by David Laing
‘Now you listen here,’ Snook said, taking a step forward, his voice rising. ‘Watch your mouth. One more word like you’ve just said and I’ll …’
Jars held up her hand. ‘It’s all right, Snook. Don’t worry about it. He probably hasn’t seen an Aboriginal before.’
At that moment, the door to the office opened and a large man dressed in a grey suit emerged. Hairless, except for small grey tufts behind his ears, and eyes that drooped like soft putty, he walked, or rather waddled, across the room. He stood, towering above them.
‘What have we got here then? Not causing any trouble are you Snook Kelly? And the girl with you? Must be your cousin your father was telling me about I suppose.’
‘We just come to tell you we’re going to Timber Creek on our camping trip. Quenton will need to pack his gear this afternoon, so if you could bring him over to my place, we can …’
‘What? Timber Creek? Why there? I thought you would camp nearer to home. On the beach. Or down by the river.’ Tiny white flecks formed at his lips as he spat the words out.
‘Nah,’ Snook continued. ‘Dad knows the ranger who’s gonna put us onto a good spot near the lake. It’s all been decided.’
‘Humph, we’ll see about that.’ He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and took out a mobile phone. After a few rings, it was answered. ‘Listen, Kelly, your son tells me you intend going to Timber Creek. Why on earth go all that way when there are perfectly acceptable areas around here?’
Jars and Snook watched and listened to the phone conversation while Quenton Quigley continued to inspect his new camera. Grinning, Snook nudged Jars in the ribs. Mr Quigley suddenly began to splutter.
‘Now look here, Kelly. Need I remind you that I’m your boss and what I say …’ He paused for a moment, scowling. ‘What? Yes, yes. I realise that you’re having a few days off. I know your time is your own on those days, but all the same …’ The knuckles on his hand whitened as he gripped the phone tighter. ‘Very well, if that’s your attitude. But be assured we shall continue this conversation when you return.’
Mr Quigley’s normally pallid face turned purple as he jabbed at the phone’s off button. Then, without a word, he turned and made for his office. Slamming the door, he disappeared inside.
Snook prodded Jars on the arm. ‘C’mon, let’s go. We’re done here.’ He turned to face Quenton. ‘We’re off. See ya this afternoon … if you’re still coming with us, that is.’
Quenton’s eyes flashed. ‘Oh, I’ll be there. You just wait and see.’
Without another word, Snook, followed by Jars, hurried from the room, leaving Quenton to his new toy. They opened the front door and stepped outside.
‘Told you they were a strange lot,’ Snook said once they were outside.
‘Yes, but there were other things that puzzled me.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like why was Mrs Quigley so nervous? And why was Mr Quigley so upset when you mentioned Timber Creek? Oh, and by the way, there was a woman in Mr Quigley’s office. There’s nothing unusual about that, I suppose, but we didn’t see her and neither of the Quigleys even mentioned that they had a visitor.’
‘How do you know there was some woman if you didn’t see her?’
‘I could smell her perfume. Entirely different to what Mrs Quigley was wearing.’
‘So what?’ Snook said. ‘There’s nothin’ puzzling about that. She’s probably seeing him on business. And as for old man Quigley, I wouldn’t take much notice of him. He always gets upset when he doesn’t get his own way.’
‘But what about Mrs Quigley? She was really uptight about something.’
‘Dunno what was up with her, but if I’m any judge, her old man has most likely upset her … somehow.’
They walked quickly away from the house. ‘There’s something else, Snook. Something that’s been happening to me.’
‘What is it?’
Jars hesitated. If she told Snook about the cave and the ancient being, he might think she was being stupid.
‘C’mon,’ Snook blurted, ‘spit it out. Whatever it is, I want to know about it.’
‘You won’t laugh?’
‘No, I won’t laugh. I promise.’
‘Okay, you’re the first person I’ve ever told. I was always too frightened to tell anybody. Not even Tom, who was my best friend on the cattle station. But I guess I can tell you, seeing as you’re my cousin. It happened the same night I was told about coming to Tasmania. I had a vision where I met some sort of ancient man in a cave. He was like a human but I think he was more than that.’
‘You mean you had a dream?’
