Free No Sugar by Jack Davis

Two runaways, Billy! You know Joe Millimurra, Northam native?
    BILLY : Yeah, boss.
    NEAL : And Mary Dargurru?
    BILLY : That one Dargurru, my countryman. [ Pointing with his chin ] She got go back Oombulgarri.
    NEAL : You better get movin’! They’ll be at the railway line by now.
    BILLY : Ne’mine boss. I find ’em. Take ’em whip?
    NEAL : Yes, take your whip, and pick up some tucker from the store. Here!
    He throws a stick of tobacco onto the floor. BILLY picks it up.
    BILLY : Thanks, boss.
    BILLY exits. MATRON turns to follow him.
    MATRON : As matron in charge of the hospital, I thought it was my job to allocate nursing aides.
    NEAL : I was only trying to help you.
    MATRON : Or yourself.
    She exits. NEAL collapses into his chair.
SCENE NINE
    A clearing near the railway line at Mooloombeeni, early morning. MARY is curled up asleep under a blanket. JOE appears with a billy can of water and his hat full of quandongs. He gently wakes MARY . She wakes in fright.
    JOE : Look, quandongs.
    MARY : Oooh, my feet still hurt.
    JOE : Let’s have a look.
    JOE washes and rubs her feet. She flinches.
    They’re a bit skinned. [ Nodding at the quandongs ] Eat ’em.
    MARY : Oh, that feels good. [ She bites into a quandong. ] Aagh! They’re sour!
    JOE : They’re nice with sugar on ’em.
    MARY jumps up and begins to vomit. JOE supports her. A magpie warbles .
    You all right?
    MARY : Gawd! Oh! I’ve never been sick like that in my life before.
    She retches again.
    JOE : You’ll be all right once we get on the rattler. We’ll get a nice cosy truck.
    JOE sits her down and puts a blanket around her. She rests against him and recovers. A magpie squawks and JOE , immediately on his guard, jumps up and grabs his doak. BILLY KIMBERLEY appears and rushes at him with a stockwhip in one hand and handcuffs in the other. JOE dodges him. MARY is sick again as BILLY advances slowly and menacingly on JOE .
    BILLY : You two fella, silly fella. Everyone run away. Wait here for the choo choo. [ Swinging the whip at JOE ]
    Choo, choo, choo, choo.
    JOE dodges the w hip and threatens him with the doak.
    JOE : Go back, old man. I don’t want to hurt you.
    BILLY : [ pointing with his chin to MARY ] She got to come back, she my countryman.
    MARY vomits. BILLY drops the handcuffs and the two men crouch and circle each other.
    JOE : She’s comin’ with me.
    BILLY : She give girl. Mitjer Neal says she gotta come back.
    JOE : Fuck Mr Neal!
    BILLY : You bad boy, Tjenna Guppi gunna git you!
    JOE : And fuck the Tjenna Guppi too!
    JOE grabs the end of the whip and wrenches it from BILLY , sending him tumbling forward. JOE leaps on him and twists the whip around his neck. MARY staggers across to them. The train whistle blows in the distance.
    MARY : Joe, Joe you choking him!
    JOE : I’ll kill the old bastard!
    MARY : Get up off him. Please! Please, for my sake!
    JOE : Gimme them handcuffs! Handcuffs, quick!
    MARY throws him the handcuffs. JOE handcuffs BILLY ’s hands in front of him, releases the whip and throws it down. He starts to go through BILLY ’s pockets.
    [ To MARY ] You run, run, ru–un flat out to the hill! I’ll catch you up!
    MARY starts to pick up their possessions.
    Leave them! Just run… Run!
    MARY runs, hopping painfully on bruised and lacerated feet. JOE finds the keys to the handcuffs and throws them away. He picks up their gear .
    You shouldn’t fight young fella, old man. Here, tucker.
    JOE thrusts quandongs into BILLY ’s pockets, pushes his hat down over his head, and runs after MARY .
    BILLY : Thas awright, thas awright. Gudeeah politjman git you bye and bye, you see.
    BILLY picks up his whip with his handcuffed hands, pokes it in his belt and walks off slowly. The train thunders past.
SCENE TEN
    The Superintendent’s Office, Moore River, day. BILLY , still handcuffed, limps past the Long Pool Camp followed by DAVID , CISSIE and TOPSY , all shouting