I nearly died today.

This morning, as I was preparing export documents in my tin shack of an office, the foreman, Michael, came running in with a look of intense panic.

‘Sir! We’ve got a collapse! Three men under the rubble in shaft seven!’

Instinctively, I jumped to my feet. ‘Are they alive?’

‘Not for long, sir. I reckon the whole thing’s going to go.’

I made for the door. ‘Round up as many men as you can and bring them down to seven. Quickly!’

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Michael, and sprinted ahead of me. Then a sickening thought crossed my mind. I called out to him.

‘You say it will collapse?’

‘It’s making a terrible groaning sound, sir. I think the timber might have got the rot.’

I inhaled deeply. ‘Cancel the men, Michael. I’m not risking anyone’s life unnecessarily. I’ll go down by myself.’

‘With respect, sir, there’s no way you’ll be able to do anything on your own. They’re under a mountain of earth and wood.’

I accepted his assessment. ‘You may ask for volunteers. Explain the situation carefully. No orders. It must be their choice.’

‘Sir.’ Michael nodded, before continuing at a pace. I ran across the orange earth until I reached the entrance of shaft seven, which, as Michael had described, was producing an awful moaning sound. Without hesitation, I began to descend using the steel railings fixed to the rock. When I reached the pit, I was greeted by a storm of mud and dust. I could just make out the flashes from oil lamps, and I followed them into the dust cloud. With my hands spread out in front of me, I soon felt the presence of a miner.

‘Who’s that?’ he cried.

‘Atlas Tanit! And you?’

‘Ernie Price, sir!’

‘Show me where the men are buried.’

‘Right in front of us, sir!’ He grabbed my shoulder and directed me to the ground, where I became aware of five or six men scrabbling at a pile of earth. ‘There was an enormous cracking sound, so I ordered everyone out. But these three weren’t quick enough.’

‘The whole thing’s going to go!’ I cried. ‘You have to save yourselves!’ I pleaded.

‘This is my mine, sir, and they’re my men. I have to try!’

I became aware of a muffled screeching from beneath the earth. It focused me. ‘Stay if you want. But think of your family.’

‘You lot!’ Ernie cried, addressing the men trying to move the dirt. ‘Get out of here. Up the rails, now!’ They hesitated. ‘That’s a bloody order! Go! Now!’ They followed the instruction, dropping their pickaxes and shovels. Ernie stoically remained, and passed me a pickaxe. ‘Just keep digging, sir. It’s all we can do.’

The moaning and creaking intensified as we ferociously hit at the solid earth. ‘Hang on!’ I shouted. ‘We’re hitting timber, that’s why we’re not making any progress! The mud is piled on top of the wood! We have to dig from above, not below!’ Ernie nodded at me and followed my lead as I began to attack the pile from chest-height downwards. To my delight, the cries of the men became louder as we were able to clear more earth. ‘Keep going! We’re getting closer!’ After what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably no longer than two minutes of ferocious digging, I saw something move. ‘It’s a hand! Grab it and pull, Ernie!’ He followed my instructions as I continued to dig. Eventually, a face emerged from the rubble and spluttered. Ernie pulled the man clear, and he groaned.

‘Can you walk, Ron?’ he asked. Ron shook his head. Suddenly, from the dirt storm at the shaft entrance, Michael emerged with three volunteers.

‘Get him out of here!’ I cried. ‘We’ve got two more to free!’ I put my ear to the pile of earth and listened. I heard a screech. ‘He’s here!’ To my amazement, a stray leg was protruding from some ground we had already cleared. Although the removal was speedier than the last, the man looked in worse shape, and was fading in and out of consciousness. The mine emitted its most sickening groan yet, and the ground began to shake.

I knew which way this was going, and addressed the men.

‘He’ll be harder to get up to the surface. All of you will be needed. I’ll find the last miner.’ The volunteers began to drag the casualty towards the shaft’s entrance, and Ernie picked up his shovel once more. ‘Ernie,’ I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. ‘Thank you. But they need you. I’ll find the final man. What’s his name?’

‘Jimmy, sir. He’s only young. Nineteen years old!’

‘I understand. Now go.’ Ernie spun on his heels and ran into the dust. I put my head to the earth once more, but this time, there was no muffled cry to follow. Instead, I wildly hit at the pile of earth in front of me. I had accepted my fate. The mine would collapse, and I would be buried alongside Jimmy. In the hope of letting him know he wasn’t going to perish alone, I cried out, ‘Jimmy! We’ll be all right! Do you hear me, Jimmy? We’re going to be just fine!’ To my utter surprise, I received a distinctly audible groan in reply. ‘Jimmy?! Jimmy is that you?!’

