Free Drowning in Her Eyes by Patrick Ford Page B

finally Marci said, “Daddy and I would be happy to stay here for a while. How would you feel about that ? ”
    Th ey spent a frenetic month setting up their house, fin d ing a good used Volkswagen Beetle, and enrolling in educ a tional institutions. Sarah and James Junior were to start at Armidale high school . Susan would commence an arts d e gree at the university. They made a number of good friends including Professor McKenzie and his family, along with the other expatriate Americans. One day , while attending the university enrolment office, Susan met a nice young woman called Bernadette Willis. They became firm friends. Jimmy had found a job as an electrician and general maintenance man at the Teachers ’ College. So, the Bakers settled into their new home.

    Meanwhile, not far to the north, in a small country in Indochina, reports were i n creasing of slain villagers and young men disappearing. The small men and women in black with their AK 47s and Chinese - made rocket launc h ers attacked a compound of soldiers. More than 100 died. The reports did not appear in Australian newspapers.

Chapter 4
Heaven on Earth
    Armidale, New South Wales, Australia —1964

    Jack Riordan left Ballinrobe on a hot, clear February morning. He ’ d b ade his family farewell the day before. De n ni was off to Brisbane, and his parents, reluctant to let her go all by herself, had gone with her. Jack wondered how they would keep up with her Mini, for she drove it like a racing car. That day he ’ d hauled out his rifle, Sam, and the old Land Rover and spent time saying goodbye to Ballinrobe . He took great comfort from this reconnection to the land, for he knew he might not be back for almost three months.
    Although Jack had endured ten years in boarding schools, he had no idea what living at a college would entail, but he was looking forward to the freedom of action long denied at school. Today Ballinrobe took second place. A ri s ing tide of excitement overwhelmed him. As he climbed into the ranges, the cool breeze and the lovely trees, already changing into their autumnal brilliance, tugged at his hear t strings. The country was so different. The fields were an e m erald green, unlike the brown summer fields of Ballinrobe , shimmering in the heat haze. The sheep were in small mobs, most of them very different to his familiar Merinos. Some of them had black faces and legs. He was looking at meat pr o ducing sheep, and what meat it was! New England spring lamb was famous throughout eastern Australia.
    Instead of the wide flat fields of Ballinrobe , he saw pre t ty hills and valleys, and entirely different trees. The mou n tain eucalypts were there, but there were many northern hemisphere trees, poplars, elm, birch, huge radiata pines, an occasional oak or sequoia. Each valley seemed to have a small clear stream running through its bottom, lined with willow and hawthorn. Trees surrounded the homesteads. To the west and south- west sides, thickly planted windbreaks protected them from the winter winds. Some of the stoc k yards had roofing for protection. This country was cold in the winter, with snow on occasions. The mountain air was clean and cool. Occasionally, he saw brilliant parrots, cri m son and blue, shining green, red, and ye llow, swooping across his path.
    He arrived in Armidale around noon, found Aunt Lil ’s house without difficulty, and was warmly welcomed.
    â€œWhy don ’t you have some lunch with us, now, and then go out to your college this afternoon. It will take a few hours to settle in and get your bearings. You can start on books, stationery and timetables tomorrow. Come back for dinner tonight. There are some people we would like you to meet, ” said his a unt. “Yes, ” Bernadette said , with a myster i ous smile . “Some really interesting people. ”
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    The main campus of the u niversity bestrode a hill. The administration building was the spectacular 1800s hom