Read Online The Thousand Smiles of Nicholas Goring by Julie Bozza - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Bozza
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again. "I'm doing some surveying for Mrs Wilson. Trying to establish her easterly boundaries."
"Henrietta Wilson?" She owned the larger of the two ranches on the far side of the waterhole.
"Yes. It's been dry, as you know. She wants to use more of her land to run her cattle, but it'll need fencing."
Dave considered the man. That was all fine, as far as it went, though the further east Henri Wilson pushed, the closer she'd get to the waterhole. Dave had to wonder if that was coincidence or not. He let that be, however, and tried another tack. "What about this rock you've been showing around? Getting everyone excited about mining rights."
Walinski started digging in his jeans pocket as soon as Dave said ‘rock', and held it out to him. "Here, then."
Dave didn't take the thing, but peered at it, as did Nicholas and Robin. It did look very much like the rock in the cliffs that surrounded the waterhole. In fact, Dave had to suppress an instinctive zing running through him – though whether that was recognition or simple anxiety, he had no idea.
"Does it look familiar?" Walinski asked.
"Mate, it looks like a rock." Dave stood tall again, though he couldn't help crossing his arms. "Lot o' years gone by since my high school geology class."
Robin pitched in, perhaps hoping to confuse the issue. "It's not one of those Yowah nuts you were telling me about, Uncle David? You said they were a kind of reddish colour."
"No, mate, definitely not one of those." He asked Walinski, "So, what's your interest? You working for one of the mining companies now, or you gonna be selling to the highest bidder?"
Walinski shrugged, and quipped, "That's ‘commercial in confidence', Mr Goring Taylor."
Dave let out a sigh. "So, this is really happening, isn't it?" He glanced at Nicholas, who nodded, with a tense expression on his face that Dave found nigh on unbearable. "Look, Mr Walinski," Dave said, turning to face the man square on. "There's a Dreamtime site out there, and there's a unique species of butterfly that Nicholas has written up in his … you know, academic journals and such. So, there's going to be some land that's off-limits."
A slow nod met this assertion, and after a long moment, Walinski said, "Thank you for telling me." He let a beat go by, and then lifted the rock between them again. "So, do you know where this is from?"
Dave took another breath, but then said, "I'll have to think about that."
"Fair enough."
"If I can help, I'll get back to you."
Walinski nodded, and held out his hand to shake. "Thank you, Mr Goring Taylor."
Dave shook the man's hand, more from a sense of fairness than an overwhelming sense of fellow feeling. And then they parted.
Dave, Nicholas and Robin continued back to the hotel in silence, though Dave sensed that Nicholas was barely restraining himself from speaking.
Finally, once they were in the privacy of the Land Cruiser heading back to Brisbane, Nicholas said, "The butterflies –"
"I know. I promise: we'll do whatever we have to, right?"
"Yes."
Dave glanced at his husband, really not liking to see anxiety so dark on Nicholas's brow. "You've done everything you can to document them, right? I mean, you've written articles, had them listed or – um, registered or whatever it is you do, yeah?"
"Yes." Nicholas returned his glance, a little rueful. "The only thing I couldn't do was really pinpoint the location. Though I described it as well as I was able."
"Of course, yeah."
A moment dragged by. Until finally Nicholas said, "Maybe we're the ones who need a surveyor."
Dave frowned over that, but he had to acknowledge, "Maybe you're right."
five
They arrived home late that night. Robin was hungry, so Dave began gathering the makings for an omelette, while Robin sat and shared his attention between watching Dave and checking his phone.
When Nicholas appeared, however, Robin put the phone down. Nicholas was looking a bit tired and careworn, but not unhappy. He diverted to
"Henrietta Wilson?" She owned the larger of the two ranches on the far side of the waterhole.
"Yes. It's been dry, as you know. She wants to use more of her land to run her cattle, but it'll need fencing."
Dave considered the man. That was all fine, as far as it went, though the further east Henri Wilson pushed, the closer she'd get to the waterhole. Dave had to wonder if that was coincidence or not. He let that be, however, and tried another tack. "What about this rock you've been showing around? Getting everyone excited about mining rights."
Walinski started digging in his jeans pocket as soon as Dave said ‘rock', and held it out to him. "Here, then."
Dave didn't take the thing, but peered at it, as did Nicholas and Robin. It did look very much like the rock in the cliffs that surrounded the waterhole. In fact, Dave had to suppress an instinctive zing running through him – though whether that was recognition or simple anxiety, he had no idea.
"Does it look familiar?" Walinski asked.
"Mate, it looks like a rock." Dave stood tall again, though he couldn't help crossing his arms. "Lot o' years gone by since my high school geology class."
Robin pitched in, perhaps hoping to confuse the issue. "It's not one of those Yowah nuts you were telling me about, Uncle David? You said they were a kind of reddish colour."
"No, mate, definitely not one of those." He asked Walinski, "So, what's your interest? You working for one of the mining companies now, or you gonna be selling to the highest bidder?"
Walinski shrugged, and quipped, "That's ‘commercial in confidence', Mr Goring Taylor."
Dave let out a sigh. "So, this is really happening, isn't it?" He glanced at Nicholas, who nodded, with a tense expression on his face that Dave found nigh on unbearable. "Look, Mr Walinski," Dave said, turning to face the man square on. "There's a Dreamtime site out there, and there's a unique species of butterfly that Nicholas has written up in his … you know, academic journals and such. So, there's going to be some land that's off-limits."
A slow nod met this assertion, and after a long moment, Walinski said, "Thank you for telling me." He let a beat go by, and then lifted the rock between them again. "So, do you know where this is from?"
Dave took another breath, but then said, "I'll have to think about that."
"Fair enough."
"If I can help, I'll get back to you."
Walinski nodded, and held out his hand to shake. "Thank you, Mr Goring Taylor."
Dave shook the man's hand, more from a sense of fairness than an overwhelming sense of fellow feeling. And then they parted.
Dave, Nicholas and Robin continued back to the hotel in silence, though Dave sensed that Nicholas was barely restraining himself from speaking.
Finally, once they were in the privacy of the Land Cruiser heading back to Brisbane, Nicholas said, "The butterflies –"
"I know. I promise: we'll do whatever we have to, right?"
"Yes."
Dave glanced at his husband, really not liking to see anxiety so dark on Nicholas's brow. "You've done everything you can to document them, right? I mean, you've written articles, had them listed or – um, registered or whatever it is you do, yeah?"
"Yes." Nicholas returned his glance, a little rueful. "The only thing I couldn't do was really pinpoint the location. Though I described it as well as I was able."
"Of course, yeah."
A moment dragged by. Until finally Nicholas said, "Maybe we're the ones who need a surveyor."
Dave frowned over that, but he had to acknowledge, "Maybe you're right."
five
They arrived home late that night. Robin was hungry, so Dave began gathering the makings for an omelette, while Robin sat and shared his attention between watching Dave and checking his phone.
When Nicholas appeared, however, Robin put the phone down. Nicholas was looking a bit tired and careworn, but not unhappy. He diverted to
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