Vanishing Point (20 page)

Each time he grew bolder in his advances but always when Benjamin was out of sight. Katherine had not been sure how to deal with this. She tried talking to Benjamin. ‘Your mate, Karl, doesn't behave properly towards me.'

‘Yeah? Wadda ya mean?'

‘Well, in front of you he's fine. But if you're not there he, well, makes faces to me. And once he touched me up.'

‘Huh! Faces? Touched ya? Wadda ya saying, woman?'

‘I'm suggesting I don't trust him. And I don't think you should either. He makes eyes at me when you're not around.'

‘I know what ya on about, woman. Jist tryin' to stir up feelin' between me an' Karl. We been real mates for a long time. He's a good bloke.'

‘No, I'm serious I —'

‘Karl wouldn't do nothin' ta upset me. He depends on me for everythin'. Can't do nothin' without me so he's not gunna try an' take me woman.'

‘I just think he's not all he —'

‘Now ya tryin' ta stir up trouble between us. He reckons I'm ta soft on ya. I don't treat ya proper like a man should a wife, an' ya should be obedient like what the Bible says. Wants to know why ya sleep on ya own. Wadda ya think?'

All her efforts at being friendly, almost submissive, to try to get Benjamin to think that she accepted her confinement suddenly evaporated. Her frustration at not being able to go and the loss of a potential escape plan caused her anger to boil over.

‘I am not your wife, no matter what you and your Bible say. I am still another man's wife! Alec's wife. You kidnapped me and that's a serious crime. We're living in the twentieth century, not two thousand years ago. Can't you get that into your thick skull? Even after all this time I still desperately want to go home. I don't want to be your wife, or have anything to do with you. I hate you. You keep me here in a prison, you rule me. I don't even have a name here, you just call me “woman”—'

‘Ya know from Genesis, God told us man is to rule over woman and jist as Adam named Eve, it's me right to name ya.

An' I named you ‘Woman,' my woman, ya belong ta me. Ya mine. I own ya.'

‘Belong to you? Own me! I'm not some property, a slave, something to be bought and sold. I am a person, a woman. I don't belong to anyone. Not me, nor my child.'

‘Is ya kid yours? Does she belong to ya?'

‘Yes, she is mine. But she's a child.'

‘An' a woman is like a child. Men must look after em. An' a wife belongs to her man. God says so. He made woman to be a help ta man. An' you belong to me. Jist like ya bubs belongs to ya.'

Katherine realised she was not going to make any head-way in this argument. She switched tracks. ‘Carolyn is nearly ready to start school. My child is growing up to be a weirdo, no friends, no father, no —'

Benjamin interrupted her, his voice rising. ‘No father? I've bin a father to her. I feed her, talk to her. Brought her toys an' even them kids books like ya wanted. I didn't want, but I gave in ta ya. I've bin like a husband to ya, but you ain't been a wife to me, eh. Anyways, she's a girl, so ya kin teach ‘er everythin' she needs ta know.'

The noise of an approaching vehicle made them look up, ending the argument. A short while later a swirl of dust in front of the gates heralded the arrival of the dogger.

Benjamin reached into his pocket and threw the keys to Katherine. ‘That's Karl. Go, woman, an' let him in.' He emphasised the word, ‘woman'.

Katherine carefully put down the cotton thread and needle; simple implements became valuable under these conditions. She pulled on her partly-repaired shirt and slowly walked over to the gate. She no longer cared much about her appearance. Only a few years ago she would never have dared to appear in front of a stranger without being properly dressed, her hair combed and face made up. Yet here she was, wearing only a threadbare shirt and worn-out skirt. She lacked make-up to cover her perspiring face and her ash-blonde hair, now grown long again, hung past her shoulders. She slouched forward, unlocked the gate and opened it.

‘Ta, luv,' was the laconic comment Karl made as he slowly drove in, pausing to look out the driver's window. His dark eyes stared at Katherine's face then down to her chest and her shapely, tanned legs. He grinned, one of his self-rolled cigarettes hanging in the edge of is lip, and drove in.

