'This was once a well set-up place,' observed Stephanie, still shaken, 'although they were obviously quite unprepared for the flood. If we're looking for places to expand towards, this is a good example.'
Kim nodded, 'We'll discuss it with Tanya and David, when we return. But let's go and see what this women-only place has to offer, hopefully that'll be a lot more cheerful.'
'Aren't we going to do something about all these bones here?' asked a young man.
'No point,' said Stephanie sharply. 'Let's get the hell out of here.'
Kim looked up, surprised, but said, 'Yes, we'll lock up and try to leave it as we found it.'
As the troop approached the village, two or three dogs barked furiously and then scampered after the few drably-dressed women as they dashed into a main building. Kim halted the group and they all dismounted and loosened the horses' girths.
Five minutes later, a severe, middle-aged woman with greying hair emerged. She was quite tall and exuded an air of authority. Like the others, she was dressed in hard-wearing workmen's clothes. After a brief glance over the intruders she said, 'We have very few visitors here. Who are you and what do you want?'
Kim answering said, 'We're from a group based in the Blue Mountains and are trying to establish contact with other groups in the region.'
'Is that The Settlement? We've heard of them.'
'Yes. We've already managed to make contact with a few groups between our base and the coast,' replied Kim.
'What is your purpose?' asked the woman suspiciously.
'Recently there was a raid on a place called The Bandstand, a two day ride north of here. Many of their people were killed and all their cattle stolen. So security is one concern.'
'Really, how awful!' said the woman anxiously.
'We recovered all their cattle and killed all the raiders,' said Kim quietly. 'We now cooperate more fully with two other groups and have taken responsibility for their security.'
They eyed each other for a few moments.
'Maybe we could discuss this over a meal,' said the woman. 'We've been very happy left alone. We'd like that to continue.'
'Can we camp here?' asked Kim. 'We have our own supplies.'
'Oh yes, forgive me. We've so few visitors I've forgotten my manners. No, food is not a problem. Please share our meal with us. You can camp over there under the trees and your horses can be put in the nearby paddock. Dinner will be at seven.'
By now about fifty women, from late teens to late forties, as well as about twenty female children, aged from about four to sixteen, had shyly gathered to listen to the conversation. There was no evidence of any male presence at all. As the conversation continued there was growing chatter, especially among some of the younger women.
At the appointed hour, Kim led her group into the main building, consisting of a large room and its utilitarian furniture, made up mainly of several large tables together with appropriate chairs. The kitchen and some smaller rooms led off the main room. There were places laid for all the adult members of the community as well as Kim and her ten strong troop. There was no electricity. Instead, the room was lit with smoky paraffin lamps. Kim guessed the community had run out of paraffin and the fuel used in the lamps was animal fat.
To Kim's amazement, most of the women had transformed their appearance, having changed into cheerful summer dresses, tidied up their hair, and applied makeup. The transformation couldn't have been more profound. Some of the outfits exposed attractive legs and some women sported low cut dresses, revealing maximum cleavage. Kim's group were directed to places scattered around so that each table hosted one or two of the visitors.
Kim was placed on a table with the leader, and other older women. The meal was plain but delicious; roast lamb and copious quantities of vegetables.
'My name is Irene, we didn't introduce ourselves earlier,' said the leader. Kim had noticed her looking around with satisfaction at the arrangements.
'Kim.' She shook hands rather formally with the women at her table. There was a gradual increase in the noise of conversation around the room.
'You're very young to be leading such a group,' observed Irene.
'I'm twenty-six,' answered Kim. 'I'd almost completed my medical studies in Sydney at the time of the flood, but have now had considerable experience at our hospital in The Settlement. So to all intents and purposes I'm a qualified doctor. I'm also part of an elite military training academy within our community. We're now increasingly glad we have this capacity. So I'm more than qualified to lead this group. I would be very happy to tell you all about The Settlement, and I would like to understand your situation.'
'Sorry! I wasn't trying to question your leadership qualities,' said an apparently contrite Irene. 'Please tell us more about The Settlement and then I will tell you about us and why we're here.'
Kim spent thirty minutes spelling out in some detail how the group started and what had been developed in the past eighteen years. 'So we have now combined our activities with The Bandstand, due to the misfortune they suffered, and have made contact with other groups between the Blue Mountains and the coast.'
There were many questions which Kim answered straightforwardly.
'A hospital,' observed one woman. 'We've lost one or two members, who with better treatment might have survived. Since the flood, transport has been a problem.'
'None of the major hospitals are functional anymore. But, we do have a helicopter, for use in emergencies.'
'Thank you for that information, maybe I can reciprocate,' said Irene.
Kim nodded.
Irene looked around the room, nodding in satisfaction. 'This place was created as a haven for women. Women have many reasons for joining us, but I suppose that mainly it's wanting more control over their lives, and for other reasons such as abuse. Some just want to live in a natural environment. My father left me a large acreage, including this wooded area, but we have significant areas under cultivation, a decent flock of sheep, and a well-managed herd plus poultry and horses. We comfortably feed ourselves as you can see. All the labour, the building, and the heavy lifting is done by the people you see around you.'
