‘You want a farm? Cash? Damn well work for them.’ He turned to his granddaughter. ‘It’s mine for just as long as it takes to give it away. It’s going lock, stock and barrel to the wetlands people.’ He pointed. ‘Bush reserve up there…and down over there, see that ocean of flax? Swamp, wetland reserve. This block links the two. I’m giving it on the understanding that it be allowed to revert to bush, swamp, whatever.’

‘The house? Buildings?’

‘Will be gone just as soon as a bulldozer does a spot of longoverdue work.’ The hard grey eyes had lost any trace of humour.

The young man looked into his grandfather’s eyes, a glimmer of a smile on his good-natured face. ‘I don’t think you’ve lost your memory, Grandad. I was just joking about that before. There’s something about this place, isn’t there? Why else did you bring Emma and me with you today? Yeah. There’s something about this place. You going to tell us?’

The trio rounded a corner and the old man paused. ‘Milking shed…’ He sighed. ‘Well, once it was. Come on, you two. Let’s go. I’ve seen enough. More than enough.’ He turned to walk back towards the house. Their way was barred.

‘Long last, eh, Doc? Got what you wanted now? Reckon it took you a while. Guess you think you’ve done for me this time, Pongo.’ The speech was slurred, the fat red face bloated, blood-engorged, angry. He carried a bottle, punctuating his speech with frequent gulps. ‘What do you say to that? What’ve you been telling these two, eh? Telling them what you got up to down here all them years back? Bet you haven’t told ‘em the half of it. Bet you haven’t told ‘em the good bits.’ A sneer and a snarl.

‘Get out of the way, Pearson. In fact, get off the property. It’s my bloody property now!’ Each old man glared at the other.

‘Come on, Grandad,’ the girl took hold of her grandfather’s arm. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Yeah. Go on. Run for it, Pongo. You did it before, when you couldn’t take it. Now do it again,’ the fat man jeered.

‘You don’t speak to my grandfather like that!’

‘Forget it, Mack.’ Suddenly his grandfather laughed. ‘Leave him be.