Vanishing Point

by Alan Moore

  He looked out the office window and gave another deep sigh before turning back to the maps spread out on the table. He tried to concentrate, but somehow thoughts of Shelley kept interrupting. She would have understood.

  T he drab English winter was giving way to spring. Alec’s time in London was coming to an end, and he was looking forward to the visit from Shelley.

  Christmas, her birthday celebrations and those of her much younger sister put family pressure on Shelley to delay. She spent the summer in Melbourne thinking it might be her last as a single woman. Now she was due to spend a fortnight in London, seeing the sights with Alec. Most of her friends were married but had travelled widely before settling down. She felt that at thirty she had not experienced enough of life. Apart from a trip to New Zealand with her family she had never been overseas. She took extra leave from the University in order to travel the long way around and spend a few days in Perth before taking a flight via South Africa.

  Shelley spent a pleasant interlude in Perth. The weekend with Petri allowed the two friends to catch up on each other’s news, though Petri found it difficult to keep his emotions hidden. Apart from discussing the forthcoming wedding, Petri arranged a concert evening so the two could share their common interest in music. At a coffee house after the concert they enjoyed a heated discussion about Schubert’s influence on the development of classical music.

  ‘You are surprising knowledgeable,’ Shelley teased as Petri made his points.

  ‘And why shouldn’t I be?’

  ‘I thought geologists were almost artistic troglodytes.’

  ‘Just shows how wrong you are. Remember, I told you about my father introducing me to classical music?’

  Petri continued to surprise her by discussing with her Schubert’s ability to create different moods simply by changing the key while retaining the same melody. He seemed as familiar with Schubert’s Impromptu in G flat major, Opus 90 as he did with the different types of igneous rocks in granite country.

  ‘You know Alec comes to concerts with me,’ Shelley said.

  ‘But really I think it’s to be with me rather than because of the music. He prefers it when we go to the movies.’

  Petri laughed. ‘I heard Alec singing once and burst out laughing. He can’t sing a note in tune but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy good music. I know he enjoys listening to the classics.’

  ‘Oh, it’s all right. I’m not attacking him or anything,’ Shelley said, suddenly realising that she might have sounded a bit too critical of her future husband. ‘We do go to the concerts and he says he enjoys them but I’m not sure if it really is his thing. He much prefers to argue about books and movies. He has strong opinions and it’s sometimes hard to talk to him about different views. I reckon he just likes a good argument.’

  ‘I didn’t take it as an attack,’ Petri quickly responded, fearful that he may have exposed a jealous moment, recognising how similar his and Shelley’s interests were.

  Shelley spotted a record in his collection that allowed the direction of discussion flow back to music, away from the personal. All in all, both Petri and Shelley enjoyed a delightful and enlightening evening and Petri ensured his underlying tensions never surfaced.

  The following day Petri drove Shelley to the international airport to take the flight to London via Johannesburg. They hugged at the terminal gate and he said, ‘Give Alec my best and tell him that I look forward to seeing him on his return. Hopefully he can change his flight so he comes home through Perth and you can both stay a short while.’

  ‘Will do. Bye.’

  Petri stood in the windows and watched until the aircraft flew across the Darling Ranges before turning north.

  * * *

  Karl arrived two days after Benjamin left to take a load of hives to the forests in preparation for the season’s eucalypt flowers. The visit was unscheduled. Benjamin was to be away for at least a fortnight.

  Katherine had not been alone with Karl since before Isaac was born. Within the first few days of his stay it was obvious that whatever she did was not gong to be good enough. The room was too dirty, the meal too cold and she was too slow. She feared for the children as Karl had threatened to set his dog on them if she didn’t do as he demanded. He screamed at her every time she failed to live up to his expectations. She was intimidated by the continual verbal abuse. It wore her down and she scurried around in an attempt to prevent more of it. He was smoking with increasing frequency and Katherine noticed that the combination of smoking and alcohol fuelled his tempers.

