Icefall

by Hallowes, Guy

  She asked him to keep the next weekend completely free, 'From Friday evening to late Sunday. I have a surprise for you.'

  'What's this all about?'

  'It's a surprise, trust me.'

  'You're up to something,' he said suspiciously.

  'I'm always up to something,' she smiled.

  Tanya had booked one of the best restaurants in Sydney. He relaxed as they talked about innocuous things. Halfway through the meal she said, 'I need to show you what your Dad and I have been doing in the Blue Mountains.

  He looked at her suspiciously.

  Entirely from her head, Tanya took him through all the science of what had been forecast. Even Mark was impressed at her grasp of the subject.

  'The evidence for it is irrefutable.'

  'Okay, but this idea of Dad's is virtually impossible. How would it work?'

  'I'll show you tomorrow. We need to leave home at five am.'

  The next morning, Tanya drove them to Bankstown Airport.

  'Where are we going?'

  'All will be revealed,' she smiled.

  Mark just shook his head as they clambered out of the car at the airport.

  Tanya had, the day before, arranged for camping equipment and food to be packed into the helicopter. They were in the air by six thirty.

  Landing close to the decrepit little cottage she, David, and the agent had visited a few weeks earlier, Tanya, helped by Mark and the pilot, unloaded the helicopter and carried the equipment to a grassy area near the stream. When Tanya was satisfied she had everything she needed she said to the pilot, 'See you tomorrow around three.'

  Mark helped to erect the tent and set up camp. They collected wood for a fire.

  'I'll show you round,' said Tanya.

  'Is this the place you and Dad walked to? I wondered what had happened. The subject went off the radar somehow.'

  'We needed to make sure all the homework was done.'

  'It is an amazing spot.'

  'We need to do a bit of walking,' answered Tanya.

  They explored everywhere over the next day. At various vantage points, Tanya showed Mark where she thought houses could be built, how they could block access from the South, where the cultivated area would be. Within half a day, Mark started to participate and he made a number of suggestions about the potential development of the place.

  'The place is completely deserted,' he marvelled.

  They stripped off and swam naked in the stream, then made love in the soft grass next to it. After a dinner cooked together they were sitting companionably near the fire, enjoying the warmth. A few kangaroos had emerged to graze in the evening.

  Mark said, 'This is a wonderful place. It looks like it would cost a bomb though. I doubt we could afford it.'

  'Would you like to know how much it cost? Nothing. All we have to do is to build the road.'

  'What? You're having me on.'

  'No, read this.' She handed him the purchase agreement for the property.

  By the firelight, Mark read and reread the agreement. 'Who arranged this deal? It's fantastic, unbelievable.'

  'I did. It makes the whole project a reality. We already have the funds to build the road and a few houses.'

  'What can I contribute?' asked Mark.

  Tanya smiled. 'Commitment, energy, brains, cash, in that order.'

  Mark moved closer. They made love on a sleeping bag next to the fire.

  The next day they continued walking, Mark animatedly discussing the potential developments.

  'Security—are we sure we will be able to isolate the place when the flood happens?'

  'Yes,' said Tanya. 'The southern road can be blocked if we collapse the gorge on either side. There is no access from the West or North. The East is not quite so secure. We can fly around it when the helicopter arrives.'

  By the end of the weekend Tanya felt sure she had Mark on side and he committed himself to mortgaging the Mosman house to the hilt and putting all the funds at the disposal of the project.

  The property was transferred into the name of "The Settlement Pty Ltd", the shareholders listed as David Bower, Chloe Bower, Tanya Bower, and Mark Bower.

  Before they all signed the agreement, Tanya questioned Mark again. 'We both need to understand this is a major commitment, it will change our lifestyle completely. I have spent months trying to establish an argument against the science, hoping we would be able to forget your father's mad idea, but have found nothing. So I'm committed to putting every ounce of my energy into developing The Settlement so that the people living there will survive. Are you equally committed? Are we in this together?'

  'Absolutely, we have no choice.' He looked away. Confronted by Tanya's intensity he felt powerless to say otherwise, regardless of any other feelings he might have had.

  A year later, the four of them, together with Patricia and Joe, drove down the completed road. It was only a single track, but it had a proper foundation and was tarred, so could be used in all weathers.

  Tanya excitedly pointed out various landmarks, 'We camped just over there when David and I walked in here, more than twelve months ago.' She waved at a place hidden in the trees.

  Mark grunted, thinking, How much of this fucking road did I pay for?

  Chloe had been joyfully dreaming about her latest assignation with Alan, when she was woken from her reverie.

  'Well, we've got this far. Now the real work starts,' said David.

  Chloe's heart sank.

  Chapter Seven

  The Settlement

  2012 to 2016

  While the road was under construction, David and the reluctant Chloe spent months arguing about their planned house in The Settlement. Chloe was eventually resigned to a house with three generous bedrooms and two bathrooms, but had managed to arrange for the lounge to have large picture windows facing down the length of the property, making the most of the magnificent view.

