Chapter 5

In the morning they spiffed and gussied. They even washed the Australian built Land Rover 110 6 x 6 ... which wasn’t all wheel drive at all but rather four wheel drive with an extra axle and pair of wheels. Daddy had it modified to genuine ALL WHEEL. Daddy liked the Perentie for its capacity and Isuzu diesel. There were several at the mine ... Abby learned to drive a standard transmission on one.

The trip was a quick one. There were several privately owned vehicles parked in front of the building ... so ... they parked there too. Right next to the pickup with the ‘Federal Testing’ marking on the doors.

“Here you lot ... that’s parking for court business,” said the uniformed guard.

“Good ... that’s what we’re here for.”

“Which court?”

“Judge Wren,” said Alice Li.

“Ah,” said the guard. “Family Court.”

“Ah,” said Abby.

“Straight on and left first chance inside the the door,” said the guard.

“Thank you,” said Abby, “We weren’t sure.”

“That’s a good looking Perentie,” said the guard.

“Daddy’s favorite project,” Abby said, then she added, “When he isn’t prospecting.”

“He’s done a job of work on it,” said the guard. “Is it a front and middle or a middle rear?” He was referring to drive axles.

“It’s a front middle rear,” Abby was quite proud of it. It was painted up in desert sand and ... except for being clean ... looked like it had just finished a patrol in the Iraqi western desert. “Daddy did it.”

Alice looked at her watch, “Come on, Abby. Don’t want to be late.”

Straight on and left first chance. The building was quietly busy and silent except for the click of heels on Victorian floors. On the way to the Family Court sign were other doors. Green placards on velvet ropes “Court is in Session.” hung os several.

‘Family Court’ was open.

Judge Wren was robed and wigged, seated behind the bench ... very British.

“Abby, I know you don’t remember me. But I remember you. You look like your mother ... only better. Did you bring your DNA test?”

“Yes ma’am.” She passed the paperwork over.

Judge Wren waved a hand at the only other person in the room.

“Yes ... Yes ... Yes...” and turned the paper over. “Hmm.”

Jenny said, “I don’t like the sound of that ‘hmm.’

“I feel we should do a second test,” said the technician. There have been advances that should confirm...” he wandered off into ‘herms and hmms’ and like noises.

“Abby?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She was swabbed and blood taken.

In the presence of the court, the tech did the test again.

Wren summoned her bailiff, “Bring in the Church and the Aboriginal Child, Family and Community State Secretariat. They both need to acknowledge the results.”

The group filed in and approached the bench.