by Mark Lingane
“I’m all right.” She turned her chair around and sat next to him, with her hand in his, fingers loosely intertwined. Peter stared out into the dark, watching and listening for anything. Melanie leaned against him. Her eyes closed, and she blinked them open. Her head drooped forward. She jerked back up straight.
“I’m fine,” she said.
He gave her a flat look. “You may be fine, but you’re dead on your feet. Lie down.”
“I just need to rest my eyes for a few moments.” She staggered over to her camp bed and lay down on it heavily. She was snoring before her head hit the pillow.
Peter smiled. He stood up, intending to brush the hair away from her face, but was distracted by a polite cough. He spun around. “Angel. You startled me. You were very quiet.”
“I didn’t want to wake anyone. Would you like some company?”
“I’ll be all right.”
“Do you mind if I join you? It’s a little scary out here in the middle of nowhere.”
Peter nodded and motioned for her to sit on the small camp chair. He sat down next to her and resumed his scanning of the dark.
“You were so brave out there fighting all those horrible little creatures.”
“It was nothing.”
“Do you have special training?”
“Not really. Well, some.”
She smiled at him. “I knew it. Were you in the Academy long?”
“No. I’ve traveled around, never really staying in one place for too long.”
“You’re like a little free bird, who’s come to perch with us before flying off again.” A look of distant sadness crossed her features.
“Don’t write me off just yet.” He gave her a smile, and she smiled back uncertainly.
He glanced away in the direction of a quick scuttling. A small mouse appeared at his feet. Angel gasped and raised her feet. She slapped her hand over her mouth. Peter bent down and carefully picked up the frightened animal. He gave it several strokes, calming it down. He placed it back on the ground and released it from his grip. It scampered off into the night.
“That was kind of you,” Angel said.
“What could I do? It was small and defenseless and needed care.”
“Like me?” She gave him a bright smile. “Could you look after me?”
“It would be a pleasure.”
He noted a slight twitch in her eye, and her smile deepened. She clasped her hands together and reclined into the canvas chair with her hands against her chest.
“Do you know any songs?” he said.
She gave him a quizzical look.
“We have a camp fire. We have no marshmallows. Next best thing is to have a little sing-along.”
She shook her head. “Among my talents, singing does not lie.”
“I’ll sing for both of us.” He started to sing in a low, quiet voice, a sorrowful lament of a duck trying to acquire grapes. He switched to a high voice for the female shop owner, and continued switching between the two.
Angel let out a little giggle, and raised her hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes twinkled in the firelight. “You’re so funny,” she said when he finished. She gently placed her hand on his knee. He placed his hand on hers. She swallowed nervously.
There was a noise from Sebastian.
Angel withdrew her hand, placed it under her leg and looked away. “Don’t you worry about yourself?” she asked Peter. “Your own protection?”
“With what I do, I really have to live in the moment. Seize opportunity where and when it comes along. The one truth that we’ve all seen over the last year is that life can be very brief, and unexpectedly so. Today, we live. We live without fear. We live without regret.”
“What about tomorrow, the future?” Her eyes trailed over to the slumbering Melanie. “Won’t you get tired of a wild existence? Will you start a family?”
Peter reeled back. “That’s a bit quick. Melanie and I have only been going out for a few months. And family-wise, I don’t think Melanie’s the mothering kind. And can’t be. Which is fine.”
“But wouldn’t you like a little boy? Or a little girl?”
He shrugged. “It would’ve been nice, but it isn’t going to play out that way.”
“Who knows how fate will play out? It can often provide unexpected turns.”
“We have to take each day as it comes. It would have to be someone pretty special to come along and split us up. But the future is always unknown, and people can be difficult to read. Sometimes you could have the perfect person right in front of you, and you’d never know.”
“I’m suddenly feeling tired. I think I’ll retire.” Angel gave him a smile, and he returned it with a nod.
She got up and made her way back to the low camp bed. She looked over her shoulder. Peter was staring out into the night, his sword resting across his lap. Her face fell slightly. She lay down.
“Oh, Mother, this is definitely not meant to be happening,” she whispered to herself.
36
PETER ROUSED SEBASTIAN and Michael from their sleep.
“Ten minutes more,” moaned Sebastian.
“Not unless you want to be attacked by those freaky kids,” Peter said. “Come on. I’ve lit a fire, the water’s boiling.” He made his way over to the camp bed next to Melanie.
Sebastian sat bolt upright. He rubbed his eyes and joined Michael by the small fire. He shivered and rubbed his arms. He leaned forward on his knees and watched nothing happen. The minutes wound on in silence.
“I found a map,” Sebastian whispered.
The words caught Michael by surprise. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I didn’t want to get excited over it only to be told it’s stupid.”
Michael laughed and held out his hand. “Let’s have a look.”
Sebastian handed it over. Michael carefully unfolded it and ran his hands over the creases, scraping off the dirt.
“I found it in one of the houses.” Sebastian glanced around conspiratorially. “There were heaps of old school books about chemicals and biology like I used to have back in Talinga.”
