Icefall

by Hallowes, Guy

  'You did. I found him shackled in the dungeon when I went in there to fix something related to the solar system. He pleaded with me to get him released. Apparently you said something to Thor about him, so one of Thor's lieutenants searched his hut and found all sorts of compromising documents related to his connections with ASIO and so on. Thor apparently was part of a bikie gang in the past and Harold was sent there as a spy.'

  'I knew about the bikie gang,' said Tanya. 'What are they going to do with him?'

  'They've done it,' answered Jason.

  'What?'

  'They apparently executed him two days ago; almost nobody knows. He's been in the dungeon since our original visit. Thor just told everyone he'd left one night. I doubt anyone believes him, but if you want to survive in that place you ask no questions. Hercules let it slip one day when I mentioned there was one person less in the dungeon. According to Hercules, two of the lieutenants took him off into the bush one night, shot him, and buried him where he won't be found.'

  'Jesus, he was a nasty piece of work, but he didn't deserve that,' said a shaken Tanya.

  'I just thought you should know.'

  Tanya nodded, 'Perhaps you should keep that story to yourself, don't even tell Venus. Are you quite sure he was actually executed? What you were told might just be a smokescreen. Harold, or whatever his name is now, might easily have been sent off on some secret mission by Thor, as an option down the track to undermine us somehow.'

  Jason looked at her and said, 'I certainly believed Hercules at the time, but you may be right. As I understand it, Harold has a grudge against us and may have been willing to undertake an underhand scheme, especially if his life depended on it.' He had no intention of telling anyone else.

  'Also, they treat their women like slaves.'

  'That's quite obvious from the behaviour we've witnessed.'

  'It's worse than you think. While we are there they tend to behave, but the trainers have been there for a while now and periodically the men go on a drinking binge, after which any woman is fair game. Any of them,' repeated Jason. 'And there are no sanctions, but there has always been one exception.'

  'Venus.'

  'Yes. Maybe that was one reason she was keen to come and stay with us,' said Jason. 'Don't completely trust Thor. My guess is he'll try to do us some damage if he possibly can. He felt he was made a fool of during our first visit and he'll try to get his own back at some stage regardless of any marriage treaties. He wants power, nothing else.'

  They landed back at The Settlement a few minutes later. Tanya phoned David to give him a brief report on her visit to The Vikings.

  She also told him about Harold, 'I think Thor could be playing a double game here. Either Harold was done away with or, far more likely, Harold has been sent off somewhere to a place that doesn't share our values and will be hostile to us. This is just for your information,' said Tanya, 'nobody else knows, save Jason of course.'

  David reflected for a moment and said, 'When we started The Settlement I had no idea of the sort of compromises we would have to make and the sort of company we would eventually be keeping. Oh well, it's done now. The stupid bastard Harold had something coming to him; but as you say, it's all too convenient. Maybe Thor has something more up his sleeve after all.'

  Chapter Forty

  Jason’s Wedding

  Within the promised month, Eustace, with Joe's help, had moved one of the big choppers out from the hangar and started the engine. 'I've been reminding myself of all the little tricks to flying this thing,' he said to Joe, 'but I think it's better that I take her up on my own first, just to make sure all is well. No need for two of us to go down if I've made any mistakes putting it all together.'

  Returning an hour later he said, 'She's a real beauty, like she always was.' Then he added, 'Probably scared the shit out of all the people in that funny place with all the grass huts. They were running about all over the place.'

  'Sounds like The Vikings. I haven't been there yet, but I think our son Jason is going to marry Thor's daughter, so there could be a bit of a party.'

  'Thor! That's almost as bad as Eustace.'

  'Yes but he chose the name. I'm guessing you still have the name your parents saddled you with,' said Joe, laughing.

  'What kind of an asshole would call himself Thor?'

