The Boys from Binjiwunyawunya (24 page)

‘I'll go and warm the engines up, George.' He winked at Les before he disappeared inside the plane. ‘You've got a few minutes yet.'

‘Righto wing commander. And this fella here's got your money,' he added, resting his hand on Tjalkalieri's shoulder. ‘He'll fix you up when you land. Okay?'

‘No Cloncurries George.'

There was an awkward silence for a moment as the boys smiled at Norton and he smiled back at them.

‘Well. What can I say?' he finally said, the smile on his face breaking into a huge grin. ‘Just what can I bloody well say?'

‘Yes,' grinned back Tjalkalieri. ‘That's about it Les. What can you say?'

‘I can't say it was the best five days I've ever spent. But... it's definitely got to be the most memorable.'

‘Yes. It certainly was different, old fella. Wasn't it?' said Yarrawulla.

‘It certainly was,' agreed Norton. He stared at his three Aboriginal friends for a few seconds, then slapped his hand hard against his thigh. ‘I hate to have to say this. But I'm gonna miss you three little pricks.'

With the grin back on his face bigger than ever, Norton shook hands with each of them. And the handshakes were warm and firm and lasted quite a bit longer than your normal handshake.

‘I'll tell you what Les,' chuckled Mumbi. ‘We've got to admit. We did everything we could to stir you up.'

‘Fair dinkum. Did you?' replied Norton innocently. ‘Well I'd never have noticed.'

‘You noticed all right,' replied Yarrawulla. ‘In fact at one stage there I thought you were going to choke Chalky.'

‘Now would I do a thing like that?' grinned Norton.

The boys were about to say something when the two engines whined and kicked over, sending a dusty blast of propwash swooshing over them. They moved a little away from the plane to escape the wind and noise.

‘Anyway,' said Norton, having to raise his voice a little over the noise of the engines. ‘It's all over now. And to show there's no hard feelings. Here.' He opened his overnight bag and took out a small, black plastic bag which he handed to Tjalkalieri. ‘There's your fifty grand. Plus that fuckin' loading you've been whingeing about.'

Tjalkalieri studied the bag of money for a second, then bounced it up and down in his hand as if he was weighing it mentally. ‘Exactly what do you mean by that, Les?'

‘There's about $75,000 there Chalky. Plus the four grand you've got to give the pilot. Bit of a bonus for you.'

‘But... just a second Les,' protested Tjalkalieri. ‘Didn't you say something in the hotel, that what was left after paying us and all was to be your share?'

‘Yeah,' shrugged Norton. ‘But who gives a shit. I couldn't really tike it and I'd only end up giving it back to Price. Not that he'd want it. So you blokes may as well have it. Price won't miss it anyway. He takes ten times that on a good Saturday night.'

‘Jesus, Les,' said Tjalkalieri, awkwardly expressing the sentiments of the others.

‘Anyway,' said Norton, nodding towards the plane. ‘I just saw the pilot wave to me. So I reckon it's time to go boys.'

They shook hands briefly again when Mumbi's face broke into a huge grin. He looked at the others for a moment, then back at Norton before he spoke.

‘To tell you the truth,' he said. ‘It's not as if we didn't think of you either. In fact we brought you down a little present too. We've just been waiting for the right opportunity to give it to you. And I reckon this is it.' He put his hand in his tracksuit pocket and handed Norton a tiny leather pouch made out of emu skin. ‘There you go, Les. A present from the boys.'

Norton opened the pouch and inside were what looked like two pieces of clay-covered gravel about the size of sultanas. He tipped them into his palm and studied them curiously for a few seconds.

‘What are these?' he asked, looking at all three of them. ‘Lucky stones,' smiled Tjalkalieri.

‘Lucky stones?'

‘Yeah.'

‘What am I gonna do with them?'

‘Keep them. They're lucky,*' said Yarrawulla.

‘Fair enough,' shrugged Norton. ‘If you blokes say they're lucky they've got to be. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.'

‘If they don't bring you any luck,' grinned Mumbi. ‘Throw them at the pigeons out your way.'

‘Yeah,' nodded Yarrawulla. ‘Make yourself a slingshot and fire them at any pigeons in your backyard.'

