Grinning widely, Shadow jumped up and plonked his paws on my shoulders trying to lick my face. ‘G’day boy,’ I said, and then added, ‘I see you’re in a better mood than Mr Freaky back there. My cousin’s had a face like the Cookie Monster ever since we left school. I think something’s gone and got under his skin.’
‘I heard that,’ Snook said jumping down from the bus carrying his school bag with one hand and brushing his long, fair hair back from his eyes with the other. ‘So you think I’ve got a face like a Cookie Monster, do you? You’d have never said that when you first came to live with us. We couldn’t get you to say boo to a grasshopper then, but you’re real cheeky now, ain’t cha? You’ve changed.’
I told him that I didn’t mean to be cheeky, that I was just trying to be normal, only trying to fit into my new life. But Snook was right. I don’t know about the cheeky part, but I had changed; I sort of knew that. I suppose that’s what happens when you grow up, or maybe it was the change of environment. I’d been used to the quiet life on the Northern Territory cattle station where I used to muck around with the ringers and station hands as well as the Aboriginal folk who sometimes worked there. It was different here in Tasmania though, where there were towns and cities and schools and lots of people. I guess that’s what I was trying to get used to.
Forgetting my philosophising for the moment and after apologising a second time for calling him names and explaining that the monster thing was just something to say – an offhand remark, I also said that I was worried about him. But when I asked him what was really the matter and why was he acting so dorky, he didn’t answer. He just shrugged and made for home.
Figuring that I’d broach the subject of Snook’s health again later, I hurried to catch up with him. Stealing a sideways glance at him, I couldn’t help frowning. He was a right mess, even worse than I had thought before. Shoulders slumped, still dragging his feet and not saying a word; I’d never seen him like this before. And Shadow, probably wondering why we were both so quiet, trotted along behind.
I tried to piece the day together. Tried to make sense of Snook’s sudden change from being real bouncy to downright sad. The change had definitely happened during Stormy’s lesson. I’d worked that out. The first mention of the asteroid had done it. Before that he’d been normal, the Snook everybody knew, the one who liked to joke and goof around, the one that teachers hated and students reckoned was pretty cool.
‘ Okay,’ I asked. ‘What was it about Stormy’s lesson that upset you so much?’
No reply.
I kept on at him. He wasn’t going to get off that easy. ‘I didn’t notice the lesson worrying anyone else,’ I said. ‘How come it freaked you out? Did you hear Stormy say something that we didn’t?’
Still silence.
‘Mind you,’ I persevered, ‘I thought it was kind of scary what he was telling us, but after all, it did happen 65 million years ago. All the same, it was interesting. It reminded me of the stories my mother used to tell me, stuff the old folk told her when she was a little girl – about the Dreamtime and how the world was created.’
Snook said, ‘Yeah, you told me a bit about that before. What was it again?’
Good, I thought, he’s talking a bit of sense. He might be coming good. Thinking it might help him a bit more, I told him about The Dreaming. A little bit, anyway. I said: ‘Today, when my people think of The Dreaming, they say it just is. But when it’s described more fully, we learn how the world was formed … from a nothing sort of place where there were no mountains or rivers or anything, not even a moon or a sun, and the earth was covered in darkness.’
‘You mean there were no people on earth?’
He’s interested. Good.
‘Not really, but there were creators, a type of being that brought the nothingness to an end, who made the world what it is today.’
I could see Snook was a little confused. Scrunching up his face, he asked, ‘What’s that got to do with what Stormy was on about – giant asteroids?’
‘Lots of people believe that the asteroid led to the extinction of all the dinosaurs, but here’s the thing. I don’t think they died for nothing, ’cause in their own way they’d helped to make the world what it is today … like the creators did earlier, you know, like they did in The Dreaming. They sort of paved the way for all the other species – like man – to evolve or to be made. That’s why I think the extinction of the dinosaurs meant something.’
‘Eh?’
I didn’t answer. I’d seen something else. ‘Look, there’s Quenton Quigley on the other side of the road talking to your girlfriend.’ I couldn’t help adding, ‘I’d watch him if I were you.’
Snook’s glare was enough to shatter glass, and for a moment I was worried that he might do something he’d regret later, but in the end, he said, ‘You’re right, that fink Quigley’s probably filling her head with all sorts of rubbish, but don’t worry, I’ll watch him all right – especially after what happened last night.’
‘Last night?’ I grabbed Snook’s arm. ‘What happened last night? You didn’t say anything this morning.’
‘I made a complete fool of myself, that’s what happened.’
We came to our front gate. Pushing it open, we cut across the squelchy strip of couch grass which was our lawn – where you sank down to your ankles every time you walked across it – to the front door. ‘C’mon,’ I said, opening the door. ‘Let’s go inside. You can tell me all about last night.’
Chapter 4
We dropped our school bags just inside the front door next to where we generally leave our shoes and other outdoor gear. Snook headed for the lounge room. After fetching a couple of cool drinks from the fridge for us, I joined him. Handing him a drink, I asked, ‘So, what happened last night? How come you made a fool of yourself?’ I settled back into one of the lounge chairs, took a sip of my drink and listened. Not wasting any time, he began to tell me what happened.
‘I saw somethin’ that was real queer. When I woke up this mornin’, I thought I’d had a bad dream but now I know that it wasn’t a dream. It was somethin’ else. It was as real as you and me, I know that now. It was about nine o’clock when I saw it. I was tryin’ to say goodnight to Gloria – properly I mean. Not a kiss, if that’s what you’re thinkin’, just a plain old see ya type thing. I’m not inta kissin’. Gloria wouldn’t like me doin’ that.’
I tried not to smile. Snook could be really naïve at times.
‘So there I was,’ he went on, ‘I was just standin’ there, wonderin’ how to do that, say goodnight that is, when I saw somethin’ real peculiar.’
‘How do you mean?’ I asked.
‘I had a kinda vision. I saw a kid, who looked like a ghost. He was about ten or twelve years old. He seemed to float out of the darkness like some sort of spirit or apparition until suddenly he was standin’ right there in front of me and Gloria. I didn’t know what to say or what to do, so I just stood there, paralysed … I can tell ya, I was ready to freak out big time. Anyway, the only other thing I remember is that the kid, or ghost, or whatever, was dressed in long khaki pants, braces and a peak cap.’
‘In old-fashioned clothes?’
‘Yeah, sort of. Not too old-fashioned, though. Just a bit behind the times. Anyway, the funny thing was that he just stood there starin’ and not sayin’ anythin’. Not a word. He was as quiet as a … as a snake just before it has a go at ya. It was dead set scary.’
‘What did Gloria do? She must have been terrified.’
‘Nah, she wasn’t frightened at all. For some reason I can’t explain,