand and nodded while they shook.

  “Then that being the case,” Claire said. “Would you mind showing me where my home’s going to be for the next few years?”

  “That’s one of the details we’ll have to decide. But before we do that. How’re we going to muster a couple of hundred horses and get them down to Sydney?” Harrington asked while looking down the valley.