  Tanya flew backwards and forwards to Newcastle, taking the opportunity to have a few lessons from Eustace in flying the new machine. 'We'll only have to supply the base here once or twice a week with this machine,' she said to Eustace. 'We must train Roger and the other two to fly it as well, and I would like your help in moving a couple of our solar-powered vehicles out from The Settlement so we can use them on the roads. We also need another source of fuel.'

  A month after Jason's visit, Tanya took Venus and Jason back to Thor's in the old helicopter, now with its full array of seats and having been fully reconditioned by Eustace.

  Shortly after arrival, Venus had a private word with her father. 'Jason has asked to marry me,' she said. 'I would like your blessing.'

  'He will need to come and ask directly and I still have to finalise a few details with Tanya. But yes, in principle, you have my blessing,' he said gently, looking fondly at his only daughter.

  Jason was waiting and received much the same answer to the question. 'I'm sure you will look after her very well,' he said. 'All the things you set up here have worked.'

  Tanya later told David on the phone, 'As predicted, he asked for one hundred head as a bride price. I told him they would all die since he doesn't have enough grazing for his own cattle, let alone another hundred head. I also told him that his beasts were not much bigger than goats anyway and why would anyone want animals like that.'

  David laughed. 'He would not have taken that nonsense from anyone but you. What happened after that?'

  'We agreed he would have to expand the area he occupies into the more open areas north of where he is now so he can run a decent herd of cattle. We will help him identify those areas and secure them, and then stock the new areas with a base of forty heifers and a bull from The Settlement. The area will be jointly owned. I have it all down in writing, signed sealed, and delivered.'

  David started to laugh. 'But that was what we had planned anyway.'

  'Yup, also those idle bastards sitting on their fat backsides over there at The Vikings, doing nothing, will now have to do some work. Some of the women will move as well. Once they are no longer under the immediate thumb of Thor, they will blossom.'

  Tanya had asked Stephanie to help out with the establishment of the areas to be settled jointly with The Vikings, since all her responsibilities in Amazonia were under control. Two of the solar vehicles in The Settlement had been lifted out with the new helicopter, creating easy and quicker access than having to travel by horse everywhere. Mark continued to have overall responsibility for security, including the whole Viking establishment.

  David sighed and paid her the ultimate compliment, 'What would we do without you?'

  'You'd find someone else. Nobody is irreplaceable.'

  'What about plans for the wedding?' asked David.

  'Probably late September, as the weather is warming up. I'm sure Thor is planning a huge splash.'

  Tanya popped in to Amazonia from time to time on her way to and from Newcastle, mainly to check on progress with both Irene and Stephanie. But she also took the opportunity to talk to Stephanie, privately, about the wider issues. When Stephanie had been briefed and accepted the responsibility of helping The Vikings extend their area, Tanya told her about Harold and her suspicions regarding the double game.

  'Do you think Harold represented any kind of threat to Thor?' asked Stephanie.

  'Before the flood, maybe he did, but now I'm sure he doesn't.'

  'I don't think Thor would kill people just for the sake of it. If he did execute Harold, it would be because he represented a threat or he wanted revenge for some transgression. If he merely wanted revenge, why stick
him in the dungeon at all. You may be right, it's certainly possible Harold has been sent off somewhere and will re-emerge to create some sort of mischief, if that suits Thor, down the track. I'll discreetly keep my ear to the ground and see if any of The Vikings sent to the new areas know anything.'

  Tanya patted her on the shoulder in acknowledgement.

  As promised, the wedding was truly spectacular. A day before the scheduled date, Roger and Rachel arrived with eighty of the best from The Academy. They camped as they had on the first visit. Venus had been staying with her father for two weeks before the nuptials. A woman Tanya had now identified as Venus's mother flitted around excitedly in the background.

  An hour before the appointed time, Tanya arrived in the new helicopter with Chloe, Susan, Mark, David, Caroline, Irene, Stephanie, Isaac, Joseph, Cath, and Uncle Jonathan, who'd been persuaded to join the celebrations from his army base near the deserted city of Canberra. Ten minutes later Kim, piloting the old helicopter, arrived with Joe, Patricia, and the groom.