‘No,’ Jars said, her voice barely a whisper. ‘It wasn’t a dream and I think the man was a – a kind of spirit, and I think he needs help.’
‘Are you serious? Or have you gone and lost your marbles?’ Snook, eyebrows raised, came to a halt. He stared at his cousin, waiting for an answer.
‘Yes, as serious as you can get. It’s something I don’t understand, but somehow I know it’s very real. I just know it. Snook, this spirit keeps visiting me … with a message I don’t understand.’
Snook scratched his head. ‘Awesome! Weird too. I can see I’m gonna have some fun with you hangin’ around. That’s for sure. Anyway, forget this spirit thing of yours for now. We have things to do back home.’
They hurried along, each silent with their thoughts.
The drive to Timber Creek took just over two hours. They pulled up outside an old weatherboard house. Jim Kelly glanced at his watch. ‘Eleven fifteen, not bad timing. You all right now, Quenton?’ he said, twisting to face the boy, who was in the back seat.
Snook chuckled. ‘He oughta be, after spewing up all those potato chips and chocolates he’s been pigging out on ever since we left.’
A groan came from the back.
‘That’s enough Snook,’ his father said. ‘Some people don’t have the stomach for roads that bend and twist, that’s all. He’ll be okay in a minute. Anyway, everybody hop out; this is where my friend works.’
He got out of the car, walked up the drive, pushed open a screen door and entered Reg Carter’s office. Snook, Jars and Quenton, who was still moaning and holding his stomach, followed.
Reg Carter was sitting behind his desk, leaning back as though deep in thought. A mountain of paper files partly hid him from view. At his feet, lying under the desk, was a German shepherd.
A huge grin spread over the ranger’s face. He sprang to his feet and crossed the room. ‘Jim, great to see you. It’s been a while.’ He stood well over six feet, had sandy coloured hair tied in a ponytail, and wore a ring in his left ear.
Jim pointed towards Snook. ‘Remember Snook, Reg? He was only a little shrimp last time you saw him. He’s changed a bit now.’
Reg laughed. ‘Snook. How could I forget him? Still getting up to mischief, is he?’ Snook, who was standing next to his father, squirmed and smiled sheepishly. ‘Who are the other two?’ Reg added.
‘That’s Quenton over there leaning against the wall, and that’s Jars, a niece of mine.’ Jars, who was kneeling and patting the dog, glanced up at the mention of her name. For the first time she noticed the ranger’s eyes – the greenest and most intelligent she had ever seen.
‘Nice to meet you both. That’s Shadow down there,’ said Reg, pointing at the dog. ‘He seems to like you Jars.’
At that moment, the phone rang. ‘Hang on, I’d better get that. I’m expecting a caIl.’ Reg searched under a pile of paper for the phone. ‘Where is that darn thing? Always seem to be losing it.’ He brushed some papers and files from his desk with a flourish. They fluttered to the floor next to Jars. ‘Ah, here it is,’ he said, grinning as he picked up the receiver. ‘HeIlo, Parks and Wildlife, Reg Carter speaking.’ He listened, nodding from time to time. ‘Okay, see you in about three hours. Right, till then.’
‘That’s complicated things a little,’ Reg said as he replaced the phone on its cradle. ‘I have to drive
to Hobart this afternoon. For an interview. What a nuisance. I was going to take you out to the place I’ve been telling you about. Show you around. I won’t be able to now. I have to leave pretty well straight away. But hey, never mind, that won’t really affect you guys.’ He gestured towards Jim. ‘Pull up a pew and I’ll explain how to get to there. It’s about a half hour drive from here. You can get yourselves settled this afternoon. When I get back, I’ll call in to see you, make sure you’re all right.’
‘When will that be?’ Jim asked.
‘I’d say tomorrow afternoon or even the next day; it depends on the agenda they’ve set up for me. Anyway, here’s how to get there.’
After listening to the ranger’s directions, Jim asked, ‘What’s this interview all about, Reg? Is it a job interview?’
The ranger nodded. ‘Yeah, they want me to take a research job with them. Trouble is, it’s on the mainland. That doesn’t thrill me. I like it here and I like what I’m doing now.’
Jim cast his eyes around the room, taking in several certificates displayed on the wall behind the desk. ‘Seems to me you’re wasted here. I mean, just look at the degrees you’ve got – biology, genetics, speleology. Hell Reg, I don’t even know what they mean.’