‘Uhhhhhh,’ I heard again. I followed the voice, and to my shock, I came across a semi-conscious man whose torso was completely visible. His legs, however, were trapped directly under a timber support. I grabbed his hand, my heart beating out of my chest.

‘Jimmy! Hold on tight!’ I cried, yanking him as hard as I could muster. He cried out in pain, as it became evident that he was well and truly stuck. I began to dig around his waist, but it was no good. I grabbed the oil lamp and confirmed that the support beam had fallen against the shaft’s wall at an acute angle, which is why it had not crushed Jimmy to death, but had trapped him instead. I grabbed the beam and tried to shift it. I could not.

‘Please,’ Jimmy mumbled. ‘Please, please . . .’

I ran my fingers along the timber, feeling for any cracks in the wood. If I could somehow cause the beam to split, it might be enough to release Jimmy below, whilst keeping the earth above from crushing him. After a few moments of fumbling, I came across the required fissure. With renewed hope, I grabbed the pickaxe again, and began to attack the beam. The ground beneath my feet was now moving so much that my swings lacked the required accuracy. ‘Damn it!’ I yelled. If only I had something sharp to push into the split to help force it apart. As I felt around the floor for rocks, I remembered the object I had in my possession.

‘The diamond,’ I breathed. I whipped the leather pouch over my head, and prised the precious contents from inside. Then I felt for the largest part of the fissure, and forced the diamond inside. I took a step back and swung the pickaxe behind my head. With a silent prayer, I brought it down with as much force as I could muster. The clunking ‘thud’ reassured me that I had made contact. A cracking sound followed, as the lower half of the beam split away from the top. Dropping the pickaxe, I grabbed the timber and pulled with all my might. Against the odds, my plan worked. The bottom section of the beam came away, and the top continued to support the earth above. I grabbed Jimmy’s hand and pulled him free.

It was fortunate that I was able to act so quickly, as the remaining timber soon split in two. Dragging Jimmy along the floor by his arms, I made my way through the rubble and dust.

‘Help!’ I cried at the top of my lungs when I reached the mouth of the shaft. ‘Help, please!’ I concluded that no one could hear me above the terrible rumble. Summoning every ounce of life I had left, I grabbed hold of Jimmy’s limp body and flung it over my shoulder. Then I grasped the iron railings and began to climb up and out of hell. It was sheer agony. But I had come this far. After a few metres, I began to hear voices.

‘Hey, someone’s coming up!’

‘There’s no way. You’re seeing things!’

‘Just look down there!’

‘Bloody hell, get down there and help him! We’re coming, sir, just hang on!’

I continued to force my way up towards freedom, when I felt Jimmy’s weight begin to lift from my shoulders.

‘We’ve got him. Pull him up, Michael!’ said Ernie’s voice.

Removing Jimmy from my shoulders had the adverse effect of destabilising me, and my feet slipped from the railings. As I hung freely, I saw Jimmy being hauled over the entrance to the shaft. Then the rumbling from below me became a shrill howl, and debris from above began to fall onto my face.

‘It’s going!’ Ernie shouted. ‘Quick, grab him!’

I looked below and was faced with a collapsing vortex of earth and wood. The shrill howl turned into a deafening roar, and as I looked up, the last thing I saw was Ernie’s hand, desperately reaching down for my own. I went to grab it, but the iron railing succumbed to the collapsing ground. I felt myself fall for a moment, before the world around me faded from view.

When I awoke, to my surprise, I was in one of the makeshift shacks above ground, lying on top of a pile of discarded work clothes.

‘He’s awake!’ Ernie said. I blinked hard and he came into focus. ‘Mr Tanit. You’re alive!’

I became aware of the immense pain that breathing was causing me. ‘My chest,’ I groaned.

‘It’s your ribs, sir. We reckon they’re well and truly smashed up. How’re your legs?’ he asked. ‘Can you wiggle them?’

I tried, successfully. ‘Yes. The men from shaft seven . . .’

‘All fine, sir, apart from a few broken bones alongside being a bit shaken up. And it’s all thanks to you.’

I put my hand to my throbbing head. ‘The mine collapsed on me.’

‘Yes, sir, just as you were about three metres from the surface. Thankfully, we had eyes on you and we started digging straight away. Near enough the whole workforce was involved in getting you out. Many hands make light work.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, trying to extend my arm to shake Ernie’s hand. ‘Ouch,’ I said, as a jolt of pain seared through my joint.

‘Try not to move too much, sir. We’ve informed Mr Mackenzie in Adelaide, and he’s assured us that the finest doctors are on their way to you and the other men. But until then, well . . . Michael’s had an idea.’ He gestured to the foreman stood by the door.

Michael cleared his throat. ‘Would you be open to seeing a member of the Ngangkari?’

‘Ngangkari?’ I asked.

