Icefall

by Hallowes, Guy

  The prosecution looked nonplussed. 'Is that a guilty plea?'

  'Yes,' answered Tanya.

  The six jurors were dismissed.

  The prosecution went through his case briefly. 'This plea changes nothing. I still demand all the accused and their families be expelled from The Settlement and that they forfeit all their assets to the community.'

  There were some worried looks among the accused.

  Tanya then stood up and, one by one, she spent up to thirty minutes for each defendant detailing how they had contributed and what the community would lose if they were expelled. 'While the people in the dock are guilty as charged, I am telling the court that if we expel these people it will be us, the community, that will lose as well as the accused. We all know them. They are not evil and they have expressed contrition for their misguided actions.' She hesitated and the court was hushed. 'In mitigation, I ask that any sentences imposed be suspended for five years. If after that there has been no further infringement the sentences will be cancelled.'

  The court then rose.

  'Sentences will be passed tomorrow,' announced the judge.

  Tanya had a brief conversation with Gervais and his fellow accused, who were very concerned. 'We have exercised the only real option available to us. I don't think the judge has any option but to accept your plea.'

  'We just rolled over,' complained one.

  'If you had fought the case more aggressively then you and your families would all be out on your ear within days, with absolutely no recourse,' said Tanya firmly.

  The next day the court assembled to hear sentencing. 'All the accused have pleaded guilty and I have determined that their sentences will be expulsion from The Settlement, with their assets forfeited.' There was an astonished hum from the spectators. The judge banged his gavel.

  'These are very serious crimes! But in the interests of the community I am persuaded some mitigation is in order.'

  The courtroom was silent. Even Tanya was nervous, although she felt confident of the outcome.

  'The sentences of the following people,' the judge read out six names, 'will be suspended for six years, if any further misdemeanours occur during that period then this court has the jurisdiction to carry out the sentences imposed.'

  There was jubilation and disbelief on the faces of the six. The judge banged his gavel again.

  'As for the sentence imposed on Gervais Jones. What you did was inexcusable. You recklessly disobeyed instructions, the consequences of which we are all aware. I have pondered long and hard over the proposal presented by your defence counsel. Frankly, I do not think you deserve any consideration whatsoever.'

  Gervais hung his head.

  'Having said that, and taking account of the needs of the community, your sentence will be suspended for twelve years. The same conditions apply as with the other sentences imposed today by this court.'

  Pandemonium broke out in the court. Some were pleased; others thought that no suspensions should have been granted.

  'What does all this mean?' a somewhat bewildered Gervais asked Tanya.

  'It means you may go about your life as if nothing has changed. If you fuck up again, the court has the authority to expel you and confiscate all your assets here.'

  'You mean it's like a yellow card, except it lasts twelve years.'

  'Yes. Maybe in six years, it may pay to ask the court to have the time period reviewed. I will be able to help you with that. All you have to do is to behave. You could also consider contributing over and above your basic responsibilities to the community.'

  'Like what?'

  'Anything. You will find something. Derain is a good example. If it wasn't for him you would be dead and the rest of us may have been burnt to a cinder.'

  Gervais looked utterly confused and ashamed, up until then he had barely regarded Derain as human. It had certainly not occurred to him to thank him for saving his life.

  Tanya felt a deep sense of satisfaction at the outcome; and The Settlement was the winner once all was said and done. She also now had many more loyal allies within the community who had witnessed her even handedness.

  David completed the controlled burn in the northern area within the following two weeks. They then helped the settlers at The Bandstand with their own burn off.

  Afterwards Derain advised David. 'All this mountain, big burn this year,' he said pointing to the pristine forests surrounding The Settlement, 'danger not over. There will be lightning strike, many strike maybe within one month. Area very dry, will burn very hot. Need to have people ready to fight fires. Much training needed, must be ready.'

  'Should we have a controlled burn out there?' asked David.

  'No,' answered Derain, 'too big, too late.'

  David, Mark, and Joe organised fire teams throughout The Settlement and they had twice-weekly drills. This time there were no dissenters and the whole community participated enthusiastically.

  As Derain predicted, a month or so later, a massive electrical storm engulfed the mountains. While there was some rain it was insufficient to dampen the now tinder-dry bush. The fire started on the western slopes of the forest facing The Settlement. The community had been organised into shifts by Mark, still absent in Sydney, and Joe, so that there were three shifts of eight hours each. One shift on duty, manning all the equipment; one shift providing food to the duty shift, and trying to keep The Settlement functioning; and one shift hopefully sleeping.

  At first the fires started slowly and didn't seem to pose a big threat, but within a few hours several fires had joined. David and many others in the community watched the growing spectacular firework show, flames leaping thirty metres and more into the air and showers of sparks flying high. To the community the fires were amazing, but looked distant and non-threatening. But the wind rose rapidly and the unearthly noise of the fire roaring across the tree canopy at high speed highlighted the danger they were facing. A few embers started to fall among the houses, which were quickly extinguished by the well-prepared firefighters. The cattlemen and helpers were keeping the herds calm and constantly spraying them with water.