Reg grinned. ‘A permanent student, I was. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself so I just stayed, taking these degrees. I guess they interested me. They’re about plants and animals, and the speleology degree, that’s to do with caves.
Jars began to gather the paper and files that had spilled onto the floor. Suddenly, she stopped. Her mouth flew open as she stared at the piece of paper she held in her hand. She could not believe what she was looking at. Her hand began to tremble. It was the thing she had seen in the cave – the drawing on the wall with its animal tracks and jagged dots.
Seeing the drawing confirmed it for Jars. Her dream had been real.
She thought for a moment. That meant the ancient man was real too. She studied the drawing. Yes, there was no doubt. It was an exact copy of what she had seen. The swirls and animal tracks were the same. Shadow let out a whimper as though sensing something was wrong.
The ranger saw the puzzled frown on Jars’ face. ‘What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
Feeling a little foolish, Jars attempted a smile. She held up the piece of paper. ‘Nothing’s wrong. I – I just noticed this drawing and I wondered what it was.’
Reg walked over to Jars. He took the paper from her outstretched hand and looked at it. He frowned, and stared at Jars. She took a step back, not liking the sudden change that had come over him. His easygoing friendliness had given way to something else. What was it, she wondered? Had she done something wrong? Why else would he look so angry?
‘I – I’m sorry Mr Carter,’ she stammered. ‘I didn’t mean to pry.’
The ranger hesitated a moment then, apparently gathering his thoughts, waved the drawing in the air. He turned to the others. ‘This doesn’t really concern any of you,’ he said in a raised voice, ‘but since Jars has seen it, I might as well tell you all.’
Snook and his dad looked at each other, surprised at their friend’s tone. Even Quenton raised his eyebrows.
The ranger’s manner became more subdued. ‘It’s a drawing of a petroglyph,’ he continued, ‘a carving made by ancient man thousands of years ago.
‘A what?’ Snook chimed in. He sauntered over and stole a glance at the drawing. ‘It just looks like a lot of scratches and circles to me.’
The ranger’s eyebrows furrowed as though he was deep in thought. He explained. ‘Yes, the carving does look like that. But actually, the meandering lines you see are dotted with animal tracks. They held a special meaning for the Aboriginal people.’
‘Yeah, like what?’
‘To be absolutely sure, you’d really need to talk to the people who made the carving. That’s impossible, so we have to rely on what the experts tell us. They say that images like these might have something to do with sorcery, that they were made by Dreaming beings.’
Jars cocked her head to one side, her eyes riveted on the drawing. ‘So, this drawing was made from a carving. Was it found near here? Did the Dreaming people make it here?’ Then, without waiting for a reply, she added. ‘I could make out the animal tracks, but what do the other markings mean? The circle ones …?’
‘The Dreaming beings are said to be the shape of things in the past and the future. They protected the people’s sacred knowledge. As for the circle shapes you’re so curious about Jars, I don’t know what they represent.’
‘So,’ Snook interrupted, ‘how come you got a drawing of one? Did you find one of these petro things?’
The ranger hesitated before continuing. ‘Look, I think we’ve said enough about petroglyphs for now. If you want to learn more, have a look in the Zeehan museum one day. You’ll find a large photo of one with a description.’
‘Oh, so this is a drawing of that one?’ Snook said.
The ranger folded the paper and put it in his back pocket. ‘Let’s, er, leave it at that, shall we? Besides, I’ve got something to give you.’ He walked over to a cupboard at the far side of the office. He reached in and took out a cardboard box.
Snook couldn’t contain himself. ‘What’s in it?’
Quenton, recovered now from his car sickness, pushed himself off the wall and joined them.
‘I thought these might be of some use to you,’ Reg began. ‘They’re Parks and Wildlife torches. We use them as giveaways to guests, so here, there’s one each.’
‘Thank you,’ Snook and Jars both said as they each received their gift.
Quenton slouched back and resumed his previous position against the wall. ‘I’ve already got a torch,’ he said, in a superior tone. ‘My father gave it to me. He told me it was the best that money could buy, so I don’t want one of those.’
