I feel sad for their girls. I hope I don’t turn out like that.’
‘That’s not what you want?’ asked Andy calmly.
‘No. Of course not.’ Veronica paused. ‘They’re my family and I love them, but I don’t want to end up like them.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘C’mon, show time.’ He paused. ‘Veronica, you’re a bright girl, talented and sensitive. Concentrate on your own life. And anytime you want an ear to listen, I’m here.’
‘Thanks, Andy. You’re a good friend.’
She gathered up her papers, made herself a cup of tea,settled herself at her desk and looked over the notes she’d made with Colin Peterson as she picked up the phone to ring him.
‘Hi, Colin. I was wondering if I could ask you a few more questions,’ said Veronica. ‘I’m trying to get the story in my head, as it happened. How did you feel when you finally set off on this great adventure?’
Colin was surprised that everyone was on time and ready to go when they assembled outside Madame Olga’s mansion at Darling Point in the dawn light. It augured well for the trip, he thought. He gazed at his fellow travellers.
Topov strode among them, dressed in what appeared to be a new outfit of large khaki Bombay shorts held up by a leather belt with an elaborate buckle. Glasses hung around his neck as well as his director’s eyepiece, which was on a length of leather and tucked into his top pocket. He carried an ancient straw hat and wore boots that looked to be more suitable for snow than dust. Topov waved his arms a lot and kept checking on the last-minute loading of the cars. Peter and Drago ignored him.
‘Keep camera ready on top. Put in number one car. Topov can shoot quickly.’
‘There won’t be anything to film yet, for a while,’ said Drago.
‘Where is map? Topov keep map, show way to Northern Territory.’
‘Won’t we need a map to get to Bourke first?’ asked Colin. ‘We have to know which highway to take.’
‘We need to be on the road,’ said Helen, glancing at her watch. She was sensibly dressed in cotton slacks and a short-sleeved shirt and carried a large notebook.
Johnny lit a cigarette. ‘Who’s carrying the food? And who’s going with me?’
Johnny, Drago and Peter were the drivers. Topov, who assured them that he was an excellent driver, preferred to be in the lead car and navigate. ‘I see shots, we stop.’
Colin thought it strange that they’d be filming random things that caught Topov’s fancy. From the books he had read he was envisioning a large crew carefully setting up cameras and directing proceedings. ‘Is this how it’s always done?’ he asked Drago.
‘Shoot from the hip and run seems to be Topov’s idea, which is okay for some sequences. But I’m sure you’ll see the Hollywood-style director extravaganza before we finish,’ said Drago with a grin that was almost a grimace.
They set off. Johnny drove the Land Rover with Topov and Helen, who kept a wary eye on the little caravan they were towing. Drago drove the Jeep. Peter, Marta and Colin followed in the Dodge. There was little traffic as the convoy drove west towards the Blue Mountains.
‘Goodbye, Sydney. Goodbye, Sydney Harbour. I don’t suppose we’ll see as much water again for a long time,’ said Peter.
‘It is a beautiful city,’ Marta observed. ‘So . . . unspoiled. I don’t mean clean or not built up, but untouched. These Australians are very fortunate people.’
‘Untouched by war, you mean,’ said Peter looking at her. ‘Sweden was neutral. I don’t expect that you saw very much of the war. You didn’t see what I did.’
‘I saw enough. Where were you in the war?’
‘I was with the Dutch Resistance. Some of my family were killed in the war. After it was finished I wanted to get as far away as I could, so came to Australia. I worked on the Snowy River Scheme. Why are you here?’
Marta glanced back at Colin. ‘Europe is old and dying. I wanted to see the new world. Do as I
‘That’s not what you want?’ asked Andy calmly.
‘No. Of course not.’ Veronica paused. ‘They’re my family and I love them, but I don’t want to end up like them.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘C’mon, show time.’ He paused. ‘Veronica, you’re a bright girl, talented and sensitive. Concentrate on your own life. And anytime you want an ear to listen, I’m here.’
‘Thanks, Andy. You’re a good friend.’
She gathered up her papers, made herself a cup of tea,settled herself at her desk and looked over the notes she’d made with Colin Peterson as she picked up the phone to ring him.
‘Hi, Colin. I was wondering if I could ask you a few more questions,’ said Veronica. ‘I’m trying to get the story in my head, as it happened. How did you feel when you finally set off on this great adventure?’
Colin was surprised that everyone was on time and ready to go when they assembled outside Madame Olga’s mansion at Darling Point in the dawn light. It augured well for the trip, he thought. He gazed at his fellow travellers.
Topov strode among them, dressed in what appeared to be a new outfit of large khaki Bombay shorts held up by a leather belt with an elaborate buckle. Glasses hung around his neck as well as his director’s eyepiece, which was on a length of leather and tucked into his top pocket. He carried an ancient straw hat and wore boots that looked to be more suitable for snow than dust. Topov waved his arms a lot and kept checking on the last-minute loading of the cars. Peter and Drago ignored him.
‘Keep camera ready on top. Put in number one car. Topov can shoot quickly.’
‘There won’t be anything to film yet, for a while,’ said Drago.
‘Where is map? Topov keep map, show way to Northern Territory.’
‘Won’t we need a map to get to Bourke first?’ asked Colin. ‘We have to know which highway to take.’
‘We need to be on the road,’ said Helen, glancing at her watch. She was sensibly dressed in cotton slacks and a short-sleeved shirt and carried a large notebook.
Johnny lit a cigarette. ‘Who’s carrying the food? And who’s going with me?’
Johnny, Drago and Peter were the drivers. Topov, who assured them that he was an excellent driver, preferred to be in the lead car and navigate. ‘I see shots, we stop.’
Colin thought it strange that they’d be filming random things that caught Topov’s fancy. From the books he had read he was envisioning a large crew carefully setting up cameras and directing proceedings. ‘Is this how it’s always done?’ he asked Drago.
‘Shoot from the hip and run seems to be Topov’s idea, which is okay for some sequences. But I’m sure you’ll see the Hollywood-style director extravaganza before we finish,’ said Drago with a grin that was almost a grimace.
They set off. Johnny drove the Land Rover with Topov and Helen, who kept a wary eye on the little caravan they were towing. Drago drove the Jeep. Peter, Marta and Colin followed in the Dodge. There was little traffic as the convoy drove west towards the Blue Mountains.
‘Goodbye, Sydney. Goodbye, Sydney Harbour. I don’t suppose we’ll see as much water again for a long time,’ said Peter.
‘It is a beautiful city,’ Marta observed. ‘So . . . unspoiled. I don’t mean clean or not built up, but untouched. These Australians are very fortunate people.’
‘Untouched by war, you mean,’ said Peter looking at her. ‘Sweden was neutral. I don’t expect that you saw very much of the war. You didn’t see what I did.’
‘I saw enough. Where were you in the war?’
‘I was with the Dutch Resistance. Some of my family were killed in the war. After it was finished I wanted to get as far away as I could, so came to Australia. I worked on the Snowy River Scheme. Why are you here?’
Marta glanced back at Colin. ‘Europe is old and dying. I wanted to see the new world. Do as I
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