| "Kate, The Dream Angel" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1997. |
| CHAPTER 1 |
| What a beautiful sunset, Kate said to herself. |
| Pink, orange and yellow clouds, against a sky that was almost purple. |
| Two birds winged their lonely way above the low trees, while the last of the light faded into dusk. Kate stood and brushed leaves off the back of her denim jeans; her eyes continued to follow the birds towards their unknowable destination. |
| When she could no longer see the birds, Kate returned the way she had come. Kate's clothes were damp with perspiration. Her expensive jogging shoes were scuffed and dirty from kicking sticks and rocks. |
| A huge moon glowed ochre, like a newborn sun that wanted to replace the one just dying. |
| |
| Kate did not want to be there, camping with her family. She would much rather have stayed at home, or at a her grandmother's place, instead of wandering around central Queensland. What was the big deal about communing with nature, anyway? Sure it was peaceful, but why have peace and quiet when there were parties and concerts to go to? Especially when it was so hot and humid. |
| Her thoughts were interrupted by the approach of heavy footsteps. |
| "There you are, Kate. We were getting worried." Her father said in his "I'm being patient with you" voice. |
| "I was meditating. Contemplating my navel, you know?" Kate muttered. |
| He looked at her sideways, "Oh yes? And did you learn anything?" |
| "Sure did. My belly button is full of fluff." |
| "Don't give cheek." He joked, not noticing her gloomy mood. "Let's get back before it's too dark to see anything." |
| The thirteen year old was distracted by a movement in the sky. |
| "What kind of birds are they, Dad?" She pointed at the two brown birds, flying close over stunted trees. |
| "Where, Kate? I don't see any birds." Her father squinted, searching where Kate pointed, and she described exactly where they were flying. He shook his head and said he saw nothing, even though she said they were just a few metres away. |
| "I'm not blind, Kate. If they were there, I'd see them." |
| They said no more to each other, and went back to their camp. Naturally, Kate's mum scolded her for being away from the caravan after dark, and even Kate's older brother, Sean, called out something from behind the van, where he was having a wash. |
| "Gees! I never wanted to come on this stupid trip in the first place, and when I do something that you keep telling me I need to do, you all go off at me!" Kate exploded. "Besides, there's plenty of light from the moon. I can't understand this family." |
| |
| With that, Kate ran into the van and threw herself face down onto a narrow seat; her elbow bumped painfully against the table, giving Kate another reason to complain. There was never enough room in the caravan to move, or even for privacy. There wasn't even a proper toilet, just a chemical thing inside a tiny cubicle. |
| Kate sulked for awhile, until her mum told her to set the table. She laid out a tablecloth, plates, glasses, cutlery and a salt shaker, ready for their salad. Sean poured out cold drinks, while their parents carried in the food. |
| |
| "I reckon it's getting hotter." Sean declared. "Wish I didn't have to get all dressed up for dinner. Can't I just wear shorts, when it's so hot?" |
| "I hardly think a T-shirt is making much difference to your temperature." His dad observed. "Kate's wearing jeans, and she's not complaining." |
| "Naturally. No sense, no feeling." Sean teased. |
| "Idiot." Kate said. |
| "Stop that, both of you!" Their mum ordered. "Any more fighting, and you can both spend the rest of the evening in your beds." |
| Kate stared at her plate, pushing the salad around with her fork, and sometimes eating. |
| "What's wrong with your dinner, Kate?" Her mum asked. |
| "Nothing. It's stifling and I'm bored. There's none of my friends, and no TV." |
| Her dad sounded hurt, "You enjoyed our holidays until this year." |
| "I'm not a little kid any more, Dad. I'm thirteen, and I want to be around other girls my age." |
| "Well, in a few days we'll head up to Mt. Isa. There's sure to be other girls you can talk to." |
| "Yeah." Kate's shoulders drooped at the thought of trying to hold an intelligent conversation with some hick in hobnailed boots. "I'm not really hungry. Can I be excused? Maybe a walk will help." |
| "All right." Her mum agreed. "Stay in sight of the van. Why don't you change into something cooler? There's no mosquitoes about, so it's a perfect evening for a light dress." |
| "I'll be okay." Kate left the table, pushed her hands into her back pockets, and walked away from the caravan, while moonlight made long shadows in the scattered scrub. |
