It seemed an age before they felt sure Mark was safely in his bunk. They had one last look at the beach then, with Jessica leading the way, they tiptoed barefoot up to the foredeck.
The twelve-to-four watch that Mark had allocated to himself was the most difficult watch from a sleep perspective. You snatched a few hours’ sleep before midnight, you stood your watch and then, having handed over to the next watch, you fought to get back to sleep again before dawn.
Tonight, Mark found getting rest more difficult than usual. It was his first night at anchor on a boat for more than a year. The straining of the rigging and the sounds made by the movement of the hull through water when under sail were replaced by less familiar sounds: the anchor grinding in its lead, unfamiliar creaks and groans from within the hull. He heard sounds on the foredeck — probably Fergus and Jessica checking the anchor. He didn’t hear them return to the cockpit, and concluded that they were watching the beach from the bow. He began to doze off.
Then he woke suddenly. Someone was moving about in the cabin. He waited for the telltale creak of the head door, but instead there was the distinctive groan of the second step of the companionway ladder. Must be one of the men going up on deck to ‘hang ten’. Couldn’t be Robert, he’d already gone. Luke always slept through the night. Fergus was on deck. It must be Steven. Mark drifted off to sleep.
He had strange dreams. He saw Aunt Margaret trying desperately to manoeuvre her wheelchair away from Damian. Then he saw naked black women sitting around a fire and heard voices chanting ‘Robert’s gone, Robert’s gone’.
But it wasn’t a dream. He woke with a start. It was Allison.
‘Robert’s gone,’ she repeated.
‘What do you mean, he’s gone?’
She scurried away without answering the question and he was left to hurriedly pull on his shorts and T-shirt before following her on deck.
Everyone was already waiting for him. They all knew how furious he would be. After they had realised Robert had disappeared, it had taken five minutes before Allison could be persuaded to go below and give Mark the news.
Mark squinted in the bright sunlight. ‘What time is it?’ he asked.
‘Ten-thirty,’ said Steven, who was busy clearing the davit lines to the dinghy.
‘What! How long’s he been gone?’
‘We don’t know,’ Fergus replied sheepishly.
‘What do you mean you don’t know?’
‘We thought he was still in his bunk — no one bothered to look. He must have gone ashore some time during the night.’
‘On your watch,’ accused Mark, jabbing Fergus in the chest.
‘It could have been any time. It could have been on your watch.’
‘Rubbish! It wasn’t on Steven’s watch either. Robert came up on deck at three-thirty for a pee.’
‘He didn’t come up while we were here. We were in the cockpit all the time.’
‘And awake all the time,’ said Jessica, coming to Fergus’s defence.
‘You weren’t in the cockpit all the time — I heard you on the foredeck.’
‘What does it matter when he went?’ Steven asked. ‘Let’s go and get him back. We need to go ashore and make contact anyway. They’ve made no move to come out to us.’
Mark took the binoculars and scanned the beach. There were three women working on nets near two boats. A gaggle of small children were playing nearby. There was no sign of Robert.
‘OK,’ he said, nodding to Steven. ‘Let’s get going.’
‘I’m coming too,’ Luke said.
‘Oh no you’re not.’
‘He’s my brother.’
‘Let him come,’ Steven suggested. ‘We need another oarsman.’
‘Just behave yourself,’ Mark warned, but Luke had already clambered into the dinghy.
‘I’ll come too,’ said Fergus.
‘You can stay where you are,’ Mark snapped. ‘And this time do your job properly. Keep your eyes open, look after Archangel and look after the rest of the crew!’
‘I’m coming with you,’ Allison said, adding before Mark could disagree, ‘All you’ve got on the beach is women. They’ll be a lot more relaxed if they see a woman in the dinghy.’ Mark nodded and Allison clambered into the bow.
‘What about rifles?’ Steven asked as Mark climbed in the stern.
‘Surely it would be better we go unarmed — prove we mean them no harm?’ Allison suggested.
Mark nodded and glanced up to the rest of the crew. ‘Hopefully this won’t take long, then the rest of you can get ashore and stretch your legs.’