  There had been some discussion about what to wear for the occasion.

  'Thor and his associates will be wearing new animal skins,' Tanya told them. 'Venus has the most beautiful traditional wedding dress imaginable, which her mother has dredged up from some secret hiding place. I think, where possible, we should all be in pristine academy uniforms. I did consider wearing what I wore to Evan's wedding all those years ago, but the moths have put paid to that idea.'

  Chloe, Patricia, Caroline, and Cath found pretty dresses, Susan wore academy dress, Joseph an old suit, and Isaac wore his clerical dress. Jonathan wore his Australian Army dress uniform with General's insignia, a feature that was not lost on Thor. Eustace surprised everybody by arriving at the last minute in the second of the choppers from the Newcastle warehouse. With him were two of the mechanics who'd worked on the machine, plus Derain, and six of the Aboriginal group. They were joined by a party of one hundred from Derain's village and the village that had rescued Eustace. It had taken them two weeks to walk through the bush to attend the wedding.

  The day was, as hoped for, beautifully warm and sunny with a light breeze, perfect for such an occasion. Thor, sitting on his white stallion and accompanied by a now considerably more disciplined armed troop, was completely outshone by The Settlement contingent, but he greeted everyone with a calm smile. He had been warned by Tanya that the Aborigines would arrive in numbers. Although he was not entirely comfortable with what he saw as an incursion, he made an effort to welcome them as well. The women of The Vikings were all busy preparing the wedding feast, and were allowed to attend the ceremony held in front of Thor's palace.

  A very manly and military-styled Jason and a stunning Venus in a pristine white wedding gown were alone at the front of the throng, some seated, many sitting on the grass. To everyone's surprise, a well-rehearsed ceremony was conducted by Thor personally. The format was similar to the Anglican wedding service, but with no reference to the deity. Thor gave the blessing and pronounced them man and wife. He even produced an official Australian marriage register for all parties to sign.

  At the conclusion of the service, The Settlement troops, mounted and accompanied by The Vikings' militia, fired the now usual three shots into the air. Thor was thrilled at this unexpected addition to what he had planned, especially as his people were able to participate and had not spoiled the spectacle, all shots being fired in complete unison.

  Guests were invited to help themselves to the sumptuous feast that had been provided. Key visitors were invited to be seated at a large table on the verandah of The Vikings' palace, together with Thor, Hercules, and his lieutenants, but including no Viking women. The other people seated themselves on the surrounding lawns.

  Thor's speech, congratulating Venus and Jason on their marriage, was long and rambling, and detailed the history of his establishment. In conclusion, he said, 'We stand for being independent of central authority and being able to live our lives as we see fit.' He continued rather clumsily, 'The formal association with The Settlement, now cemented by the marriage of my daughter Venus to Jason Bower is important in this regard. It means we can continue to live side by side in peace and harmony, while we respect each other's way of life and values.' He sat down to continued applause.

  David reciprocated, by congratulating Jason and Venus on their marriage, giving a brief history of The Settlement and the science behind its establishment. 'We welcome all races, creeds, and cultures to the re-establishment of our civilisation after the devastation of the flood.' Then he said firmly, 'We need to be mindful of the mistakes the human race made that resulted in the devastation we experienced so we don't repeat them. We also need to keep a watchful eye on the unsustainable practices the white settlers made here in Australia during the past two hundred years. We now have a chance to repair some of those mistakes. Sustainability, not greed, should be our watchword, as well as the self-reliance that isolation has forced on us. We should listen more often to our Aboriginal friends, who we found shared our vision that the world as we understood it would cease to exist. They will have something of their own to say later. Over the next several decades, long after my demise, we will rebuild Australia, hopefully for the better. As Thor said, we ought to be able to develop together, but be able to respect each other's values and way of life.' He sat down to rapturous applause.

