Chapter 38

On reading the registration materials, I realized that I needed to bother the Acting Dean again, so I made an appointment. The result might not have been perfect, but life never is. So I purchased the books for Foundations of Law, Contracts and Public International Law and began reading. Lectures wouldn't begin for weeks, but I wanted to be a bit ahead. After conferring with Winnie, Rachel was at the Art Gallery on Mondays and Thursdays.; her one lecture – Archaeology of Aboriginal Australia – met on Wednesday morning.

I had more reading than I had expected. Australian law, like that of the US, the UK and Canada, is largely common law. So there are lots of cases to read about, especially in Contracts. I was told that Torts was just as bad. But that was next term.

"Patrick?"

"Hey, you're back early."

"I had coffee and a bite with two gals in my lecture and came home. I've got some questions."

"Fire away." I put a slip of paper in the Contracts text and closed it."

"Did the Serpent say anything about me?"

"Just that you would help me and that I would help you. Why?"

"Funny things are happening."

"'Funny things'?"

"When I was in the Gallery on Monday, someone asked me about a painting. And I just told them what it signified."

"Well, that's what you've been studying all last year."

"Yes. But not this painting. In fact it wasn't one of the Gallery's."

"Someone just brought in a painting?"

"No. Oh, I'm not telling this right. It was a plate in a book about aboriginal painting. I looked at it and told the woman that there was a sick man being watched by women in a land with hills and a rock hole. She thanked me and went away. How did I know that?"

"Well, a lot of the images are standard..."

"You know that stuff! I don't know much of it!"

"Well, you're learning more all the time. We saw things in Adelaide and in Melbourne. But I think you are being gifted with some ability. What else?"

"Else?"

"You said 'funny things.' That's one."

"Oh. In lecture today, Professor Hiscock mentioned sites I and III. And I knew they were the woman and the man at Lake Mungo. I haven't read that assignment yet."

"Probably your guide mentioned them last month."

"Oh, he did. But he didn't give their numbers nor tell me about them. This is your fault! The Serpent is teaching me. It's scary! I just want to learn. I don't want extra!"

"I didn't choose, either. I was directed or led or something. This is a very old place. The Mundo woman and the Mundo man have been here for well over 30,000 years. The Serpent was here when those lakes were full of water, when that man and that woman caught fish where there's now sand and limestone. We've got one of Josephine Flood's books about the archaeology. But it's about 30 years old. Your Hiscock is much more up-to-date, I'm sure."

"He doesn't think I should be in the class."

"Why?"

"I've unorthodox prerequisites and I'm not going to be an archaeologist."

"Ah! He wants to nurture specialists! I prefer generalists. Anyway, art historians need to know about archaeology."

"He's quite interesting. Very intense. I'm certain the papers will be demanding."

"What will you do in the second term?"

"I'm depending on Winnie. All the second semester art course I'm interested in are solely for majors in art. I'm trusting her to bend the ear of whoever is doing modern or contemporary Australia or America to get me in."

"Twist an arm, I bet."

"I hope so. Making up two years of a course of study isn't simple."

"No. Academia has had millennia to make structures and requirements rigid. But I'm in Law School and you're nearly halfway to your degree."

"That's pretty much why I think the Serpent is doing something."