Chapter 28

Sarah had been made edgy by her husband, Henry. She had spoken to her parents. Patrick’s response was to look at the seismic history of Australia. He learned that

In a report from 2007, Geoscience Australia found that the Dalton-Gunning Zone, just north of the ACT, was one of the highest earthquake areas of eastern Australia. And that, according to the same report, three earthquakes with a magnitude 5.5 or higher occurred in the region within the last 130 years, and were felt strongly in the Canberra area.

He mentioned it to Rachel, but that night he was visited. “Do not fret. There will be some shaking, but no wreckage. Your old ones will not be in danger.” And that, too, he reported to Rachel.

“I’m concerned about the water, too,” she said.

“I think there’s room for concern, but the water-level will rise gradually, earthquakes are sudden.”

In Queensland, the local government areas (LGAs) of Brisbane and Townsville are at the highest risk.

In NSW, a number of LGAs make the flood top tier. These include Wollongong and Shoalhaven in the south; Central Coast Council between Sydney and Newcastle; as well as Hawkesbury on Sydney’s north western fringe.

Elsewhere, LGAs where the cost of inundation would be high include Benalla, Bendigo and Maribyrnong in Victoria; Bunbury, Carnarvon and Swan in Western Australia; Devonport, Latrobe and Launceston in Tasmania; and Gawler, Murray Bridge and West Torrens in South Australia.

At that time, Lily was saying, “I’m not happy.”

“Talk to me,” Tessa responded.

“I want to be pregnant. I want to have Sam’s baby!”

“You lost your virginity. You said that was what you wanted. But it wasn’t the right time for you to become pregnant. And then it will take nine months.”

“I’m irritable and crampy.”

“You’re pre-menstrual. The discomfort or pain is felt in your lower stomach. You typically felt mild cramps there one or two days before your period. You’ve gone through this before.”

“Every month. But it should stop when I’m pregnant.”

“You’re not pregnant. When your blood-time comes, we’ll talk to the aunties. They will work out the best time for you to conceive. It’ll be two or three weeks from now.”

“That’s a long time!”

“Don’t be childish! Think of how much fun you can have with Sam, constructing a baby.”

“Oh. I never thought of that.”

“Sex is better when the partners know one another. And the better you get to know Sam – and me – and the better we get to know you, the more pleasure and the deeper the feeling.”

“Where did he go this morning?”

“Men’s business. I know that Frogmouth came here. He spoke to Jos. Then Boobook was here. Like Bunjil, Frogmouth and Boobook are carnivores. Their corroboree is not for a Raven nor a Lily – and especially not for a white snake.”

“Are you serious?”

“You have been here for several weeks. You have listened to what Sam tells the twins, the village children and others. Take what is related seriously. The history of Dreamtime is not merely a pastime or for amusement.”