First published by Allen & Unwin in 2020
Copyright © Kate Constable 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.
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ISBN 978 1 76052 502 6
eISBN 978 1 76087 389 9
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Cover and text design by Debra Billson
Cover images by Shutterstock: cut-out by TAW4; running girl by Igogosha; girl and man by kintomo; tree by Emir Simsek
Set by Midland Typesetters, Australia
For Bill and Jan, who lived it.
Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
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8
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10
11
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14
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43
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Author’s Note
Even if Clancy had heard the phone ring, she wouldn’t have answered it. Clancy didn’t like talking to strangers, especially not on the phone.
So the message sat blinking on the machine for a whole day before Harriet, Clancy’s mother, discovered it. And then all hell broke loose.
‘But you must have heard the phone!’ said Harriet.
‘I didn’t!’ insisted Clancy.
‘No one rings land lines anymore. She probably thought it was a scammer,’ said her younger brother, Bruno, helpfully.
‘She’s in another world.’ Her older sister, Tash, was scornful. ‘She wouldn’t notice if the whole building blew up.’
‘Were you reading, Clance?’ asked her father, Tim, hopefully. He was a teacher, and he still dreamed that at least one of his children would develop a love of books.
Harriet hadn’t heard the phone because she was out at work. Tim hadn’t heard it because he was at school, preparing for the new term that was about to start, and then at a rehearsal with his jazz band.
Bruno hadn’t heard it because he had been on the computer all day, wearing headphones. He was in trouble for that now, because he was only supposed to have two hours of computer time a day, even during the summer holidays.
‘You can’t blame me,’ said Tash. ‘I was at the oval playing footy with Az and Miranda. I wasn’t even here.’
‘You should have been.’ Harriet glared at Tash over the rims of her red spectacles, the ones she wore in court to make witnesses feel uncomfortable when she cross-examined them. ‘You know I don’t like you going out and leaving the little ones alone when your father and I aren’t home.’
‘Nine’s not little!’ protested Bruno. ‘It’s virtually double figures.’
‘Clancy’s old enough to be in charge, isn’t she?’ said Tim mildly. ‘She’s starting high school in a couple of weeks.’
‘Four weeks and three days.’ Clancy gave her father a reproachful look. She was trying not to think about high school until she absolutely had to.
‘This is so unfair!’ cried Tash. ‘I’m the one who’s out in the fresh air, doing physical exercise, and I’m the one who gets yelled at?’
‘Hey!’ said Tim. ‘No shouting at your mother.’
‘I don’t need you to defend me, thank you, Tim,’ said Harriet crisply.
Clancy’s stomach churned. She couldn’t bear it when her family argued, the words swirling and banging off the walls like a swarm of trapped insects. At least when they were all staring silently at their various devices, lost in their individual universes, there was no shouting.
Then Harriet turned on her. ‘Tell me the truth, Clancy. You heard the phone ring, but you were too scared to answer it, weren’t you? For God’s sake! You should have grown out of that by now.’
‘I didn’t hear it,’ faltered Clancy. ‘I was … thinking.’
Tash rolled her eyes. Bruno burst into unkind laughter. Even Tim shook his head. Clancy felt her face burn. Why hadn’t she just said she was reading? Then at least Dad would have stuck up for her.
But it was true, she really had been thinking. She’d started re-watching Cosmos on the iPad (streaming it illegally, which Harriet would definitely disapprove of), and then she’d got stuck on the idea of the endlessly expanding universe.
Endlessly. Expanding. All those stars, all those galaxies, rushing away from each other into the cold, silent, empty dark. Everything falling apart. Forever. Energy leaking away into nothing. Order collapsing into chaos, inevitably, irreversibly. This process, Neil deGrasse Tyson informed her, was called entropy, and it was Clancy’s new least favourite idea.
But Harriet would never understand that Clancy hadn’t picked up the phone because she was worrying about entropy.
The call had been from their uncle Mark. Clancy couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him, except in photographs, and at Nan’s funeral. But he was Tim’s brother, and he was in trouble. Mark had always been wild; but never as wild as this.
‘I didn’t even know he was in New Zealand,’ said Tash.
‘No one did,’ murmured Tim.
Bruno bounced on the couch. ‘Is Mark going to jail? Are we related to a criminal?’
Clancy asked cautiously, ‘So, what has he done, exactly?’
‘He broke into a zoo and let all the animals out.’ Tash folded her arms. ‘So juvenile.’
‘It was an aviary, and he released the birds,’ said Tim. ‘Some kind of environmental protest, something about endangered wetlands. He meant well.’
‘There was property damage, too,’ said Harriet. ‘Extensive property damage, allegedly.’
‘No one was hurt,’ said Tim. ‘Don’t make it sound worse than it is.’
Harriet snorted. ‘He’s been arrested. How much worse do you want it to be?’
Harriet made decisions quickly; they had lost too much time already. She and Tim would fly to New Zealand to rescue Mark: Harriet because she was a lawyer; Tim because he was Mark’s brother and the one Mark had called for help.
‘You’re the only one Mark’s ever listened to,’ said Harriet.