  'Be careful, snakes,' advised Derain. 'Wallaby, kangaroo, maybe dingo stopped by fence, but not snake or goanna.'

  The first night the wind died down, but fires continued to burn hungrily, consuming thousands of hectares of forest. The community thought they had everything under control. Once the wind had died down there were no more ember attacks.

  David frequently visited the teams of firefighters. 'The temperature has barely dropped tonight and tomorrow the forecast is for highs of over forty degrees. So the situation is going to become really ugly, much worse than today. Make sure everyone drinks plenty of water and sticks strictly to the routines. This crisis will likely last for some days. Keep all skin covered from ember strike.'

  David always appeared calm, however he sometimes felt,

  I came here to create a haven for the family and some others to survive. I really had no idea what I was taking on. He gave nothing away, however, and even managed to call Chloe, away in Sydney. 'Don't come back for a few days. We are in for a terrible time with the fires, it's not too bad right now, but I think the next few days will be really rough.' The fact that she was probably seeing her lover no longer bothered him; he had no wish to see her hurt in any way.

  Chloe for her part briefly considered the man she had married. He's still considerate, she thought wistfully. She took full advantage though and arranged for Clark to stay with her in the flat for a few days. It's his dream, not mine, she thought.

  Nothing could have prepared the crews for what was to follow. The next day the wind rose early and the well-established fires in the west started to spread. The roaring noise was insistent and suddenly there were fires in the bush to the north and then the east. Visibility was extremely poor as the smoke swirled about the tightly-packed cottages. David rushed about telling people to cover noses and mouths.

  'Dear God, the fire has jumped almost ten kilo
metres from one side of The Settlement to the other. We should be thankful for our controlled burn; there is very little left to burn on here.'

  A team of four with a small fire truck was despatched to the north to deal with any small fires that might erupt in their own territory.

  At one stage during the height of the inferno, fires started in two houses simultaneously at each end of The Settlement. The firefighters were quickly on the scene and the fires extinguished.

  'Make certain the fire is unable to spread to other buildings,' the leader of each group told their crews.

  People with burns, respiratory problems, dehydration, and exhaustion inundated the hospital. After being treated, any who were able returned to firefighting duties. The inferno lasted for several days. Once the fire had burnt the bush in the immediate vicinity it continued on its destructive path beyond. There were many small fires in the bush surrounding The Settlement, so the pall of smoke hung over everything.

  David knew that he could not expect any help from the Rural Fire Service, the area was just too rugged and remote.

  Ten days after the fires started there was a sharp shower and then it rained steadily for a few days, extinguishing all but the most resilient fires in the bush.

  When it was all over the exhausted fire crews, with dirty clothes and blackened faces, all stood and examined their new vista. Instead of the pristine green bush, waving in the breeze all that faced them was a blackened, lifeless disaster on all sides. An occasional wisp of smoke could be seen reaching for the now azure blue sky. There was no sign of any life whatsoever, except what existed within The Settlement, which was to all intents and purposes untouched. The Bandstand had also survived.

  'Thank heaven you helped us,' Caroline said to David by phone. 'We would have been in trouble otherwise.'

  David held a meeting. Once he had quiet he said, 'We have survived the biggest potential disaster that has ever faced us. It looks terrible now and our mountain looks as if it will never recover. However, nobody here has been badly hurt, the five houses that were damaged can all be repaired and the insurance will pay for that. All our services are still intact, we have water, food, and all our stock have survived. The same firestorm is unlikely to happen again for many years and the bush will recover. It is time to make a few repairs. This is one of the biggest challenges we have faced and we have come through it as a community because we faced it together. There will be bigger challenges in future, but this should be an inspiration to all of us. We should also all thank Derain and his people for the advice they have given us. They saved our community.'

  David was about to close the meeting when Donald Weatherspoon approached. Patricia had seen him edging towards the stage and had quickly alerted all the other denominations represented in the community and, much to Donald's astonishment, they all followed him and stood with David. Donald went bright red and was about to sound off, but David had been alerted by Patricia.

  'Thank you Donald for reminding us all of our individual faiths. Perhaps our Thai friend, the only Buddhist here, would lead us all in a brief prayer of thanks for our salvation.'

  In broken English, the Thai doctor gave a short speech giving thanks for the salvation of the community.

  David said. 'I'm sure all the faiths represented here will wish to make their own thanks. I suggest you all meet outside to arrange that.' He ushered them off the platform.

  'I was going to give an Anglican prayer,' sputtered Donald.

  'You can still do that,' said David. 'You could even book the centre unless someone else has booked it ahead of you.'

  Patricia said to him quietly, 'At least you didn't give him a lecture on cattle breeding.'

  'He still has a bit to learn.'

