Widderkin V. O. E. - 4. Chapter 4

Widderkin VOE

Chapter 4.

The flight to Melbourne was over before they knew it.

First off there was quite a discussion about Woorawa’s welcome home gathering, Auntie and little Jarli in particular, and then the light show, as Rhys called it.

Next was one of the practice sessions both Ranevargar and Burrimul had pressed as a priority. The plan for it to be extensive and comprehensive folded after half an hour when Woorawa, usually the main motivator, closed his eyes in the middle of saying something.

Mr B took over.

"Give him a deep sleep command for the rest of the flight, Kieran. He’s been the centre of everything and this is his first quiet time since we got back from the Realms ... He’s all right isn't he?"

Woorawa's eyes opened.

"I heard that! Don't worry, Mr B. I’m just feeling lazy. Kieran's sleep command is a good idea for all of us while we’ve got the chance."

Tan agreed.

"We do need a catch up, Kieran. We’ve had two late nights and this morning was an early get up, so make it the really deep command that Ranevargar showed you for the next ... Two hours."

There was instant agreement from everyone except Woorawa, who’s eyes had closed again.

***

Tan, centre of a group stare of appreciation, laughed with minor embarrassment.

"Don't look at me. I didn't expect them to do all this."

Kieran thought he probably did and was being modest about it.

At the airport they’d been met by Tan's extended family, and all welcomed with hugs and shakes like long lost children.

Woorawa, smiling happily with this treatment, so like his own at Mparntwe, assured Tan’s mum and dad, then his older brother and everyone else, that without Tan their big adventure wouldn't have worked. He made a point of greeting every individual with a thank you in his first Australian language and then the same in English.

After Tan, he was the major focus of attention, which suited Kieran who was carefully reinforcing family acceptance of the big adventure idea as an unexpected and prolonged trek through wild country.

Rhys was smiling on the surface but quiet underneath, while Mr B was looking like a lecturer again, happy for his charges homecoming.

Tan’s hatchback, spotless, was parked with three other family cars, and after farewells and a big thank you to his cousin they got mobile.

Rhys gave a sniff and looked all around.

"The car’s different, Tan. It smells like it’s new."

"It’s been detailed and the outside’s been waxed and polished, Rhys. My cousin spoils me."

The share house was the next surprise, all spick-and-span, food in the fridge, beds all made up with fresh linen and, major cause for a group stare, the smashed bay-window repaired and looking like new.

"This is unreal, Tan. They must’ve had the place professionally cleaned and looked after."

Tan shook his head.

"No! My mum would’ve made it a project with my aunt or some of her friends."

He grinned.

"I’ll have to tell her we’re college students, not cleaners, when she asks if we’re keeping it up to scratch. Now, who's going to help me get our meal ready?"

Mr B laughed outright.

"Don't even think of it, Tan. We’re shouting ourselves to a real nosh up and a well-deserved lazy night. We’re busy again tomorrow, you know."

***

Morrison turned, annoyed, from the magnificent harbour view to regard his worried sidekick.

"I hope this is important. I told Miriam I wanted no interruptions."

"I persuaded her, sir. There are several developments in Central Australia which you should be aware of."

Access rights for new mineral surveys in Central Asia became problematic.

"Developments?"

"Yes, our local representative reports that in the last few days our compensation offers have switched from reluctant acceptance to complete rejection, and on Saturday we received a procedural complaint from the Local Council."

"Hmm! What’s your point? This is annoying but hardly serious. The Council has no real jurisdiction and a few natives are of no consequence."

"Our representative thinks otherwise. He’s never seen the indigenes so united and vocal. One of their elders put up a protest tent, apparently with the blessing of the Council, and the local media has headlined it."

"Media? We don't want them involved. Was it a positive or negative slant?"

"Very negative for us. A strange chant captured so much public attention it’s been the feature for every subsequent bulletin."

"What? ... Public attention? ... Who’s in charge of our office there?"

"Benton, and he’s rated as highly capable."

"Benton? Now I am concerned. He’s not just capable. He’s one of our best. Show me what you’ve gathered."

Twenty minutes of precise and careful presentation steadily deepened the executive frown.

