Book of Dreams

by Traci Harding

  ‘I’m on it,’ Kimba stood up to leave for her home office. ‘I’ll make some preliminary investigations and see who I can get on board. If I can arrange meetings …?’

  ‘I’m good tomorrow morning and the next day,’ Zoe advised.

  ‘Ah yes, the big date.’ Kimba remembered that Kyle had booked Zoe for tomorrow afternoon.

  ‘Try and get round it.’ Zoe realised that the land issue was more important. ‘But if you can’t …’ She shrugged.

  ‘I shall move mountains,’ Kimba vowed, as she left them to their scriptwriting.

  ‘So things are working out well with you and Kyle then?’ Matt assumed.

  Zoe nodded, her smile returning. ‘I think I shall marry him,’ she casually announced.

  Matt wasn’t really hurt by the announcement. He was warmed by it actually. ‘Then the mountain will end up being returned to the Turrammelin clan via your kids anyway.’

  Zoe found his reasoning invigorating. ‘Now, if we can just keep the gold a secret, we’ll be laughing no matter what happens.’ She’d never had any close friends that she could really trust, confide in and rely upon, but now she was surrounded by them. It seemed the Great Spirit had sent aid, just when she needed it most.

  When Kyle awoke on a small bed on the floor of a small room, he didn’t know where he was and the previous night was a complete blur. He felt groggy — as if he’d had too much to drink. He sat up, scratching his head as he observed two other beds in the room, which appeared to have been slept in but were now empty. There was a long mirror on the wall, which Kyle crawled towards to inspect himself.

  ‘Bad hair day.’ He ran his fingers through the knotted mess to find all sorts of grit, but his skin was clean of all the ceremonial paint that his relatives had covered him in for the ceremony. ‘Well, I’m glad they didn’t leave me painted up for the ride home.’ On the other hand Kyle was sort of disappointed. He already had a couple of tattoos and had rather liked the mask and body paint. All he wore at present was his jeans, as he’d been stripped to the waist before being prepared for the ceremony. His jeans felt damp and Kyle’s feet and hands were filthy — even by his standards. ‘What the hell did I do last night?’

  Panic began to set in when Kyle tried to remember that night and realised that he could recall absolutely nothing.

  ‘Kyron?’ He couldn’t see his guide anywhere either. ‘Where are you, buddy? Ron?’ The yowie did not respond.

  Kyle bolted out of the room and discovered he was at Kimba’s place and had been recovering in her spare room. ‘Tim!’ Kyle bowled into the lounge room to find Matt shooting footage of Tim, whilst Kimba and Zoe looked on.

  ‘Shhh!’ the two girls urged quietly and looked back at Tim, who was talking about his early days with Nivok Industries.

  ‘But I can’t remember anything about last night!’ Kyle appealed. ‘And Kyron is missing!’

  ‘Cut,’ Kimba decreed, as Kyle was clearly not going to co-operate. ‘We’re a little pressed for time here, cuz.’

  ‘I told you that you wouldn’t remember much,’ Tim rose from the lounge and approached Kyle, ‘but fragments will come to you as required.’

  ‘But Kyron?’

  ‘Well, everything went swimmingly and the Turramulli was reinstated as the guardian of the mountain. So I imagine he’s still in his cave, revelling in his homecoming.’

  ‘And what if I need him?’ Kyle crossed his arms, a little saddened by the fact that Ron clearly wasn’t bound to traipse around after him any more.

  ‘His commitment to you is complete and you shall be assigned a new guardian if one is needed, or compelled to assist you in some way,’ Tim explained. ‘You’ve reached the stage, in the eyes of the Great Spirit, where you can handle the situation on your own. Do you think my bunyip follows me around night and day? No. Why? Because he has his own responsibilities to see to; his own existence to experience.’

  ‘Oh. Well, at least I still have my boomerang.’ Kyle began to look around for it and when Tim started shaking his head, all of Kyle’s senses were hit by a vision.

  Kyle was holding out his treasure in offering to a bright presence, and yet at the same time Kyle saw himself standing before a fire offering the boomerang to the flame. ‘Then I return this to its rightful owner with much gratitude, as all weapons are now redundant to me.’ Kyle’s own words rang in his ears.

  ‘Now you’re remembering,’ Tim assumed from the way Kyle had suddenly spaced out.

