Secret in the Clouds

by Christopher Cummings

  “Why not?” Kylie asked suspiciously. “What’s going on? What are you boys up to this time?”

  But they wouldn’t say. Stephen just said goodbye and went down to his bike. Graham followed. “We need a code,” he suggested.

  “Good idea,” Stephen agreed. They quickly settled on a couple of easy codes and then Stephen left.

  It was after five by then and he ignored the next rain shower in his anxiety to get home. ‘The rain won’t make me any wetter,’ he thought. His shirt was soaked with sweat anyway. Twenty minutes later he turned into his street, pedalling at full pelt as an even heavier rain storm came sweeping up behind him.

  He made it just in time, the exhilaration of the ride and the situation making him whoop with delight as he skidded to a stop in the carport. Both his parent’s cars were there so he happily went inside. His mother was in the kitchen preparing tea. “There you are dear. I was just starting to worry about you. Where have you been?”

  “Graham’s,” Stephen replied. He said hello to his father, who was working on marking assignments in his room, then met Tom. “Hi Tom. Have a good day?”

  Tom nodded. “Yes,” he said. Then he glanced to check that Stephen’s parents could not hear him. In a soft voice he said, “I think I’ve found something that might help us.”

  The tone in Tom’s voice, and the look in his eyes, both sent a surge of excitement through Stephen. “I’ll just have a shower and change,” he replied.

  It only took him a couple of minutes to have a cold shower and put on clean clothes. With the sweat washed off and his body cooled down he felt very refreshed. He went to his room and found Tom waiting there, seated at his desk. “What is it?”

  “History,” Tom replied. “I went to the Commonwealth Offices and asked for information on Mr Potts.”

  “Who?”

  “Mr Potts, the Minister of Defence,” Tom replied.

  That puzzled Stephen. “Why?”

  “Just a hunch,” Tom replied. “Those men are his bodyguards and it occurred to me that he might be involved.”

  “Oh that’s hardly likely,” Stephen replied.

  “No? Did you know that his family name used to be Potke? They changed it back at the start of World War One,” Tom replied.

  “His family was German? Is that what you are saying?” Stephen asked, his interest now fully engaged.

  Tom nodded. “Yes. It took me a bit of finding out though. The handout from the government PR people doesn’t say that, but it gave me a couple of clues.”

  He placed a printed sheet on the table in front of Stephen. It was the biography of The Right Honourable Edward James Potts, Member of the House of Representatives and Minister for Defence. Stephen read it through and could not find anything particularly notable in it. It seemed to be just what a person would expect: born in Mareeba in 1950, parents from old pioneering families, grew up on the family property ‘Hayden Park’ Station, sent to boarding school in Brisbane, went to Queensland University to study law, worked on the land, became a leader of the United Graziers Association, then entered politics in the Country Party. Later, when the Country Party became the National Party he broke away and formed the Rural Revival Party and was now its leader. He had been in federal parliament for twenty years and had served as Minister for Transport, then for Trade and was now Defence Minister. He still had an interest in the family property and had other business interests in North Queensland.

  “That all seems pretty ordinary,” Stephen commented. “What are these clues?”

  “To start with he is a Lutheran,” Tom replied.

  “So?”

  “Most Lutherans have some German connection in their family background,” Tom replied. “Martin Luther was German and that religion is strongest there.”

  Stephen dimly remembered reading that in history but he was doubtful. “That’s a pretty tenuous connection,” he replied.

  “I agree,” Tom said. “But the bit about being from old pioneering stock sent me to the library. I’ve been reading up on local history.” He placed several photocopied pages on the table. “Read them and see what you think.”

  Stephen sat on his bed and took up the sheets. The first was a page from ‘A Thousand Miles Away’ by Bolton. It explained that in the 1870s new pastoral properties were established inland from Cairns. He read, ‘Meanwhile Hann’s discoveries and the Palmer Gold rush were attracting squatters to the country beyond. On the western side of the Peninsula the formation of Wrotham Park in 1873 was followed by the occupation of the lower Mitchell. The Palmer rush attracted from 1874 several graziers hopeful of supplying the Maytown and Cooktown markets. Prospecting journeys by James Venture Mulligan in 1874 and 1875 drew attention to the lands of the upper Mitchell, which were first occupied by James Fraser in 1876. The next year saw John Atherton overlanding his family to Emerald End, near the present town of Mareeba.’