The three little Aborigines grinned at each other, then burst out laughing as if they had some private joke going amongst themselves.

Norton continued to study the two pieces of gravel before finally putting them back in their pouch. ‘Lucky stones? Pigeons?' he said shaking his head. ‘Buggered if I know what you're on about. But thanks anyway.'

‘Don't worry about it,' said Tjalkalieri. ‘You'll work it out. Anyway, we've got a plane to catch.'

‘Yeah, you lucky bludgers. I wish I was going with you.'

They moved over to the steps where they said their last goodbyes. Kingsley gave Norton a bit of a wave and pulled up the hatch, leaving Les walking back alone to the hangar. He turned around to see three beautiful white grins almost shining at him from the portholes. With a bit of a lump in his throat he waved back then stood there as the Beechcraft taxied out to disappear momentarily amongst the other planes taxiing around. A few minutes later he saw it take off and
bank towards the ocean. Subconsciously he gave another wave then headed back to his car.

Just before he started the engine Norton pulled the little pouch out of his pocket and tipped the two pieces of gravel, or whatever, into his hand. He studied them intently for a minute or two before putting them back. So that's my earn for five days of living like a pig in that sleezy hotel in Redfern eh? He chuckled to himself. Two pieces of blue metal. Oh well, you never know, they might be lucky. ‘I'll take them down to the paper shop with me on Friday, when I put my Lotto tickets in.

After sharing the one mildewed shower — and not all that often — with three others for almost a week, Norton's shower at home was like sheer, oppulent luxury. Plenty of steaming hot water. His own special soaps. His own shampoos and conditioners. His own backscrubber. And all Warren's imported aftershave lotions and deodorants. He took his time in the bathroom, changed into a clean pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, unhurriedly made a pot of tea and some sandwiches for lunch, did his laundry, then pottered around the house doing not much more than just enjoying being back home.

At about half past three, he headed over to Price's place.

Price's gardener, cum caretaker, Vince, an ex-sergeant in the Welsh Guards and still ramrod straight despite it being over twenty years since he'd left the army, waved him through the security gates with a smile.

‘G'day Vince,' said Norton, smiling back at the grey haired, rosy cheeked Welshman. ‘Price is expecting me. Where is he?'

‘He's out the back by the pool boyo,' replied Vince. ‘Eddie's with him.'

‘Righto mate.'

Les cruised up the white concrete driveway to the front of the mansion where he pulled in between Price's Rolls and Eddie's Mercedes; Myra's BMW was nowhere to be seen so he figured she must be out somewhere. The huge front door was open but instead of walking through the house Les cut around the side. Price and Eddie were seated at one of those white, wrought-iron outdoor tables sipping coffee. Price had just got off an extension phone when they both spotted him coming towards them.

‘Hello, here he is,' beamed Price. ‘The man of the bloody hour. Grab a seat old son, it's good to see you. We've missed
not having your big boofhead around the last few days.'

‘Our man in Redfern,' grinned Eddie. ‘Les Norton. Undercover agent extraordinaire. How are you mate?'

Norton returned their grins and after a brief handshake pulled up a seat facing away from the glare of the swimming pool. ‘Any coffee left?' he asked, nodding towards the silver pot.

‘Help yourself,' smiled Price. ‘Eddie only brewed it five minutes ago.'

Price and Eddie were obviously delighted to see Les and were all smiles as they started firing questions at him the moment his bum hit the seat. It wasn't hard to see they were breaking their necks to find out what had happened in that hotel in Redfern. Especially Eddie. However, the smiles on their faces were well and truly gone about thirty minutes later when Norton refused to elaborate on what had happened back at room 9 in the Thames Tavern. In fact the look on Eddie's was downright rancorous. Les explained, and in detail, where all the money went. He told them about the fight with Frank and his two mates and about meeting Kingsley. But he wouldn't disclose where the boys came from, nor give out too many details about the ceremony. Not that he would have told them about the finale in the RSL. No-one would believe that. Les still wasn't too sure about it himself.

‘So that's about it fellas,' said Norton, taking a sip of his second cup of coffee. ‘The boys made me promise I wouldn't let on what they did. And that's it. Sorry. But I gave them my word.'