'I see there are a number of children here,' said Kim. 'If there are no men around, how do you have children?'
There were a few nervous glances around the table. 'Well, this is perhaps where we are a little less conventional than you might expect,' said Irene, without a hint of a smile. 'Periodically we invite individual men here who impregnate say two or three of the younger women. The men are allowed to stay a week or two and then they leave.' She made it sound like a stock breeding program.
'But there are no males here at all, not even children,' said Kim, looking expectantly at Irene.
'Any male children are put up for adoption at birth. We have, or rather had, a wholly legitimate relationship with an adoption agency.'
'I notice the youngest of the girls present appears to be about four. It must be more difficult to make contact with appropriate males since the flood.'
'We've had no male visitors since the flood and no female additions either.'
'Don't the male visitors have any rights regarding the children?'
'No, they sign away their rights on arrival.'
'Is that legal?'
'We've had no problems at all up to now,' was the evasive answer, 'Since the flood it seems irrelevant.'
Kim glanced around the room where there were some animated conversations in progress. The male members of her troop were very much the centre of attention, which was no surprise since there'd been no male contact for this group of women in at least four years. She smiled inwardly. I imagine there'll be a few women impregnated, to use Irene's ghastly expression, within the next day or so. 'How do you select the potential mothers?' asked Kim.
'Volunteers. We have no shortage of women wanting a child.'
'And the girls that produce a male child? What's their reaction?'
Irene shrugged. 'They all know the rules. Of cou
rse there is some emotional reaction, but we are well able to cope with that.'
'How have you managed to dress up tonight? Where did you get the makeup from?'
'Most of the women brought it with them. They don't have much opportunity to use it, so I suppose they've kept it safe somehow.'
'We've recently resupplied ourselves from Sydney for that sort of stuff, using our helicopter.' She laughed. 'There was a scramble for makeup and clothes when we returned.'
'Are there no objections to you doing that?' asked Irene.
'There's nobody to object as the place is deserted. Everything will go to waste unless we use it.'
'Deserted?' said Irene quietly. 'I hadn't realised it was quite that bad.'
Three of the younger Amazons, as Kim was now thinking of them, formed a small band in one corner of the room and were enthusiastically playing a mixture of Irish jigs and popular dance music. The younger people in the room were up and dancing, having pushed tables and chairs out of the way to make space. Already there were two notable faces missing from her own group. An enormous air of anticipation had crept into the atmosphere.
Kim watched as Irene glanced around the room. There was a quiet air of triumph on her face. Feeling that she had somehow fallen into a trap not of her making, she considered her options, wondering what Tanya would do in the circumstances. Should she just pack up and go? Persuading the males in her group to leave at this juncture would be nigh on impossible, bearing in mind what seemed to be on offer. Also it seemed important to continue to build a relationship with The Amazons. She wondered how she could turn the tables on Irene. How difficult would it be to persuade some of The Amazon residents to rejoin a mainstream community like The Settlement?
After her meal, Kim attracted the attention of her two female colleagues and said quietly, 'I think, unwittingly, we have fallen into a bit of a trap. Presumably, you've learnt about the purpose of this outfit, not that there is anything particularly wrong with it.'
There were nods from her colleagues.
'There has been a bit of a gap in their arrangements for procreation here because of the flood. Our arrival is, therefore, like manna from heaven from the point of view of our hosts.' Kim glanced knowingly at her colleagues. 'Earlier in the evening, I thought it would be a bit of a free for all, but it seems Irene has organised things in such a way as to maximise the probability of pregnancy. So one of their girls has been assigned to each one of our boys and that will last until we leave, making it less of a shagfest than I first thought.'
They all laughed.
'Anyway it seems our visit will solve some of their problems with the hope of multiple pregnancies, and I'm sure Irene assumes we'll adopt any unwanted male children.' Kim pulled a face. 'The leader, Irene, also showed considerable interest in the security that we could provide and our medical facilities. I hate being used in this way, but I suppose the boys will enjoy the ultimate male fantasy.' Kim thanked her lucky stars she'd taken Tanya's advice, meaning none of the troop members had any romantic attachments with each other. 'Let's make the most of this evening and find out as much as we can about this place. Question the women. Four years of complete isolation may have changed ideas about their lifestyle here. Some may wish to move to The Settlement … '
'Why don't we just let them be?' interrupted Stephanie. 'If that abandoned farmhouse is an example of what is available, we could just go and occupy that place and a few others without worrying about Amazons or any other fringe groups.'
'That is an option, but we are trying to establish an area at least sympathetic to our values, from the base in the Blue Mountains to the coast. In time we may try to reopen the port at Newcastle,' answered Kim.
