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When the bathroom door closed, Ellie walked over to the sink where Heather was filling the kettle. ‘Is he sick? Has he seen the doctor?’

Heather shook her head. ‘No, he’s got something on his mind and he won’t talk about it. Lots of mysterious phone calls at all hours, and he leaves the room so I can’t overhear. He’s been to Darwin about five times in the last two weeks. And every time he comes back he looks more worried than the last time.’

‘I’m not surprised that he’s so tired.’ It was a good five-hour return trip from Black Jungle Springs to Darwin. ‘I wonder what’s going on.’

‘I can’t get it out of him.’ Heather shrugged. ‘But you know the way he is. When he’s good and ready, he’ll share. Now get the knife and cut me a huge piece of that carrot cake.’

The kettle boiled and they sat down at the table together. Heather reminded her about the band playing in the bar.

‘Make sure you get dressed up tonight, Els. We don’t get much chance to. And if you do, I can get dolled up and not look too obvious. Don’t want to scare Fly Boy away.’ Heather wiped her mouth and let out a gentle burp. ‘Oops, pardon me.’

‘That’ll pull him in.’ Ellie nudged her friend with her elbow. ‘Treat him gently. If he comes that is. I get the impression Kane’s not very interested in socialising.’

Heather burst out laughing. ‘Aw, come on, Els, I’m not that bad.’

‘You are too, Heath! You can be downright scary, especially when you’re all dressed up. And when you put on that Mae West voice – the blokes have no hope.’

‘I can’t wait to get to know him better.’ Heather waggled her eyebrows and giggled.

By the time Bill reappeared, shaved and dressed, they had demolished half the cake. He picked up the huge teapot that Heather had placed in the middle of the table and poured tea into one of the enamel cups she had laid out. ‘So what brings you to Black Jungle Springs, Ellie?’

‘I actually wanted to catch up with you.’ Ellie looked across at Heather apologetically. ‘And you too, of course, Heather.’

‘I thought the crocs in Stove Creek must have kept you away. They’ve been thick as flies this season. Bit of a worry.’ Bill teased her as much as the other guys did.

‘Yeah, we saw a monster one at Djarradjin on Friday.’ She sipped her tea and looked at him. ‘I needed to ask you something, Bill.’

‘What’s up?’ Bill blew on the tea before he drank it.

‘I flew over our old place the other day and the back paddock was full of machinery. The ground’s been dug up.’

The hot tea spilled onto Bill’s hand as his cup tipped over. He swore, then got up and crossed to the sink to run cold water over his hand. He stood with his back to them. ‘Dug up?’

‘Are you okay, Dad?’ Heather pushed her chair back but he waved her to sit down.

‘Yeah, I’m okay. Cut me a piece of that cake, will ya?’

Ellie narrowed her eyes as Bill sat back down. He avoided her gaze as he rubbed his hands together nervously.

‘So, do you know anything about it?’ she persisted.

‘No. I mean, yes.’ Bill picked up his cup again but his eyes were darting around the room. ‘Yeah, I think they’re getting ready to plant some new trees.’

‘Who?’

‘The owners, I guess.’ Bill’s bare foot was jiggling up and down on the old worn lino.

Ellie frowned. ‘I think you’re wrong. Panos Sordina told me he was putting in a new dam, but what I saw from the air doesn’t look like a dam. Do you know anything about coal seam gas mining?’

Finally Bill raised his head and looked Ellie squarely in the eye. ‘You don’t live there anymore, so what are you so worried about?’

‘I’m worried about what I read in the paper, how close the exploration is to the park and the South Alligator River. Everything Mum’s been saying.’

‘What exploration? What’s she been talking about?’

‘You know . . . the fracking.’

Bill held her gaze. ‘What paper was that in?’