Walkabout Page #3

There you'll be

in front of me

So I'll catch up

and turn to see

You look my way

And smile

- We'll walk a while

- Please. Put me down.

How's it goin', boy?

I said, "How's things?"

You got ear trouble?

Suit yourself.

Move it. Go on.

Quicker. Move it!

Get that bloody dingo

out of here.

It's the last time

I'm warning you!

Here.

Paint your titties with that.

Lovely.

Be careful with those.

They're valuable.

Hey, knock off. Knock off

for about ten minutes.

No sneakin' off.

We've got a lot of work to do.

Will you shut the door?

The kids?

The window's open.

I'm hot.

Hey!

Look what I found!

Over here!

Come on!

That must be a weather balloon.

This black one's bigger...

and it's ticking.

I wonder where it came from.

Probably someone's listening to it.

- Will it hurt me?

- No, of course not.

How long will it take?

Ask him. Ask him how long it will be

before we can get anywhere.

Ask him how long!

Go on.

We'll be there today!

Hey! There's lots of water out there,

coming up out of the ground.

That's a spring.

- Jon-ge.

- Jon-ge.

Jon-ge. He wants me

to go and fetch some wood.

All right.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

There's predestination

and free will required.

We know now that

that that is, is.

Water. Water.

Water.

Yes, water.

Sorry, that's all

I could find.

I didn't know where-

Where are we going?

It's a road!

It's a real road!

Where does it go?

You're making me

drop my stick.

I like these.

All right.

Hello.

Didn't I get a lot?

There's lots more there.

Didn't I get a lot?

Where've you been?

Picking these. He showed me

where to get them.

Didn't I get a lot?

They're my favorites, remember?

- Where are you going?

- Out.

No, stay here.

Here. I've got lots of them.

Why won't he speak?

What's he dancing for?

I don't know.

Perhaps he's pleased.

- Why?

- Because we got here at last.

Where are you going now?

- Aren't you hungry now?

- Please, leave him alone.

You haven't cooked

the meat yet.

- The radio's gone.

- Hmm.

The battery's gone.

No. Dad said

they'd last for 400 hours.

How long is that? It's longer

than we've been walking, I bet.

Leave it. We won't

need it much longer.

Put it down

and go to sleep.

I want to start early

in the morning.

I think he wants to stay here.

- Why should he?

- It's nice.

I think that he wants

to stay here for a while.

There's lots of ferns

growing out there.

Anyway, I've already

decided something.

We're going

on our own tomorrow.

Why?

- That's best.

- No!

Suppose he wanted to do something,

or something happened?

Suppose he tried to-

Suppose he went off and left us?

No, he won't.

He likes being with us.

Won't go. You must

have dropped it.

Will he dance all night?

It's all right.

He won't keep you awake.

Can we go on the road?

What road?

Up there.

We found a road.

Didn't he tell you?

What sort of road?

A real road?

Yes. Is that where

we're going tomorrow?

Yes.

I knew we were

getting somewhere.

He's not there.

He's not there!

I went to sleep.

He's gone.

Oh.

Where's he gone?

He's gone home.

Why?

Well, there was no reason

for him to stay.

He just wanted

to bring us to the road.

We must be near a town.

So he's gone back to his family.

Ahh! Ooh! Ooh!

It's not really warm.

- He didn't say good-bye to us.

- Yes, he did.

That's the dancing about. It's their way

of saying good-bye to people they love.

I'd love to have a warm bath

with clean towels...

and eat with real plates

and knives and forks.

And have proper sheets.

And records.

And clean my teeth properly.

And wear all my own clothes.

I'm glad I washed your things.

You want to look nice

when they find us.

Did you keep that button?

We must be near somewhere

if there's a road.

I wanted to give him

my penknife.

He's dead.

How?

I tried to give him my penknife,

but he wouldn't take it.

That doesn't mean

that he's dead.

He won't take it.

Should I see if the road's

still there?

No, of course it's there.

Did you eat

your breakfast properly?

- Yes.

- You should always sit down when you eat.

You shouldn't wander about.

You ready, then?

There you are.

What are you thinking?

Shall we sit down for a bit?

Stop sulking.

Where's the radio?

You forgot it.

So what?

It didn't work.

It's time now for hospital requests.

You're listening

to the first network of the ABC,

Radio 2BL Sydney,

The time is half-past eight.

- Look!

- I know.

- Will dad be there?

- No.

Ow!

- Is he dead too?

- I'm not sure.

Did he shoot himself?

It was an accident.

No, it wasn't.

- Then I don't know.

- Look!

- Did it hurt?

- Not much.

Well, why did he?

I suppose he thought

he was doing the best thing.

That's silly.

I said I don't know,

didn't I?

All right?

- You ready?

- Yes.

What's the name of that town?

I don't know.

Morning.

Wait here. Hello?

Uh, excuse me!

Hello?

Hello!

I say, hello!

- Hello!

- Yes?

I'm sorry to trouble you.

We're lost.

We've had an accident in the desert.

Would you mind if-

- Put that down! Put that down!

- Please!

Put it down!

Put that down!

- I have.

- This is all private property.

I'm an employee of the company.

They own all this,

and the mine.

- What's the company?

- You touch their cans and you'll soon find out.

- Where's the mine?

- It's shut.

- What was in it?

- Nothing. That's why they shut it.

Do people come through here?

- We give them tours, same as anyone.

- When will they-

I don't know.

They never send me a card.

- How often do they-

- I don't know!

You'll have to wait.

You'll find it down the road.

- What?

- Where you're staying.

Don't touch anything!

Would you like to see

the rest of the town?

We shan't have to wait long.

Someone will come soon.

Can we go see the mines?

Yes, if you like.

- Can I go and play?

- Yes. Don't go far.

- Be careful.

- I'll be all right.

What's there?

Nothing.

- Hey!

- Yes!

Watch!

- What?

- Watch!

- Are you watching?

- Yes.

Well?

- What shall we do now?

- I know. Let's-

Hi, doll.

Well, they've made a decision.

I get Graham's job when he

leaves Friday, Ian takes over mine...

and Robby and Alan

go over to accounts.

Which means Old Mal

looks like being out of a job.

Still, it's his own fault.

What?

Nothing.

With all this changing around, there's bound

to be good news as far as salary's concerned.

I tell you, doll. In two years,

we'll be holidaying on the Gold Coast.

Into my heart,

an air that kills...

from yon far country blows.

What are those blue

remembered hills?

What spires,

what farms are those?

That is the land

of lost content,

I see it shining plain,

the happy highways

where I went...

and cannot come again.

So he was stuck.

He couldn't jump down

because it was too far,

and he couldn't shout

to his mother...

because then she'd know

he'd been spying on her.

So he just sat there.

It got dark,

and because there wasn't

very much room on the sill,

his legs grew very stiff.

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