by Tony Parsons
Ian had begun to take Billy with him when he visited Leigh. Despite Leigh’s eccentricities, Billy seemed to like him and Leigh was obviously becoming fond of the little boy. Billy had also become great mates with Shelley, who was incredibly patient with him.
When Ian pulled up on the rise beside Leigh’s bungalow, the big grey German shepherd was the first to greet them.
‘Sherry! Sherry!’ Billy screamed as Fiona opened the door of the ute and the little boy jumped out to greet the dog. Shelley licked his face while Billy’s arms went around his furry neck.
‘Looks like they know each other,’ Fiona smiled.
Ian was relieved to find that Leigh was relatively spruced up for their visit, in green cotton trousers and a faded but clean blue cotton shirt. His socks were no doubt holey, but they were hidden by his laughing-side boots.
‘Fiona, this is Leigh,’ Ian said, introducing them. He was sure Leigh wouldn’t want to be called anything else.
‘It’s great to meet you, Leigh – Ian has told me a lot about you,’ Fiona said, shaking his hand.
‘Has he now? Not too much, I hope.’ Jeez, but she is a great looker, thought Leigh. What a lovely smile. If Ian isn’t having it off with this girl, there is definitely something up with him.
‘How’s the swimming coming along, Billy?’ Leigh asked. He knew that Billy had been learning to swim since the staff swimming pool had been completed.
‘I can go all the way to the other side now!’ Billy thrust out his little chest.
‘Look over there,’ Leigh said to the little boy, and pointed to where a rope had been tied over the thick limb of a red gum that protruded out over the river. ‘I put that up for you. Think you could hang on to it and then drop into the river?’
‘But he’s only little,’ Fiona protested, ‘and a river is very different from a swimming pool …’
‘Shelley will bring him out. You’ve got to give boys – even small boys – some challenges, I reckon,’ Leigh said.
‘What do you think, Ian?’ Fiona asked, obviously concerned.
‘I think it’s up to Billy,’ Ian replied calmly.
‘I want to, I want to,’ Billy said, dancing with excitement before sitting down to pull off his boots.
‘You better take your shirt off, at least,’ Leigh said.
Billy undid the buttons and handed his shirt to Ian. Leigh showed him how to hold on to the rope and told him to let go only when he was over the water. Billy didn’t need any further instruction. The next moment he was swinging out over the river. Although he was surprisingly strong for someone so young, Fiona had her heart in her mouth. He dropped into the water with a splash and, like a flash, Shelley was in the river and swimming for him. But Billy came up laughing and dog-paddled back to the bank with the big grey dog beside him. ‘Again!’ he was saying before he was even out of the water.
After three more swings and splashes, Leigh decided it was time for something to eat.
‘That’s enough for today,’ he said. ‘Ian, you’d better get his pants off and dry him. He can wear the towel until his shorts dry. They won’t take long in this heat.’
Lunch was corned beef and tomatoes with slabs of damper and billy tea. They had it at the big table and watched the river while they ate. It was very quiet along the banks at this hour of the day. There was little birdsong and only an occasional squawk from the white cockatoos that perched in the topmost branches of the gums.
‘This is a great spot, Leigh,’ Fiona said. ‘I can see how it would be perfect for a writer.’
‘Yeah. Those first settlers knew what they were on about when they acquired this stretch of country.’
‘So what are you working on now?’ she continued.
‘Oh, nothing in particular.’ Leigh clearly didn’t feel comfortable discussing his work with someone he’d only just met, so he changed the subject. ‘What are you planning to do with yourself now that you’ve finished school, Fiona?’
‘I’ve decided to have this year off and maybe next year too. Dad’s a bit lost since Mum died. I’ll see how things are at the end of next year. Mum wanted me to go to uni – and I might, eventually, but I can’t leave Dad at the moment,’ she said, with all the weight of that responsibility heavy in her voice.
Leigh nodded. ‘What are you interested in studying?’
‘I’m not sure. I got good enough marks to do medicine, but I’m not sure I’m committed enough. If I’m keen on anything, it’s the land, and there’s only me to carry on at Nilanji. If I go to uni, I might do an ag degree. That way I could use what I learn, even if I don’t make a career of it,’ Fiona said.