‘We’re going ashore, we’re going ashore,’ chanted Tommy and Lee as Steven and Luke began rowing the dinghy clear of Archangel’s stern.
‘Well, a trip ashore will certainly add to their education,’ Steven said quietly to the grinning Luke as they pulled on the oars.
Mark was too angry with Robert to be amused. As Steven and Luke rowed, he sat in the transom scanning the beach with his binoculars. As they drew closer to the beach, the children ran away towards the houses and the women stopped their work. They picked up what appeared to be walking sticks and sauntered down the beach towards the approaching dinghy. ‘Stop rowing,’ he said suddenly. ‘They’re carrying spears.’
‘Duck,’ yelled Allison. Hearing the terror in her voice, they obeyed her instructions instantly, Luke and Steven rolling backwards into the bilges as Mark threw himself on top of them. A strange whirring sound drew closer and as they all looked up they saw the blurred form of a boomerang circle the boat and head back towards shore.
‘What do you want?’ yelled a male voice.
Tentatively, Luke, Mark, Steven and Allison poked their heads above the dinghy’s gunwales. ‘I asked what do you want?’ repeated the voice.
Standing beside a tree on the beach, clutching the boomerang, stood a burly, muscular man of about forty years of age, wearing a pair of baggy khaki shorts. At his side were eight naked women, each holding a spear. There was one other striking difference between the women and the man: he was white.
‘Come on,’ Mark said to Luke and Steven, ‘let’s row in.’
‘What you want?’ challenged the voice again as Luke and Steven started to row.
‘You’ve got one of our crew — we want him back.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hold it right there, unless you want to lose your heads.’ He raised the boomerang, ready to throw.
‘OK,’ yelled Mark. ‘We’ll stay out here. We just want to talk.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Back off a bit and point the bow towards Archangel — just in case we need to get out of here in a hurry,’ he said to Steven and Luke.
As they backed away, the man lowered the boomerang. ‘Where are you from?’ he called.
‘From New Zealand and England,’ Mark replied.
‘Might have known it. Bloody Poms and Kiwi sheep-shaggers,’ laughed the man. The women standing beside him giggled.
‘I’m Mark — what’s your name?’
‘Corky.’
‘What’s your real name?’
‘None of your business. Just call me Corky. What do you want?’
‘We want our crewman back.’
‘What the hell are you talking about?’ The tallest of the group of women leaned forward and whispered in Corky’s ear. ‘Oh, apparently he is here. The randy little bastard’s busy by all accounts.’ There was more than a hint of annoyance in Corky’s voice. He said something to the tall woman and she ran off up the beach. ‘But why are you here at all?’
‘We’re low on food and water. We need more supplies in order to get back to New Zealand.’
‘And how did you know to come here? As far as I know, we’re the only people left alive in Australia.’
‘Is your name Chatfield?’ Mark asked.
‘Nope.’ He hesitated, then added, ‘But my grandfather on my mother’s side was a Chatfield.’
‘Was he a British merchant seaman?’
�
��Yep. How do you know so much, you smart-arse?’
‘Because we’re related — we’re Chatfields too. We seem to be the only family in the world to possess a special gene — something in our blood line that’s enabled us to survive the pandemic.’
‘Well, you don’t know everything do you, sheep-shagger? These Abos may be related to you, but they’re certainly not related to me.’
‘How come you’re together then?’
‘Stumbled across them over at Straddie.’
‘What about their menfolk?’
‘They ain’t got any menfolk,’ he replied without elaborating further. ‘They’ve just got me.’
‘Can we come ashore and talk properly?’
‘No, you can’t. You want to talk — stay there and talk.’
Mark decided to try a different tack. ‘I see you’ve got children. You got any boys?’
‘Got a couple — but none are mine. Trying my best, but all I’m chalking up is sheilas.’
‘That’s why we need to talk. You need fresh blood. Otherwise your community is doomed.’
‘You aren’t setting foot on my beach,’ Corky threatened. One of the Aboriginal women said something to him and he turned and looked up the beach. Robert had emerged from one of the houses and was sauntering towards them, holding the hand of a naked young woman.
