‘Yes, but you yourself said the Land Rover wouldn’t have been available until after Christmas and you wanted to get started with the field work. If you’d waited another six months it would be another six months or more before you finished and you could get a better job. With Carolyn, we need the money. It really is not your fault.’
‘I just feel so bad about it all,’ he responded.
‘I know. But it could have broken down anyway. There’s no guarantee that you wouldn’t have problems with a different vehicle. I mean, the battery was new. Why should you expect it to go flat?’
After a brief silence Alec looked her in the eye with that determined look that Katherine had become used to.
‘Kath, I’ve made up my mind. We can’t just sit here waiting for someone to drive past. There’s just no bloody traffic on this track. Our water supply will last only about three days, even with the leaves and the pit transpiration system. Carolyn is going to need more water and you too, with breast-feeding. Before sunrise in the morning I’m going to get up and walk across country to the main road. From there I should be able to hitch a ride into Ceduna and get help.’
Katherine ignored the uncharacteristic swearing. ‘Isn’t that risky? I mean, you’d be gone at least twelve hours, maybe more.
What if someone comes?’
‘Like I said, I don’t like leaving you on your own out here, but really, what alternatives have we? We talked about this. What happens if we just sit here waiting and no-one comes along? We could run short of food and water. What then? I’d have to hoof it then and it would be even more risky leaving you with no supplies. No, it looks like I just have to do it.’
‘How sure are you of your timing, or even managing to hitch a ride?’
‘Not sure about anything. If I leave here early in the morning and head due south - I’ve got the compass and aerial photographs so there isn’t much chance of getting lost - I should intersect the Eyre Highway about here.’ Alec put his finger on the road map, indicating a point some twelve miles south of the dog fence. ‘If I go slightly west, then I could possibly intersect with this track,’ he pointed to another l
ine on the map, indicating a poor quality road leading to the Koonibba settlement. ‘It’s slightly longer but there’s a possibility of traffic heading along that road so I’d get a ride sooner.’
‘It seems like six of one and half a dozen of the other. If you walk the shorter distance it could be quicker, but if you take the longer route there’s a chance of a lift. You’ll have to decide once you start walking. In this heat you’ll have to rest up in the main part of the day. So, how long before you reach the main road?’
‘I’ll take water with me. If I walk at about three miles an hour through the scrub it should take about four hours. Let’s say I walk from first light, that’s about five thirty, until about ten. That gives me about four hours. From there to town depends if I get a ride or have to walk all the way. If I walk a bit in the dark and start really early I’d get to the highway about midday, then I’d surely get a lift.’
‘If you’re walking in the dark I don’t want you falling in a wombat or rabbit hole and injuring yourself. You’ll be out there alone so I just want you to be extra careful.’
‘I will be, don’t you worry about that! I’ll be thinking of you and Carolyn all the time. Once I get to town I’ll get a mechanic organised, so don’t expect me back until Sunday, maybe even Monday. Count the days!’
‘I’ll be counting the hours!’
Alec looked at the map again in the fading light. ‘On the other hand, there are some farm tracks south of here so I might even get a ride sooner. Here’s hoping!’
Having made the decision, they relaxed slightly and spent the evening as if it was just one of their usual camps. Alec was only slightly concerned about leaving his family alone but the lack of traffic, once a frustration, now allowed him a degree of confidence they would be all right. Katherine was a very competent camper.
After Carolyn dropped to sleep, the couple decided to go to bed early in anticipation of the early start. Alec was in the fold-out bed first and, as Katherine sat on the edge rubbing cream on her heels, he leaned over and, putting his hands under her pyjama top, cupped her breasts. He pulled her down towards him.
‘I love you so very much,’ he whispered as he kissed her.
‘I love you too, sweetheart,’ was all she managed before he covered her mouth with a lingering kiss.
‘Shh, don’t wake Carolyn,’ Katherine managed to murmur before rolling on top of him.
Alec loved this position. He could feel her whole body, stroke her enticing narrow waist as it curved smoothly into her hips, and feel the tickle of her hair as it covered his face. He kissed her breasts, guiltily tasting the sweetness of escaped drops of milk. He felt so at one with her as she allowed his gradual entry.
He groaned and Katherine gently covered his mouth with her hand.
They made love quietly, moving slowly. Alec suppressed his usually noisy passion as best he could knowing how well Katherine controlled her own emotions, rarely making a sound. She loved his hands, his long, slender hands, and the way they caressed her. All over her body they wandered, sending ripples up and down her spine. Together they smothered all the concerns of their predicament with the overriding pleasures of the moment.
She whispered, ‘I love you. I love you so much.’ They became one and he softly whispered, ‘I love you too, my beautiful wife.’
They were still in each other’s arms as they dropped off to sleep.
* * *
Alec was up well before the birds. It was still dark when he crept out from under the sleeping bag. He had been awake for some time before he rose, listening to the snuffling sounds coming from the bassinette and Katherine’s rhythmic breathing. He found it comforting to realise she was sleeping soundly. He took it to mean she was not particularly worried about their situation. Alec, who felt responsible for their situation, was not so sure and worried about what was wrong with the Kombi. Would they be able to drive it back to Adelaide? If not, then…
‘I’m racing ahead of myself,’ he muttered as he pulled his parka in around his chest against the early morning chill.