| A strange squawking noise made Kate look up. Two unusual, brown birds flew close overhead. She was sure she had never seen that kind of bird before that day; all brown except for a patch of black on the crown of their heads. Could they be the same two birds she saw earlier? After a few seconds of circling, the pair of birds settled onto a dead tree, and watched as Kate walked beneath them. Another squawk came from the larger bird, when Kate passed below, then fluttering wings signalled their departure. Kate ignored them. |
| |
| Perspiration was making her itchy and uncomfortable. She knew her mum was right about changing into a dress, but that would have meant that Kate would have to give in. She pulled the T-shirt out of the waistband of her jeans, flapping it up and down, to create a breeze past her stomach and chest. Kate walked aimlessly, listening to the insects and other noises from the scrub and occasional trees. |
| A flash of brown startled her, as one of the brown birds swooped past Kate. |
| Kate waved her arms at the intruder. "Get out of here, you stupid buzzard! As if I don't have enough problems." |
| She ran away from the birds, only stopping when she was gasping for breath. A rock provided her with a seat, until she was breathing normally. Unfortunately, perspiration soaked her jeans and shirt, and even ran into her eyes. Her long, blond hair stuck to her face. If only there was a stream or pool where she could cool off. All she had available was a plastic basin of water, behind the caravan. |
| Kate turned back, walking slowly, feeling sorry for herself, and wishing she was home or even at Grandma Hannah's. She ignored the pesky birds that were flying nearby. |
| As she passed under the dead tree, Kate did take more notice when the two brown birds landed at the base of the tree trunk, and hopped into a hole in the old wood. |
| "I bet you've got a nest in there!" She exclaimed aloud. "You must have been trying to scare me off." |
| She knelt beside the dead tree, and tried to see inside the hole. |
| It was too dark to make out much, just the moving birds, though Kate thought she could barely see a small egg, if that was what it was. |
| She stood up, and went into the van, where her family was playing cards. No one paid any attention to her, as she rummaged for clean knickers, her nightshirt and towel, which she took out to the table that held the wash basin. Kate had to clean herself with a facecloth and soap, while standing on a rubber mat from the car. She would rather have died than have anyone see her bathing like that. It was hardly a satisfying wash, though she was no longer sticky, and her hair was rinsed. Once dried and dressed for bed, in a nightie and thongs, Kate was reluctant to go inside the van, where the air was so still. Outside, at least, there was a slight breeze. |
| Four folding chairs were next to the car, so Kate sat on one, thinking of all the fun she was missing at home. She looked at her watch. Nine thirty eight. All her favourite TV shows were over. |
| Some kind of bug crawled over her bare toes, making her jump up. With a sigh, Kate went inside, where she brushed her teeth over the sink. |
| "I'm going to bed." She announced, and kissed her parents goodnight. |
| A curtain divided the van into two sections; the back section was where they all slept. The grown ups had a double bed at the back, while Kate and Sean had double bunks along one wall. Kate lay on the bottom bunk, not really tired, but unable to think of anything else to do. |
| Eventually, she slept. And dreamed. |
| |
| Kate dreamed she was in the van, and her family slept around her. In her dream, she got out of her narrow bed and walked to the dining area, where she peered through a window into the night. There was movement out there! Near the dead tree, shadows moved. People! |
| |
| Kate was not sure how many there were; two or three, perhaps. Aborigines, by the look of the one she saw most clearly. Was this tribal land? Were they dangerous? Kate watched. She knew she was dreaming, though it sure was a real-seeming dream. |
| Slowly, Kate walked barefoot towards them. She was not certain why she did. They were not doing anything obvious, just sitting or moving slowly. When Kate was almost close enough to see clearly, a brilliant flash of light from the base of the tree blinded her. Because it was a dream, Kate was able to see again, an instant later, but the people were gone. |
| All there was to see was the dead tree. Feeling disappointed, Kate re-entered the van, and lay on top of her bunk. |
| |
| Someone was shaking her. Kate grumbled, "Go away. I'm asleep." |
| "Get up, lazy." Sean shook her harder. "It's eight thirty, and you missed steak and eggs. Are you going to sleep all day?" |
| "Yes. Rack off." Surprisingly enough, Sean left without arguing. |