‘An Aboriginal healer, sir. I’ve heard of their presence in a village a few miles away. The doctors from Adelaide will be a few days, but one of the Ngangkari could be here later this afternoon.’

I managed a nod. ‘Anything for the pain in my chest.’

Michael looked relieved. ‘Don’t you worry, Mr Tanit. I’ll be back later on with help. You’re a very brave man.’ He ran out of the shack door.

‘Is he awake?’ asked a voice from outside.

‘Hang on, Mr Tanit,’ said Ernie, standing up to investigate. I heard some conversational mumbling, and he returned. ‘I know you’ve only just woken up, sir, but you’ve got a very keen visitor outside, who wants to make sure you’re all right.’

‘Who is it?’ I asked.

‘Jimmy, sir. He wants to thank you.’

‘Please, send him in.’ Ernie left and was replaced by a fresh-faced individual who looked no older than a boy. He entered with a limp, and removed his sun hat, holding it humbly in front of his stomach. ‘Jimmy,’ I said. ‘How are you?’

‘I am alive, sir. And it is because of you and you alone. The other men have told me that you stayed down there to dig me out, and carried me up on your back. I owe you everything.’ He looked down at the floor.

‘You all work for me, which means your safety is my responsibility. I was just doing my job.’ The young man shuffled uncomfortably. ‘Is everything all right?’

‘Yes, sir.’ He turned around to look at the door. ‘I just have something to return to you.’

‘What do you mean?’ I asked. Jimmy tentatively put a hand in his pocket, and took out a familiar object. I couldn’t help but laugh, which sent an excruciating pain through my chest. ‘Ouch,’ I mumbled. ‘Well, I didn’t think I’d be seeing that again, Jimmy. Do you know what it is?’ After all, the diamond was still covered in glue and boot polish.

‘Yes, sir. I used to work the diamond mines of Canada when I was a boy. I could spot one anywhere. But’ – he shook his head – ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before.’

‘No, I can’t imagine you have.’ I tried to sit up a little on the pile of clothes. ‘How on earth did you end up with it? I readily kissed goodbye to it down there.’

‘I saw you take something out of a pouch from over your head. Then, when you hit the beam with the pickaxe, it literally dropped onto my chest, sir. I held on to it for you.’ He approached my bedside. ‘Here.’ He placed the diamond in my hands.

I stared at it for a few moments. ‘I thought that the last act of its existence in my possession would be to save a life. But here it is. Back once more.’ I rotated it in my hands, then looked up at Jimmy. ‘Why didn’t you keep it? It could have taken you away from all this. You could have gone anywhere you wanted, done anything with your life . . . And yet you’ve chosen to return it to me.’

Jimmy shook his head ferociously. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it, sir. It’s not mine.’

‘Well,’ I said, ‘thank you for giving it back to me.’

He looked at me timidly. ‘I could ask you the same question, sir.’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘You said it yourself. With a gem like that, you could be whoever you wanted to be. But instead, you’re here with us, a pile of broken men in the desert. You nearly died today. Why don’t you sell it and start a new life?’

I reflected on how strange the concept must be for this young man. ‘You said, “it’s not mine,” didn’t you, Jimmy?’ The young man nodded. ‘Well,’ I replied. ‘I would give the same response. Thank you again for returning it.’ Jimmy turned to leave the shack. ‘Jimmy?’ I called out. ‘There’s no need to tell any of the others about this, if you don’t mind.’

‘About what, sir?’ Jimmy replied. I gave him a nod, and he limped out.

I stared at the diamond. ‘Even when I tried to get rid of you, you came back. Have you not served your purpose?’ I delicately moved the stone into my pocket. Then I closed my eyes and slept.

I was awoken by Michael. ‘Mr Tanit? A member of the Ngangkari is here.’ I rubbed my eyes, and next to Michael stood a tall man in a skirt made of long, dry grass, and a body painted with striking, colourful patterns. He stared down at me, and gave me a wave.

I returned the greeting. ‘Hello. Thank you for coming.’

He pointed to himself. ‘Yarran.’

I pointed to myself in return. ‘Atlas.’ He nodded. ‘I have a very bad pain in my chest. I think that my ribs are broken, and I wondered if you might have any remedies for the pain?’ Yarran stared blankly back at me.

Michael stepped in. ‘He doesn’t seem to speak a lot of English, Mr Tanit.’

Yarran pointed at my chest. ‘Yes. Pain,’ I said. Yarran nodded his head, and patted Michael on the back. ‘I think that might be your cue to leave, Michael.’

He looked wary. ‘Are you sure that’s all right?’ he asked.

‘Yes, quite all right. Thank you.’

Once Michael had left, Yarran went to place his hands on my chest. ‘Careful!’ I cried, fearful of the pain he could inflict with even the lightest touch. He paused and smiled down at me.

