Answers to Brut by Gillian Rubinstein

Author:Gillian Rubinstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ligature Pty Limited
Published: 2021-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

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‘We must have gone wrong,’ Laura said after a few miles’ bumpy journey down the dusty, rutted track. The green forested scenery of the hills was giving way to the barren moon landscape of inland South Australia. The McLarens’ place was an old homestead surrounded by shade trees with its name on a wooden board out the front. Since they had taken the right hand fork of the road there they had not seen any other buildings.

‘Just go on a little bit further,’ Caspian said from the back seat. ‘We’ll find somewhere to ask again.’

Martin was looking ruefully out of the window at the grassless paddocks where a few dirty sheep were nibbling at almost leafless trees.

‘It’s tragic, isn’t it?’ he commented. ‘The land’s been absolutely ruined by wrong farming over the years. It’s all going to be desert before long.’

‘It must have been beautiful before it was all cleared,’ Laura agreed. ‘Oh look out!’

The car jerked to a halt, skidding sideways on the gravel, as Martin looked ahead again just in time to stop before hitting a gate across the track. The road had come to an end. A few hundred metres beyond the gate were a couple of galvanised iron sheds, and a large rainwater tank on concrete blocks. Behind the rainwater tank a van was parked. It was half-hidden, but Caspian could see clearly enough that it was dark blue.

‘Really, Caspian,’ his mother said, sounding rather aggrieved, ‘give me the map and I’ll try and find out where we went wrong.’

Caspian said, not wanting to at all, but feeling rather desperately that once they had got this far they could not turn back, ‘Why don’t I go and ask the way here?’

‘The place looks deserted,’ Martin said, preparing to turn the car around. It had stalled when it came to its sudden stop, and Martin now turned on the ignition. The Renault made a particular noise when it started that was quite unmistakable, and it made it now.

‘I’ll just go and see.’ Caspian gave the map to Skye to hold. He was leaning across her to open the door when two things happened at once. From one of the sheds came the sound of frantic barking that they all instantly recognised, and from the other came a slim young man with a very unwelcoming look on his face.

‘That’s Brut!’ Spirit and Skye cried out together, opening the doors and tumbling out of the car, dropping the map in their haste.

And that must be Terry, Caspian thought, his heart pounding.

Laura and Martin were staring at each other in bewilderment.

‘It does sound like Brut,’ Laura said slowly.

‘How can it be?’ Martin replied sharply. ‘Apart from anything, the coincidence would be too extraordinary. Can you imagine what the chances are of just happening on him in the middle of the countryside like this? Unless...’ He paused and looked searchingly at the three children, who were all out of the car now, and attempting to open the wire gate.

‘Can I help

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