  Then the whole Aboriginal group, led by Derain, including a half dozen from The Academy, still in their uniforms, started a traditional dance lasting about twenty minutes. Derain, traditionally clothed, in an outfit noticeably similar to Thor's, through an interpreter, made a speech, welcoming and congratulating Jason and Venus on their marriage and wishing them well. He concluded by saying, 'White people's houses and food make us ill. We do not need white people's guns and cars. You all talk about welcoming all races and creeds to this society, yes, but that has all been said before. This time, it should include the Aboriginal people as well. We can help you better understand and look after the land, but we need free access to that land. We can share this land with you, but you must not take it away again. We share the view of David and Thor that we should be able to live together and respect each other's values and way of life.' Led by Tanya, there was a slow but sustained applause as Derain stepped down.

  Joe and Patricia had long since realised the wedding was a catalyst for a much wider understanding and association between the two groups. Joe was not good at making speeches and he and Patricia had said all they needed to say to the couple in the months before the wedding. For her part, Patricia was looking forward to having her attractive daughter-in-law living nearby and was expecting to be helping to nurture a grandchild in the not too distant future.

  While not overawed by the situation, Jason had understood after his discussions with Tanya that this was a marriage of two very distinct parties, not just himself and Venus, so he confined his words to, 'Venus, a very warm welcome to the Bower family. You have to know that this is the happiest day of my life and I will dedicate my life to making you as happy as I can.' He had realised that anything else he might say under the circumstances would not be particularly relevant.

  Thor had no knowledge of Jonathan's existence until he arrived, but said to David in a private moment, 'Maybe it would be useful if your son from the Australian Army could say a few words. He represents a new dimension as far as we are concerned.'

  David gave a brief introduction to his youngest son, now aged forty-three and the most senior person in the Australian military to have survived.

  'My name is Jonathan Bower. Before I say anything else, congratulations to my nephew Jason and the spectacularly beautiful Venus. Your life is sure to be adventurous and I hope that it will be happy as well.' He paused for a few moments, not wishing to spoil the occasion with a lengthy speech.

  He explained that the military had ten thousand troops scattered around the country and in ships and submarines on the coast, supported by strong family networks, food supplies, hospitals, sc
hools, and so on. 'The focus up to now has been maintaining the geographic integrity of what was Australia. This has involved dealing with a few incursions, mainly from the North. These incursions are at a low level, but we don't want anyone getting the idea that this continent is unoccupied territory. The area is vast, so it's an enormous job. Our objective, in the longer term, is to re-establish some sort of Government over the whole continent. Having heard what has been said here today, all of us need to bear in mind that people wish to be more in control of their own lives. That philosophy should form the basis of any central authority. There are possibly as many as one hundred groups around Australia that survived the floods and all of them need to play a role in deciding what sort of Government should exist.' Muted applause greeted him as he sat down.

  For most attendees, the earlier speeches reflected their present aspirations, after all this was a wedding, not a political occasion. Festivities continued for most of the night and gradually guests and residents stumbled off to bed, followed by the bride and groom.

  In the morning, as they were helping themselves to breakfast in the entrance to Thor's palace, Tanya and the guests became aware of an excited group of women shrieking their heads off as they emerged from the now empty bridal suite. They were waving a sheet around streaked with blood.

  Tanya took one look at the group and said to Mark quietly, 'It's supposed to be virginal blood, proving that Venus was a virgin before her marriage, and that the marriage has now been properly consummated. Who the hell do they think they're kidding?' She shook her head just as a beaming Thor appeared. 'Probably chicken blood,' whispered Tanya. 'They'll have the chicken for lunch, but we'll have left by then.'

  Chapter Forty-one

  Susan and Hercules

  On their return to The Settlement, and after a few attempts, Tanya managed to corner Susan alone when Chloe was out on an errand. 'Come here,' she said and hugged a somewhat resistant Susan to her. 'You're pregnant aren't you?'