  Based on the experience of the flood disaster, now a few years back, Mark, Tanya, and David braced themselves for a flurry of resignations from the less-committed settlers. After the controlled burn, but before the big fires, Joe, Patricia, and David had identified and visited ten vulnerable families. Patricia was successful in calming people's fears. Her down-to-earth approach reminded people of the reasons for establishing The Settlement and the fact that the catastrophe was now likely only three or four years away.

  'Do you still believe in the science?' Patricia was asked by one family.

  'Certainly, I have never had a moment's doubt since we moved here ten years ago. The current research is ever more compelling.'

  'It's very hard, now with all this hot weather.'

  'Yes, but that is Australia. Climate change has made the situation worse. You have invested a lot coming here. We are talking about survival, not merely an alternative lifestyle.'

  A few people had a word with David, but there was no major upheaval as there had been after the floods and nobody left The Settlement.

  'There are more people now than at the time of the flood. I think it helps,' observed Joe. 'I expect our visits calmed a few nerves.'

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Wedding

  David and Chloe had kept in constant touch with Evan in London over the years. Through phone calls and Facebook, David learnt of Evan's longstanding relationship with an English girl named Beryl. He often wondered whether their relationship would lead to marriage and if Evan might eventually return to Australia.

  On Christmas Eve 2020, the family had all gathered at The Settlement for the Christmas festivities. The usual call on Skype was made to the home of Beryl's parents, Charles and Elizabeth Browning, who in Evan's words owned a "pile" in Dorset, in a village near Sherborne, in the English West Country. The Australian contingent was more than usually exuberant as the call had to be made at the end of their Christmas Day in view of the time difference. After greetings and good wishes between all the family members, Evan, with the blushing Beryl beside him, was eventually able to say, 'Mum, Dad, Beryl and I are getting married.'

  'Married?' David exclaimed loudly, halting the Australian end of the conversation. 'Congratulations! How wonderful.'

  A slightly tearful Chloe took over. Her words were drowned out when Mark started singing, with the others all joining in, 'Hooray for Evan, Hooray at last, Hooray for Evan, he's a horse's ...'

  He was unable to finish when Chloe uncharacteristically yelled, 'Quiet! Whatever will they think of us if you continue like that?' She had a few tearful words with Evan and then with the Brownings.

  'June would be the best time for the nuptials. We can have the reception here. The garden will be looking lovely at that time of year. There is plenty of space so most of you can stay with us for a few days at least,' said Elizabeth.

  All of Evan's siblings wanted a quick word.

  'It could be useful for me, I have many contacts in the banking world in the UK. Are you up for a trip?' said Mark, looking at Tanya.

  Tanya nodded in agreement. 'The kids will come with us.'

  Jonathan added, 'We have constant contact with the British military, but some face-to-face would be valuable.'

  Joe and Patricia were more hesitant. 'Maybe,' said Patricia, 'we'll have to see. I will have to put a whole lot of things in place here first.'

  'I will go, but I'm not sure for how long. Things might go wrong if we are all away for an extended period,' said David.

  'Well I think it will be a relief to get away for a while. I would like to come for something like three months,' added Chloe.

  Some uneasy glances were exchanged. The rift between David and Chloe seemed to be widening.

  Chloe left on her own two weeks before the wedding, which was to be on Saturday, June 19th 2021. She spent a few days with Evan and Beryl in their small flat in Hampstead and then at Elizabeth's insistence, joined her in Sherborne.

  David arrived a few days before the wedding, driving down to Sherborne with Evan; Beryl had left for Dorset earlier to help her mother with the wedding arrangements.

  'Do they really have enough room for all of us? It seems an awful imposition,' asked David.

  'One needs a GPS system to n
avigate around the house,' joked Evan. 'I'm sure it won't be a problem, they wouldn't have offered otherwise.'

  Evan continued to navigate his way from the M3 to the crowded A303. 'This takes us most of the way there,' he said. He pointed out Stonehenge with its small collection of visitors circling the ancient site like vultures.

  'Does this mean you will never return to Australia?' asked David.

  'One can never say never, but I am totally committed here to the music business and Beryl has a large extended family.'

  'What about the Ice Shelf?'

  'I haven't thought much about that, Dad. Other than people at The Settlement, nobody else even mentions it.' Evan had always thought the idea of an impending catastrophe was nonsense. He and Chloe had discussed it many times and he tended to agree with her position.

  'Tanya and Chloe went on an exploratory trek with some of the younger people and they came across a small Aboriginal group who have precisely the same vision as we do about "great floods". They have even given us an approximate date for the catastrophe.'

  'There has been a stunningly beautiful photo, all over Facebook, of Tanya standing naked on a rock in a pond. Is that the expedition you are talking about?'

  'Yes. She goes there every year with a group of youngsters. It cements our relationship with the Aboriginal community. Those pictures of Tanya have been around for a couple of years.'

  'The Facebook focus is about Tanya. The collapse of the Ice Shelf, although mentioned, has more or less been given a back seat.'

  'So where do you stand on the science?' asked David gently.

  'Much as I did when you first presented it. I just don't know. It seems to be a fringe belief,' he said politely, not wishing to upset his father.