‘Apart from our father,’ said Tim. ‘But—’
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. They all knew that Pa couldn’t help with anything anymore.
‘New Zealand, cool,’ said Tash. ‘About time you guys took us overseas.’
‘You can’t all come,’ said Harriet. ‘Far too expensive
at such short notice. Just Bruno.’
For once, Clancy and Tash were united.
‘Bruno?’
‘Why Bruno?’
‘Because he’s a boy? He is such a spoilt brat!’ Clancy scowled at her brother.
‘Why can’t I go? I never get to do anything!’ cried Tash.
Tim put up one hand. ‘It’s nothing to do with being a boy. It’s because he’s the youngest. You two are mature enough to manage. We’re trusting you.’
Bruno chanted, ‘I’m going to New Zilland. I’m going to New Zilland.’
‘Dad! Bruno’s being racist,’ called Clancy.
‘Fine, go to New Zilland.’ Tash shrugged. ‘I’ll stay with Az.’
Clancy began to panic. ‘What about me? You can’t leave me at home all by myself!’
‘Everybody out!’ cried Harriet. ‘Tim, will you clear the room of children, please? I need to make some phone calls.’
‘Clear the court for Her Honour,’ said Tim.
Harriet gave him a sharp look. ‘Sarcasm is not helpful at this point. And if you were capable of organising yourself and your idiot brother, I wouldn’t have to—’
Clancy didn’t wait to be cleared. She ran to the small bedroom she shared with Bruno, and slammed the door on everyone. But it was no use. This apartment was too small for arguments: the thin walls shook with angry voices and the air was sour with resentment like the smell of burned food.
Clancy huddled in the corner of the bunk. She couldn’t lose herself in Cosmos again because she’d left the iPad in the living room. Instead she listened to Harriet’s clear, firm voice as she booked flights and hotels, and arranged emergency leave from work. ‘Shouldn’t take more than a couple of days,’ Clancy heard her say. ‘Lucky it’s summer and there’s not much on, and my husband’s on holidays, of course, until school goes back – yes, he’s a music teacher—’
Staring at the luminous stars she’d stuck to the bottom of the bunk, Clancy wondered, since Dad was on holidays and Mum didn’t have many cases to attend to, why hadn’t they all gone away somewhere together? Other families went on trips to Bali, to Disneyland, camping at the beach. But her family never did. Somehow it was never convenient. Mum was in the middle of an important case, or Dad was playing at a festival, or Tash was going on a training camp with her football club, or Bruno was doing a drama workshop.
Anyway, they would never agree on the best place to go. Tash loved camping, but Clancy hated it. Tim liked music, but Harriet preferred history. Bruno liked swimming, but Harriet hated the beach. Clancy wanted to go to the desert so she could see the stars, but that would be too hot for Tim.
There had been that one awkward trip to Sydney a couple of years ago, to visit Po Po, their Chinese grandmother, and their uncles. But the uncles had been at work all the time, and Po Po and Harriet didn’t get on very well. Tash explained to Clancy and Bruno, ‘Po Po’s not happy about Mum marrying Dad.’
‘Because he’s not Chinese?’ said Clancy.
‘No! Po Po’s not racist. It’s because he’s a music teacher.’
‘Well, that’s dumb,’ said Bruno.
Anyway, they hadn’t gone back to Sydney.
Lucky for Mark we were home, thought Clancy …
… and now would be the perfect moment for Hagrid to arrive on the doorstep to whisk her off to Hogwarts, or the Doctor in the TARDIS. But exciting things like that would never happen to her. If Hagrid did knock on the door, he’d probably be looking for Tash …
Right on cue, there was a tap on the bedroom door, and Clancy jumped. ‘Come in.’
But it wasn’t Hagrid or the Doctor; only Tim. He perched on the end of the bottom bunk, and Clancy sat up. ‘Have you found someone to stay with me?’
‘What? Oh, no, you’re not staying here. You and Tash are going to Polly’s.’
There was a pause.
‘Polly. You know, my sister, Polly?’
‘I know who she is,’ said Clancy. ‘But we don’t know her.’
‘Of course you know her. You’ve met her loads of times.’
‘Twice, maybe. At Christmas. And all she said was, “how’s school?” I can’t stay with her.’
‘You’ll be fine. Tash will be there.’
‘Dad, please not Polly! Isn’t there someone else?’
Tim sighed. ‘Sorry, Clancy, I know it’s not ideal. I sympathise, but we tried everyone else we could think of. It’s such short notice. Polly’s family, so she couldn’t say no! That’s a joke,’ he added quickly. But Clancy knew it wasn’t, not completely.
Tim went on, ‘Our flight leaves first thing tomorrow morning. Mum thinks we’ll be able to sort everything out in a couple of days. Hopefully.’
Bruno zoomed in, singing. ‘I’m flying to New Zeeeland, and you’re going to Pol-ly’s, porrible Polly, porrible Polly—’
‘Hey!’ Tim frowned. ‘Bit of respect for your aunt, please.’