‘Makes sense,’ Leigh agreed. ‘You’ve got a big lump of a place and a lot of stock. It should be enough to give you a good living. That’s if you want to stay on there. But a degree is no load to carry. It means you’ve always got something to fall back on.’
Fiona wasn’t especially keen to discuss her future with Leigh, but she knew that Ian regarded his opinions highly. She supposed that some women would find Leigh attractive. He had a kind of magnetism in his dark eyes and there was something about his thoughtful brow … She looked from Leigh to Ian as they talked, and wondered how two such different men could hit it off so well. Ian, clean-shaven and fair-haired, was almost twenty years younger than Leigh who had dark, unruly curls and a bushy beard.
Leigh noticed that Fiona had fallen silent, and tried to draw her back into the conversation. ‘Ian tells me you’ve got the job of organising the sheepdog trial. How’s it shaping?’ Leigh asked.
‘It’s going well. Now it’s just a matter of promoting the event and hoping the trial workers will come. Thanks to Mr Blake, we’re going to have a great judge: David MacLeod.’
‘Yes, I’ve heard he’s a good bloke,’ said Leigh. ‘Anyone want any more tucker?’
‘Want to get your duds, Billy?’ Leigh asked when they’d finished lunch.
As Billy made to run down the wooden steps to the clothesline, Ian put a hand out to stop him.
‘Just a minute – what have you forgotten?’
‘Boots!’ Billy laughed, looking around for them. Karen always made sure that Billy didn’t go anywhere without shoes on, and the little boy seemed to understand. He sat on the verandah and pulled on the small boots before skipping down the steps.
There was a low growl from Shelley as Billy jumped up and down to pull his pants from the line that Leigh had rigged between two trees.
‘What is it, Shelley? Dogs?’ Leigh queried as if Shelley were another person at the lunch table.
Shelley growled again and followed Billy. He’d almost reached him when there was a cry from the little boy. Leigh was on his feet instantly, running towards him.
‘It bit me!’ Billy said, pointing towards the slim brown snake that was now slithering away towards the river. Leigh wanted to kill the snake, but knew his first priority was the little boy. He picked him up and carried him back to the table, giving instructions calmly but precisely as he walked. ‘Clear all those things away, Fiona. I’ll get the bandages. Ian, you ring Leo – get him to find Jim Landers and have him prepare the plane. You can take Billy straight to it. Get Leo to ring Roma Hospital, too, so they can be ready for Billy,’ Leigh said. ‘And just check that they’ve got some brown snake anti-venom.’
Fiona watched as Leigh removed Billy’s boot and bandaged his leg from his ankle, where the snake had penetrated the skin, all the way up to his thigh. He then placed a splint against the leg and bound it to Billy’s good leg to completely immobilise it. Billy was very good, only whimpering a little. Fiona held his hand, and spoke to him gently about Shelley, to keep his mind off the dangerous situation he was in. They didn’t want to alarm the boy.
‘Did you get on to Leo?’ Leigh asked Ian once the bandage was in place.
‘They’ll be ready for us,’ Ian said.
‘Right, let’s get a move on. Help me carry Billy over to the car. The main thing is to keep his leg completely sti
ll.’
Leigh and Ian settled Billy in the back seat of the ute with his legs outstretched and his back against Fiona.
‘You’ll keep me informed?’ Leigh asked and Ian nodded.
‘Do we need to take the snake?’ Ian asked. He didn’t know a lot about snakes but he had learned that it was best to know the type of snake you were dealing with because there were different anti-venoms for different snakes.
‘No. It’s a brown snake. And the hospitals have venom-detection kits now, anyway. Get a move on, Ian. Timing is critical,’ Leigh said urgently.
‘Bye, Leigh. Bye, Sherry,’ Billy said bravely as Ian gunned the utility forward.
Leigh and the big grey dog stood and watched until the vehicle was out of sight. Then he tied Shelley up and went in search of the snake. He found it near the river and belted it. He reckoned it would be touch and go – the snake hadn’t been large, but Billy was still small and there was not as far for the poison to travel. Even with the plane it would take them a while to get to Roma.
