Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [17]
Shaking, she stepped out and sank into talcum powder dust that reached halfway up her calves. The car was in well over its axles. She looked around in the glare hoping to find a paperbark tree or branches that could be put under the wheels for traction. All around her there was nothing but open desert country and one tall spindly tree by the road which barely offered any shade from its frail sprays of leaves.
She searched the immaculate new car. There was nothing in the way of tools other than a shiny jack. She tried scooping away the dirt from the wheels, but when she attempted to move the car, it just settled deeper into the drift as the tyres spun uselessly. Cursing, she sat by the car and ate a mandarin.
The sun inched higher into the sky and with it the temperature. It was well over thirty degrees and Lily could feel heat radiating off the metal. She knew to stay by the vehicle—where would she go out here anyway?
By late afternoon she had eaten all the fruit and drunk one of the bottles of water. She was now resigned to the probability that no one would be travelling this road so late in the day, if at all, and she’d have to spend the night in the car. By the time the girl at the desk raised the alarm it would be late and she doubted anyone would come looking till daylight. She wasn’t frightened, just irritated at getting herself into this predicament. They’d told her it was an adequate road so long as you had a four-wheel drive. But she could see she needed a solid, hefty vehicle, not the zippy little number from the rental company which was best suited to beach roads.
Lily dozed and stirred at sunset when she thought she heard something—a strange animal sound. She stood in the middle of the road gazing in both directions at the endless strip of bronze ribbon.
‘COOEE!’ she sang out to the emptiness.
Two Aboriginal men appeared behind her out of the scrubby desert causing her to jump. On their horses they loomed large and for a moment she felt threatened and helpless. But then she noticed they seemed as surprised as she was.
‘You broke down, lady?’
‘Nah, accident, lookit the car,’ declared the other before Lily could answer.
They dismounted and inspected the car.
‘How long ya bin ‘ere?’
‘Since this morning. Do you think you could help get me out?’
‘Ya by yourself?’
Lily nodded. The men looked at each other without expression. They dropped the reins of their horses and walked around the car again.
‘Where ya going?’
‘I was heading for Cape Leveque.’
‘Road no good for this sorta car.’
‘I can see that. It was all I could rent. If you can get me out I’ll head back to Broome.’
The two men pushed and bounced the car and finally got her back to the middle of the road. ‘Oh, thanks so much. I’m so glad you came along. What are you doing way out here?’ she asked.
‘We’re ringers. Run cattle on the mission here.’
‘Where’s the mission?’
‘Beagle Bay. Not far back. You passed a turnoff to the right. Ya’d be better off staying there till tomorrow. Dark soon.’
‘Yes, I don’t fancy trying to drive back in the dark.’ Lily looked at the last streaks of the sun heralding the night.
The men returned to their horses.
‘Where are you going now?’ she asked.
‘Campin’ a little bit on. Got stock at a waterhole,’ explained one of the ringers.
‘Well, thanks again for your help,’ said Lily as she put out her hand. The two shook hands with her and Lily was surprised at the lightness of their grip.
‘No worries,’ grinned the younger and they both swung into their saddles with a fluidity of movement mat struck Lily with its almost gymnastic grace.
She drove cautiously and eventually the headlights showed a break in the edge of the road marked by a leaning post. She got out and found a faded sign lying on the ground. In the beam of the headlights she read—BEAGLE BAY 8 KMS.
The road was appalling, corrugated and narrow, so she drove with even more care, much of the time in second gear. It was very dark by the