  'It's not facing the right way,' David had argued unsuccessfully. 'We need to be facing north not south to make the most of the sunshine, especially in winter.'

  Chloe just ignored him and made certain the house was built to her specifications, still a far cry from what she was used to.

  A few weeks before the house was completed David broached the subject Chloe had been dreading. 'I was wondering when you thought we should move to The Settlement and sell here?'

  'Jonathan still has eighteen months to go before he finishes university and goes into the army. Shouldn't we leave it until then?' She hated the idea of moving to what she now thought of as the wilderness.

  'We really need to get on with developing the place and recruiting more settlers, otherwise we won't have done enough to survive. Jonathan can live with Mark and Tanya.'

  Chloe was silent. The wheels of David's project ground inexorably on.

  David continued, 'I will start discussions with my partners next week. Once I sell my share there will be no reason to remain in Sydney.'

  'Will we be coming back to Sydney until your precious Ice Shelf collapses?'

  'Of course, we can stay with Mark and Tanya.'

  'Can't we just keep this place?'

  'No. Tanya and I are presently setting out some rules for people moving to The Settlement. One of the rules is that they become fully committed. Having a bolt hole, such as a house in Sydney, will be against the rules and they won't be allowed in.'

  'What about Mark and Tanya? I presume that doesn't apply to them.'

  'No, financially they contribute far more than anyone else to the project, so their status will be explained to anyone who asks. They will stay in Sydney until the last possible moment and legitimately milk every cent possible from the bank, so we can ensure The Settlement is fully developed and sustainable.'

  Chloe did not even attend the auction; she was too upset. She arranged to spend the day with Alan.

  'Will you still be able to meet me here?' asked Alan anxiously when she explained the situation.

  'Oh yes, I will be com
ing to Sydney regularly. I really don't think I could face being up there otherwise.'

  Chloe thought about her own position. She seemed powerless to do anything or even slow down the move to the mountains. I have my family, the horses are fun and interesting, and now I have Alan. I'm not bloody well giving any of that up.

  David had not told his business partners anything about The Settlement, so it came as a surprise when he told them he wanted to retire and sell his fifty percent share.

  'When do you want all this to happen?'

  'Soon.' He gave brief details of The Settlement, but left out his doomsday forecasts. He knew they wouldn't be interested and would wonder about his sanity.

  He consulted Mark and Tanya and after two months of negotiations came away with a very good deal, payable over three years. David had arranged to share in the earnings of the business during the two year period his partners had negotiated to fully buy David out.

  'It also suits the cash requirements for The Settlement,' Tanya said as she read the final agreement. 'They pay you for half the shares at once and then the rest in two portions over the next two years. It will boost the building program so we can get more people in sooner. But, you'll need to be onsite.'

  'We have arranged to move before the end of the month. I think we should all have Christmas there,' responded David.

  David decided to leave the move to Chloe, once the dates had been agreed. This fell in with Chloe's plans. Some of their furniture went to the Blue Mountains, but the house was too small to accommodate it all so Chloe quietly shipped many of the more valuable things to Alan's flat in Manly, removing some of his more tawdry pieces in the process. Tanya agreed to take most of the rest; she hated throwing things away or wasting anything.

  The Manly flat became a home away from home for Chloe where she was surrounded by many of her most precious things. David would neither notice nor care if certain familiar items were no longer visible.

  Chloe had been surprised at how much she had enjoyed thinking about building up a stable of horses. David had been delighted with her apparent enthusiasm. Shortly after their move she told him, 'I have bought six Arab mares for the stables. I have been riding one or more of them most weeks back in Sydney and although they are quite lively they are very well trained, so they'll be suitable for beginners. They're also more sure footed and smaller that your typical thoroughbred. I can show you where I think the stables should be, but all we need is a fence to keep them in for the time being.'

  'Stables!' said David.

  He had not planned for stables, but he had enough sense to keep his mouth shut. He arranged to build a horse paddock and in time the stables were erected where Chloe wanted them, uphill and east of the planned village.

  Chloe contrived to spend a day or two every fortnight in Sydney. Much of the time was spent with Alan in the flat, although if she stayed overnight she always spent it with Mark and Tanya. Her relationship with Alan was based on sex, although they did share a few confidences and they had an occasional casual meal together. Both of them enjoyed the sex, but neither mentioned making the relationship more permanent.

  Just before Christmas, Patricia and Joe moved into The Settlement. As hoped, Joe was now an expert on solar energy and had been responsible for installing all the solar panels. There was no other source of power in the houses, not even wood fires.

  Joe had also acquired two old tractors and was in the process of converting them to run on solar energy with the help of two Australian and one American farmers' advice. 'Once both tractors are running on solar, we will never need fossil fuel for them again. I will also convert ordinary cars for use in The Settlement, but I'm not sure they would be legal on the roads.'

  As members of the family Joe and Patricia had been granted shares in The Settlement Pty Ltd.