| Satisfied with her little victory, Kate rolled over and settled down. She did not hear her brother, when Sean came back, with something grey in his hand. She was trying to remember a strange dream that eluded her. |
| Kate was slow to react when she heard her sheet rustle. She was much faster, though, when something small, dry and alive crawled along her back, tiny claws penetrating the cotton nightie. Kate screamed. |
| An instant later, she was off the bunk and sitting on the floor, while trying to rid herself of the creature that was clinging to her nightshirt. A small, frightened lizard darted away from her and past her dad's feet, as the grown up charged into the van. "What the hell's going on in here?" |
| Sean grinned smugly. "Kate's up now." |
| "What did you do?" |
| "I put a skink in her bed. Good thing she didn't squash it." |
| "Get out of my sight, you..." Their dad was furious, until he knelt next to Kate, where she sat sobbing with fright. "Come on, baby. It's gone now. That was a terrible way to be woken up. Are you all right now?" He wiped her cheeks dry. |
| "All I could feel were claws on me, Daddy." Kate sobbed against his shoulder. |
| Her dad patted her back, to clam her down. "It's okay now. It's gone. Shhh...You know you slept so late that you missed breakfast? You must have been tired, because you were already asleep when we finished our card game last night." |
| "I had a weird dream, but I can't remember it... Just wait till I get my hands on that idiot!" Kate grew livid. |
| "How about you get dressed first? Then something to eat." He suggested, as he helped her to stand. "I'll see you outside." |
| After her dad went out, Kate sat back on her bunk, her mind filled with thoughts of revenge against her older brother. She wondered where she could get a funnel-web spider, to put into his underpants as he slept; let it sink its fangs into his fat bum, and good bye Sean. |
| Kate smiled, savouring the image. She pulled off her nightshirt, found her grubby jeans and a clean shirt, then walked out into sunshine. She puzzled over how her feet had become dirty, since she definitely remembered washing between her toes the previous evening. |
| |
| "Morning, sleepy head." Her mum greeted her. "Your father told me what happened. You must have been heard from Brisbane to Darwin. What a noise you made!" |
| "I am going to find the biggest, nastiest, most poisonous funnel-web, and make it bight Sean's backside." |
| "Isn't that a bit extreme?" Her mother asked. |
| Kate paused, as she made herself a bowl of cereal. "You might be right. A trapdoor spider will do." |
| "I don't know where you two kids get your vicious streak from." Her mum shook her head in exasperation. |
| "I'm Jewish. An eye for an eye." Kate declared. |
| "I don't think a tiny lizard rates equally with a funnel-web, or even a trapdoor, do you?" |
| "So call me generous. I always give an extra measure." Kate spluttered her corn flakes, and her mother sighed in exasperation.. |
| "Look at the mess you made. That's why we always tell you not to talk with food in your mouth." |
| "Sorry." Kate wiped milk off the small table, then off her chin. |
| "Do you have any plans for today, Kate?" |
| "Are you kidding? There's roller skating, and a disco, and naturally there's the swimming pool, with all the girls." |
| "Sarcasm will get you nowhere. We're going for a walk to that hill over there. Care to come?" |
| "If you've seen one hill, you've seen them all, Mum." |
| "You're being impossible. It's no wonder Sean's had enough of you, Kate. Your father and I have waited a year for this holiday, and we're not going to let your selfishness spoil it. It's about time you learned that the world is not here just to please you every moment. When are you going to grow up and consider other people? I'm going to go on that walk, and have fun. You can stay here, or come, as you want. Don't forget to brush your teeth." |
| Kate did not look up, or speak when her mum left. |
| Once her breakfast was finished, Kate did brush her teeth. Then she washed up the breakfast things. That would show them she didn't think about other people! |
| |
| Unfortunately, there was really nothing else to do, and it would be hours before her family got back. Maybe she could use the privacy to even up her sun tan? She had a new bikini this summer, but her old one-piece had left a white patch around her middle. Kate set up a folding lounger in the sun, and changed into the lime-green bikini and a hat. There was no one to scold her about sun cancer, and she would make the most of her freedom. |
| As an afterthought, she took a magazine to read; she could catch up on the latest gossip about the royal families. When she lay on her stomach, Kate took off her watch and medallion, and slid the shoulder straps of her bikini down. The morning sun was already hot, and her pores quickly rid themselves of moisture. In ten minutes, she rolled over, so as not to burn her back too much. Reading was difficult in that position, because of the glare, so Kate pulled her hat over her eyes, and dozed. |