'Thor and his gang have the same values as we do?' responded an incredulous Stephanie. Her companion laughed uneasily.
'Thor needs work, but at least he's now quite friendly and won't work against us, especially since his daughter is at The Settlement.'
'Two nights here?' questioned Stephanie. 'I hope that is all,' responded Kim. 'We should be able to leave early the day after tomorrow.'
'Not soon enough for me,' said Stephanie sharply. Kim looked at her; Stephanie was very gifted intellectually and could match anyone in The Settlement in terms of physical stamina, as she had amply demonstrated at The Vikings. But now she seemed to be deliberately making things awkward and flouting authority.
Kim thought, I'd better find out the reason.
The next day The Amazon women, despite what appeared to be demanding duties, generously showed Kim and her group around their establishment. Irene escorted Kim on horseback to the far reaches of her domains. There was no mechanisation—the cows were milked by hand and, when they visited the cultivated area, Kim was surprised to see one of the more robust Amazons laboriously handling a plough pulled by two oxen.
'We ran out of fuel for our tractors within weeks of the flood,' explained Irene. 'I presume you have the same problem.'
'No, we don't,' answered Kim to a surprised Irene. 'Our tractors are solar powered, as are our houses. No fires are allowed, for ecological and safety reasons. We do have a very large quantity of conventional fuel stored though, enough to last at least another ten years with careful use.'
'Solar! We had started to explore the possibilities of installing solar power when the flood occurred. We do have quantities of panels and some hot water tanks, which I purchased cheaply some time ago. Do you have a woman who could help us install it?'
'Yes, Susan.'
'You have to understand, we are anxious to maintain the integrity of this place as a refuge for women,' explained Irene, defensively.
Kim nodded, but thought Irene would probably have to compromise on that ethic. However, she decided not to challenge her at this stage in the relationship.
During their leisurely return to the village, Kim gradually established that an association between The Settlement and The Amazon community would be welcome. This included help with security, solar power, general technical assistance, and medical facilities, as well as with ongoing reciprocal visits.
'We must ask that all the assistance you provide will be female; it is important to maintain our fundamental purpose,' Irene firmly repeated her mantra.
'You have failed to mention the vital question of procreation,' Kim said quietly.
'Can't we just assume that from time to time some of your unattached males would come over here and impregnate suitable women. We can then continue as we have in the past?'
Kim was stunned by the total lack of any kind of emotion in the proposal. 'Irene, do you really think it will be that simple, like breeding bulls just appearing at your convenience? Previous visiting males presumably have just disappeared back into the major cities. But, we are only about four days' ride away, possibly less if we manage to open roads up again. Some of the "unattached males" will probably want to be a part of the lives of children they have helped to bring into the world.'
Irene looked irritated at the obvious point. 'Maybe we can explore that down the track. I would like to prioritise some of the services you have to offer.'
'There will be some cost, of course. A reciprocal arrangement for our efforts,' said Kim firmly.
Irene was unable to hide the disappointment on her face. 'Yes, of course,' she said.
Kim asked, 'How have you escaped trouble from raiders or any outside sources since the flood?'
'At first all our stock were kept in the wooded area, so the place looked uninhabited unless a traveller came right into the village. Anyway, we are well off the beaten track.'
'What, none at all?'
Irene looked at Kim speculatively, and then said, 'Three men arrived on foot about two months after the flood hit Sydney, having left their car on the side of a road. They died.'
'How?'
'Poison,' announced Irene promptly. 'They were up to no good and I could see they might encourage some of their friends to come here, so I dealt with them.'
Kim was amazed. 'Doe
s everyone know what happened?'
'No, only one other. I told the others I'd persuaded the men to leave since this was a women-only refuge.'
'And they all believed that?'
'They had no choice.'
'How did you get the men to take poison?'
'I poisoned their water. They were out on the property doing a job I'd arranged and I took them some water and their lunch. A grave had already been dug nearby in the forest.'
'And your accomplice?'
'Oh she's still here. You met her at dinner last night.'
Kim was genuinely shocked at Irene's ruthlessness. She supposed she'd been told the story to indicate she was not to be trifled with.
'No trouble since?
'No, we kept an eye on the situation, or rather I did, and no more than three months after the flood hit Sydney, we were able to expand back into the wider acreage as we had before. You are the only visitors we've seen for four years now. I wasn't even worried about our security until you told us about that raid. Clearly, we need to do something about that and cooperation with you should help.' Irene hesitated. 'Please keep the information about the demise of the visiting men to yourself, there is no need for anyone else to know.'
Kim nodded thoughtfully, thinking there was more to Irene than was evident on first acquaintance.
Riding back into The Amazon village, they saw nothing except three lovesick couples. 'Where is everybody?' asked Kim.
'Still out on the property or in bed,' she was told by one of her smiling male colleagues.
We've assumed you'll join us for dinner again this evening at seven?' Irene asked.
Icefall Page 36