Michael raised one eyebrow. He examined the map, squinting in the poor light. There were several scribbles on the paper. “Interesting. Some of these markings start quite steadily and definitely, and some equations have been written down. Then it all gets faint and hurried. The printing’s too small for me to read without my glasses. What’s that circle there?”
Sebastian took the map and held it up to the light from the fire. It looks like”—he squinted—“Forgen.”
Michael leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “A small place on the way to nowhere where nothing ever happens.”
“Forgen. Idalia. Bronwyn. Four Trees. Cardonica,” Sebastian read, “then back onto the main track at Winton. Have you heard of any of those places?”
“Only Winton. But then, everyone’s heard of Winton.”
“Oh.”
“You don’t know what happened there?”
Sebastian shook his head.
“I guess it doesn’t matter.” Michael looked thoughtfully out into the night. “So, what do you make of the map?”
“Besides a hat, or a boat, or a really big swan? I think someone was doing some experimenting here, then something happened and they had to get away. Forgen was the closest place to go.”
“But why there?”
Sebastian shrugged. He’d see if Nikola was interested in the map in the morning.
The morning came. Nikola organized the vehicles as everyone slowly woke and began to pack up.
“Dawn brings hope,” he said. “But there are no crows.” He threw Melanie a bottle of water. “You look terrible, even worse than usual. Please don’t die on us.”
“Shut up.”
“Not your most witty line. Get on your bike.”
In her half-dream state, she groggily made her way over to the bike. She ignited the burner and filled up the tank with the rainwater that had collected i
n Parker’s shoe, which she had left out overnight deliberately. She flopped down on the ground and blankly watched the kettle boil.
Nikola made a final check of the area. When he returned, the bikes were ready to go.
“Where are we going, people?” he said.
“I’ve got a map,” shouted Sebastian.
“So has Albert,” Nikola replied.
“But this is important.”
“All maps are. We move out.” Nikola lowered his goggles and roared off.
“Fine,” muttered Sebastian. He revved the engine excessively and followed some distance behind.
Two days passed without further adventure, except for the odd occurrence of several small animals found dead near Melanie’s tent early one morning. At the end of the long second day, they all ached from the grueling miles that had exhausted them and covered them with dust.
On the third day, Nikola led them off the main track through hills and picturesque valleys until he signaled for them to stop. They finished setting up camp as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
“Everyone looks terrible,” Nikola told them. “You’ve got Lake Sandown to the north. Jump in there if you want a freshen-up.”
Melanie retreated to her tent and lay on her camp bed. She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the hum of the great outdoors sooth her senses. The men ran up the hill and over the dry, cracked soil toward the bright blue water, disrobing as they went. The sound of splashes and high-spirited shouts came drifting in. Within minutes, Melanie was snoring quietly.
Toward nightfall, Angel looked around the camp. Everyone was occupied. She made her way through the bush, forcing her way through thick clusters that left deep scratches on her arms. As she emerged onto the sheltered beach touching the secluded lake, her scratches disappeared. The sun had dropped below the horizon. She slowly disrobed in the dim light. She folded her clothes and placed them in a neat pile on the white sand. She waded into the water carefully, treading delicately on the stones lining the bottom of the pool.
The cool water felt delicious on her feet. She sighed and inched her way deeper into the water until it came up to her waist. She brushed the water up her arms and over her shoulders. The day had gone, leaving her in darkness. The moon emerged from behind a drifting cloud, and moonlight, nearly cobalt, bounced off the water, illuminating her body and sending her fractured reflection over the water’s surface. The foliage surrounding the pool grew darker and denser in the early night.
“I know you’re there. You can come out of the shadows,” she said.
She watched her own reflection dance on the gently rippling water. She touched the surface, sending out expanding concentric rings. The fresh smell of the water reinvigorated her senses. Stillness emanated from the nearby trees. Not one leaf moved.
“I know you’ve been following us since the church. How you’ve managed to keep up intrigues me.”
She let the water run down one arm. It hung on her elbow before dripping downward. Halfway to the water, it boiled into the air.
“I came down to the lake specifically to speak with you.”
She cupped some water in her hands and splashed it over her face, running her hands back over her hair. Then she took a deep breath and dived under the water. She burst back through the surface and blinked the water away from her eyes.
The man stood on the beach, transfixed by her movements. Angel continued to look out into the pool. She turned slowly and walked toward him. Water cascaded off her body as she left the lake. She stood before him with her wet skin glistening in the moonlight. Her bright eyes punctured the darkness and pierced him, mesmerizing him.
“There’s much we need to discuss.”
37
“WHY DO YOU follow us?” She stared into his eyes. They weren’t looking into hers, so she studied his features intently, recognizing the vanity, the over-eagerness, and the self-centeredness of his core character.
“I’ve c-come for you,” he gasped, stumbling over his words. His hands were shaking. His face was covered in a light, greasy sheen.