  ‘Kyle, are you okay?’ Zoe asked, concerned. Her boyfriend hadn’t even acknowledged her presence.

  ‘Um … no,’ he decided, giving Zoe a kiss on the forehead without breaking from his thought. ‘There’s something really important that I was supposed to remember.’

  ‘How do you know if you can’t remember it?’ Kimba added sarcastically. Not that Kyle noticed.

  Don’t forget to bring Zoe to the pool tomorrow, Kyle recalled Kyron saying. ‘No, that’s not it. There was something else.’

  ‘Sweetheart.’ Zoe took hold of Kyle’s chin and directed his eyes her way. ‘You’re talking to yourself. Perhaps a shower will refresh your memory … and the rest of you.’ Zoe noticed how dirty he was and took a step away since she was wearing white. ‘You haven’t forgotten about our date, have you?’

  ‘Our date,’ Kyle suddenly woke up. ‘No, of course I haven’t. What time is it?’

  ‘Around noon,’ she advised amiably.

  ‘I’ll be right back,’ he assured. ‘Kimba. Can I —’

  ‘Yeah, sure.’ She pointed him in the direction of the bathroom. ‘Towels are in there. And keep it down, will you. No singing in the shower, we’re filming.’

  Kyle gave Kimba the thumbs up. ‘No probs, cuz. I wouldn’t want anyone to hear my singing voice anyway.’

  The hot water pelting down upon his head was most welcome.

  Kimba mentioning singing had prompted Kyle to remember one of the chants they’d sung the night before, which he began humming to himself.

  As Kyle hummed, his mind wandered back to the ceremonial fire, from inside of which came a blinding light filled with golden sparkles. He was drawn into the light, and on the other side Kyle was propelled upon a technicolour journey into the vast wilderness of times long past.

  Boundless forests filled with masses of exotic creatures and plants, rolling rivers fed the great oceans and long sandy beaches stretched for miles along the coastline. Glittering aqua waters rushed the white sandy shores and the only high-rise to be seen were the eroding cliffs that bordered the shoreline. The sea abounded with life, and it was hard to conceive that such vast populations of sea life could dwindle as much as they had. In this world, mankind didn’t really figure at all and it was extremely beautiful. Sadly, it bore little resemblance to the Earth Kyle knew. Yet the wilderness he viewed was distinctly Australian and the large percentage of Caucasian blood coursing through his veins made Kyle feel deep remorse for the damage; when his vision turned ugly he felt it even more deeply.

  People, animals and sea life slaughtered; forests torn down; rivers dammed; mountains mined; the sea pumped full of sewage and toxic waste products; the ocean bed drilled for oil and littered with wrecks of old ships, cars and barrels of obnoxious chemicals. The world was turning into one giant graveyard, he feared.

  Out in the lounge room, Tim had been distracted in his discourse by Kyle’s chant as it gained in volume, much to his cousin’s, and everyone’s, amused annoyance. Tim suspected Kyle had discovered that the chant aided recall of events from the night before.

  ‘He’s just unbelievable.’ Kimba chuckled, and then paused to assess his talent. ‘He actually sounds more like a relative of mine than he looks.’ She turned on her heel to go shut him up. ‘Do you think you can raise your voice a bit, the people in America can’t hear you!’ Kimba thumped on the door, whereby Kyle’s chanting ceased.

  Matt was on the way to get himself a drink, when he spied a police car pulling up out front. ‘Company. Police!’ He made
a beeline for the bedroom, grabbing Zoe on his way through and Tim cottoned on quick-smart.

  ‘Do you think they traced us here?’ Matt queried once they were huddled in the spare room with Zoe and Tim.

  ‘Not likely,’ was Tim’s opinion.

  Kimba knocked on the bathroom door. ‘Stay put. Okay?’

  ‘I got it,’ Kyle mumbled, switching off the shower.

  Kimba was most relieved when she discovered that the police were here to question her about her father’s death, and not about harbouring kidnappers and trespassers. They did ask after Tim’s whereabouts though, because her father had been picking Tim up when he was killed. She answered their questions obligingly, keeping them at the door, eager to be rid of them. She said she hadn’t had much contact with her father and that his movements and other associates had been largely unknown to her.