| |
| Something woke her. What was it? |
| Kate looked around. Nothing moving anywhere. Her watch said she had been asleep five minutes or less. She stood into her shoes, not bothering with the laces, and walked around the camp site. It felt a little spooky, but exciting too, as if she were an Aborigine hunting for game. |
| That thought brought back part of a faint memory. Something about aborigines near that dead tree. Kate went to look. Maybe she could find a spear head, or stone knife. And wasn't that the tree where the birds were hiding an egg? |
| Kate was on her knees at the base of the tree, and leaned down to look in the gap near the roots. It was awkward. |
| There was something there! |
| Kate could not quite make it out, though it might be an egg. Was it blue? Unmindful of the dirt and twigs, Kate lay on the ground as close as she could get to the tree. If she lay with her head at just the right angle, she could see inside. Yes, an egg! |
| Or was it? Weren't nests suppose to have feathers and leaves to protect the eggs, and what was to stop snakes or mice from eating it? This egg was on the bare ground. It looked odd, too: a brownish colour, with streaks of blue all over it. And it was perfectly round. |
| It was a small marble, of all things. How dumb could those birds be? Kate reached in and picked up the small sphere, then sat up, to examine it in the sun. It was cool to the touch, and a half centimetre across. Other than that it was just an undersized marble. |
| Kate shrugged, about to put it back, then took it with her to where she had been sunning herself. |
| Time to put on the block-out cream. Kate dropped the marble so as to smother herself with protective cream. When she had finished her front and shoulders, Kate put the bottle on the ground, where it promptly tipped over, because it had the marble under it. |
| Kate picked up the little brown and blue object. Examining it more closely, she realised that it was not glass, nor was it metal. Plastic? It did not feel like anything she was familiar with, and it was still cool, almost cold to the touch. As she turned it around in her slippery fingers, Kate dropped the marble, which bounced off her chest and rolled along her stomach, where it came to a stop in her navel. |
| "A hole in one." Kate said aloud. |
| As she reached for the marble, Kate's hand hid it for a moment. All her fingers found was her skin. The small, round mystery was gone. Kate searched all around on the ground beneath her, but there was no sign of the marble. She lay back down, puzzled. Where could it have gone? She could still feel the cool trail it had left on her stomach, especially in her navel. In fact, it felt as if it was still there. |
| No! It wasn't possible! Kate sat up and prodded her tummy. Was there a lump there? Kate was not sure. She stretched the skin so as to look inside her belly button. |
| Oh no! It was there! |
| Kate saw the tiniest bit of brown and blue, then it was gone. She raced into the van, found the first aid kit and a torch, then went hunting with tweezers and the light. |
| All Kate managed to do was scratch herself. She was scared. You can't have things inside you like that! |
| |
| Kate had gotten over the first fright by the time her parents and brother returned from their walk. |
| She said, calmly looking up, "You all look hot.". |
| "So do you, baby." Her father grinned at her. "Have you been rolling around in the dirt?" |
| "Uh, yes. There's something stuck in my belly button. Can you get it out please?" Kate could not quite stop her voice from sounding scared. The two adults exchanged a look then both knelt beside the thirteen year old. |
| "I'll get the first aid kit." Sean sprinted into the van, while Kate was made to lie down flat. Her parents, poked and prodded at Kate, while she explained what happened. |
| "I can't see anything. Can you Eva?" Her dad asked. |
| "Nothing, except for those scratches, and a little redness. I can't feel anything that shouldn't be there." |
| "Here's a magnifying glass." Sean offered, as he put the open first aid kit next to Kate. |
| Kate's mum used the magnifying glass to check once more, while not commenting on the disarrayed condition of the kit; she must have realised Kate had already been in the kit. |
| "Not a thing, Kate." She declared. |
| "I can feel it! It's still there. It's like a tiny cold lump. Don't you believe me?" Kate felt like crying. |
| Her mother looked apologetic. "Kate, baby, it's not that we don't believe you, but we can't find any sign that there's anything there." |
| "It's true, Mum!" |