‘You all right, lad?’ yelled Mark.
‘Well, that was a stupid question,’ Steven said quietly. Robert didn’t reply.
‘Come on, Robert — stop fooling about,’ Mark called. ‘Swim out to the dinghy.’
‘Well,’ Corky said in a loud voice. ‘What do you want to do, lad — stay here with this girl or continue on to New Zealand?’
‘Another stupid question,’ muttered Steven.
For once Robert’s scowl was replaced with a grin. He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Stay here, of course.’
‘I guess you’ve got your answer,’ Corky called to Mark. ‘You said I needed more male genes, and it looks like you’ve solved the problem for me. Now piss off and get your boat out of here.’
‘But we can help one another.’
‘You’ve got nothing else I want,’ sneered Corky. ‘We’re running a risk of disease as it is with this randy little runt here.’ He turned towards Robert. ‘Get back in the house. Take the girl with you. You’re both in isolation, do you understand?’ Robert nodded his head, the smirk still on his face. ‘Don’t let me catch either of you outside the house until I say so. Food and water will be left on the veranda.’
As Robert and the girl hurried away, Corky turned back to face Mark. ‘Now get your anchor up and get out of here. If you try to get ashore I won’t take any chances — not with you, or with him,’ he said, jerking his thumb towards the retreating Robert. ‘He’ll be shot in his bed.’
The threat was sobering; it confirmed that Corky had firearms.
‘What about some food and water?’ Allison called. ‘We can’t get back to New Zealand without it.’
The tall woman whispered in Corky’s ear. ‘Ten of you on board, including the two young boys — am I right?’
‘Eleven — no, ten,’ agreed Mark, who realised Corky must also possess a powerful pair of binoculars.
‘My sheilas will row you out some supplies shortly. Enough to get you back across the ditch — providing you sheep-shaggers will eat dried roo and dugong, of course. Lift your anchor as soon as the food and water’s been delivered and don’t come back. And I’m warning you, I’ll be watching. Come back and I’ll blow that little runt’s head off. And if any of you set foot ashore you’ll get the same treatment.’
As they waited for the supplies to arrive, Steven and Mark retired to Archangel’s foredeck to discuss the situation and try to find a solution. They tossed around ideas, considering the pros and cons.
As they talked, two boats were launched and anchored just off the beach. With Corky looking on, a procession of women and children carried an assortment of supplies down to the water’s edge and loaded them into one of the two boats. Then four women, including the tall woman who seemed to be Corky’s foreman and favourite, and a young girl jumped aboard the second boat and rowed out towards Archangel, towing the boat of supplies behind them.
Mark reached his decision as the boats came alongside. He sent Steven aft to supervise the transfer of the provisions and beckoned Luke to join him on the foredeck.
‘We’re going to have to leave your brother here,’ he explained. ‘Corky, or whatever his real name is, is dangerous. If we try to get Robert back now there’ll be real trouble. Someone could easily get killed. Do you understand?’ Luke nodded. ‘We will come back for him. But we’ll have to wait until Corky’s dropped his guard.’
‘How long before we come back?’
‘A month, maybe two or three — it depends on how we find the situation when we reach Gulf Harbour.’
There was much excitement and chatter between the Aboriginal women and the crew of Archangel as the supplies and water were passed aboard. Tommy jumped down into the lead rowing boat to talk to the little girl and stroke her pet koala.
‘Come here, Lee,’ Mark said sharply, as the second boy began to clamber over the lifeline to join his cousin. Disappointed, Lee went to Mark, who knelt down and talked to him earnestly. Then Lee scampered back along the deck and jumped down into the rowing boat. One of the Aboriginal women made a fuss of the two boys, sitting them on her knee and holding them close to her naked body.
Mark talked briefly to Steven, who then took Penny up to the foredeck.
‘I’m sorry — we need more water,’ Mark said as the last of the supplies were lifted aboard.
Fergus, who knew the tanks had been almost filled with rainwater, was about to speak but noticed Mark looking intently in his direction.