  ‘That’s all then,’ the policeman doing the talking advised her, putting his notebook away. ‘Would you mind if I borrowed your bathroom? It’s a fair drive back to town.’

  Kimba didn’t want to refuse and raise suspicion. Hopefully, when the officer ran into Kyle he wouldn’t recognise him. ‘Sure you can use my bathroom,’ she said rather more loudly than she normally would have, hoping Kyle would attempt to hide.

  The officer entered the bathroom and Kimba held her breath. The door closed. She waited for the alarm to be raised. The toilet flushed, the tap was turned on and off and the officer exited. ‘Thanks.’ He put on his hat on his way out the door. ‘My condolences for your loss.’

  Kimba forced a smile and seeing the officers on their way, she rushed back to the bathroom to see what Kyle had done with himself. She was amazed to find the bathroom empty. ‘Well, I’ll be.’ she marvelled, feeling movement behind her. Kimba turned to see Kyle wander out of her bedroom with her hairbrush in his hand.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind, I couldn’t find one in the bathroom,’ he explained.

  ‘But I told you to stay put.’ Kimba placed hands on hips, frustrated, wondering why she’d been disobeyed.

  ‘I thought you told me to shut up.’ Kyle justified, seeing that Kimba was plainly annoyed with him. ‘Geez, could you be more specific with your abuse in future.’ He returned to the bathroom and closed the door, completely oblivious to his close brush with the law.

  ‘Completely infuriating,’ she muttered. She really couldn’t justify being mad at Kyle, even though he could have easily walked straight into a disaster. ‘No wonder he needs divine guidance.’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE GOLDEN CAVE

  As Matt had shot Zoe’s interviews and speech for the documentary the night before, the heiress was dismissed for the afternoon so that she and Kyle could go on their long overdue date. Zoe had already decided to take the indirect route out to the mountain via town, enabling her to purchase the makings of a picnic lunch, a portable computer and a new mobile phone using her fake ID. If they detected her digging around in the computer system at Nivok, they’d trace Lisa — her alias — to a false address. And if, by some miracle, someone linked Lisa to the plane hire a few days ago, by the time they came to Queensland looking for her, Zoe would be back in Sydney.

  It was a lovely day out at the mountain. The atmosphere of the place had changed entirely since Zoe’s last visit: instead of feeling ominous it now felt tranquil and homely.

  They found a nice, shady spot not too close to the pool to lay out their blanket and picnic, and Zoe managed to pinpoint a spot with good reception for the phone.

  ‘So, what’s with the hardware?’ Kyle licked his fingers after devouring a fresh jam donut. ‘Wasn’t this supposed to be a date? You know, one of those rare opportunities when we get to shower affection upon each other.’

  ‘I’m just chasing up something for Matt. It won’t take a second now that I’m in.’ Zoe reached over and brushed his cheek affectionately, then went straight back to her new toy.

  ‘That’s putting another man before me.’ Kyle faked a perturbed tone. ‘I don’t think I find that acceptable.’ He crawled towards her, a large grin on his face.

  ‘Just one second,’ she giggled as he attempted to bowl her over with a hug to the waist. ‘I’m almost there.’

  ‘So am I.’ Kyle kissed her neck a few times, then as much of her bare back as the halter top she was wearing allowed.

  ‘Oh my …’ Zoe was finding it hard to concentrate and she was just about to give up on the task, when she found what she was looking for. ‘Matt was right!’

  ‘I’m so pleased.’ Kyle looked at the spreadsheet, which was incredibly uninteresting; more intriguing to him was the knot for Zoe’s top that he spotted underneath her hair.

  Zoe copied the file and got offline quickly, racing against Kyle’s slow tug on the end of the bow at her neck. She was excited and saddened by her discovery, but she wasn’t going to allow it to spoil this afternoon. ‘All done.’ She switched off and pushed everything aside.

  ‘Me too.’ He slipped a finger beneath the loose knot remaining.

  Zoe returned his beaming grin as she whipped her top off altogether and lay beside Kyle, her arms raised high above her head in abandon. ‘I’m all yours.’

  ‘Making me the luckiest man on the planet.’ Kyle moved closer to bestow one of those consciousness-altering kisses on her, and the act drew his attention completely to her. Her scent, touch, taste, and the feel of her breast in his hand, was like a divine spell come to steal him away from all worldly strife. When their attire allowed them to get no closer, there was a mild frenzy to discard the few clothes that stood between them and their first sensual experience of each other.