  It was clear to her that it would be only a matter of time before Karl would do even worse, possibly even rape her. It seemed that he no longer feared that Benjamin might find out or, even if he did, that he could handle any potential retaliation. The way Karl behaved made her think that he might even kill Benjamin should a conflict arise between the two men.

  Katherine’s mind worked overtime. She was convinced that Karl was deranged and obviously hated women, not just her. She frantically tried to think of a ways out of her worsening predicament and to defend both herself and her children. Escape from the continuing nightmare became more critical but after so long at the Factory she felt she had exhausted all avenues.

  She worried her mere presence could cause a fight between Benjamin and Karl: males fighting over the female in the most primitive evolutionary battle. She tried to stay as invisible as possible, keeping the children as far away as she could. In the confined area of the Factory this was difficult. Fear ruled night and day. Ironically, she longed for Benjamin’s return.

  Her final humiliation came when, in frustration, she had nerve enough to answer him back. He complained that his meal was cold when he came in.

  ‘It was hot when I called you. You took your time coming in.’

  His black eyes narrowed. He had been at the whisky and was unsteady on his feet. He knocked his plate to the floor, scattering the remains of his meal. His glass of precious whisky spilt. He glowered as he took deliberate steps towards her. She backed off but with lightening swiftness he grabbed her shoulder. He forced her to her knees. Inches from her upturned face he snarled, ‘Me meal was cold. Look what ya done now, bitch. Ya’re a bloody cheeky bitch. That’s what ya is, a bloody cheeky bitch. So’s I’ll treat ya like one ‘til ya come creeping back ta me an’ says sorry, real sorry.’ His quiet anger was more frightening than when he yelled at her.

  He dragged her across the floor to the open door, ignoring her cries and the screams of the children. Karl whistled for his dog. Katherine was terrified that he was going to make good his threat and set the dog on her or the children. ‘Leave my kids, leave them alone. I’ll clean it up. I’m sorry.’

  Karl just looked at her lying on the floor and, when the dog came slobbering up to him, he removed the studded collar. Holding Katherine flat on the ground with his leg he put the collar around her neck, pulling it uncomfortably tight.

  ‘Bitches need ta be trained, jist like me dog. See ‘ow he comes when I call, does what I order? Now, youse gunna be me bitch,’ he snarled at her. ‘Clean it up,’ he pointed at the spill.

  Katherine desperately wanted to go to the crying children but she was too terrified to do anything that might antagonise Karl further. She started to stand but Karl pushed her down with his leg.

  ‘Bitch, on ya fuckin’ knees. Dogs an’ bitches on all four legs.’ He laughed.

  She crawled forward and used her hands started to scoop up the mess. Tears of pain and humiliation coursed down her cheeks.

  Karl watched her every move and smiled, his eyes narrowed to slits. There was something addictive about his power over her. He looked at her on hands and knees, wearing the collar, her tear-streaked face turned down towards the floor and he felt a sexual thrill. As she worked he watched her hips, her narrow waist and her swinging breasts through the open neckline of her home-made kaftan. Her obvious misery only seemed to make his pleasure greater. He was now confident that he would be able to do anything
he wanted, and the more he felt this way the more he pushed the possible consequences from Benjamin out of mind.

  When she finished cleaning up the spill she looked up nervously and asked, ‘Can I get up now, please?’

  Karl exaggeratedly looked at the floor. ‘Ya call that clean, bitch? All ya done is scoop the mess. I wanna ‘ave it clean. Clean it proper like.’

  ‘I’ll need a cloth. I’ll get one.’

  Karl hesitated. ‘Naw, ya can lick it up, like me dog.’

  Horrified, Katherine was in no position to argue so she leaned forward and licked up the scattered mess. Karl laughed when the dog, seeing her raised hips and lowered head, tried to mount her. Karl waited a moment then kicked the dog away.

  ‘Naw, ya stoopid dog. This is me bitch, git orf of ‘er. If there’s any fuckin’ to do it’ll be me.’

  Katherine sat back on her haunches and looked pitifully at Karl, who was now flushed and grinning.

