Shallows by Tim Winton

Author:Tim Winton
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742537375
Publisher: Penguin Group Australia

XIII

In the midst of the Friday lunch rush, television and press reporters lounge about by the fountains of Parliament House in the city, waiting for the news event to get under way. While they await the remainder of the cast they smoke, eat meat pies and spill tomato sauce on their ties. In summer they might take off their shoes and socks and dabble their feet in the pools. Rival news teams shout friendly abuse across the lawn at one another, like football teams in the change rooms. Every now and then incurious public servants and Members of Parliament pass with their hands in their pockets, stretching their legs while the weather permits. Today is warmer than yesterday, they tell one another, one eye always on the weather.

The big woman on the steps of Parliament House is ignored. For five days she has eaten nothing, sleeping beneath an oily tarpaulin. Her placard has run in the week’s rain and is now buckled, illegible and pulpy. But she is still speaking. MPs step over and around her.

Suddenly cameras are seized and cocked. A group of men and women marches across the asphalt car parks, through the gardens, between trees. The newsmen are on their feet, filming, and now the words of the large woman on the steps are recorded by crouching sound men. Two or three uniformed policemen appear at the rear of the mob.

CACHALOT SUPPORTS THIS HUNGER STRIKE ON BEHALF OF INNOCENT CREATURES AND MOTHER EARTH, the first placard says.

‘Who?’ reporters ask one another.

SUPPORT SALLY MILES REDEEM YOURSELF: SAVE THE WHALES

A man climbs a tree, captured on film like rare wildlife. At the foot of the steps a large plastic parcel is laid on the ground and a tyre pump appears. A youth fits valve to nozzle and commences to pump. Fleurier stands behind him. Beside Fleurier is an impassive Marks. Brent, up in the tree, is nailing a cardboard placard to the trunk. Someone interrupts the big woman on the step and hands her a loudhailer which squeaks and pops.

‘How do you use this bloody . . . oh.’

Sound men wince.

‘I am Sally Miles . . .’

Ragged applause.

‘. . . and I am here on a hunger strike to protest against the continued slaughter of the sperm whale in our own waters by our own people. It is time the slaughter stopped. It is time the whaling industry owned up. I will not eat until these things happen . . .’

Reporters nudge one another knowingly. Sally Miles weighs fourteen stone and they find it ironic.

‘. . . because the whaling industry is obsolete. It is inhumane. It is causing the extinction of what may be the most intelligent creature on our earth. Therefore it is immoral!’

Cheers. Clunks and whirrs of cameras. Signs up.

STOP IT, NOW!

‘Join us!’ Sally Miles cries. ‘Fight Paris Bay. Fight this government!’ A great inflated whale is dragged up the steps and Sally Miles hugs it by the flukes. ‘This whale is my brother!’

Cheers from supporters. Nudges within the press.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.