The Birthmark (24 page)

‘Give me the sword,' he commanded.

Lily raised her hand, flexing her fingers. Moving with mechanical stiffness they slowly released their grip on the sword.

Riki took it from her and placed it at the foot of the trees. Taking up the discarded branches he stood motionless for an instant then breathed deeply. Each exhalation was a loud rushing puff. He raised the branches above his head and shook them, chanting in a language Hector didn't recognise.

The old man shuddered and puffed as he sang, bringing down the branches in sharp brushing motions about the sword and the tree trunks, as if he were swatting at flies. Then suddenly his shoulders slumped and he placed the branches beside the sword. He turned to face Hector, Lily and Christina.

‘We are safe now,' he said, ‘the anger is gone from this place. Bring the light close, boy, you must help me.'

Hector couldn't move. He'd never seen his
ibu
dance and chant like that. Was his
ibu
a witch? Was it true what everyone said, that his
ibu
was crazy? His head was spinning.

It was Christina who nudged him forward. His feet jerked to life and carried him over to his grandfather who knelt at the base of the trees. Even though the anger had gone from this place, an unbearable cold remained that made him shake.

‘I…I think I can feel the air now, Ibu,' he said.

‘Yes, he is here—yes, I see him,' the old man said as he reached in through the trees. His big fingers shovelled under the skull and eased it from the ground. ‘Bring the bucket,' he said.

Hector retrieved the bucket, pulled out the bottle and placed them both beside the old man. He stood to move away but his
ibu
caught him by the arm.

‘Go in now, boy, go through the trees and dig around for more bones.'

Hector froze. Not inside where the body lay—he didn't want to do it.

‘Go now, you're a small size.'

‘It's OK,' Christina said behind him, ‘Lily and I will shine the torches.' One of the girls squeezed his shoulder, encouraging him.

Hector took a deep breath then pushed through the screen of branches and knelt in the earth. It was damp and gritty against his legs. After five minutes and a lot of digging and prodding he found more bones, smaller ones, pieces of spine and ribs and arms. They were cold in his hands. He passed them out to his
ibu
who placed them all in the bucket.

‘No more. I think that's all there is.'

‘It's not very many,' Christina said.

‘I think rats and crabs, and rain and wild pigs have been before us. That's all there is,' said Riki.

‘I want to come out now,' Hector said.

‘No,' Riki said, passing a torch through to him, ‘go into the pinnacles, bring back these things: the tin and the black stone.'

Hector stared at his grandfather and shook his head. ‘We've got the bones, let's go!'

‘It's not finished yet, Hector...do as I say,' Riki urged. Reluctantly Hector took the torch and crawled forward. There were pinnacles on either side of him and one far in front, which formed a small room of rock. He stood up and shone the torch around. The pinnacle directly opposite had a shelf carved into its surface. On it lay a metal tin covered with a smooth black stone. A tin and a stone—how did Ibu know? He picked them up and put them in his pocket. The stone was heavy and warm against his thigh.

Hector crawled out from the bushes, pulled the objects from his pocket and gave them to his grandfather. Ibu sighed as he took the stone and let it roll across his palm before he gave it a squeeze. Then he handed it back to Hector. ‘You will need this magic now. Keep it safe,' he said.

Hector wondered what he meant about magic. He watched his
ibu
place the tin beside the sword and the bucket of bones. Then the old man picked up the bottle and took a few steps back. ‘Off the light,' he said.

Hector and Lily turned off the torches. The black of the forest surrounded them. ‘Shit!' Hector jumped as Lily's hand pawed at his shoulder. Christina stifled a nervous laugh.

‘Quiet!' the old man barked. ‘Be still, he must talk.'

They stood in silence, waiting for something to happen. Lily clutched Hector's arm and her breath warmed his ear. Apart from her closeness and the heat of the stone in his pocket, Hector felt chilled to his bones. If it weren't for his heart thumping in his chest he might have been snap cooled like a fish in a freezer. As Hector's eyes adjusted to the night he heard a soft droning, a humming that must have been Ibu blowing over the neck of the bottle.

Then a drifting haze of light formed above the place where the sword was lying. Hector gasped as he felt Lily's fingernails dig into his arm. Behind them Christina swore softly and huddled closer. The figure of a man stood in front of them, faded and yellowy-green. He wore a small peaked cap, sandy uniform and high black boots, and he rested his hand on a long sword at his side. The handle was decorated with a row of diamond shapes. Slowly he raised the sword in front of his face and held it steady.

Hector wanted to run, but his feet were leaden. Except for the warmth against his thigh the cold seemed to claw about him; even the girls' radiant heat had leached away.

‘Where will you lie,
yani egirow
?' Riki asked.

Hector heard the word ‘Baringa' howl about him but it was unlike any spoken voice he knew and the shrill tone lingered like the ringing of a bell.

‘Be at peace,' Ibu said and at once the image bowed forward and disappeared.

Hector tried to lift his trembling legs. ‘Can I shine the torch now?' he said, but his voice came out as a squeak.

‘Yes, we go now,' Riki said, ‘we go to Baringa to say goodbye.'

thirty

Anbwido Leper Colony
12 July 1943

Tepu had been selected to join a group of men for a task on the outskirts of Anbwido. It had surprised him, since he didn't feel fit. He'd taken five days to recover from Egirow's beating the week before.