"Benton is right, but I think we’re missing something. Send him a team of fixers and find a way to lean on the Council and the media."

"Carrot or stick?"

Morrison regarded his underling with approval.

"Impressive presentation and judgement ... Use your initiative."

***

The four friends piled into the hatchback for the short trip to College where they’d meet Mr B and visit, first the TAFE administration for Woorawa, and then the main administration. Mr B had planned a kind of overall approach but wanted Kieran present in case any hitches caused by their absence needed fixing.

This proved to be good thinking. The TAFE stuff all went smoothly when the somewhat excited professor took personal charge, but there was quite a kerfuffle when it turned out that Rhys’s records had somehow reverted to the City Campus and the senior administrator needed to be persuaded to make a quick fix. Kieran smoothed his puzzled comment that his mind was playing tricks again, and for the same student.

Mr B saw the interplay and asked about it when they left the office.

"What did he mean about mind tricks, Kieran? He had quite a strange look."

"Yes, he knew it was weird for the same thing to be happening again. I’m puzzled too."

They left the topic though, because their absence for basically a whole semester meant discussions were needed with the Department Heads of every subject, and the morning would be very busy.

Rhys wasn't happy when the time got so short they had to choose between rushing through food at the café or having a swim at the College pool, and the food won.

"We could ring Tan’s uncle and tell him we’ll be half an hour late?"

"Yeah, but we won't. Nice try, Rhys."

Rhys gave Mr B an ‘I knew it wouldn't work but it was worth a try’ grin.

As it was, his discussion about his Literature subject took overlong and they had to grab ready made sandwich packages and eat while they drove.

The jeweller in Alice Springs had been knowledgeable but Tan’s uncle was a wonder, and fully capable of providing professionally accurate appraisals. He’d had warning that as well as four necklaces like the one he’d provided for the Opal, there were some seriously valuable gemstones to consider. The reality that Tan’s collection, the first he looked at, was but one of four, knocked his competent business manner so completely out of kilter he needed a sit down and time to gather his thoughts.

The friends, knowing what a bomb they’d just dropped, waited.

His head finally lifted and after a searching gaze at all five he gave his attention to Tan.

"This is overwhelming, Tan. So much wealth is hard to comprehend."

"You can trust us, Uncle. It’s a complicated story but think of it as a combination gift and inheritance."

"Inheritance?"

"For Kieran, but his family was so generous and grateful they included the rest of us."

Wondering eyes turned to Kieran.

"Your family?"

"Yes, but I can't say more. There are privacy concerns."

"... I see, well I think I see, but why come to me?"

He didn't really see, but the assurance Kieran was projecting was having its effect.

"Because you did such an expert job with my necklace and because we know we can rely on you."

Rhys interrupted.

"And because Tan will kick our butts if we don't follow his advice."

Tan’s uncle clearly liked this but after a nod of appreciation to Tan, he gave Kieran a very measured look.

"That’s as may be, but what exactly are you looking for? I was expecting to help with the relatively simple sale of one or two gemstones, not manage the wealth of Solomon."

"We want you to get rid of it all. Keep one gemstone out of each pouch for yourself and sell the rest on commission or however else you want to organise it."

There was silence again.

"… You can't do that."

"Why not? What else are we going to do with them?"

"I mean you can't give me four of ... these gemstones ... It’s not proper business."

Kieran looked to Tan.

"Yes it is, Uncle. It’s fair compensation for the time and effort of such a big project."

"Over fair ... And, Tan ... A very big project indeed."

The wheels turned, again, and Kieran smiled.

"It’s a go ahead, everyone. He can't resist the challenge."

"What are the basic assumptions, Kieran, speed of sale or optimal returns?"

"We don't want to be involved so that’s all up to you."

"Complete oversight on my part? That’s an extraordinary level of trust."

"Not really! Tan vouches for you."

"I see. Well what about the short term? Do you need any funds for immediate concerns?"

"Not really. Woorawa's jeweller in Alice Springs organised a line of credit to take care of all that so we could pay for our airline tickets."

"Another jeweller?"

"That’s why there are only four pouches. Woorawa’s using his to help with projects for his people. We’ll put you in touch with him if you like because he says he needs help from someone like you."