There was silence in the ute. Fiona looked at Ian. He was pale and struggling to hide his anxiety.
Too afraid to speak, he drove as fast as the road would allow. Trees rushed at them and then passed in a kind of blur.
When they reached the homestead, the gates into the landing field had been opened for them and they saw with relief that Jim had the plane out ready for take-off Karen, Leo and Judy were beside the plane. Karen’s face was wet with tears, but she was calm and ready to follow instructions. Leo opened the door of the ute and helped Ian move Billy to the plane. ‘Get her started, Jim,’ he said. ‘Karen, you get in. We’ll put Billy on your lap and you can keep his legs still.’
Leo and Ian backed out of the plane, closed the door and watched as the machine gathered speed across the bitumen runway. There hadn’t been time to discuss Billy’s condition; they all knew that what mattered was getting him to Roma as fast as possible.
‘What happened?’ Leo asked Ian.
Ian gave him the facts, and then his voice cracked with emotion. ‘It was my fault. If I hadn’t taken Billy with us to Top River, he’d be okay.’
Fiona touched his arm. ‘Oh, Ian, you can’t think like that.’
Leo shook his head. ‘She’s right. It could have happened anywhere, Ian. Billy isn’t the first child to be bitten and he won’t be the last. Snakes are a constant hazard in this country. And you can’t wrap kids up in cotton wool. Jim killed a snake in their yard last summer. They’re a damned menace, but they’re here and we have to live with them – and teach our kids how to deal with them.’
‘Leigh had fixed up a rope so Billy could swing out and drop into the river. Billy thought it was great,’ Ian said.
‘Let’s hope he can go back and do it again one day,’ Leo said and put his hand on Ian’s shoulder. ‘You weren’t to blame, remember that.’
The four of them drove back to the homestead and sat on the front verandah. Mrs Heatley brought them tea and scones, which they could barely touch. The housekeeper could see the concern on all their faces, especially Ian’s. All sorts of scenarios were forming in his mind. If Billy died, Kanimbla would never be the same again. They would probably lose Jim because Karen would want to leave. He thought about Billy at the hospital and the deadly venom that was probably creating mayhem in his small body. He thought about his own life and how today might change the course of his future. He thought about what he would have done differently if he had the chance to live this day again …
After the Blakes left, Ian and Fiona remained on the verandah. Fiona put her hand on Ian’s arm. ‘Would you like me to stay for a while?’ she asked.
Ian shook his head. ‘No, you go on home. But thank you. I know you’re still busy with the trial. I’ll keep checking with the hospital. Whatever the news, I’ll let you know. I’m sorry the trip finished like this.’
‘Ian, listen. You’re not to blame yourself. Snakes are a fact of life in this country. All right?’ Fiona said.
‘Billy was my responsibility while I had him, and I slipped up. I should have watched him more closely. How will I ever make it up to Jim and Karen?’
‘I should think that agreeing to replace your uncle’s plane and giving your support to Jim’s desire to fly would go a long way towards it,’ Fiona said.
‘Those rotten useless things – God, I hate snakes. In England we don’t have to worry about them. Here, you have to watch for them all the time,’ Ian said fiercely.
Fiona looked at him in surprise. It was the first time she had witnessed any real anger in him. Suddenly, he seemed more vulnerable, more human.
‘And you the son of two zoologists!’ she said, trying to inject some lightness, if not humour, into the conversation.
‘Two doctors, Fiona. And if they were sitting here, I’m sure they’d be as concerned as I am,’ Ian said quietly.
Fiona wouldn’t give up in her quest to make Ian feel better. ‘There are plenty of poisonous snakes in Africa, aren’t there? And your parents took you there with them. I never knew them, but I’m sure that they, of all people, would have been fully aware of the risks they took in their life and work. Were they watching you twenty-four hours a day?’