Now the marines ordered them to round up all the people at the leper colony and help carry their possessions to the reef. There would be a boat perhaps, like the ship that took their relatives away. If only Tepu could go with them, be with Edouwe and escape this torture together.

He saw her walking in the middle of the group, holding two woven mats and a basket, no doubt the only belongings she and her grandparents had. She smiled when she saw him and found her way over to the edge of the group. She walked just in front of him with her head down.

‘Where are they taking us? I don't want to leave you,' she said, talking to her feet.

‘I don't know what's going on. Be brave,' he whispered. The marines shouted at them to move faster and keep quiet. So they walked in silence to Baringa Bay and Tepu was filled with dread.

Baringa Bay Channel
Saturday 3 July 2004

Lorelei drove home from the hospital where she'd left Eldon and Rongo. The moonlight shone over Baringa Bay making it look like a professional photograph. She yawned, then peered into the distance. There was someone at the channel. She had seen the pale yellow light, but now there was nothing. Stupid arseholes, what were people doing on the reef before dawn? Must be keen fishermen, she thought. She slowed the Landrover, cut the lights and engine and rolled to a stop in the grey predawn light. Out on the reef four figures waded a few metres out, carrying what looked like fishing tackle. But wait—she knew that walk, that silhouette—one of them was Lily.

Lorelei rolled out of the vehicle and stomped to the channel's edge. ‘Where do you think you're going?' she bellowed.

The figures paused and turned; the one that was Lily almost ran but the bigger one grabbed her, spoke to her, then pushed her forward. She walked back through the shallows dragging something along behind her.

‘You're in trouble girl, better come home now,' Lorelei called.

Lily marched slowly up the channel ramp and stopped a few metres short of her mother. ‘I'm not going home. I'm not going anywhere with you,' she said.

Lorelei felt a familiar rage build inside her. She strode towards her, ‘Come home now!' she ordered.

‘You deaf? I said I'm not coming home. I've got something I have to do.' She lifted the sword up in front of her eyes and held it still.

Lorelei stopped, transfixed by the sword. So this was Lily's weapon. She looked from Lily to the others on the reef. Had the weird old Gilbert man made her daughter crazy too?

‘Come on, girl. Don't you go around with crazy people,' she whispered, edging closer.

‘They're good people, they're my friends.'

‘Lily, the old man's mad, you know that…' ‘Don't come any closer,' Lily hissed, pointing the sword at Lorelei's neck. The metal gleamed in the half-light and Lorelei saw that it didn't shake; Lily's grip was firm.

Lorelei paused, wondering how to distract her daughter or calm her down. ‘Eh, what you doing? Put it down, Lil. Don't be stupid,' she said, backing off.

‘I'm not stupid. You touch me and I'll cut you.'

Lorelei struggled for the right words. How was she to convince the stupid bitch to come home? How was she going to get her to put down that sword? ‘Lily, you're already in trouble, what you did to Eldon and having that boy at the house. Don't make it worse.'

‘It already is worse. What you did to me, what he did to me.'

‘What about what you've done to Eldon? I've just left the hospital. He's lost three fingers, you bitch,' Lorelei screamed at her.

Lily pushed forward, her eyes wild and bulging. She pressed the sword up against Lorelei's throat and leered into her mother's face.

‘Good, then he won't touch me again!' she said.

The words echoed in Lorelei's head. ‘What do you mean, girl?'

‘I mean, what happens in that house. Don't you know?'

Lorelei opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

‘No—no you don't because you're never home. You're never there to protect me. So I do it myself now—see. And no bastard uncle's going to push his way in and force me ever again.'

‘What are you saying?' Lorelei asked, her voice trembling as she inched backwards. Did she mean Eldon? No, it wasn't possible. Lorelei thudded against the Landrover. One of her elbows banged against the door. She winced from the pain and looked about. There was no escape. The sword, cold against her neck, pinned her to the vehicle. She looked into her daughter's face, searching for sympathy or pity but in the pale light saw only a curled top lip—just like her own. As she realised their sameness something burst in her mind, and a knot of doubt and mistrust about her younger brother unravelled. Her confidence shrivelled. She cowered as Lily, furious and strong, loomed over her.

‘Eldon?' Lorelei whispered.

‘Arsehole Eldon,' Lily said, spitting the words out.

Lorelei sniffed and her eyes began to twitch. How could he, her own brother. ‘No, what are you saying? Stop lying!'

Lily jerked forward, pressing the sword deeper against her mother's throat. ‘I'm not lying, you stupid witch, it's true! You don't care about what happens to me, do you?'

‘No!' Lorelei gasped. Her head throbbed with panic as she tried to find soothing words. ‘I worry when you're out at night. It's not safe.'

‘Safe! It's not safe in my own house. I'm not safe with you or Eldon,' Lily said, snarling. ‘How do you think it feels, to be forced?'

Lorelei swallowed hard against the pressing blade. Memories flooded her brain: the fear, the shame, the self-loathing, the hatred and the honey-skinned baby born with a guilty smear. ‘Don't tell me,' she whispered, ‘I already know it. How do you think you were conceived?'

thirty-one

Baringa Bay
12 July 1943

The lepers and their carers placed all their belongings in a pile on the beach and lined up on the reef as the marines instructed. Then the marines told Tepu and the other men to line up behind them.