"That’s curious. Why would he say that when he doesn't know me?"

"He took one look at my Opal necklace and advised us to stick with you for our new ones."

"Well, that’s professional service indeed, and was he also presented with something so surprising?"

Rhys laughed.

"He nearly had a heart attack with just one pouch, and then his eyes popped again when he worked out that one of the gemstones was a pink diamond. It was the first time he’d handled one for real."

"My eyes would be popping too ... Did he say anything about its size and quality?"

"Not really. He was in a bit of a panic to get the pouch into the bank vault."

"More likely a lockbox I imagine."

"Yeah! It wasn't tiny though. None of the gemstones are. A good-sized pea I’d say. What d’you reckon, Mr B? You spent time examining them?"

"I did, Rhys, and peas range too much in size to be a help."

He held his thumb and pointer finger apart with a carefully calculated gap.

"That’s my memory ... Yes ... about eleven mm."

"My goodness! That’s at least two carats, or maybe three."

"That’s pretty good isn't it?"

Rhys's laugh of a few moments ago came back at him.

"I can see you have no idea how good, Rhys, but my mind is settling and we mustn't let ourselves get sidetracked. We have several hours of detailing ahead of us, as well as deciding what to do about your new necklaces."

"Can you make the necklaces a priority, Uncle? We’ll be busy for a while but then we have to get back to Alice Springs."

"Show me the stones before I commit myself."

He leaned close when Woorawa ranged the rubies beside Tan’s display of gemstones.

"Interesting. They all appear to be untouched. Have you chosen them for size and colour? There’s too much variation to regard them as a matched set."

Mr B answered.

"These rubies have a special quality about them."

Tan’s uncle nodded knowingly.

"Yes, many people prefer them over diamonds ... And yes they’re all suited for a pendant setting."

***

"Unreal! Home cooking! How busy are we tomorrow, Mr B? Tan’s uncle was so thorough I thought we were going to miss out on our swim."

"Tomorrow’s good, Rhys. If one afternoon of planning and running round means no more hassles I’m all for it. We could forget the book sale at College if you like, but we mustn't miss Woorawa’s meeting with the professor at eleven o'clock, and after that we really need to get our cell phones paid up and functioning. The group phone we got on Friday’s been working overtime."

Kieran gave Mr B a funny look.

"Why would we miss the book sale? I’ll have to get a laptop if we use online texts and I like real books much better."

"A laptop will be peanuts for you, Kieran, and Rhys says he’s forgotten what a proper sleep-in is like."

"Real books or a sleep-in? The books win, Mr B. Kieran’s got it right for once. Besides, that will save us hours and hours of Tan and Woorawa going berserk in some computer shop. And if we get to the book sale by ten o'clock we can have half a sleep-in anyway."

Kieran pinched a delicious looking roast potato from Rhys’s plate.

"Half a sleep-in? Get logical, Rhys. There’s no such animal."

"Ha! There’s no such thing as a logical spud nicker either ... Or there won't be if I don't get my potato back."

Mr B cocked his head to one side.

"It’s your logic that’s up the spout, Rhys. How can you get rid of something if it doesn't exist?"

"Effortlessly, Mr B. Effortlessly!"

He nodded at Tan with an ‘I won that one’ look.

"They pinched my last spud, Tan. Is it okay if I have one of the spares on the platter behind you?"

Tan’s automatic turn to check aborted and reversed too late to catch the fork spearing the last potato on his own plate.

"… You’re my witness, Mr B, and Woorawa."

"If you say so, Tan. What for?"

"The proof that spud knickers do exist, evil spud knickers who just volunteered to do all the washing up."

"Evil, you say, and all the cleaning and tidying as well? Yes, our eyes do witness these incriminating details and the sentence is fitting."

"All the tidying? What a pack of bullies. Kieran, if we do too much work we’ll need ... One and a half sleep-ins."

Tan went to the fridge for the tub of ice cream they’d bought on the way home and said nothing till he’d popped the lid and worriedly studied the contents.

"We got the wrong size. There’s only enough for three serves and someone’s going to miss out ... I wonder who that’s going to be?"

