into a ball, hoping that sleep would come and take him away for ever.
Soon after, his watch gave a little beep, signalling that midnight had passed. It was now Christmas Day.
Chapter 14
Tony woke to the squawk of the weka. He looked out the window to see the whole family fossicking alongside the caravan. It gave him some hope: at least they hadn’t deserted him—not yet, anyway. Everyone else would have. He covered his head with his hands. Oh what a fool he had been. To think that he had really believed Duggan was poisoning people with uranium. How could he have been so stupid?
His watch said it was five thirty-three. It was a good time for a walk without other people around. The last thing he wanted was contact with humans, even though he knew that would have to happen sometime.
He took the track to the main road and set off towards the hall. There was no set plan except to walk and keep away from the lodge for as long as possible. After a while he came to the Catholic cemetery and its statue of Mary blessing all those who passed. It made him think of the Frenchwoman, Monique Lafleur. She had visited this place looking for an ancestor, but what good had the blessing done her?
Tony had walked through cemeteries before, but this one was different, there was nothing ghostly about it. There was no sense that dead people had recently been laid to rest. This was not a living cemetery, it was now just a monument to Charleston’s past.
There were no French names that Tony could recognise, so it was unlikely that Monique Lafleur had found the name she wanted.
He left the cemetery, walked past the hall and pub and motel, to a side road which ended up at the Protestant cemetery. This had more of an abandoned look than the other one. Many of the residents had been only babies, some just a few days old. And all the graves faced the sea, as if in death the dead wanted to look towards home.
An overgrown track led in the direction of the sea. After battling with the manuka, Tony emerged onto a rocky point, with a sign that said Cod Rocks . Nobody was fishing on this Christmas morning, yet the roundness of the rocks and the quick drop into the sea made it an excellent spot to sit, relax and think.
Tony did sit and think, but he didn’t relax. Instead, he worried about the situation he had created. Betty and Lofty wouldn’t want him around the lodge after last night’s performance. They couldn’t afford to have a boy embarrassing the guests all the time. That meant Christine would lose her job. Just when everything had been working out so well, he had blown it.
For four hours he sat, looking out to sea and worrying. It was a shock when he looked at his watch and saw thetime. People might be looking for him. He’d better get back before he caused any more trouble.
Partway around the rocks he found Nick with his computer, sitting beside a drill hole. ‘Hi, Tony. People are looking for you.’
‘I bet they are,’ he said, glumly.
Nick looked at him. ‘It is because they are worried about you.’ He pulled out a telephone and dialled a number. When it was answered, he said, ‘He is with me. We will be back shortly.’ Then he disconnected. ‘There, that will stop them worrying. I will finish my readings and then we will go back.’
Slowly Tony began to feel better. It was comforting, being beside Nick, watching him at work. For a long time neither of them spoke and that too was reassuring.
‘Are you still expecting an earthquake?’ Tony asked as Nick began to pack up.
‘Yes.’
‘When?’
Nick took his time in answering. ‘New Year’s Eve. That is if my calculations are correct.’
‘Are you still going to keep it secret?’
‘Yes, and I expect you to as well.’
‘I will,’ said Tony quietly. ‘I won’t be telling anybody about anything anymore. Not after last night.’
There were lots of people in the lounge when they got back.Betty was the first to see Tony and she quickly took his arm, leading
Soon after, his watch gave a little beep, signalling that midnight had passed. It was now Christmas Day.
Chapter 14
Tony woke to the squawk of the weka. He looked out the window to see the whole family fossicking alongside the caravan. It gave him some hope: at least they hadn’t deserted him—not yet, anyway. Everyone else would have. He covered his head with his hands. Oh what a fool he had been. To think that he had really believed Duggan was poisoning people with uranium. How could he have been so stupid?
His watch said it was five thirty-three. It was a good time for a walk without other people around. The last thing he wanted was contact with humans, even though he knew that would have to happen sometime.
He took the track to the main road and set off towards the hall. There was no set plan except to walk and keep away from the lodge for as long as possible. After a while he came to the Catholic cemetery and its statue of Mary blessing all those who passed. It made him think of the Frenchwoman, Monique Lafleur. She had visited this place looking for an ancestor, but what good had the blessing done her?
Tony had walked through cemeteries before, but this one was different, there was nothing ghostly about it. There was no sense that dead people had recently been laid to rest. This was not a living cemetery, it was now just a monument to Charleston’s past.
There were no French names that Tony could recognise, so it was unlikely that Monique Lafleur had found the name she wanted.
He left the cemetery, walked past the hall and pub and motel, to a side road which ended up at the Protestant cemetery. This had more of an abandoned look than the other one. Many of the residents had been only babies, some just a few days old. And all the graves faced the sea, as if in death the dead wanted to look towards home.
An overgrown track led in the direction of the sea. After battling with the manuka, Tony emerged onto a rocky point, with a sign that said Cod Rocks . Nobody was fishing on this Christmas morning, yet the roundness of the rocks and the quick drop into the sea made it an excellent spot to sit, relax and think.
Tony did sit and think, but he didn’t relax. Instead, he worried about the situation he had created. Betty and Lofty wouldn’t want him around the lodge after last night’s performance. They couldn’t afford to have a boy embarrassing the guests all the time. That meant Christine would lose her job. Just when everything had been working out so well, he had blown it.
For four hours he sat, looking out to sea and worrying. It was a shock when he looked at his watch and saw thetime. People might be looking for him. He’d better get back before he caused any more trouble.
Partway around the rocks he found Nick with his computer, sitting beside a drill hole. ‘Hi, Tony. People are looking for you.’
‘I bet they are,’ he said, glumly.
Nick looked at him. ‘It is because they are worried about you.’ He pulled out a telephone and dialled a number. When it was answered, he said, ‘He is with me. We will be back shortly.’ Then he disconnected. ‘There, that will stop them worrying. I will finish my readings and then we will go back.’
Slowly Tony began to feel better. It was comforting, being beside Nick, watching him at work. For a long time neither of them spoke and that too was reassuring.
‘Are you still expecting an earthquake?’ Tony asked as Nick began to pack up.
‘Yes.’
‘When?’
Nick took his time in answering. ‘New Year’s Eve. That is if my calculations are correct.’
‘Are you still going to keep it secret?’
‘Yes, and I expect you to as well.’
‘I will,’ said Tony quietly. ‘I won’t be telling anybody about anything anymore. Not after last night.’
There were lots of people in the lounge when they got back.Betty was the first to see Tony and she quickly took his arm, leading
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