| "All right, baby. We'll be in Mt. Isa in a couple of days, and I promise to take you to a doctor as soon as we get there. Okay?" |
| Kate only shook her head. No one believed her. There was a sudden stinging, and Kate saw her mother dabbing red antiseptic on her stomach. |
| "Mum, don't! Oh, Mum, that stuff doesn't come off. I won't be able to go swimming in front of people." |
| "Stop your complaining, Kate. Where can you swim, and what people?" |
| |
| Lunch was kosher sausage on sandwiches. Kate only ate one, since she did not feel hungry, while Sean demolished everything in sight, as usual. Kate was wearing a T-shirt over her bikini, to hide the stain on her tummy. |
| |
| "When are we leaving?" She asked her parents. "You did say the day after tomorrow, but I wondered if you changed your minds?" |
| "Maybe. If those clouds bring any rain." Her dad studied the horizon critically. "Though we have just about seen all the sights around here, and I'm rested enough from the long drive. What do the rest of you think?" |
| "I'm easy." Sean shrugged, as he pushed half a sandwich into his mouth. "I would like to go swimming in a pool." |
| "It's fine by me, Aaron, as long as you feel up to it?" Their mum said. |
| "It's settled, then. Tomorrow, after breakfast, we hit the road again." |
| Kate wore a big smile of relief. "How far is it to Mt. Isa, Daddy?" |
| "About two hundred kilometres. If we have an uneventful drive, we'll be there by lunch time, tomorrow. Provided no one sleeps in late." |
| "Don't worry, I'm going to bed early." Kate promised. |
| |
| That afternoon, the weather was hotter and more humid than anything Kate had ever experienced; she was not reassured by her father telling her it would get worse. |
| They set up a canvas tarp as a sunshade, next to the van, and the four of them played cards until the sun went down. Kate and her mother prepared dinner, while her dad and Sean went behind the van to wash. Kate again ate very little of the salad, and excused herself from the table. The heat and, also, the noises of Sean gobbling his food were making her ill. |
| She took some things with her, and had a wash. The lukewarm water barely cooled her down, though she no longer felt so yucky. Kate pulled her nightshirt on without using a towel. She wanted to stay wet, in the hope that it would help in the heat. |
| |
| As she lay half asleep on her bunk, the only part of Kate that was comfortable was, ironically, a place a couple of centimetres behind her belly button. Her thin mattress felt lumpy under her shoulders, forcing her to lie on her side. An occasional puff of breeze came from the open window near the small of her back, though the moving, hot air gave little relief. |
| Kate could hear her family talking and laughing, outside. Her mind began to drift in and out of sleep. |
| After a time, Sean came in, then their parents. The three of them undressed and went to their beds. Kate rolled onto her other side, facing the wall. She did not have the energy to find out what the lumps were under her shoulders. Finally, deep sleep came over her. |
| |
| And she dreamed. |
| |
| A droning sound. Voices singing off key in a monotone? Kate got up and went outside as she had done the night before. The singing came from the dead tree. Clouds obscured the moon, making it hard to see. |
| |
| Unafraid, Kate ran to catch the singers. She stopped a couple of metres away from them, and the moon came out from behind the clouds. |
| Two people, an old man and a girl about Kate's age, or possibly a little older. They were dressed in loincloths, but the real surprise was not their colour, being aborigines. It was their wings. |
| From their backs sprouted bird wings, feathered in brown. |
| The old man waved to her. |
| "G'day, white-fella gin! You sit down. Plenty talk, eh?" |
| The dark girl said nothing, though she smiled and patted a place on the ground next to her. |
| This is a dream, right? Kate asked herself, and sat beside the other girl. |
| "You pretty mix up bloke, I betcha!" The man grinned pink gums at Kate. |
| "Who are you?" She asked. |
| "Bill Kudaitcha, and this other blackfella gin, Mary Kudaitcha." |
| "What are you doing in my dream, Mr. Kudaitcha?" |
| "Not your dream. Our dream. This is Dreamtime!" |
| "Hey, cool!" Kate grinned. "I'm part of an aboriginal legend." |
| "As an indigenous member of this country, and having observed almost a century of progress in these regions, both in inter-cultural and inter-religious growth, I find your conclusion apt." |
| Kate blinked at him. "I beg your pardon?" |
| His toothless smile was gone. "Now that we've got your prejudices out of the way, we can hold a meaningful conversation. Kate, this is a dream, as you say. However, you do not have exclusive rights to dreams. No one has." |
| Kate glanced at the other girl. Mary was silently laughing. |