"No way! It was my idea and ... Idiot!"

He looked around and amended that to ‘idiots’.

Grins accompanied the extra close watch on how evenly the ice cream portions were dealt.

Mr B went completely off topic.

"Have you heard anything from Ranevargar, Kieran? You haven't said anything all day."

"That is because he’s asleep, Mr B, and the weird time difference means from our point of view he won't be awake till tomorrow."

"I know we’ll get used to it, but it could prove awkward if we need him for some reason or other."

"We organised triggers for that when we had the big link up at the tent embassy."

"More triggers?"

"Yes, Tan. We’ve routed them through our networks to save all the energy and effort of making contact between here and the Realms."

"Are you still planning a kind of trigger for Woorawa when his Realm Tree starts growing?"

"Absolutely, and Ranevargar’s excited about helping, whenever that is."

"I’m asking Uncle about getting the water bore organised when I make my catch up call."

This was new.

"Aren't you going to make sure the mining thing’s resolved first?"

"I talked it over with Tan, Mr B, and we decided we should work to our own timeline. There’ll be hold-up after hold-up otherwise and it will strengthen our position."

Rhys shook his head.

"No it won't. Having machines dig holes in the ground doesn't match with a sacred place. They could even say it’s a kind of mining."

Kieran agreed.

"Rhys has got a point, Woorawa. It might be giving them ammunition to use against you."

Woorawa and Tan exchanged knowing grins.

"No it won't. Uncle and the elders are going to have a big consecration ceremony to publicly recognise the Valley of Eagles shelter, and the machines will be gone as soon as they reach water."

"They are?"

"When I tell them about it they will, and word will spread that it’s a site we’re serious about protecting."

"Are you going to build a shelter? That might be out of place too."

"It’s already there, Rhys, a secret place at the base of the cliffs. It’s a cave further along from where we were at the rock pools."

"Another cave? There seem to be a lot of them."

"There are, and all of them have their own story."

"Like the three caterpillars?"

"That’s a big story, Rhys. But I haven't been taught any location stories yet to make a good comparison."

Intrigued, Rhys stopped eating his ice cream.

"What’s a location story?"

"Um ... Sort of what it sounds like."

Mr B took over.

"Stories are enormous for Woorawa's people, Rhys. Some stories are just stories of course, but others have a kind of reality overlaying the storyline, and I think location stories are like that. As I understand it, every rock, or hill or feature there is, has a story of some kind, even trees if they’re old or unique."

Rhys's ice cream was now completely forgotten.

"That’s an impossible number of stories."

"Not when you think how long they’ve been developing. The Realms already regarded Woorawa's People as an ancient culture at the time of the separation, and Ranevargar said that was 9000 years ago."

"It is a long time."

Tan shook his head.

"That’s Realm time, Rhys. It’s longer than long."

"... Sheba! It is too."

Mr B took over again.

"It’s a looking backward reminder of the time difference. I normally think in forward terms and its direct effect on us ... Did all your family tell you stories, Woorawa? It would have been especially important to you."

"Mostly Uncle Burrimul. His voice would paint pictures in my mind and show me the way when I was lost."

Silence fell and Woorawa made an assuring little touch to Mr B's arm.

"It’s why we’re so close, Mr B. Somehow he knew how to get me through my bad times better than the rest of my family."

"Bad times, Woorawa? It’s hard to imagine. You’re always smiling, like it’s built in."

The smile in question lit up.

"I think it is too, Rhys. Uncle said it was hard for an eleven-year-old to go blind and stay happy but I had to keep trying."

"Eleven? Gods! It's scary to even think about. Do you ever close your eyes and take yourself back to what it was like?"

"Not as a reminder, Rhys, but some skills don't work as well when my eyes are open."

"You’re kidding? Like what?"

"I was used to figuring people by signals in their voices, and seeing interferes with that."

"That makes sense, but I’ve never seen you do it."

I know, Rhys, and in the Realms it didn't work very well because their patterns of talking were different."

Rhys laughed at that.

"Yeah! Dictionary talk for a start."

"I’ve seen Woorawa watching with his eyes closed, Rhys. He did it when Kieran was talking to the policeman and another time when my uncle was trying to explain something to Mr B."

