Read Online Crow Country by Kate Constable - Free Book Online

No one was playing. The whole gang was outside in the beer garden, gathered round Troy, looking at something. A gust of laughter exploded from them, and for a second Sadie wished she were out there with them all, standing beside Lachie, included in the joke. She heard Jules’s scornful cry, ‘Get lost, Fox!’ and everyone sang ooooh!
    â€˜Do you want to play or what?’ said Walter.
    Sadie turned her back on the gang and racked up the balls. Walter watched her, hands in his pockets.
    â€˜Grab a cue,’ said Sadie, and when he didn’t move, she tossed him one. ‘We don’t have to play if you don’t want to.’
    Walter shrugged. ‘I don’t care.’
    â€˜Do you know how?’
    He shrugged again. ‘Sort of.’
    Sadie explained the rules and took first shot, but she missed and the ball ricocheted uselessly off the cushion. Walter hefted his cue awkwardly onto the table, lined up and thrust. The ball shot straight into the pocket.
    Sadie gaped. ‘I thought you couldn’t play!’
    â€˜Thought wrong, didn’t ya,’ said Walter with a grin, and lined up his next shot.
    Sadie didn’t even notice that the gang had trooped back inside until Jules tapped her on the shoulder and jerked her thumb. ‘You kids – off.’
    â€˜We’re nearly finished,’ said Sadie.
    â€˜You are finished. Now.’
    Sadie glimpsed Lachie at the back of the room, one foot propped against the wall, his head lowered. ‘We’ll only be a minute,’ she said.
    Lachie glanced up, and for one glorious moment Sadie thought he was going to stride over and pull Jules away. Leave her alone, guys. Because I say so. Lachie smiling down, their eyes meeting, just like this afternoon, only this time everyone would see . . .
    Lachie pushed himself off the wall and strolled to the pool table. ‘Come on, kids,’ he drawled. ‘You heard Jules. Your turn is over .’ He didn’t even look at Sadie; he was staring at Walter.
    Walter didn’t move. His eyes were down, his hands wrapped round the cue. Maybe he thought if he ignored them they would go away.
    Lachie leaned forward. He tried to prise the cue from Walter’s fingers. ‘Did you hear me? I said , get lost.’
    Walter didn’t let go. He raised his head and stared into Lachie’s eyes. ‘You should watch out, mate,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Bad things happen to people who piss me off.’
    â€˜Is that right?’ said Lachie.
    Walter smiled. ‘Didn’t you hear about what I did in Mildura? Put a policeman in hospital.’
    â€˜Yeah, sure you did.’
    Walter leaned forward. ‘With the power of my mind .’
    â€˜Bull,’ said Lachie, uncertainly.
    Walter shrugged. ‘You believe what you want. I put a curse on this guy. They reckon he might learn to walk again by Christmas. If he’s lucky.’
    â€˜You’re full of it,’ said Lachie. But he let go of the cue.
    Walter tossed it onto the table. ‘We were finished anyway.’
    â€˜No, we weren’t!’ said Sadie. ‘This isn’t fair!’
    â€˜Life’s not fair.’ Jules wrenched Sadie’s cue from her. ‘Go on, piss off with your abo boyfriend.’
    A ripple of nervous laughter ran around the annexe. Sadie heard someone mutter something-lover .
    â€˜Like her mother,’ murmured someone else.
    â€˜ What? ’ Sadie swung round, clenching her hands into fists. ‘ What did you say?’
    â€˜C’mon, Sadie,’ said Walter. ‘They’re not worth it.’
    Lachie slung a cue across his shoulders, hooked his arms over it and swaggered around the table. Troy whispered to Fox and they sniggered together.
    Walter suddenly lunged for them, wiggling his fingers and making spooky noises, and they both jumped back, swearing.
    Walter snorted. ‘See you round, tough guys.’
    Sadie followed him out of the