| "What's going on?" Kate's eyes grew wider, as she turned back to Bill. |
| "We could talk all night, and it would not mean much, without you understanding your part in the Cosmos. Mary, would you show her?" |
| The girl turned, presenting her wings to Kate. Kate's hands automatically reached out and stroked the soft, warm feathers. The brown wings rippled and moved beneath her touch, just like a real bird would do. When the girl turned to face Kate, her own dark arms went around Kate, and touched something on Kate's shoulders. |
| "What?" Kate was startled. |
| With Mary guiding her, Kate could touch two small bumps under the material. Hastily, Kate took off her nightshirt, to better feel what they were. The little bumps were covered in down. Kate was growing wings. |
| |
| "What a night." Kate's mum said. It was so humid I could hardly breathe... You're awake, Kate? Where's your nightie?" |
| "I had it on when I went to bed. I must have taken it off in my sleep." Kate looked around for it, without success. Her brother and father were already outside, making breakfast and breaking camp. Kate pulled on a cotton dress; it was too muggy for anything else. Her mum did the same, and they went outside. Low, grey clouds roofed the world. |
| "Is this yours, Kate?" Her dad held up the missing nightshirt. |
| "Where did you find it?" She asked. |
| "Under that dead tree. What were you doing? Sleepwalking?" |
| Kate was surprised. Under the dead tree. Why did that bother her? Something was missing from her memory. |
| "Kate's been visiting the Twilight Zone." Sean suggested. His comment brought three baleful glares, which he ignored, as usual. |
| After breakfast, Kate and her mum tidied up the van, and then they all drove back to the bitumen road, which took them north-east. It was pleasant in the car, with the air-conditioning on, and nice music from the CD player. |
| The scenery was pretty much the same as she had been used to on the last day before they had camped: red and grey soil, sparse vegetation, long hills and occasional fences. |
| Mt. Isa was a red-dusted town, rising out of red soil. |
| While her dad filled the petrol tank at a service station, Kate got her mum to look up a doctor in a phone book, and make an appointment. While they waited, Kate persuaded her mother to let her ring her grandmother, in Sydney, just to let the old lady know what a miserable time Kate was having. |
| Kate could still feel that cold place in her middle. If it were not so worrying, Kate would have enjoyed its coolness. |
| |
| Kate lay on an examination table, while the doctor checked her stomach. |
| "I can't find anything, other than one or two scratches." He said. "No lumps, nothing abnormal at all." |
| "It's there, Doctor." Kate assured him. "I can feel it. It's like a cold marble two centimetres behind my navel. Can't you take a temperature or something?" |
| "All right. Just a moment." The doctor searched in a cupboard, and came back with a small plastic box, which had a metre long wire coming out of one end. "Let's check some temperatures." |
| |
| Kate was furious. After the indignity of the examination, to be told that "Yes, there was a small anomalous temperature gradient, but nothing to worry about." |
| It WAS there! The electronic thermometer DID pinpoint it. Despite that, no one believed the machine or her. |
| When she sat in the back of the car, Sean took one look at Kate's face and must have decided not to make any smart-mouthed comments. |
| They went to lunch, then found a caravan park with a swimming pool. Kate had to swim with a T-shirt on, and even then the antiseptic stain on her tummy showed through the shirt. Another girl laughed at her and made a really crude comment. Kate shut herself in the van, where she cried out her anger and frustrations. |
| The family ate in a small restaurant that evening. All of them dressed up, including Sean, who protested at wearing long trousers, instead of shorts. Even though the food was not strictly kosher, they all enjoyed it, and Kate was in a better mood when they returned to the van. |
| Her watch was showing nine thirty, when Kate changed into her nightie and lay on her bed. The tropical heat was draining all her energy. At least the lumps in her mattress were gone. Kate's mum sat on the edge of the bed, and stroked Kate's damp forehead. |
| "Tired already, baby? You've been sleeping a lot lately. Ten hours last night, twelve hours the night before. Is there anything you want to tell me? Woman to woman, I mean." |
| "Oh, Mum." Kate smiled at her. "Nothing like that... I have been having weird dreams lately, but I can't remember them. Just weird, you know?" |
| "We all get odd dreams, Kate. It's the way our subconscious minds cope with problems, worries and new experiences." Her mother touched Kate's cheek. |
