by David Field
‘If I might stop you right there, Miss Mallett,’ George said, ‘could you tell me approximately how many native men were watching what was going on from the surrounding bushes?’
Martha seemed to think for a moment, then answered, ‘About fifty, I reckon.’
‘Did they seem to be in a position to attack the marine detachment, if any of them had started firing?’
‘Not ’alf. I don’t think Danny an’ ’is men coulda known they was there, an’ if our blokes ’ad started firin’ or anyfin, theyd’ve bin done ter death by all the men wiv spears what was ’idin’ in the bushes.’
‘Thank you, Miss Mallett,’ George said as he sat down, with a sly grin across towards where Daniel was sitting, as straight-faced as he could manage in the circumstances.
Lieutenant Bray rose and regarded Martha as if someone had just dangled a long-dead rat under his nose. ‘You don’t deny that you and Lieutenant Bradbury here are, or have been, in a sexual relationship?’
‘No, ’course not,’ Martha replied proudly.
‘And some might say that you’ve only come here today to save him from the firing squad.’
‘They’d be right, an’ all,’ Martha countered. ‘Why should ’e get shot fer cowardice, when ’e saved ’is entire troop from gettin’ speared ter death?’
At this point, Bray wisely sat down and George stood up again, having just been slipped a note by one of the guards. ‘I have one final witness, who should perhaps not be kept waiting any longer than necessary. I call the governor of New South Wales.’
There were gasps of amazement as Governor Phillip strode in, bowed slightly to the judges and walked swiftly to the witness box. Daniel groaned inwardly in the belief that George was pushing his luck, but like everyone else he was agog to know what the governor could add to the proceedings. George took him quickly through the preliminaries, then went for the main point. ‘Could you tell the court whether or not, on the 23rd March last, you issued an instruction regarding the preservation of powder in the Commissary Store?’
‘Indeed I did,’ Governor Phillip replied. ‘As you will know, supplies of all descriptions are running low and I have a particular interest in maintaining peaceful relations with the natives whose land we’ve invaded, so I issued an order that the natives were not to be fired on with musket balls and were only to be bayoneted if there was no other way of preserving the lives of the colonists.’
‘And to whom did you give that order?’
‘I gave it to you, Captain, as my adjutant.’
‘Not to Major Ross first?’
‘I issued the same order to Major Ross, but as usual he seemed to regard an order from the governor as somewhat low on his list of priorities. I was anxious that the order should go down the ranks as quickly as possible, so I gave the order to you, knowing that you would lose no time in informing the marines of my wishes.’
‘So your order was to be carried out that day?’
‘Indeed.’
‘Thank you, Governor,’ George replied. ‘One more question, if I may, then hopefully we can allow you to resume your normal duties. I realise that your military experience has been largely naval in nature, but what would be your opinion of a soldier who deliberately defuses a situation in which his men are surrounded by the enemy, in circumstances in which that enemy could wipe out all his men and who manages to bring the entire crisis to a halt by placing his own life in jeopardy?’
‘I would regard that man as a hero, why?’
It went deathly quiet, until one of the naval officers coughed politely and said, ‘That’s in effect what this man is accused of, Governor.’
‘What, saving his men by putting his own life on the line?’
‘Yes, Governor,’ the naval man replied with a sideways look at Major Ross. ‘It seems that the prisoner had some prior acquaintance with the leader of a native group and was actually able to shake hands with him in a manoeuvre that saved his men from being slaughtered where they stood.’
The governor’s eyes widened in disbelief. ‘And that’s what he’s being court martialled for? Is this your doing, Ross?’
‘I was simply observing normal procedure, following a report of cowardice in the face of the enemy,’ Ross explained.
‘They are not yet the enemy, Major Ross, but they are more likely to become that if you discipline men who are clearly capable of making friends with them. If this man is found guilty, you’ll answer to me — is that understood?’
Ross nodded and Lieutenant Bray stood up for long enough to announce that he had no questions to ask the governor, then sat down as if about to hide under the table.