  “That’s just an introduction,” Tom said, reaching out to hand Stephen another sheet.

  Stephen nodded. He knew the early history of the region well from research for some of the Hiking Team’s expeditions. He took the next sheet, noted it was from a journal called ‘The Northern Grazier’, then read, ‘When the Hodgekinson gold rush broke out in 1876 several graziers at once saw possibilities in supplying this new market. Mulligan had reported good country in the upper Mitchell and its tributaries. Among those who took up the challenge was a young German migrant, Otokar Potke. With his wife and baby son he set out from Cardwell with a small herd of cattle and two stockmen, Jorgenson and Strauss. After great hardships they reached the valley of Leichhardt Creek. This large creek, a tributary of the Mitchell River, is to the east of the Hodgekinson goldfield and allowed access to both the roads leading to the goldfields.’

  Stephen felt his heart quicken at the name Jorgenson and he read on with growing interest. ‘The family took up a run which they named ‘Hayden Park’. To begin with it was hard going, the country on either side being very rough granite ranges and the Aborigines very hostile. But they persevered and the property prospered. The development of the tin and copper mines to the south and west, then of the coal mine at Mt Mulligan, all helped as the demand for beef continually grew.’

  ‘By the turn of the century ‘Hayden Park’ had become one of the best managed properties in the north and Mr Potke was winning renown as a breeder of fine horses. The horses were mostly sold to the British Indian Army. But despite this success Mr Potke’s personal circumstances were dogged by misfortune. Two sons died from fevers and his beloved wife Elise died in childbirth.’

  ‘Mr Potke went on a world trip soon after. He returned to Germany in 1906 and there married his second wife, Elizabeth Remcke, daughter of a Wurtemburg Lutheran Pastor. After visits to England and America to study horse breeding and to acquire new stock Mr Potke returned to Australia.’

  ‘But personal misfortune still dogged him. Two daughters, born in 1908 and 1910, both died in 1913 in the same month, one from snake bite and the other from an inflammation of the stomach. Two more daughters, Marie (born in 1912) and Liesel (born 1916) both lived but it was not until 1920 that a son (Albert) was born.’

  ‘By 1914 Otokar Potke had established himself as one of the leading citizens of the district. This however did not prevent him and his family and friends being the objects of much vilification on the outbreak of World War 1 because of their German origin. To limit this abuse and the harm to his business interests he anglicised the family name to Potts.’

  ‘Since that time the family has continued to own and run ‘Hayden Park’ although it has experienced the same ups and downs as many other cattle properties. The Great Depression hit the industry particularly hard but ‘Hayden Park’ managed to survive better than most. The family were able to enjoy a world trip in 1935 and another in 1938. During this trip the young Albert married a Czech refugee, Bella Zarvis, and she returned to Australia with them.’

  ‘But tragedy still stalked the family. In 1939 the first son born
to Albert and Bella died. In the same year Otokar, now aged 85, died. The property passed to Albert. A second son Edward, born in 1950, is now at boarding school.’

  On reading that Stephen asked Tom when the article had been written. “Nineteen sixty five,” Tom replied. “The librarian dug it up for me. She has an interest in the old pioneering families she told me. Her own family came off one of the cattle properties nearby.”

  “No mention here of World War Two,” Stephen commented.

  “No,” Tom replied. “I’d say they weren’t among the people of German origin who were interned.”

  “You wouldn’t expect it, not after all that time,” Stephen replied. “But no mention of any of them serving in the armed forces either.”

  “Those trips around the world in Nineteen Thirty Six and Nineteen Thirty Eight intrigue me,” Tom added. “If the Great Depression was hitting the cattle industry hard how could they afford that? And did they go to Germany?”