She watched him closely as his eyes traced the outline of her body. She let him enjoy the view, without embarrassment or concern. She let her body sway for him, until she saw him swallow nervously.
“That’s sweet. There’s nothing finer than a wonderful compliment from such a pretty boy.” She gently stroked his face. “Dear boy, if you were only in possession of a fortune.” She bent over and picked up her clothes. She dressed slowly, reveling in his stumbles and pauses.
“I-I’ve never seen anyone like you before. You are utterly … beautiful.”
“You are kind,” she replied. “But what can you do for me?”
“Anything you want. Just ask.”
“Anything?” She raised an eyebrow seductively. “We shall see. I have needs. I have things I need to do.”
She walked away from him, listing the various tasks he needed to complete, knowing he wasn’t listening. “I can feel your eyes on me. Don’t challenge me, boy. You do not have the wherewithal.”
“Sorry.”
“Do I need to repeat your instructions? You might want to think seriously about my murder request.”
Nikola squinted ahead. In the heat haze on the horizon, two lone figures trekked through the mirage. As they neared, he made out the uniform. He pulled over and everyone stopped behind him. The accompanying dust cloud rolled over them.
Nikola raised his goggles. “Good morning, gentlemen.” He examined their uniforms. “Sergeant. Both of you, it appears. Certainly on your arms.” He indicated the stripes. They both smiled.
“I recognize the western-patrol uniform. You youngsters are a long way from home.”
“Who are we addressing?” asked one of the men.
“I’m the commander of the western quadrant. But, as it’s my day off, you can call me Nikola.” He gave the men a bright smile and enjoyed watching them scramble to an ineffectual attention. “At ease. Our interaction will go smoother if you tell me your names.”
“Alfie,” said the man who had spoken. “And this is Brian.”
He waved away their sloppy salutes. “Where’s your base?”
“It was in New Toowoomba, but not much of the WP is left,” Alfie said.
“They were a strong unit. A thousand men on call through the landholder agreements,” Nikola said.
“Things have changed. Bad things have been happening in New Toowoomba,” Alfie said. “Bad and strange things.”
“That’s a bit vague. Like what?”
Alfie looked at Brian. “It sounds a bit far-fetched, even to us and we were there.”
“We caught some weird freak-like people wandering from out of the east,” Brian said. “They were so close to dead they were no trouble. We locked them up in the cells and waited for them to die. It didn’t take long.”
“Why?”
Brian shrugged. “We don’t know much about these new people, other than by the time we found them they only lasted a couple of days. We buried them. Then there was a break-in into the cells. We didn’t make much of it because no one escaped. The people in the cells died, but when we were taking them to the burial grave they un-died. They started to attack us. Those they ripped into got sick, full of the same kind of poison probably, and then they died too. It rolled through the town, wiping out nearly everybody. The rich people barricaded themselves away in their mansions, and the poor people just ripped themselves apart.”
“You’re very lucky you avoided it,” Nikola said.
“We secured ourselves away until the main wave of infection had rolled through,” Alfie said. “Once the numbers were down, we were able to launch a counter attack.”
Nikola pointed at the eternal road ahead. “We’re heading that way, if you want to join us. Safety in numbers and all that. We could use the extra eyes on the night roster.”
Brian shook his head. “Not sure if there’s anything left to go to. You’ve got the rich people, of course, if you want
to put up with them. They’re probably on a limited timeframe. They don’t know how to do anything. They’ll scavenge until the food runs out, then make their own way out of town.”
“We have plenty of food and drink.”
Alfie glanced at Brian. “You’ve persuaded us,” he said.
“Hop in the second SUV. You’ll have delightful chat from Parker and a delightful view of Angel.”
When Melanie heard these words, she turned to Peter. “Why doesn’t he ever say that about me? ‘Delightful view’!”
“It could be something to do with the military clothes, the mud, the lack of anything feminine,” Peter replied.
“The Gatling guns are pink!”
“See? There we have the crux of the problem.”
“What’s wrong with pink?”
Peter sighed. “Just as well I like you. Come on, put the jealousy aside. I’ll put it down to tiredness.” He roared off after Nikola.
“You used to be crazy about me,” she muttered. “What happened?” A tear welled in her eye. She replaced her goggles and followed.
38
THEY PULLED OVER for lunch. Michael and Albert argued about the thermal conductivity of wood and the statistically efficient way of igniting it within one standard deviation. In the end, Melanie shot a bullet off a rock and the sparks set the dry grasses on fire. Angel tried to wash Sebastian’s face with spit and a very nearly clean handkerchief. He tried frantically to shoo her away, in the end resorting to running away. She hitched her skirt and chased after him. Alfie and Brian wandered away, muttering to each other.
Parker and Nikola watched the proceedings.
“Did you have a good chat?” Nikola asked.
Parker smiled. “Not really. They were a bit distracted by my passenger.”
“Did you notice they have sergeant’s stripes on their arms, but their helmets have private’s insignia?”
Parker laughed. “You’d think they’d know.”
