by A R Dent
To Kill a Bunyip
A R Dent
For everybody there is a Hollow Log to hide in from the world
Where a safe haven exists to create fantasy
To be whoever you dream to be
To Kill A Bunyip
Copyright 2015 A R Dent
ISBN 9781310602900
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person or dog is strictly coincidental except for the dogs I loved the most.
To Sarki and Charlie I am indebted to your contribution to my life and this book.
To Kill a Bunyip
All copies of the book “The Tragedy of Terrence Null” were burnt. Terrence Null was the son of an English mariner who later became a Naval Lieutenant in His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Terrence Null served on a naval merchant ship supplying goods to new settlements along the eastern coast of Australia. Terrence Null was assigned to transporting new settlers to faraway places establishing new towns to supply food to the growing Brisbane. On one of these trips, Terrence Null saw an inlet suitable where he could retire. Terrence Null, on his retirement, was granted 500 acres to establish a fishing industry. Terrence Null’s life was a tragedy waiting to happen. His first wife and eight children remained in England living off his pension. In Australia, Terrence Null had twenty-five illegitimate children and had several concubines who attended to his continual demands. Terrence Null set up his land grant based on English feudalism. A system that continued until he died. On his death, his twenty-five children gradually took over his various enterprises and changed their name by deed poll. Each child then fought for the ultimate right for claiming heritage rights of the comedy of small errors of Terrence Null. A later book was written, “The Comedy of Small Errors of Terrence Null” and all copies were also burnt. (Nobody knows I have a copy of the book. The only one in existence).
If the children admitted failure of any venture they simply said, ‘Another product of Null’. All records of his time as a Naval Officer were destroyed to protect the good name of His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Null, a town where nothing ever happens, is evidence of Terrence Null’s comedy of small errors. Rome, Athens, and Pompeii were the same. Sanitised hysterical history has their records as people being born into a sanitised way of living. Terrence Null liked to cross dress and had a weakness for having private parties where he would stand naked and guests would toast his health and then throw their empty wine glasses into a fireplace. Denial of their heritage became a tradition for the descendants of Terrence Null. The major failing of Terrence Null was in regard the education of his children. Education needed tutors. Tutors had to be paid. Terrence Null spent all his money on snuff, opium, and rum. The town of Null prospered in spite of Terrence Null. After his estate was established with a mansion on a high hill, with concubines and eight of his children (the young ones), a day happened when a lone sailor cruised into Null Inlet. The sailor was seeking refuge in a quiet creek from an approaching tropical cyclone. The man was a de-frocked priest and lived on whatever means he could as a trader. Terrence Null saw this opportunity for his children to be educated. An agreement was reached for the exchange of food and shelter to the ex-priest and his children commenced a formal education. I’ve deleted certain things in this book because of solicitor’s advice. A longer version of this story I’ve written is an attachment to my Last Will and Testament. Hence, this story has certain details missing of Null due to the continuum of The Comedy of Small Errors of Terrence Null. The story is a mish mash of words due to the lack of education of the author. I start the story with a record of events of my second cousin’s husband’s third wife’s eldest son Gary so I can’t do anything but give him some sort of credibility for doing something of value in his life. (So many people with a history of doing nothing for society --- ah well, I could’ve done better and listened at school myself.)