‘Please get us some more water?’ Mark asked.
‘All right,’ said the taller woman reluctantly. ‘But Corky won’t like it.’
‘Back aboard,’ Jessica called down to Tommy. Grudgingly, the little boy did as he was told.
‘Can I go ashore and see the other koalas?’ Lee called up to his mother.
Jessica looked at Penny, incredulous, as she nodded her head. The rowboats cast off with Lee still aboard.
‘I can’t believe you’ve put Lee at risk like that,’ Allison said to Mark when he explained his plan. Her disgust was directed as much at Penny and Steven as at Mark.
Mark’s plan failed anyway. He had pointed out to Lee the bungalow where Robert and the aboriginal girl were holed up, and had told him to go straight there and deliver the message that Robert could return to Archangel and bring the girl with him. But the little boy, desperate for the toilet, had stopped off at the latrine at the top of the beach. He was spotted leaving by Corky, who chased him back to the rowboat before he could deliver the vital message. Mark watched disconsolately as the boats headed back out towards Archangel, Lee firmly aboard.
But there was another surprise in store.
‘Can I come with you?’ the tall woman asked Mark once the loading of the additional water was complete. She was sporting a swollen eye where Corky had hit her for allowing Lee ashore.
Mark was flummoxed by the question but quickly regained his composure. ‘Of course you can.’
‘Can I come too?’ asked a second woman.
‘Sure.’ The two women stowed their oars and clambered aboard. ‘What about the rest of you?’ Mark asked.
‘I want to,’ said the little girl.
‘You can’t,’ said her mother sternly, remaining in the rowboat. The fourth woman shook her head too.
‘Lee, get back on board,’ Mark ordered, then addressed the crew. ‘Cast off the boats and lift the anchor.’
As soon as the anchor was up, Steven unfurled the foresail.
‘So where are we landing?’ Allison asked Mark as Archangel turned away from the beach and gathered speed.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, obviously you’re not goin
g to leave Robert here.’
‘We’ve got no choice. Anyway, leaving him behind has its advantages.’
‘Advantages! Advantages for whom?’
‘For the human race. We’ve got to increase the odds, they need his genes, and we need theirs,’ he said, pointing to the two women sitting on the cabintop. ‘Fair exchange is no robbery.’
‘I don’t know about having a crucial gene,’ Allison said angrily, ‘but you’ve got a flawed gene. You’ve left Robert to heaven knows what fate. And do you realise that woman’s left two children behind?’ she yelled, pointing at the shorter of the two women.
Mark did not respond. Allison took her jumper off and threw it at one of the women. ‘Cover yourself up,’ she snapped.
‘Her children will be fine. The others will look after them,’ Mark said, trying to keep his voice calm.
Allison disappeared through the hatchway. ‘Like my mother is being looked after, I suppose?’ she screamed from the bottom of the steps.
The remainder of the crew looked on in astonishment, reinforced when Allison stuck her head through the hatch and threw a bundle of clothes at the second woman.
Embarrassed by the attack on his father, Steven turned and focused his binoculars on the rowing boats, which were now nearing the beach. What he saw through the glasses wasn’t going to help.
‘You’d better have a look at the lead rowboat,’ he said, handing the binoculars to his father. Mark zoomed in, looking at the two giggling young women rowing the boat. Then he noticed the little girl clutching the koala, peering over the gunwales. She was talking to Luke, who was clinging to the stern.
12
With Duncan managing the work rosters designed by Diana, Haver was soon operating efficiently once again despite the reduced labour pool. The work was hard and the days long, but the farm and the gardens continued to flourish.
Nigel had decided that peasants did not require an education. However, under the guidance of Diana, rudimentary schooling was provided for the children, with an hour’s lessons being given each evening after their twelve-hour workday. She was determined that all the children should be able to read and write and at least master the basics of mathematics. Diana continued to organise the kitchens, the laundry and to ensure that the staterooms were up to Nigel’s exacting standards. And, of course, she also had to make sure the Chatfields’ sexual needs were satisfied.
Blood Bond Page 8