  Matt had yet to film any footage of Matong Bargi Arika’s natural environment, so Kimba offered to drive him out there before they went to Felix’s to start editing the documentary.

  Matt was most impressed by the subject matter and the view of Turrammelin mountain that this place gave him. For two reasons he did not ask to go through the tunnel to film whatever was at the end of it: firstly, because it was probably considered sacred ground and secondly, because he was a little apprehensive about meeting the old oracle herself. Instead, Matt ran around shooting the exterior from all angles. Satisfied with his coverage he turned the camera on Kimba.

  She was staring at the mountain and hadn’t noticed that she was being filmed.

  Unlike most of the girls Matt had known, Kimba stood tall and proud and she had the kind of fearlessness about her that Matt had come to associate with Kyle. She also had that same dark, intriguing air and he was disturbed to feel suddenly attracted to her. Was he just drawn to her because she reminded him of Kyle? No way, decided Matt. Or was it that Kimba’s aura was so akin to Kyle’s that Matt felt like he’d known her for years and so felt comfortable around her. Kimba turned and caught his intense focus upon her, which startled him.

  ‘Why are you shooting me?’ She placed both hands on her hips, but picking up on Matt’s apparent discomposure, she smiled.

  ‘I was just thinking that this is a terrific backdrop for you to relate your great-grandmother’s story,’ Matt covered himself.

  ‘Well, I can do it in voice-over at Felix’s.’ She recalled their existing plan.

  ‘But it might be better if you presented it,’ Matt explained. ‘You look great on camera,’ he blurted out, thinking that was more information than he’d intended to offer.

  Kimba was on to him now. ‘Are you flirting with me, Matthew Ryan?’ She grinned and cocked an eye in question.

  ‘No, no,’ he assured her, suppressing a guilty smile. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’

  Kimba was immediately insulted. ‘Because I’m black!’

  Matt was horrified by her rash assumption. ‘No, no. Because you’re with Felix.’

  ‘Oh.’ Kimba was embarrassed by her error.

  ‘Geez.’ Matt shook off the unexpected change in mood. ‘You and Kyle could be twins sometimes, I swear.’ Matt returned to shooting the scenery.

  ‘Now you’re rea
lly trying to insult me,’ Kimba replied in a huff.

  ‘Ah, no,’ Matt corrected. ‘That would be a compliment. Kyle is one of the bravest, truest people I know.’

  ‘You obviously don’t get out much.’

  ‘God,’ Matt cried out frustrated. ‘You two are so much alike it’s scary!’ If Kimba had been trying to piss him off, she’d succeeded. ‘What is your problem with him anyway?’

  ‘I don’t have a problem with him,’ Kimba yelled back, denying Matt’s claims.

  ‘Bullshit, you don’t!’ Matt slipped the camera beneath his arm, so he could deal with Kimba directly. She was a little taken aback, as he was usually so good natured. ‘Is it because he is white?’

  ‘No!’ Kimba was defensive, knowing Matt was inquiring after her prejudices. ‘That’s not it at all.’ She only realised the truth of the matter in that same instant.

  ‘Then why antagonise him?’ Matt softened his tone.

  Kimba exhaled heavely; it was hard to admit the truth. ‘I’m just jealous,’ she began reluctantly. ‘I’ve been here since birth, true to my culture, my people and to the cause of saving this land … I’ve devoted my life to little else. So why is it that he gets our ancient guardian and divine abilities? Why did the Great Spirit choose him? Because he was born a man!’

  No. I am proof that the Great Spirit shows no bias in that regard.

  Matt and Kimba looked to find a young woman standing nearby. Unlike Kimba, she was a full-blood Aboriginal.

  ‘Matong Bargi,’ Kimba gasped under her breath. Her great-grandmother had not been seen beyond her inner sanctum in over twenty years.

  ‘What?’ Matt didn’t understand at all, surely this young woman could not be Kimba’s great-grandmother; Tim had said she was ninety-seven years old. Then Matt noticed the woman was not entirely solid in form — he could see the landscape through her. His fear of the unknown was outweighed by his desire for good pictures and Matt discreetly hit the ‘record’ button on the camera under his arm.