The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years Page #13

know what his mother is?

And what you are?

All right, you've had your fun.

Now, for God's sake, let the boy go.

Make me.

I don't understand.

You want the boy?

You fight for him.

Im a priest, Luke. I don't fight.

lf you don't fight...

you don't get the boy.

No! Stop!

This is stupid.

Dad, stop!

-I will not fight!

-A real man would.

No! Father!

Hit him, Father! Hit him!

Now you get out of here.

I won't fight a man

that won't fight back.

But that settles it. The boy is mine.

Dane, you come with me.

Father! No!

No!

The boy...

is mine.

-Dane?

-Mommy!

Dane!

Thank you.

This is an odd place to pray.

God is everywhere.

Our Lord was born in a stable.

And I needed somewhere quiet.

Dane prays here, too.

We all use it for different reasons.

I pretend it's a theater sometimes...

filled with people

cheering my performances.

And Mom used it as a

ballroom and danced with Dad.

Why did you have to come?

We were happy until you came here.

-Justie!

-Mom was gonna go back to Dad...

and he was gonna love

me, even if Mom didn't.

But you stopped that.

That had nothing to do with me.

No?

Funny that it all went wrong

just when you showed up.

And then, when Dad didn't

want me and took Dane...

I was sad at first.

But then something else happened.

What was that?

I thought, ''lf Dane isn't here...

''Mom will have to love me.''

But she didn't.

And she won't now, because

you interfered again.

I did what had to be done, Justine.

Dane would never have been happy.

But I might have been.

This was my chance of

happiness with Mom...

until you got Dane back.

I thought you loved Dane.

I do, with all my heart.

But everyone loves Dane.

There doesn't seem to

be any left over for me.

Justine, that's not true.

Isnt it?

I saw you when you came

back, all beaten and bloody.

Did he put up a good

fight, my father?

To stop you taking Dane...

because he loved him?

But nobody loves me.

Justine thinks that

you don't love her.

I know.

I don't know how to

tell her that I do...

not in any way she'll believe.

I see so much of myself in Justine...

and too much of Mom in me.

When I was a little girl...

back in New Zealand,

before we came here...

we were very poor.

I remember I was about

four or five years old...

and there was a doll

in a shop window.

I used to go and look at her every

day. I even gave her a name: Agnes.

She was pretty, with golden hair.

I wanted her so much.

On my next birthday,

Mom gave me Agnes...

all wrapped in brown paper.

Don't know how she could afford

it, and I didn't care then...

because she had given me the

most perfect present Id ever had.

So, you see...

it didn't matter that she never

told me she loved me, ever.

'Cause just once...

she'd given me the most

beautiful thing in the world.

Ive never been able to find

quite the right doll for Justine.

-So you're going back?

-To Sydney.

The government has finally

agreed to an inquiry...

into refugees and stateless people.

Of course, I have to be there.

And then on to Rome.

Have you found what

you were looking for?

Oh, yes.

I found that loving you...

is a blessing, not a burden.

And in fighting for Dane...

I discovered a strength

I never knew I had.

And it's the duty of the strong...

to protect, to fight for those

who can't fight for themselves...

especially children.

That's why I have to go back to

the war. That's where my work is.

I haven't found God.

I wish I understood this

God that you love so much.

I wish I did, too.

At night, I look at

the infinity of stars...

and I feel...

something beyond mortality.

I don't know what it is...

but I have to find out, or try.

I don't care what's out there.

God is love, and love is here.

What are you reading?

Hamlet.

Im learning Ophelia's mad scene.

May l?

You really do want to

become an actress, don't you?

It's all Ive ever wanted to do.

Justine, I wanted to

tell you Im sorry.

Come here.

Look, I know the last few

months haven't been easy for you.

All that business with

your father, and...

I am sorry things turned

out the way they did.

Id like to try and do

something to make it up to you.

How soon can you start

acting school in Sydney?

-I can't till Im 16.

-But if you were in Sydney...

you could go to acting classes,

or maybe see some theater.

-You mean-- -Look,

the thing is...

I don't want you to think that Im

trying to get rid of you, or anything.

I don't want to hurt you anymore.

Mom, don't be silly.

I wouldn't think that.

Going to school in Sydney is the

best present you could ever give me.

Better than a pretty doll?

Mom?

Never mind.

Just be happy.

Thank you.

All aboard!

I love you.

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