Eddie was almost fuming. Price was still quite curious but more-or-less glad just to have Percy Kilby out of the way. Both, however, knew Norton was as staunch as they come; the big Queenslander's word was his bond and if he'd been told to keep something to himself he would. They respected him for it, though in this case it was exasperating to say the least.

‘But Jesus, Les,' pleaded Eddie. ‘Surely you can tell us something. I mean. All you've told us is about getting that blood. They point a bone out the window. Sing and dance a little bit — and Kilby has a heart attack four days later. Come on.'

‘Well that's all you need to know anyway,' replied Norton. ‘Look Eddie. I started asking that pilot mate of yours a few questions about you. And he soon clammed up. So...'

‘Fair enough,' sighed Eddie grudgingly.

Price leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head. ‘Anyway, who gives a stuff? The job's done and that's the main thing.'

‘That's right,' nodded Les.

‘I still reckon you're a mug though,' said Price ‘for not keeping that twenty-odd grand that was over.'

‘Doesn't matter,' shrugged Norton. ‘They deserved it more than me.'

‘Suit yourself,' said Price, shrugging his shoulders also. ‘But no good putting yourself out of pocket.'

‘I'm not out of pocket.'

‘You've done a week's wages.'

Norton screwed up his face. ‘What do you mean? I've done a week's wages?'

‘I've had Danny bloody McCormack up the club the last four nights. You don't think I can afford to pay him and pay you as well while you're galavanting around Redfern.'

Norton shifted his gaze out across the pool and shook his head.

‘But don't worry.' Price winked over at Eddie. ‘See George tomorrow night at work and if you're going bad you can sub him for a few bucks till payday.'

Norton smiled and went to pour another cup of coffee but it was cold. ‘That's not the only money I've lost, too, come to think of it,' he chuckled. ‘I also done $500 on that rotten horse of yours. Dealer's Choice.'

‘That's right,' grinned Eddie. ‘You're into the Brute for five hundred aren't you?

‘Poor old Dealer's Choice,' intoned Price. ‘He fell in a bit of a hole halfway down the straight. He's in again next week at Rosehill. He should win then.'

‘Mmhh! Now you tell me.'

‘So,' said Eddie slowly. The grin on his face had widened. He was still dirty on Les for not telling him exactly what happened in the hotel and now he was getting a bit of a buzz out of seeing him squirm. ‘You could say it wasn't the most profitable week you've ever had mate.'

‘Yeah. I suppose you could,' smiled Les. ‘But I did finish up with something out of the wreck.' He dipped into the front pocket of his jeans and took out the tiny, emu-skin pouch. ‘I finished up with these.' He tipped the two pieces of gravel out into his hand and held them out in front of Price and Eddie. ‘Lucky stones.'

‘What did you say they were?' asked Eddie, holding a piece
of gravel between his forefinger and thumb. Price held the other.

‘Lucky stones. The boys gave them to me just before they left.'

Price still hadn't said anything. The smile on his face however had completely disappeared as he peered almost transfixed at the small greyish brown piece of stone in his hand. Suddenly he reached across the table and almost snatched the other out of Eddie's fingers. ‘Give me a look at that other one,' he muttered gruffly.

With slightly amused smiles creeping across their faces, the other two watched as Price carefully rolled the tiny pieces of stone around in his fingers. He jiggled them around in his cupped hands as if he was trying to weigh them before licking the edge of one and scratching at the wet part with his thumbnail. Finally he held that one up to the light and squinted at it with one eye closed.

‘Where did you say you got these?' he asked, turning and staring almost accusingly at Les.

‘The boys gave them to me as a going-away present, just before they got on the plane,' replied Norton indifferently. ‘They said they were lucky.'

Price's eyes darted back to the little rocks, then back to Norton. ‘Yeah. What are you going to do with them?'

‘Keep 'em,' shrugged Les. ‘Take 'em with me when I go to buy my lottery tickets. You never know. They might just be lucky and I won't have to put up with you anymore.'

Price ran his tongue around the inside of his cheek for a moment. ‘How about leaving them with me for the night.'

‘Yeah, okay,' shrugged Norton. ‘What are you going to do with them?'

‘I just want to have a good look at them — that's all.'