  “I’ll bet they did,” Stephen said. “Nineteen Thirty Five is when Hitler was in power I think”

  “Yes it was,” Tom replied. “I checked that. The Nazis became the government of Germany in Nineteen Thirty Three. In Nineteen Thirty Five they began re-armament and introduced conscription.”

  “I wonder if Bella what’s-her-name was a Sudeten German,” Stephen said.

  “Today the Sudetenland, tomorrow the world!” quoted Tom.

  Stephen was surprised at Tom’s depth of knowledge on the subject but decided he had made it a special interest because of his Great Grandfather. He said, “We still don’t have any real proof.”

  “No, but it makes you wonder,” Tom replied.

  CHAPTER 24

  REAL TROUBLE

  Stephen sat for a minute thinking over the implications of what he had just read. Then he went to the phone and called Graham. “Graham, have you finished your history assignment on the French Revolution yet?” he asked.

  “No, not yet,” Graham answered.

  “Would you be able to lend me your notes so I can write my essay tonight?” Stephen asked. What he really meant was come over and talk to me.

  “Sure,” Graham replied. “I’ll just check with Mum.”

  When Graham returned to say he was allowed Stephen added, “Please bring any maps you have so I can include one in the assignment.”

  “It will have to be after tea. I might be a while. I will go via Pete’s,” Graham replied.

  “Bring him with you,” Stephen answered, trying to sound off-hand.

  That done Stephen sat and watched the TV news, the HDD once again ready to record. Tom joined him. As he had hoped there was a brief article on Mr Potts. He was visiting the NQEA shipyard at Portsmith to look at a new naval patrol vessel under construction there. But the questions from the news reporters were all about politics. This time Stephen listened. To his surprise he learned that the Prime Minister was so sick that it was thought likely he would have to resign from ill-health and Mr Potts was obviously one of the main contenders to replace him.

  ‘This could get heavy,’ he thought. The idea of causing trouble to the Prime Minister, and thus to himself and his friends was enough to make him feel queasy in the stomach.

  It was only after the TV news article that Stephen noted Mr Potts’ name and photo on the front page of the newspaper his father was reading. ‘LOCAL BOY MAY BE NEXT PM’ read the headline. Now Stephen began to understand why the local media were making such a big deal of him. There had never been a North Queensland Prime Minister before.

  “There won’t ever be if what you think is right and we let the cat out of the bag,” Peter commented an hour later.

  Graham nodded. “We would need to be very sure of ourselves before we say anything,” he agreed.

  Tom agreed. “Too right. We could get into real trouble,” he added.

  “I was thinking of the justice of the case,” Graham replied. “If Potts is innocent a rumour like this at such a moment could do him great harm. It would be very unfair.”

  Peter agreed. “It wasn’t him after all. He wasn’t even born at the time.”

  “We could get taken to court for scandal couldn’t we?” Tom added.

  “Slander I think you mean,” Stephen corrected.

  “Or is it libel?” Graham asked.

  Peter answered. “Slander is when you say something that harms another person’s reputation, libel is when you print it,” he explained.

  “And we don’t have any real proof,” Stephen agreed. He was feeling quite uneasy about the situation and wondered if they shouldn’t just drop the whole thing. But curiosity still nagged at him. “Did you bring your maps Graham?”

  The four boys were sitting around Stephen’s room. Graham nodded and opened his school bag. “I wasn’t sure which one you wanted so I brought the lot,” he replied. Stephen knew Graham had an extensive collection of military topographic maps on several scales. “Which one did you want?” Graham asked.

  “I don’t know,” Stephen replied. “I want to find where ‘Hayden Park’ station is.”

  “Any idea of its approximate location?” Graham asked.

  “Somewhere off the headwaters of the Mitchell River, near the Hodgekinson goldfield,” Stephen replied.

  Graham muttered to himself as he named maps and shuffled through the bundle. Then he passed a 1:100 000 scale map to Stephen. “Try that one.”

  It was the map of Mt Mulligan. The Hodgekinson valley ran diagonally across it to join the Mitchell River on the northern edge. Five minutes of study caused Stephen to shake his head in frustration. “Give me the next one to the east. The station was near the old coach roads from Port Douglas to the Hodgekinson.”