Woorawa nodded.

"Tan’s right, and I close them sometimes when I’m dancing but we’ve already talked about that."

Rhys shook his head and turned to Mr B.

"Well, I can't believe how everyone I get around with is so amazing. We never know what’s going to happen next."

"As a matter of fact we all know, Rhys."

"We do?"

Apart from rolling his eyes, Rhys didn't even try for a comeback when Mr B pointed at the dishes in the sink.

***

Kieran, Rhys and Mr B took one look as Woorawa and Tan came to join them in the lounge and the friendly grumbles about waiting were forgotten.

"What’s happened?"

"Everything, Kieran. I’ve been on the phone and I can hardly believe it. When the protest tent set up this morning there were fifteen other tents spread across the park, and Auntie was so overcome with all the support she started crying when Uncle arrived with some of the other elders."

"Crying?"

"Happy crying, Rhys. When they walked around the other tents she was cheered and told she was brave and when the media came again she led everyone in the Tan chant.

He smiled at Tan.

"They all think it came from me and Auntie but we know the truth.

Uncle and the other elders can't keep up with all the people contacting them about Saturday night and wanting to know what’s going on, and when the next gathering will be. There was even a group from one of the traditional communities who drove a couple of hundred kilometres to talk to them.

Tomorrow at the protest tent Uncle’s going to organise the elders to go to the Valley of Eagles. I asked him about a water bore too. He knows a couple of local companies but there are two brothers up north somewhere who are our People and better suited for work at a special place."

"Wow! When will that happen?"

"Next week at the earliest, Rhys. Uncle wants to be there for Auntie till the weekend and it will be an off-track expedition with four-wheel-drive to get the bore to the Valley of Eagles. He wants us to be part of it too, so that’s another reason to wait a bit."

"Why do you call it an expedition? That overview map from the mining company showed a well-defined access road."

"That road doesn't exist, Mr B. They must have plans to build it because we’ll need someone with the right local knowledge to guide us in ourselves."

"So our agenda for next week gets busier?"

"I hope so Mr B. I hope so!"

That got grins because as well as full support being given, the idea of an off-track adventure was intriguing in its own right.

Mr B continued.

"Surely you must have expected a lot of support for the protest tent, Woorawa? I wouldn't have been surprised if every single person who saw the Happy Dance turned up."

"Not everyone, Mr B. The excitement of the moment quietens down after a while, but Uncle did say people were coming and going all day, and it got crowded around midday, probably because people had their lunch break."

Rhys grabbed Woorawa's shoulders for attention.

"What about bad stuff? Were there any people annoyed the park was taken over?"

"That’s a strange side issue to bring up, Rhys."

Kieran, agreeing with Mr B, gave Rhys his own questioning look.

"Not really. If anyone’s aggro, complaining they can't use the park’s the first thing that they’ll think of."

"Hey! That is good thinking! Uncle did say there were curious people driving past slowly but I’ll ask him more tomorrow night."

Kieran was curious about another aspect.

"Did Burrimul say what the media wanted? It’s interesting they turned up again so soon."

Woorawa pointed at Tan.

"They wanted to record Tan's chant with better equipment because they’d had so many phone calls about it, and when Auntie started, everyone rushed from all over the park to join in. Uncle watched it on the local TV channel and he’s really pleased that so many people are seeing our message."

"I wonder how it compares with the real thing?"

"What do you mean, Mr B? It is the real thing."

"Hearing a recording can't be the same as the actual experience, Woorawa. I think we all need to practise it with you as part of tonight's training session."

Everyone wondered why Rhys laughed.

"It’s already in my mind from just talking about it, and practising will make it stick for days."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, Tan. It only happens with good songs but it kind of takes over from any others."

"Oh, yes! That happens to me too."

Woorawa pointed at Rhys.

"No more mouth talk till we finish."

He saw what was coming.

"Except for the chants. Mr B, you have to keep your glow going no matter what else we do, and you should try some of that fine tuning for surface thoughts you were talking about, Kieran."

Kieran recognised Burrimul's influence and figured it had been a major topic of Woorawa's phone conversation. Down to business.

***