Tash thrust her head round the doorway. ‘If it’s only for a couple of days, why can’t we stay here by ourselves? We’re responsible – well, I am. Don’t forget I can start learning to drive next year.’
‘Not in my car!’ yelled Harriet from the bedroom.
‘And you know Clancy’s too much of a wuss to do anything risky—’
‘That’s true,’ said Clancy humbly.
‘I’m trustworthy,’ said Tash. ‘I’m not wild. Not like Mark …’
Tim stood up abruptly and left the room.
‘Too soon?’ Tash called after him. ‘Too soon.’ She shrugged at Clancy.
‘Can you get out of my room?’ said Clancy.
‘It’s Bruno’s room, too. Bruno, do you mind if I stay in your room?’
Bruno had scrambled up to his top bunk and was rummaging for his most precious Lego creations to pack for New Zealand. ‘I don’t care.’
‘Get out, get out, get out!’
Clancy pushed her sister out of the room and slammed the door. Bruno peered down as she leaned against the door to stop Tash breaking back in.
‘How are you going to cope when it’s just you and her?’ he said. ‘When you’re at Polly’s and I’ve flown to New Zealand?’
Clancy didn’t answer. She had no idea.
Their protests were no use. Before the day was over, Tash and Clancy had packed their bags and Tim had driven them across the city to their aunt’s house. They’d never been there before, and Clancy briefly entertained hopes of a mysterious mansion with a portal to a parallel world, or a tower lookout with a telescope, or at least a shabby cheerful cottage with a sprawling garden and a multitude of pets.
Harriet had always said they couldn’t possibly have pets in their inner suburban flat.
But Polly’s place turned out to be a narrow, boring townhouse in a row of narrow, boring townhouses, in a narrow, boring suburb called Tutt’s Flat, where Clancy and Tash knew no one and there was nothing to do.
Polly peered anxiously into the car. ‘Do you want to come in for a cup of tea, Tim? Coffee? A beer?’
‘No, thanks.’ Tim didn’t like beer. ‘Better get going. Early start tomorrow.’ There was an awkward pause. ‘Thanks for taking the girls, Polly. We really appreciate it.’
‘No problem!’ cried Polly, her voice high and nervous. ‘Happy to help! Any time! Give my love to Mark! Good luck!’
Tash stumped inside as Clancy watched their father drive away. When the car vanished at the end of the street, she turned to climb the steps into Polly’s house and her eye was caught by the pinprick of a star just above the roofline. It shone steadily, silver against the deep blue velvet of the sky, and Clancy felt obscurely comforted.
Their aunt Polly was no Hagrid, Nanny McPhee, or even Mary Poppins. She was single and had no children of her own, no sense of humour that Clancy could discover, and she spoke to the girls in a brittle, falsely cheery voice that put their nerves on edge.
‘We’re just people, you know?’ complained Tash, privately, in the cramped spare room they were sharing.
<
br /> ‘Not alien life forms,’ agreed Clancy.
It was clear that their aunt was just as uncomfortable with them as they were with her. Polly rushed off early in the morning to her work as an orthodontist (‘Teeth don’t take holidays!’ she said, in her special bright voice) and rushed back home in the evening with bags of takeaway food.
She smiled nervously at them over Thai green curry, showing her own brilliantly white and even teeth. ‘Are you having a good time, girls? Not too bored? Why don’t you go to the movies tomorrow? Or the arboretum?’
Tash looked up. ‘The aquarium?’
‘No, no!’ Polly tittered. ‘That’s fish. The arboretum is a tree collection.’
‘So, a park?’ Tash rolled her eyes. ‘That sounds fascinating.’
‘Of course, you’re right, that was a silly idea,’ agreed Polly. ‘Sorry.’
They lapsed into silence. Clancy pushed her food around her plate.
‘Is it all right? Too spicy? We can try the other restaurant next time. Unless … you do like Thai, don’t you?’
Clancy muttered, ‘It’s fine.’
Tash said, ‘Clancy hates curry. She hates everything, pretty much, except cereal.’
‘Oh! I didn’t realise … But you know, cereal is not good for your teeth … I’ll pick some up tomorrow.’
‘It’s fine.’ Clancy scowled at Tash and scooped up a forkful of plain rice. Of course Tash would eat anything. Tash loved spices. Tash would try any bizarre culinary experiment that Tim served up – eel or brussels sprouts or blue cheese sauce, food that any normal person would gag at.
At least the food Polly provided wasn’t as weird as that. In fact, Clancy didn’t mind being at Polly’s too much, as she had good wi-fi. Lucky Clancy had remembered to bring the iPad. She lay on the couch in Polly’s neat, dim, apparently-never-used living room, mildly bored, watching videos for hours, while Tash prowled the hot streets outside like a tiger on the loose, hunting for entertainment. The couple of days that Harriet and Tim had promised to be away stretched into three, then four.
By Wednesday night, Polly had become almost as restless as Tash. At last, reluctantly, guiltily, their aunt confessed that she had plans of her own. She had booked a trip to Sydney, weeks ago, to spend a few days with friends. ‘I’m supposed to leave tomorrow … But of course I can’t go while you’re still here, can I?’
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