The men were already seated on the veranda by the time Katherine returned from locking the gate. She started to sit on the steps but Karl spoke to her, ‘There's beer in the esky, should still be cold. Go get us a couple.' He pointed to his vehicle.

Katherine stood, turned and obediently walked to the truck. She opened the door to pick up the esky sitting on the passenger seat and saw the rifle. She'd seen it before, but since the argument with Benjamin, she looked at it with new eyes.

She glanced back at the men on the veranda. They were deep in conversation.

She leaned in and touched the rifle. Fear overcame her as she realised that she knew nothing about guns: not how to load one or even aim. Perhaps it was already loaded. Nervously she lifted it from the supporting clasps. It was heavier than expected. Slowly she fingered the mechanism, trying to decide if it had a safety catch, how to work it and discover if it was loaded.

A gnarled hand suddenly grabbed her firmly by the shoulder. Another curled around her hair, pulling her head sharply back.

‘Put it down, bitch. Don' ya mess with me fuckin' rifle, ya stoopid bitch.'

In shock she dropped the rifle back on to the seat. ‘Ouch, sorry. I —'

‘Shuddup.' Still holding her head right back, Karl pulled the esky to the edge of the seat. ‘Open it, ya bitch an' get two stubbies.'

She grappled in the esky and picked up two bottles by feel.

‘Shut it.'

She closed the esky as ordered.

Karl pushed her roughly back to where Benjamin sat, forcing her to shuffle awkwardly. It hurt but she couldn't put her hands up to try to ease her pain without dropping the beers.

‘Serve ya man,' Karl ordered, forcing her to her knees in front of Benjamin.

She held out the beers.

Karl grinned, he was enjoying her pain and humiliation.

‘What ‘appened?' asked Benjamin.

‘What ‘appened? Ya fuckin' woman was tryin' ta get me fuckin' gun. Reckon ya need ta take ‘er in ‘and a bit, mate. She's bloody dangerous. Ya need ta control ‘er more or she'll kill ya. Or me, or both of us.'

Benjamin didn't object to Karl's swearing. Instead he looked at Katherine still kneeling in front of him. His eyes narrowed. ‘That so? Ya gun, eh?'

By now her the pain in her scalp hurt so much it was making Katherine cry. A mixture of pain, fear and uncontrolled anger welled up inside her.

‘Yes, it is. I want to go home. I thought I could force you to take me home if I took the gun. I've been your prisoner for too long. I just want to go, to get out of here. Please, I beg you, please let me go. Take me and my child home.'

‘Home? Ya is home.' Benjamin turned to Karl, still holding Katherine's hair in his fist. ‘Ya came at a good time. We was jist talking ‘bout her not being a proper wife. Jist listen ta her. Home! I reckon I'se bin patient enough. When is long enough? Wadda ya think, eh?'

Karl looked at Katherine, kneeling on the floor, crying. His mouth curled into a mirthless grin. ‘Sure ya have, mate. Real patient. How long's ya gunna wait, eh?' He ground his cigarette into the ground and leaned into Katherine's face. ‘How long, eh?' His breath smelt foul, but it was not the smell of stale tobacco. It had a sweetish scent to it.

Benjamin continued. ‘The gun, eh? No proper wife would take a gun ta her man. Ain't right.'

‘Ya right, Benjamin. She's dangerous an' not a proper wife ta ya. Mind ya, I reckon I could help ya there. I could teach her to be a proper wife, like ya wants? Like ya told me the Bible says she must be? I reckon God wants me to help ya.'

Benjamin responded to Karl while looking at Katherine, ‘Well …' He hesitated. ‘I'm goin' ta Perth tomorrow. Be away ‘bout two weeks. Ya gunna ‘ave ta look after the place an' her anyways. Mebbe ya kin teach her to obey her man like the Bible says?'

‘Sure, I'd be pleased ta help ya. She's gunna be real pleased to see ya back, eh? I promise.'