  ‘Please, Karl. It’s all clean now. Let the children go now and I’ll make you another meal. Get another drink. I promise I’ll be good and —’

  ‘Ya’ll be good, eh? Okay, beg.’

  ‘Please, I beg of you Karl. For the sake of the children. Enough.’

  ‘Beg, bitch.’ This feeling of power was just too much for him to let go.

  ‘Please, Karl. I beg of you. Let the children go and I’ll do what you want.’

  Karl knew what he wanted, but he still didn’t want to risk alienating Benjamin. Better to get his revenge on women by humiliating this one. That way he’d keep his power without upsetting the absent Benjamin.

  ‘Okay, ya beg real good, bitch. Anyways, I need the collar for me dog.’

  As Katherine stood and started to remove it he grabbed both her wrists. Karl’s sense of power was overwhelming. He was very reluctant to let it wane. As long as she wore the collar he felt he controlled her. He hissed through his teeth, ‘Not so fast, bitch. First ya gotta earn it. Ya know, reward, like them carrots an’ sticks. Do me a dance.’

  Karl was remembering a recent visit he made to Kalgoorlie.

  He had visited one of the pubs where scantily clad waitresses, so-called ‘skimpies,’ served beer. He noticed that some of them gave a quick flash of their naked breasts to some patrons but he had not been included. In drunken desire he had stumbled forward and clumsily tried to force one of the girls to expose themselves for him but was rudely rebuffed and thrown out of the pub. Katherine was incredulous. ‘Dance? What do you mean, dance? There’s no music. I can’t dance.’

  ‘Oh, yeah, yes ya can. Ya can sing too, an’ make the music. Jist git ya gear off. Show us them big tits a yours like them girls do in Kal. Let’s have a bitta fun, eh?’

  ‘I can’t. Benjamin will —’

  ‘Shuddup, bitch. I ain’t scared of Benjamin. I’se in charge now, ya’ll fuckin’ well do as I ask. If I says jump, ya don’t argue, ya jist say, ‘how high’. Gottit? No, git ya fuckin’ gear off ya fuckin’ bitch and dance or …’ he gave a meaningful look at his dog. ‘Then, an’ only then, I gets me collar for me other dog. So hurry up, ‘fore I make ya, woman.’

  Carolyn and Isaac had fled the room and stood on the veranda staring in. Karl took a deliberate step towards the children.

  ‘Please, Karl, not with the children here. Please,’ Katherine begged through her tears.

  No woman had ever begged anything from Karl before and he found the experience thrilling. To get her to beg again made him feel even more powerful, more controlling. He wanted more. His mouth extended into a parody of a smile. He pretended to think about it, called his dog over and slowly sat in the lounge chair but said nothing.

  Just as Katherine turned and was about to go to the children he shouted at her, ‘Where da ya think ya goin,’ bitch? Ya got me collar an’ I’m waitin’ for me dance, so git movin’. Ya brats kin watch ya too.’

  Katherine turned back into the room and with tears of shame and fear she reluctantly pushed the dress from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. It was a final humiliation.

  Karl had fortified his desire with whisky and the power already shown over her. He grinned at her, ‘Yeah, that’s good, now I kin see them big tits. Now sing an’ dance fa me.’

  She did as she was asked, all the time afraid that worse might happen. All the way through the performance Karl grinned while sipping whisky but said nothing other than ordering her to ‘make her tits jiggle’ a bit more for him. Katherine could not believe he found this erotic with her unhappy face and voice cracked from crying but then realised it was not meant to be. It was just another way of showing his power over her, humiliating her and making her do as he wanted. She feared it would rouse his feelings to the point of assault. She feared desperately for the children.

  He took another swig of liquor and gave another order, ‘Dance ‘round the room an’ back ‘ere, then I’ll take it orf’.

  She did as he asked and returned, panting. The tightness of the collar constricted her breathing and her face glowed red above her swollen neck. Karl sat and watched while taking copious swigs from the bottle. The children cowered outside the door. Carolyn was wide-eyed with what was happening while Isaac just sat holding his sister’s hand tightly.