The court found Daniel not guilty without even having to withdraw to consider the matter.
7
The next day, while Daniel was lying on his cot bed in his hut, thinking how much he owed to Martha, a private knocked on the door and told him that Governor Phillip wished to see him immediately. Daniel put on his best dress jacket, polished his boots with the old rag he kept for the purpose, decided that a shave would take too long and marched smartly down to Governor’s Mansion, the new stone one that had been in use for several weeks.
‘Sit down, man, and have a glass of brandy,’ Governor Phillip invited him.
As Daniel savoured the smooth burning taste of the first strong liquor he’d tasted for weeks, Governor Phillip came straight to the point.
‘Let’s get down to business, Lieutenant. George Johnston gave me the full inside story behind your experience up by the brickworks and he also told me the truth about Miss Mallett’s part in securing your acquittal.’
‘With respect, Governor,’ Daniel ventured to interrupt, ‘it was, I believe, your intervention that saved my neck.’
‘A neck that should never have been at risk in the first place, if that damned stuffed-shirt Ross knew his business. That remark goes no further than this room, understood?’
Daniel nodded and Governor Phillip continued.
‘I meant every word of what I said at your court martial. To be perfectly candid with you — and this goes no further either, by the way — we’ve got our arses hanging out of the window in this colony, the way things are at present. The supplies are running low at an alarming rate, the crops in the main don’t seem to thrive, the few animals we brought with us are running out of fodder and the food supplies are getting critical. The last thing we need is natives attacking us — in fact, we need to establish friendly relations with them, in the hope that they can teach us how to survive in this weird bloody place.’
‘How do you think I may be able to help? That’s why you asked to see me, I assume?’
‘That and congratulating you for your bravery in saving your men. But it’s how you did it that fascinates me. You and this native fellow actually shook hands?’
‘Yes. The first time we met, we had him at our mercy, but I opted to let him go. I took his hand and called him “friend”. When he had me at his mercy near the brickworks, he did exactly the same for me, even repeating the word “friend”.’
‘He remembered the word?’ Governor Phillip asked, intrigued.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘That proves that they can learn English. If they’d stop running away from us for long enough, we could maybe teach them enough English for them to help us. God knows, if we don’t see that fleet we were promised by London before much longer, we’ll all be dead from starvation anyway, so I don’t really see that we have much choice but to befriend the locals.’
‘And I’m the only man you know of who’s actually spoken to one of them?’ Daniel asked.
‘Precisely. You’ve obviously earned the man’s respect and his tribe will apparently do what he tells them. You’re our best bet for making peaceful contact with these people.’
Daniel looked doubtful.
‘This Mallett woman who lied through her teeth for you — and, incidentally, made a considerable impression on Captain Tait — she’s your woman?’ Governor Phillip ask
ed.
‘No, not exactly,’ Daniel admitted. ‘I was able to preserve her from some of the worst of the brutality on the Lady Penrhyn and I got her that position with George Johnston, so no doubt she felt she owed me something. And her performance was spellbinding — she’s nothing like the common Londoner she pretended to be for the benefit of the court. She’s actually quite well spoken and surprisingly intelligent for a convict woman.’
‘You know she’s out here for offences of dishonesty, of course?’
‘Yes, but she’s somehow managed to explain that all in a way that’s quite convincing. But then again, she’s a skilled actress with convictions for fraud, so she ought to be a very plausible confidence trickster.’
‘Just watching your face while you talk about her suggests to me that you’re very fond of her,’ Governor Phillip observed.
‘Yes, I am — but we’re not in any sort of relationship other than one of mutual attraction.’
‘Perhaps you should think about improving on that,’ Governor Phillip told him. ‘If you want to make her your wife — or even your mistress — I can commute her sentence pretty severely. She’s out here for seven years, but she’s served over two of those, counting back to the date of her first arrest and my powers as governor would allow me to grant her a ticket of leave almost immediately — if...’
‘If what?’ Daniel asked, intrigued.