Reg shrugged. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘However, here’s something else I’m going to give you. It’s information that you can’t buy.’ Then he added, ‘I suggest you listen carefully, young fellow.’ Although speaking to the group as a whole, the ranger’s eyes never left Quenton. ‘Don’t go wandering off by yourselves up there. There is a path through the forest – Wombat Track it’s called, but it’s fairly rugged and at times hard going. It’s okay to go walking there, but don’t go on your own. Something might happen. You might twist an ankle, or even get bitten by a snake.’
‘What,’ Quenton said, suddenly interested, ‘snakes? Are they dangerous?’
‘Yep, there are only three types in Tasmania and they’re all poisonous.’
‘Yeah,’ Snook interrupted, ‘the tiger snake, the whip snake and the copperhead. That’s right, isn’t it, Mr Carter?’
‘That’s right, Snook. But don’t let snakes worry you too much. If you see one just leave it alone and it won’t bother you. But remember, you’ll be on your own out there, so be carefuIl…’
Jim raised his eyebrows. ‘You mean there’ll be no-one else out there? No-one at all? What if we need to get in touch with someone? I mean if we get into a spot of bother and need help, what can we do?’
‘You won’t be able to do much at all, Jim. Your mobile phone’s no good to you. They’re out of range once you leave the town boundaries. But don’t worry, like I said, I’ll pop out to see you as soon as I get back from Hobart.’
Frowning, Quenton faced the ranger. ‘It sounds dangerous. I mean, being all alone and everything.’
‘What I told you before isn’t strictly true,’ the ranger said, his green eyes suddenly twinkling. ‘You will have company.’
All eyes swivelled in Reg’s direction. He waved his arm in a sweeping gesture towards the mountains. Then, in his best ghostly voice, but with a slight mocking tone, he said to a now curious Quenton, ‘The spirit will be with you. You will have the Forest Spirit to keep you company.’
Jars was listening intently, open-mouthed. At that moment, the door to Reg Carter’s office suddenly opened and a middle-a
ged woman burst in.
Jars turned her attention to the newcomer. Although dressed in casual clothes, the woman’s face was heavily made up, with lipstick, mascara and eye shadow. The false covering failed to hide the natural pallor of her skin, which was a sickly white, like a snake’s belly. But there was something else about her. When Jars suddenly realised what it was she felt her body tense, and her mind raced.
‘Hello, Reg,’ the woman gushed as she breezed across the floor to the ranger. ‘I just thought I’d drop in, to tell you that my brothers have found some evidence of illegal fishing on the river. But I see you have company, so that can wait.’
The ranger faced Evelyn Grimshaw. ‘Yes, Evelyn, that will have to wait, I’m afraid. I’ve been summoned to Hobart by the powers to be. I’ll be leaving shortly.’
‘Is that so?’
Reg nodded, then gestured with his hand. ‘By the way, Evelyn, these are some friends of mine.’ He quickly introduced everyone. ‘I was just explaining to Jim about the forest and lake, and where to set up camp. I was going to show them the place in person, but now that I have to go to the city …’
‘So, you’ll be gone for a while?’
The ranger nodded once more. ‘Yep, overnight at least.’
Evelyn gave a strange smile and turned to face Jim Kelly. ‘You’ll be setting up camp near the lake, I take it. Doing a spot of fishing, no doubt?’
Jim nodded. ‘That’s right; on the edge of the lake and the forest I think.’ He looked towards Reg.
‘Yes, near Wombat Track.’
‘Oh, I hope you won’t be wandering off into the forest,’ Evelyn quickly interrupted. ‘That wouldn’t be a good idea. I mean to say, people have been lost in that area.’
The ranger raised his hand, palm out. It had the desired effect. ‘It’s all right, Evelyn, we’ve been through all that.’
Evelyn smiled thinly. ‘Very good, as long as you stay close to the lake and don’t go into the forest you’ll be okay.’ She raised her hand in a farewell gesture, turned and made for the door. Halfway there, she paused, twisting her head to face the Kellys. ‘Wombat Track, eh. I wouldn’t go near it if I were you – wet and slippery and full of snakes. A dangerous place. Well, I won’t interrupt you any further. It was nice to meet you all.’ She waved again, exiting quickly as if she had just remembered something important she had to do.