  Graham tossed several maps aside, then selected one and handed it to him. Stephen saw that it was the Rumula Map they had been using on Black Mountain. He spread it flat and they all leaned over to scan it. The blue lines marking the Mitchell River at once caught his attention and he followed these, quickly scanning the tributaries running south. Within seconds his eyes picked up the words ‘Hayden Park’. The cattle station homestead was set in a valley about fifteen kilometres long by five wide. The valley was wedged into very rugged country west of the Hann Tableland. More steep, jumbled mountain country blocked it off from the west where the headwaters of the Hodgekinson River were marked.

  Then Stephen gave a quick intake of breath as his eyes picked out what he had been seeking, but now half hoping not to find.

  “There!” he said, placing his finger tip below the feature. “Pink Lily Lagoon.”

  “My word yes,” Graham agreed. “That looks big enough for a floatplane to land on.”

  “Nearly two kilometres long,” Peter said, measuring it against the grid squares.

  “There had to be a lake for the floatplane to land on,” Stephen said, feeling suddenly apprehensive and wishing his mind would stop.

  The boys looked at each other and Stephen felt a sense of deepening anxiety. “Perhaps we should just drop this and let sleeping dogs lie?” he suggested.

  Tom shook his head vigorously. “No. I want to know what happened to my Great Grandfather.”

  “But what good could it do?” Stephen argued. “Think of all the people it might hurt.”

  “Us for starters,” Peter commented with a wry grin.

  Graham looked doubtful. “Oh what can they do?” he commented.

  “I don’t know,” Peter replied, “But if there is murder to cover up it could be nasty.”

  That caused a silence that seemed to stretch for minutes. Peter broke it by saying, “Anyway, they would need to know it was us.”

  At that a horrible suspicion formed in Stephen’s mind. He mentally berated himself for not thinking of it earlier. Rather than speak aloud he snatched a pad off his desk and wrote: ‘Don’t speak. The room may be bugged.’

  The others read it and looked aghast. Stephen tore the page out and said, “I need to go to the shop to buy some milk. Who wants to come?”

/>   They all did of course. As a group they made their way to the door. Stephen’s father looked up from his work and asked where they were off to. “Just to the shop,” Stephen replied. “We won’t be long.”

  As the group walked along the footpath Stephen explained his suspicions that someone had been in his house that afternoon. Graham confirmed this. Peter was inclined to disbelieve him and said so. “You are getting paranoid Steve. We aren’t that important.”

  “We are if we can wreck the career of a Prime Minister,” Stephen said. “They must have bugged your telephone don’t forget, or how did they know to come to Wangetti Beach the other night?”

  That certainly caused Peter to rethink. “Then we need to be very careful what we say and when,” he said.

  “And who to,” Stephen added.

  The boys stood in the darkness near the shop and discussed whether they were in fact under surveillance and how this might be done. At length Peter said, “We must assume we are and act accordingly.”

  “That means pretending we aren’t suspicious,” Stephen added.

  “Strewth! That is going to be hard,” Graham cried, “trying to remember what is bluff and what is double-bluff!”

  For ten more minutes they discussed their tactics before moving on to the shop. Here they purchased soft drinks and ice creams and walked slowly back to Stephen’s. When they returned Stephen was surprised to find Judy and her friend Sheila sitting in the lounge room. Stephen’s mother seemed pleased to see the girls and said, “See who’s come to visit. Now, who would like tea or coffee?”

  Stephen secretly fumed because that ended the strategy session. Even so he was also pleased. He sat near Judy and smiled. ‘She is nice,’ he decided. ‘I like the way her hair glistens in the lamplight, and she has very nice eyes.’

  The teenagers began to gossip about school and about the swimming carnival now only days away. Judy noted that this left Tom out of the conversation and steered the talk to asking him about his school and Victoria. Within minutes Tom and Judy were engaged in an animated conversation and Tom had her laughing. To Stephen’s surprise he discovered he was annoyed and it took some honesty on his part to recognize that he was actually jealous.