The Boys from Binjiwunyawunya Read Free Page B

heels on the dance floor at the Dirranbandi RSL, then come home, lock the bedroom door securely so the kids couldn’t hear what was going on, and get stuck into it like a couple of teenagers at a drive-in. Norton couldn’t help but chuckle as he glanced at the phone once more during a commercial break and checked his watch again while he finished his sixth can of Fourex for the evening.
    Les hit the sack at eleven and was up just before six the following morning. He had a quick run and a swim, got the papers, and with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand rang his brother around seven-thirty.
    Murray was out the front of the old house, fiddling around under the bonnet of the new Land Rover he’d bought from the proceeds of the opal sale with Price, when he heard the phone ring. Elaine had only just left in the Holden panel van to take the kids to school and he squinted at the huge, red-dust cloud the car left behind as it disappeared into the gum-tree scattered distance. While he clumped towards the house he wiped his grease-stained hands on his old moleskins.Grungle followed him as far as the verandah where he flopped on a dusty woollen rug next to the flyscreen front door.
    â€˜Hello,’ said Murray, sitting on the edge of one of the lounge chairs, a little curious at hearing the STD pips.
    â€˜G’day Muzz,’ said Norton. ‘It’s your even-lovin’ brother Les.’
    â€˜Meggsie. Holy bloody shit. How’re you goin’ son?’
    â€˜All right, Muzz. Yourself?’
    â€˜Good as gold. How’s life in the big city treatin’ you?’
    â€˜Ohh you know. All right, sort of.’
    Les chatted away about different things for a minute or two, asking his brother how the family was, and things in Dirranbandi and Queensland in general. Then he got down to business.
    â€˜Listen Muzz. You got much on at the moment?’
    â€˜Ohh, not really... why?’
    â€˜You interested in earning a lazy five grand?’
    â€˜Five grand.’ Murray’s ears pricked up. Hustling for a dollar ran in the Norton family and when it came to diving on a quick earn Murray wasn’t far behind his brother. ‘I reckon I just might. Who do I have to kill?’
    â€˜You don’t have to kill anybody. I just want you to go out and put a proposal to three old mates of ours that might.’ ‘Where?’
    â€˜Out Binjiwunyawunya.’
    Murray burst out laughing and so did Les. ‘So,’ guffawed the leathery faced dingo trapper, ‘it’s like that is it?’
    â€˜Yeah,’ chuckled Les. ‘It’s like that. Listen, I’ll tell you exactly what’s goin’ on. And don’t make me have to repeat myself because this bloody call’s costin’ me a fortune.’
    Les explained to his brother what was happening between Percy Kilby and Price, and told him the plan he had in mind. When he was finished Murray was laughing like a drain and raring to go.
    â€˜Price is giving me a pretty good bank to get this together, Muzz, so whatever the boys want tell them it’s sweet. And I reckon with a bit of luck I just might be able to squeeze another five grand out of the wreck for you. That’s ten grand. Not bad just for going for a drive out in the bush.’
    â€˜Yeah? I wouldn’t exactly call a trip out to Binjiwunyawunya just a drive in the bush eh?’
    â€˜Fair enough. But you’re gettin’ a bit more than just wages — and you’re doing nothing else.’
    â€˜Yeah, okay.’
    â€˜Ohh yeah. One more thing, Muzz. You know that old landing strip the Yanks built out near there during the War.’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜Is that still all right? Could you land a small plane there?’
    â€˜It was all right the last time I was out there. That was about eight months ago. I reckon it’ll still be okay.’
    â€˜Good. Cause that’s how I’m gonna bring ’em down to