‘No, they weren’t. But I had a custodian who was. His name was Kinshi – well, that was what I called him because I couldn’t pronounce his proper name. My father told him that his job was to look after me and that nothing was to divert him from it. When my parents were away from the camp, Kinshi gave me my meals and we talked a lot. He told me about his people’s customs and about ivory smugglers. He was always concerned about leopards because they were such silent killers. And he watched for mambas – a deadly snake. I was never worried while he was close to me. So that’s why I feel especially bad about Billy. I wasn’t as watchful of Billy as Kinshi was of me … ’ Ian ducked his head, but Fiona could see his eyes were moist.
‘Poor Ian,’ she said, and reached out across the table and took his hands in hers. Fiona knew that if ever there was a time that Ian needed support it was now. And she was right. He did not pull away, and they sat like that for a while, just holding hands. But eventually Ian got to his feet and Fiona knew it was time to leave. She hugged him goodbye, asking him to call her if there was anything she could do, though she suspected that he’d weather this crisis without her help. He had, after all, been coping since he was eight years old.
Ian phoned the hospital every hour or so for the rest of the afternoon and evening, but couldn’t get much information. Billy had been injected with anti-venom, but remained in a serious condition in the intensive-care unit. After dinner, Ian tried to do some study but couldn’t concentrate. Finally, he phoned Leo to give the Blakes a last update for the day.
‘Bloody snakes. If anyone can tell me what good they are, I’ll take off my clobber and walk to Murrawee,’ Leo said.
‘St Patrick was supposed to have rid Ireland of all its snakes and other reptiles. If this was true, it was probably the best thing he ever did, saint or otherwise,’ Ian said. ‘Snakes are a menace to humans and animals alike. I reckon we ought to try and get rid of all our snakes too.’ A few weeks ago, Ian had seen one of Peter Cross’s young kelpies after it had been bitten by a brown snake and its horrible death had sickened him.
‘That seems a bit radical,’ said Leo, ‘but I get your drift. The cost per annum of animals lost as a result of snakebite must be colossal. I’ve lost dogs and horses as well as sheep and cattle.’
‘Someone ought to protest about this policy of protecting highly venomous snakes. Why would you want to protect something that can kill you? It doesn’t make sense,’ Ian said vehemently.
Billy Landers was very sick for several days, and until he was declared ‘out of danger’, Ian could hardly live with himself. He considered driving to Roma to see Billy, but Jim insisted it wasn’t necessary to drive all that way and that he needed to stay at Kanimbla. Jim and Karen took turns keeping watch at Billy’s beside, returning to the mote
l paid for by Ian. Jim’s voice seemed strained and distant in the brief conversation he’d had with Ian, and Ian began to worry that his negligence might have caused irreparable damage to his relationship with the Landers family. After speaking with the doctors at Roma, he’d put aside his science papers and directed his anxiety and energy into a concentrated study of snakes and their venom. There was a great deal of up-to-date information on the Internet. He found that the poison of the eastern brown snake causes muscle paralysis and contains toxins that interfere with blood clotting. It can also cause kidney failure. One of the critical factors in snakebites, apart from the actual toxicity of the individual variety of snake, is the amount of venom it injects, and this is determined by the length of the snake’s fangs and also by its aggressiveness. Aggressive varieties like the tiger snake often bite more than once and inject a lot of venom. Ian admired the scientists who had ‘milked’ dangerous snakes for their venom and developed anti-venoms. And the whole time, he wished there was more he could do for Billy.
In the end, a number of things saved Billy. The snake had been fairly small and only one of its fangs had lightly penetrated the skin. The other fang must have encountered his boot. Or, according to the hospital superintendent, the second fang may have been broken. Ian had discovered that although the brown snake’s venom is the second most deadly in the world, its fangs are relatively small, so it does not inject such a large dose of venom. A kind of miracle had saved Billy Landers.
It was a much happier group of people who waited for Jim and Karen to bring Billy back to Kanimbla. The Blakes and Fiona sat with Ian in the Mercedes with their ears pricked for the sound of the Cessna. The plane finally came into view but, before landing, it flew upriver and made two sweeps across Leigh’s bungalow. Man and dog looked skywards, Leigh – and perhaps Shelley too – with intense relief.