‘If you can bring me in that native you’ve made contact with, so that we can begin the process of getting to know them and gaining their assistance. Also, if she’ll agree to start up a theatre here in Port Jackson. The few ladies we have in the colony are desperate for a little entertainment and some of the officers have suggested a theatre, or something along those lines. As far as I know, Miss Mallett is the only professional performer we have in the colony and we could hardly have our only palace of culture run by a convict woman — we’d be the laughing stock of Whitehall.’
‘I’ll give it some thought, Governor,’ Daniel said as he rose to leave.
‘Make it sooner rather than later,’ Governor Phillip said as he held out his hand to shake Daniel’s. ‘The same goes for your relationship with Miss Mallett. Good men like you need resourceful women behind them and the Reverend Johnson was complaining only the other day about how few weddings he’s been required to conduct while he’s been out here. The colony needs a strong new generation.’
The following evening Daniel changed into the only smart civilian suit he possessed and walked up the slope towards George’s cottage to join him for a celebratory dinner. He was almost at the door when Martha appeared, carrying Roseanna in her arms and walking in the opposite direction. She started when she saw Daniel, but slowed down as they drew close to each other and finally stopped in front of him.
‘I’m taking Roseanna for some fresh air,’ she explained, ‘since the air’s cooler out here and I gather that the conquering hero’s being feted and feasted.’
‘Thanks to you, I’m not lying in a military grave,’ Daniel said as he leaned forward to kiss her.
She averted her face and pursed her lips in a disapproving grimace. ‘I owed you lots of favours, but I think they’re probably all repaid now. Consider us equal.’
‘Does that mean we can start to get to know each other better?’ Daniel asked.
‘I rather think not,’ Martha huffed. ‘George told me that the governor’s prepared to grant me my freedom if I marry you — is that what you mean by “getting to know me better”?’
‘No,’ Daniel protested, ‘that’s not how it was. Certainly, he’s prepared to consider your ticket of leave if certain conditions are fulfilled...’
‘Forget it, Daniel!’ Martha spat back. ‘Marry you in return for my freedom? And what sort of freedom would that be? Bought like a prize heifer in a cattle market, eternally grateful to the big strong saviour who released her from bondage? I think I’d rather be the revolting little harlot that I pretended to be to save your neck. Now get out of my way, please!’
She stormed off down the slope, while Daniel stared at her retreating form and asked himself how things could have gone so horribly wrong.
Daniel was sitting outside, sipping dandelion wine and enjoying the last of the evening sun with George and Rachel. Daniel had been busily explaining that the governor had asked him personally to acquire the services of the native he’d befriended and bring him into Port Jackson. He had also mentioned the governor’s promise to grant Martha her freedom, and Rachel had voiced her concern that she might be losing her nursemaid.
‘I hardly think you need concern yourself about that,’ George assured her. ‘Even if she becomes a free woman, she’ll still need to work for a living and we can offer her a wage.’
‘Not if she marries Daniel,’ Rachel reminded him, to which Daniel had responded that this now seemed very unlikely.
‘In fact, I doubt if she’d be prepared to talk to me civilly, after she got it into her head that marrying me was the price of her freedom.’
‘No wonder,’ Rachel pointed out. ‘No woman likes to think that she’s been bought and sold without even being consulted. Just fold her in your arms, tell her you love her and ask for her hand in marriage,’ Rachel told him. ‘Women always love a little romance and gallantry and she simply adores you, I know she does.’
Daniel was still thinking about the task ahead of him as he congratulated George on the fish they were eating for dinner. ‘Where did it come from, exactly? The governor seems to think that we’re on the brink of starvation, but if we can get a ready supply of fish this good, we might contrive to live a little longer.’
‘If the natives don’t assassinate us first,’ George told him. ‘We can only go fishing if we take a full complement of armed men with us. This lot came from that bay where we first landed, before the governor opted for Port Jackson. I wasn’t there, obviously, but when Private Mullery and his men came back with an entire ship’s boat full, he gave me a couple. He told me that they could have got more, but that they had to beat a hasty retreat from the shallows they were trawling nets through when spears started whistling past their ears.’