  Karl thought, ‘Wish I ‘ad a leash, lead the bitch aroun’ a bit. Show the bitch who’s boss.’ Aloud he said, ‘An’ agin, bitch, youse din’t go fasht nuff, an’ skip more this time.’

  She tried and returned exhausted, slumped to her knees and panted.

  Karl removed the collar and left the room. As he walked to his vehicle he turned to the prostrate, gasping form of Katherine and shouted, ‘I’ll be back tonight, bitch. Lock the gate then go clean yaself, youse all dirty.’

  Once the sound of Karl’s vehicle faded Katherine went to her children. Carolyn’s questions were constant, difficult to answer and penetrating. Isaac stayed quiet. His eyes were wide. Katherine held them and tried to reassure them. Inside, she was terrified for their futures.

  She wanted to kill Karl. But his superior strength would make that almost impossible. There was nothing in the equipment shed that she could use as a weapon. In the kitchen area there were small knives. She was tempted but she could not conceal one in her clothing. It could also be easily turned against her. Her only hope to overcome his superior strength would be through cunning. But how?

  W inter found Petri back in the remote goldfields on the edges of the Great Victorian Desert of WA. He had eliminated most of his proposed test sites and the Spex program was now in the final stages of selecting the best area for an extraction test.

  Petri was leaning over the bonnet of his vehicle, inspecting a map, when a ute pulled up in a cloud of dust.

  ‘Ya right, mate?’ asked the driver, loud enough to be heard above the incessant barking of the black mongrel chained on the tray.

  Petri replied, ‘Yeah, thanks. Just trying to work out where this goes.’ He pointed to the rough track leading into the scrub, and lifting the map for the stranger to see.

  As the driver got out of the car Petri noticed a rifle clipped in behind the seats. ‘Well, I kin help ya there. Bin ‘round these parts fa years. I’m a dogger, huntin’ ferals, dogs an’ other vermin. Wadda ya wanna know?’

  Petri politely tried to account for his presence without going into details or becoming too technical. He explained he was an exploration geologist and needed to collect samples over a wide area. Very few, if any, might lead to more detailed exploration and even fewer may lead to the development of a mine.

  When he heard this, the dogger became very cool in his responses.

  ‘I don’ want no exploration companies wanderin’ round this country. Sure as hell don’ want no mines.’ The dogger casually leant against Petri’s vehicle. ‘Best go back,’ he said. There was something threatening in his voice.

  Petri was cautious. ‘As I explained, the chance of a mine resulting from the sampling is really very small.’

  ‘Don’ care how small. Jist aint gunna happ
en. I reckon ya move on, mate.’

  ‘But I need to test that creek. Here, look at the map.’

  The dogger didn’t bother. ‘Listen, mate. That old station and well was abandoned back in the 50’s. I use it fa storage area me supplies an’ pelts.’

  ‘What about this one? It leads off your track.’ Petri pointed to the map.

  ‘Nope. Goes ta a old well CSIRO drilled it for local Abos fa fresh water. Din’t work. An’ they all pissed off.’

  Petri didn’t want to antagonise him but he’d come too far to miss this important sampling site. ‘It’s important that we get all the information we can. Once we have that we can make decisions. It may never come to detailed exploration or mining, but we have to know the facts before we can decide.’

  These explanations made no difference. ‘It’s quiet, an’ far away. I like it that way. I only use it coupla times a year and I don’ want people turnin’ it into a fuckin’ freeway.’

  Petri gently tried to point out that the whole area was on Crown Land and, as a geologist, he had all of the appropriate permits for exploring. He had every right to travel freely in search of samples.

  The dogger heard him out but his response indicated that it made little impact. ‘Makes no fuckin’ difference ‘round ‘ere, mate. Law’s a long way ‘way an’ we don’ like strangers pokin’ about. Ya’d be better headin’ off down that way, back to Kal.