Chapter 10: Adelaide

Sam made up his mind while walking back to the hotel: after breakfast, he’d find a laundromat and clean his swag and his camping/walking clothes; once that was done, he’d buy a cell phone. He’d noticed a Vodaphone store in the Rundle Mall. He stopped and asked at the desk where he was told that there was a laundromat on Carrington that was open from six to 2300.

In his room he read a few more chapters of Sayers before going to sleep.

It wasn’t a restful sleep. Was he really going to Olary? He hadn’t heard of it before. Why was he seeing Karen and Gudrun again? He wasn’t serious. And then he dreamt the story of the Black Duck women and Mungoongarlie, the giant goanna. It was a story of drought and rain. Then the youngest wife turned into Tessa. The giant goanna was defeated by Henry, who tore Mungoongarlie into pieces, creating the many smaller goannas. Sam woke up, soaking wet. It was just two. He took a brief shower, dried off, and slept for over six hours. Was he being told something?

Breakfast, laundry, back to the hotel. It still was just on eleven when Sam walked into the just-opened Mall. He had a slight problem communicating with the salesman in the phone store, who found it had to grasp that Sam was less interested in apps and fancy features than in range and battery life. It took explaining that he’d be working in the outback to get what he wanted. He phoned Sydney on an Apple, a Motorola and a Samsung (having warned his father on the first call) and settled on the Samsung. He also paid for three months on a plan that he didn’t quite comprehend, though it covered the country.

Sam went for lunch, nearly a thousand dollars lighter. He got food and a drink at the counter and then sat in Salsa’s Mexican Grill for over an hour, reading the manual for his new toy, entering the (few) telephone numbers he knew: his parents’, Henry and Sarah, Gordy. He had Susan’s card and the piece of paper with Karen’s and Gudrun’s numbers. Tessa? He might have the Aboriginal Council’s somewhere. Not the roster some people had. It was still too early to visit the girls. He’d take his stuff back to the hotel and change into shorts and shirt.

Back at UniHouse, Sam phoned and was met by Gudrun. When they got to the flat, there was another woman. She was broad-shouldered and very blonde. She was also nude.

“I’m Allie,” she said. “I’m from California. The girls told me about you.” She stepped closer to Sam and patted his cheek while pursing her lips. With that Sam reached out and pulled her face to his. Their lips locked and her mouth opened. She was cautious at first, but in a few seconds her tongue was active in Sam’s mouth, dueling with his. Sam could tell she had a good deal of experience. As they continued to kiss he became acutely aware that the only thing separating his stiffening cock from her pussy was the thin cloth of his shorts.

He could feel her moist heat and broke the kiss and gently bit her lip, moving his head and leaving a trail of soft, sucking kisses down one side of her neck and slowly up the other. When he got to her ear he brushed her hair aside and nibbled on her ear lobe, making her moan.

Allie pushed a his waistband and Sam’s shorts fell to the carpet. A moment later, he pushed her prone and fell on his knees, thrusting into her. Karen and Gudrun were gaping. “One of you’s next!” Sam said. “Then the other!”

Allie spasmed and Sam got off. “Who’s next? I need to be cleaned!”

“

Karen got on her knees and licked and nursed on Sam. “Lie down,” she said, “I want to be on top.” It took longer the second time, but by turning his head, he could see a nude Gudrun eating Allie. Clearly everyone was occupied. Allie got up and straddled Sam’s head.

“She cleaned me out,” she said. “Can you get me off with your tongue?” He pulled her hips down and chewed on her large lips, then he found her nub and tongued it. “Yes, yes!” she cried. Karen pumped harder as Gudrun reached around and tweaked her nipples and yelped as she climaxed. Sam flooded her. Allie got off and began eating Karen; Gudrun mouthed a limp penis.

Sam realized that this was less fun than he wanted, that these were mad women, frenzied with sex. Like the maenads or the bacchantes they were crazed. And while the sensations were exciting, there was a dearth of feeling. There was no care, no affection.

“No!” he said. “This isn’t wonderful! I’ve had it! You can find another sex toy!” He located his shorts and shirt, pulling them on. Karen, Allie and Gudrun were staring at him. “Listen! Sex is a good thing. Sex is fun. But rutting like animals in heat isn’t fun. It’s sheer escapism!” He pulled on his shoes.

“Play with each other or with yourselves. I’m leaving!”

“You’re silly,” said Allie. “Don’t you want more? There are many things we’ve not tried...”

Sam heard no more, he was out the door, heading for the elevator. He crossed to the Mall and looked about. Most of the benches were occupied, but there was one vacant. He took his socks from his pocket, and one at a time took off a shoe, put on a sock and replaced the shoe. He bought a double espresso and a sticky bun and sat at a small round table. The sugar and the caffeine revived him. This was an important experience. But not one he wanted to repeat.

Sam still had 24 hours before calling Henry.

Walking back to the Majestic along Rundle, he noticed a Zambrero’s, a Mexican chain. He went in and had a burrito and a beer and returned to his room, where he finished the Sayers before going to sleep.

In the morning Sam walked to the Art Gallery and looked at the indigenous works. He looked for the Turner and the Corots that were Gordy’s favorites, but none was up. There was a whole wall of photos, though, and a rather nice Williams – which would have pleased his mother. He had lunch in the Gallery (actually behind it) and then walked to the South Australian Museum. He wanted to look at some of the things from the islands Henry’d mentioned.