‘So the natives go to Botany Bay to fish?’ Daniel asked thoughtfully.
‘Apparently,’ George confirmed.
‘So if I go and sit on the beach with a fishing line, or a net, sooner or later they’ll come and attack me?’
‘Are you serious?’ George demanded, spitting a fish bone onto his plate. ‘They won’t exactly sit down beside you and ask how the fish are biting — they’ll just lob spears at you from the undergrowth.’
‘That’s a risk I have to take wherever I choose to go in order to make contact with this young chief who thinks I’m called “Friend”, although how in God’s name I’ll be able to coax him back into the governor’s house is another matter altogether.’
‘Don’t go alone, Daniel!’ Rachel urged him, her hand on his wrist. ‘At least take some armed men with you.’
‘And scare them off?’ Daniel countered. ‘If we turn up with weapons, it’ll be a sign that we expect to fight with them, when all I want is to talk.’
‘You don’t even speak their language,’ George reminded him.
‘And they don’t speak ours,’ Daniel added. ‘That’s what this whole business is about, remember.’
‘Daniel,’ George said in a level but serious tone as he put down his wine. ‘You’re seeking out this native as a favour for the governor, but also as part of your military duties?’
‘Yes, I suppose so,’ Daniel conceded.
‘Well — and I hate to pull rank on you like this — I’m ordering you not to go out there without taking some men with you. They can hide their arms in the undergrowth if that makes you feel any better, but you can’t expose your neck like that, just sitting there waiting to be attacked. For all you know, the chappie you’re looking for won’t even be there and the rest of them will have you for breakfast.’
‘Daniel,’ Rachel added, ‘you owe it to
Martha and all your unborn children to do as George advises — sorry, orders — you to do.’
8
Three days later, Daniel sat on a rock in Botany Bay at high tide, the saltwater spray occasionally soaking him from head to foot as he watched his borrowed line bouncing up and down in the advancing and retreating waves. It was well past noon, to judge by the height of the sun and he was baking hot in the convict clothes he’d commandeered for the occasion. He was also well aware of several sullen dark faces peering through the bushes from behind him and occasionally he caught sight of the sharpened tip of a spear. His soldier’s instinct for danger made his flesh tingle and all his training and common sense led him to expect the agony of a shaft between his shoulder blades at any moment. No wonder he was sweating, he told himself.
A man was suddenly standing alongside him without warning and Daniel started in surprise, before reminding himself that the native had been so skilful in his approach that he could have stabbed him in the back, had he wished to do so. The fact that Daniel was still alive reassured him that the man meant him no harm.
‘Friend?’ Daniel asked softly.
The man’s face creased into a broad smile as he replied, ‘Friend.’
Daniel pointed to himself with his free hand. ‘Daniel.’ When there was no reaction, he tried again. ‘Daniel.’
The man was clearly struggling to get the word out. ‘Dan-Woo.’
That would do for a start, Daniel decided, and he pointed back at the man with raised eyebrows, hoping he would follow suit.
‘Bennelong,’ the man announced.
That’s got the preliminaries out of the way, Daniel told himself, then looked round as Bennelong stared back at the bushes that ringed the cove, waved his hand in the air and called out something that was unintelligible to Daniel.
A boy of perhaps thirteen years of age came running silently down the beach, carrying a spear. Bennelong said something to him in his own language and pointed at the water. The boy raised his spear and waded thigh deep into the breaking surf, looking down intently at the seabed beneath as each wave retreated. Then he launched the spear into the water with the aid of some sort of device in his hand and plunged into the waves after it. He pulled the spear back out of the water and impaled on its tip was a large fish in its death throes. The boy pointed the end of the spear towards Bennelong, who pulled the fish from it, walked up to Daniel, bowed slightly, handed him the fish and said, ‘Dan-Woo.’