| "I guess so, Mum. I never sleep walked before last night. Did I?" |
| "Nope. And you'd better not do it tonight. Not with strangers around." |
| "I'd just die! Oh, gosh. What a thought. If you hear me get up, will you wake me?" |
| "All right, baby." Her mum laughed. "If I hear you. Cross my heart." |
| Kate was fast asleep five minutes after her mother kissed her. |
| |
| Someone was in the van, moving around, whispering. |
| Kate opened her eyes. Bill and Mary Kudaitcha were squatting on the floor, close to Kate's bunk. |
| "Why are you here?" Kate whispered. |
| Bill grinned. |
| "You can talk in a normal voice, Kate. No one else can hear us. This is outside their timelines. Dreamtime is beyond mortal comprehension." He told her. |
| "Why? I mean, what is all this?" She frowned, growing impatient with his double-talk. |
| "Try lying on your back, Kate." She rolled back, only to find something lumpy under her shoulders. The lumps were much bigger than yesterday. She stood up, so she could reach under her nightshirt; her wings were bigger, though still covered in down. |
| Mary was behind her then, and gently brushing the soft feathers. It was pleasant, and almost took Kate's mind off the other things happening. |
| "Why doesn't Mary talk?" Kate wondered aloud. |
| A beautiful, almost musical voice, startled Kate. "I've had nothing to say, Kate. Bill does most of the talking, since he's training us." |
| Kate turned to stare into Mary's eyes. "What do you mean? Training us? For what?" |
| "Sit down, Kate, unless you'd rather walk outside?" Bill suggested. |
| Kate sat, with Mary next to her and holding her hand. |
| "Kate, I know I look like a tribal black. I choose to look this way, as does Mary, because this is how our people expect us to look when we... When they need to see us. Our last names are not really Kudaitcha. That's a title, or description of a legendary spirit man. You can look it up tomorrow, because I'll arrange for you to hear it again in your other life." |
| "Other life? You mean when I'm awake?" Kate asked. |
| "Close enough. The descriptions that man gives us are inaccurate." Bill said. "Look, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning. The Hebrews believe that God created the Earth and heavens, and that's pretty close to the truth. So is our peoples' belief that the Great Serpent from the Dreamtime created the Earth. There are as many theories as there are religions. Most of them have elements of the truth." |
| "If you know this, then what's the one, true religion?" Kate demanded. |
| "There isn't any one religion that has all the truth. Most are variations of each other, and virtually all religions carry parts of the truth. Some more than others. And all have some pretty glaring mistakes. That's not very important, though." He told her. "If you follow the basic rules of worshiping the Creator, and of respecting each other, then the rest is just fancy window dressing. Your own Ten Commandments, as delivered to Moses, are good guidelines for all men, not just Jews and Christians. On the other hand, there's the Koran, and the teachings of Buddhism, which were written by Siddarta Gautama. I could give you an endless list, but so what?" |
| "What is the truth?" Kate demanded. |
| "If it makes you happy, Judaism was the first of modern civilisation's religions which encompasses most of the truth, and others have built on its foundations. The answer is so simple, that it's in front of the eyes of everyone who has ever lived, or is yet to be born. The problem is, you can't see it until you leave your mortal shells behind." |
| "You mean die, don't you?" |
| "You got it, Kate. I could tell you, but I won't. Mary can't tell you, because she's like you. Still alive." |
| "You're kidding!" |
| "Trust me." Bill laughed. |
| "Why should I do that?" Kate was getting angry. |
| "Answer me this, Kate. In Hebrew tradition, there are two kinds of angel. What are they called?" |
| "Umm... Cherubim and seraphim." |
| "Suppose I told you there are other, lesser orders of angels? In some Christian beliefs, the lowest order of angels are called Thrones. Well, they're not the lowest. I am one of the lowest order, and we don't have a formal name for our order. We don't need such things. I am a true angel, and have been for fourteen months, seventeen hours and thirty six seconds. That's how long it's been since I kicked the bucket. Before that, I was like Mary, and before that, like you, Kate." |
| "Huh?" |
| "Haven't you guessed yet? Look at Mary's back. What's growing on your own back? Don't you get it?" Bill asked. Kate shook her head, afraid to answer. "Normally we're only seen in dreams, but sometimes those who are destined to become one of us see us in the waking world as birds. Kate, you're turning into a Dream Angel." |
