The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years Page #5

and even though I knew you

loved God more, it didn't matter.

But then you left me.

You went back to Rome and I

tried very hard to forget you...

without much success.

I waited and I dreamed. I

didn't hear a word from you.

And now, just when I thought Id

found a way to live without you...

you turn up, out of the blue.

Why have you come back?

Why do you always come back just

when I think I don't need you?

I had no choice, Meggie.

The Church sent me.

I certainly had no idea

you'd be at the station.

I had planned to keep some distance.

But now, seeing you...

I can't let things

be the way they were.

Im going back to Luke.

You did very good. But you, mate,

you got to keep your head down.

You got to keep your head

down near the horse's head.

You gotta talk to him like a friend.

Gotta let him know you're his boss.

Mom doesn't do that.

Yeah, well, your mom's always

been a bit formal in the saddle.

Who's that with Mom?

Trouble, that's who it is.

Dane, Justine, I want you

to meet someone very special.

This is Archbishop de Bricassart.

He's come all the way from Rome.

Hello, Justine.

Hello, Dane.

-Dane, don't be so prissy.

-Justine, behave yourself.

Hello, Luke. Thanks

for helping out here.

I didn't do it for you.

I did it for Meggie.

-Ill go and stable the horses.

-I will, Dad.

No. You stay here with your ma and...

him.

-Dane.

-Yes, Dad.

Justine.

He's too cute!

-Have you ever met the Pope?

-Quite a few times.

-What's he like?

-Dane, he's just a man.

In a white dress.

Justine.

It's all right,

Meggie. Im used to it.

And it's true. The Pope

is a very special man.

The representative of God on

Earth, but still, he's only a man.

We're all only men, trying to

serve God the best way we can.

That's what I want to do.

Dane, that's enough.

-That's a very big decision, Dane.

-No, it isn't. It's easy.

Don't argue with

the Archbishop, Dane.

Im not arguing, Im

agreeing with him.

You're just a nipper, and

you're much too young...

to be worrying about your future yet.

So why are you here?

There must be more important

things to do in Europe.

My superiors were

concerned about Drogheda.

Why? Have I been

doing such a bad job?

You've been doing remarkably well...

but the Vatican doesn't

understand Australian droughts.

-What are you going to do, pray for rain?

-Of course.

And there are other reasons.

The war in Europe is

winding down, at last...

and countless thousands of

people are displaced, misplaced...

and can't go home again.

They have no homes, or

even countries, to go to.

We have to find other

places for them to live.

-Here?

-Some of them, I hope.

Ive been sent here to try and

negotiate with the Australian government.

-They're coming here?

-They have to go somewhere, Luke.

Cripes, that's the

last thing we need...

is a bunch of reffos

running around Australia.

Luke!

I got no taste for

this. Best be on my way.

Im sorry, Ralph.

-Why don't people want the refugees?

-Because they're different.

And people don't like

things to be different.

I used to come here when

I was sad or lonely...

when I needed to talk

to you, to see you.

Id close my eyes,

and Id dream of you.

And you'd always be here. Always.

Just as you are now.

Is that what it's like with God?

Can you walk into any empty

church and just talk to him...

like I came here to talk to you?

-I don't think God hears me anymore.

-Why?

-What's happened to you?

-Perhaps it's the war.

Perhaps I don't want

things to be different.

-What do you think of Dane?

-He's a fine boy.

You and Luke must

be very proud of him.

He wants to be a priest.

Stop him, I beg you.

I couldn't bear it.

Because of me?

I lost you to God. I don't

want to lose Dane, as well.

Meggie, you never lost me.

You think I haven't wanted you?

Every moment, waking,

sleeping, praying...

you've been in my

heart and in my mind.

I need the warmth of

someone real beside me...

not the cold love of God.

Luke?

He's changed, he

wants to settle down.

Im pregnant. Im going

to have Luke's baby.

-What?

-That's what you wanted, isn't it?

''Marry Luke and be

happy,'' you said.

''Settle down and

have lots of babies.''

Well, that's exactly

what Im going to do.

Im going to be a

good Catholic girl...

and have lots and lots of

babies, Luke's babies...

-just as you said I should.

-Oh, Meggie.

Hello, Luke.

You again.

For Meggie's sake, I think you

and l should sort a few things out.

We've got nothing to sort out.

She's my wife, you're the intruder.

But she lives here.

Not for much longer.

Meggie's back with me.

-She's going to have my baby.

-Yes, she told me.

Im very pleased for you both.

Drogheda is a wonderful

place for children.

No, we're not staying here.

-But there's no reason for you to leave.

-Yes, there is.

You think I want this new kid

growing up in this Catholic hothouse?

Look what happened to

the other two, to Dane.

The Church has never

interfered with your life.

Maybe not the Church directly.

But you have, haven't you?

So, Im buying a place of my own.

Not much by your standards,

but I think we'll be happy.

And she won't be here for

you to come running back to...

every time you need

a dose of reality.

But you can stay on here. Ill

hire you to manage the place.

Im not slaving the rest of my

days working for some mick in Rome.

Meggie's brothers can break their

backs running this place for you...

when they get back from the war...

but Ill have no part of it.

You conned old Mary Carson

into giving you this place...

and Id love to know the

truth of that one one day...

but it's all yours now...

lock, stock and barrel.

And I wish you the joy of it.

But I keep Meggie.

-My Lord.

-Why don't you call me Ralph?

-Because you're an archbishop.

-Pretend Im not.

Not here.

It's one of the last

waterholes left...

because of the drought.

The wild animals come

here at sunset to drink.

I love it here.

Do you like being a priest?

Sometimes I find it

very difficult, Dane.

I seem to spend my

life searching for God.

Father Hammond, my

teacher, says God is here.

-They say God is everywhere.

-Yes, but especially here.

You're very lucky, Dane.

Not everyone has this.

-You said he was everywhere.

-You sound like a Jesuit.

Im going to a Jesuit school

in Sydney in a couple of years.

At least, I was.

Now Dad's come back, and

he isn't too keen on it.

What's all this about you

wanting to be a priest?

Everyone says I should wait

until Im older to decide...

-but I don't know why.

-You're very young, and you'll change.

In a couple of years, things

will happen to your body...

and you'll start getting

interested in girls...

and that's a very big

problem for a priest.

I know about girls.

Ive seen the animals.

I know what goes on.

You may know certain facts,

but you can't know the feeling.

That doesn't happen till later.

I fell in love once, and my

whole life has been a battle...

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