  Patricia was also keeping busy. 'I will teach the children in the morning and then I'm going to set up a full curriculum and lessons for every class from pre-school to university entrance. No need to worry about local agendas and their vested interests and not the real needs of the pupils. Within three years, I hope to have the most modern, up-to-date curricula in the world, with the help of the Internet.'

  'What about your children?' Tanya asked. 'Do they have enough of your time?'

  'I give them a good four or five hours in the morning and they get on with their homework in the afternoon, under the watchful eye of their mother.' She smiled. 'They will be better educated than their peers within a year or so. At present they are not having much interaction with other children, but that will change as The Settlement develops.'

  Fred Costas, the builder, had reduced his prices to a minimum since he and his family had committed to moving to The Settlement. Fred was the first non-family member, apart from the original owner, to be granted rights. As with the original owner, he had the right of occupation for one hundred years and had to pay a similar amount in rates. He had built his own house at his own cost.

  'We really want commitment from the settlers,' said David. 'We should stop new arrivals owning anything outside.'

  'Respectfully, that proposal has no chance of working,' responded Tanya. 'People will find more and more ingenious ways of hiding outside assets. It will push people away. And we would need a massive bureaucracy to monitor the situation. I think, the fewer rules the better. If The Settlement is an attractive place to live, people will commit.'

  'I convinced Chloe to sell our Sydney house on that understanding.'

  Tanya shrugged. Water under the bridge as far as she was concerned.

  David saw the sense, but thought, I've let Chloe down. He still felt the move to the mountains was in their best interests. Nothing, nothing is going to stop me from making this place viable anyway. Thinking about his wife of thirty years made him guilty, so he put her out of his mind.

  Tanya and David spent many hours determining the rules for allowing non-family members to join The Settlement. They came up with a simple set of rules.

  One hundred year right of occupation transferrable to approved settlers.

  The new settler would pay for construction of their own house to an approved plan.

  Dwelling maintenance, responsibility of the occupier.

  If a house was abandoned for more than five years, occupation rights would be cancelled.

  An impost of twenty percent of the cost of the dwelling payable to The Settlement Pty Ltd for construction of central facilities—community hall, recreation facilities, watch house etc.

  Annual rates.

  The Settlement Pty Ltd would act like a local council but with more powers.

  Miscellaneous rules—no privately owned weapons, no generators, no air-conditioning.

  'Very few rules,' observed David.

  'Yes, in time we may need to give people more of a stake in the place.'

  'What do you have in mind?'

  'Businesses may need to be owned by individuals, not us, the family.'

  'At present few businesses would provide a living. We will have provided all the seed money.'

  'Of course, but it might be smart to sell them off once they become viable,' said Tanya, looking at him for a reaction.

  David shrugged, 'Let's get the operations set up first.'

  Tanya's son Chas was born a year after David and Chloe had moved to The Settlement. Tanya took a week off from work, 'What the hell would I be doing buggering around here? We have a very good nanny who knows more about kids than I will ever know,' she responded when questioned by Chloe.

  'Aren't you going to feed him yourself? It's better for him.'

  'Of course. I have my milking machine thing that I drag around with me so I can express all bloody day. I have more than enough to feed two babies, so he's going to get my milk whether he likes it or not. It's caused a few awkward moments in the office, but they are getting used to it,' she joked.

  Chloe just shook her head. She doted on the child and his birth gave her more excuses to be in Sydney; her relationsh
ip with Alan continued to thrive.

  Over two years, The Settlement gradually took shape. David managed to persuade a doctor to participate. Like many of the settlers he spent two or three days a week in the mountains and the rest of the time outside. As the demand for services increased, the time individual settlers spent at The Settlement increased.

  The first attempts at growing vegetables and planting fruit trees were thwarted by the depredations of the kangaroos and other wildlife.

  'We are going to need a fence high enough and strong enough to keep the roos out,' David announced one day to Tanya.

  They spent several weekends riding around the property marking out the dimensions of the fence, with Tanya sometimes carrying Chas in a sling across her front.

  As they put markers down, David looked quizzically at Tanya. 'Hold on,' said David. 'The boundary is here.' He pointed to the marker

  Tanya took no notice and put a marker down well into the bush. 'If we are building a fence, we should look to the future. I'm not sure the current acreage is big enough for all the people we are planning to have here. This gives us a chance to extend the boundaries a bit.'

  'The markers you have placed will just about double the size of the property,' reflected David.

  'Yup. We've never seen any kind of field officer, the terrain is just too difficult. The additional area is all thick forest, so we'll easily be able to disguise it by leaving one hundred metres of bush untouched. We may never need it, except maybe for farming. We should plant trees round all the fence posts in the new area to disguise them. If one has enclosed an area for a certain length of time one can claim ownership anyway. '

  'The things you think of,' he said. He had always played everything right down the line, but went along with it even though it made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

  The fence was built, enclosing the new area as well. Tanya and David were the only people who really understood the boundaries, so no questions were asked. After that, vegetables thrived and an orchard was planted.