Crow Country (16 page)

The girl licked her lips, and glanced around again. ‘So what I want to know is – did Waa change history? Did
I
change history? Did Waa – I dunno – take back Sadie's punishment, or something? Did he stop being angry with her? Is that why she lived?'

The girl stared at the crow, half-bold, half-
pleading.

‘
Waaah
,' said the crow. ‘
Waa-aaah
.'

The girl shook her head. ‘I don't understand . . .
I can't understand you any more.'

‘
Waah
,' said the crow, sadly.

‘Does that mean Walter's right? It really is all over?'

‘
Waaaah!
'

The girl's face crinkled in frustration. ‘Does that mean yes or no?'

‘
Waah!
'

The girl spread her hands. ‘Then I guess I'd better say goodbye.'

The crow shifted on its perch, and then it unfurled its wings and flapped lazily away, climbing into the empty sky.

Far below, Sadie flung back her head. ‘Goodbye, Crow! Goodbye, Waa! Only – this is your country, isn't it? You're not going anywhere.'

And from far above her, invisible in the wide blue sky, came the distant echo of a crow's laughter.

With thanks to Gary Murray and the Dja Dja Wurrung people, for allowing me to tell this story.

Thanks to Ngarra Murray for the cover illustration; to Susannah Chambers, Eva Mills and Jodie Webster at Allen & Unwin for their unfailing help and encouragement; and to Michael, my personal First World War historian.

Kate Constable is a Melbourne writer who grew up in Papua New Guinea. She is the author of the internationally-published fantasy trilogy,
The Chanters of Tremaris
, as well as
The Taste of Lightning
. As part of the
Girlfriend
Fiction series, she has written
Always Mackenzie
and
Winter of Grace
(joint winner of the Children's Peace Literature Award, 2009) and co-authored
Dear Swoosie
(with Penni Russon). Her novel 
Cicada Summer
was short-listed for the 2010 Prime Minister's Literary Award (Children's Fiction).

Kate lives in West Preston with her husband, two daughters and a bearded dragon.