Benjamin looked back at Katherine. He saw the fear in her eyes and hesitated momentarily. ‘Don't ya hurt her. Jist tell her what she has to do to be a good wife. An' she's me wife, not yours, even if ya is me mate, so no muckin' about. God's law says, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Ya know what that means, don' ya? An' what'll ‘appen if ya break God's laws.'

‘Oh, yeah. Sure I know. Wouldn't dream of anythin' like that, mate.'

‘Ya reckon ya kin fix her? I want her to be a proper wife but I ain't gunna force her. She ‘as to come ta me by herself, that's what God wants.'

‘No worries, I won' hit her. Jist tell her. Ya know, bit of stick an' carrot. Reward an' the like. Don' worry, mate she'll listen ta me.'

‘Jist make sure ya keep ya gun locked up.' Benjamin hesitated. He knew that Karl could be violent, but he also knew that he could ruin Karl's life with a single anonymous call to the police.

Their symbiotic relationship meant they needed each other. Karl needed Benjamin so he could remain anonymous; Karl used his vehicle and gun but Benjamin owned them. His life as a shooter would be over if Benjamin chose.

‘Yeah, okay. If ya do anythin' ta her I don' like, it'll be ya that's gorn, mate.'

‘No worries, mate. I promise no hurtin'. Jist tell an' show. She'll be right, mate. Ya know I wouldn't do anythin' ta upset me ol' mate.'

Benjamin had tried patience and kindness with this woman. Perhaps now was the time for her to see there were others who could be less kind. Perhaps it was God's way. God of mercy could also be God who demanded punishment and anger. That what the Bible shows. ‘Jist make sure ya keep ya gun locked up.'

T
he night before Benjamin left, Katherine hardly slept. She was terrified at the thought of being alone at the Factory with Karl. She looked at Carolyn peacefully asleep next to her and thought it was amazing that she had survived so well, through all the hardships. At this age, had she been in a normal environment, she would have had several visits to Mothers-and-Babies, received advice on weaning, had her weight checked and had all the appropriate inoculations. In spite of these things missing from her little life, she was the picture of health.

Katherine was less sure of her own health. She knew she had slimmed down but was unsure of her actual appearance; Benjamin regarded mirrors as a source of vanity. Once he had caught her brushing her hair using the vehicle mirror and had verbally abused her, quoting the sin of vanity. Now, the most she could check was her reflection in a window. In spite of this, she managed to maintain her looks to ensure she did not succumb to depression. It was important that she be strong and set an example for her child.

She rose early to start breakfast for the men. Karl was asleep on a camp bed on the veranda. He stirred as she passed.

Although it was summer the pre-dawn temperature was cool and Katherine shivered, not just from the cold but also because of the nervousness with which she anticipated the week ahead. Over the meal, conversation was more limited and stilted than usual. Karl joined them after feeding his dog, Jackie. Normally left free to roam Karl chained him near the gates overnight.

‘Please, Benjamin, get these things on my list. I need them for the baby and I really need some clothes, especially some warmer things. Last winter I nearly froze and had to go around half the day with the blanket wrapped around me.'

‘Yeah. It says if a man takes another wife he shall not diminish her food, her clothing and her marriage rights. If he does not provide her with these things she can go free. Give me a list an' I'll keep me part of the deal. But ya need to keep yours. I'll buy ‘em. But Karl ‘ere will tell me if you get ‘em, or not. Like he said, carrot an' stick, like.'

Karl looked up from the table, smiled his crooked grin and started rolling his breakfast smoke. Into the fine green-grey filling he sprinkled a little white powder.

Benjamin left the table.

Katherine collected the breakfast things and began to wash the dishes. She looked up at the sound of a vehicle departing.

The dust from Benjamin's departing Land Rover had hardly dissipated when Karl swung around to face Katherine, his eyes glinting with pure evil. At last here was a woman, alone with him, who could not make fun of him. Mock him. Bloody women. Bitches all. His voice was deceptively soft, ‘Well, woman. Wadda ya think, eh?'

‘What do you mean, ‘what do I think'?'

‘Benjamin told me to teach ya to be a good wife ta him. So, how's I gunna do that, eh? An' without beltin' ya, eh?'