‘Ouch,’ he said.

‘Yes, ouch. Painful,’ I replied.

Yarran nodded again, then inhaled deeply, before once more bringing his hands towards my centre. I braced myself, but his touch was light, and his palms moved softly across my ribs, as if he were gently stroking a cat.

‘Um, please,’ said Yarran, pointing at my mud-caked shirt. I gingerly unbuttoned it and looked down at my skin, which was black and blue. ‘Ouch,’ Yarran repeated. He returned his hands to my chest. He closed his eyes, and his breathing became deeper and deeper.

‘Mmmmm,’ he started to chant, in his deep, melodic timbre. I looked up at him again, and saw that he was frowning.

‘Is everything all right?’ I enquired.

‘Inside, ouch,’ he said once more.

‘I know. Broken ribs, I think.’

‘No. Inside. Deep. Ouch.’

A light wave of panic went through me. ‘Deeper? You think there’s a problem with my heart?’ I pointed to the centre of my chest.

‘Body gonna fix,’ Yarran said to me. ‘Spirit is broken.’ He stared at me with his deep brown eyes, which sparkled like Kilara’s. ‘Ancestors,’ he continued, pointing upwards. ‘Ancestors care.’

‘I don’t know what you mean. I . . .’ Before I could complete my sentence, Yarran had placed his hands on my head, and begun to massage my temples with his thumbs. His fingers gripped my cranium tightly, but I did not feel pain.

What happened next is very difficult to describe, but I will do my best. Yarran’s fingers seemed to grasp harder and harder, until it felt as though he had penetrated my skull and reached into my mind itself. I stress again, the feeling was not at all painful, more like I was somehow being cradled from the inside. The sensation continued to pass down from my head, into my neck, and then into my chest. Suddenly, I felt I was able to breathe easier, as if my lungs had unlocked some extra capacity of which I was previously unaware. The room in front of me faded into a brilliant white. I felt soft, and peaceful. Then I heard Yarran’s voice, which danced and echoed around my head.

‘Your soul is in deep pain,’ he said. ‘The ancestors and I will help you to mend.’

‘You’re speaking perfect English, Yarran!’ I replied euphorically.

‘We are only limited by the world of the physical, Atlas. As I worry you have forgotten, there is much more to this existence than that.’

‘Where are we?’ I asked.

‘Wherever you wish to be,’ he replied.

I thought for a moment. ‘I want to be with Elle. But she’s gone, Yarran. I still don’t fully understand why.’

‘She is missing,’ said Yarran softly.

‘Missing from my life, yes.’

‘Missing from . . . everywhere,’ he countered. ‘Hmm.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘There is a line which connects us to those we love, even if they are far away. Though we cannot see the line, it makes sure that wherever we are, we are always tied to them. You are still tied to her.’

My heart fluttered. ‘Even though she didn’t get on the boat?’

‘Yes. I cannot see where the line which connects you ends. But she wishes to be found.’

‘She does?’ I asked, a little stunned.

‘Hmmm,’ Yarran mused again, melodically. ‘You have much to do. Much to do.’

‘Do you mean that I should go looking for Elle?’

Yarran paused, as if contemplating his next words carefully. ‘The ancestors believe you have a destiny to fulfil. They will protect you, Atlas.’

‘Yarran, I really don’t understand.’

‘Sleep now. The ancestors will watch over you.’

The white light slowly turned to black, and I drifted into a blissful slumber. When I awoke, the room was dark. Inhaling deeply, I noted significantly less pain in my chest. I was in no doubt that my ribs were still very much broken, but I was able to breathe freely. I even found I could sit up and stand with relative ease. Buttoning up my shirt, I opened the door to the shack, and was greeted by the still of the outback night. The full moon shone brightly down onto the sea of shafts in front of me, depicting an alien landscape filled with vast craters.

The high-pitched squeaks and chirps of desert frogs echoed across the plain, punctuated only by the rare sound of a dingo howling. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned to see Yarran.

‘Yarran. I feel much better. Thank you!’ I gave him a thumbs up.

Yarran nodded and held out a pile of what looked like freshly picked herbs and flowers. ‘Drink down,’ he said, handing them to me.

‘Thank you. I shall.’ I dithered for a moment. ‘It was very good to talk to you earlier.’ He stared blankly back at me, and I berated myself for ascribing my dream to Yarran’s spiritual powers. ‘Anyway. I really do feel a lot better.’

Yarran turned and waved back over his shoulder. ‘Come,’ he said, and started to walk out into the open desert behind the shack. I followed him, and we must have walked for ten minutes or so, with the ground lit up before us by the brightness of the moon. Then Yarran stopped, and sat cross-legged on the dusty ground. I mirrored him. He pointed to the sky. ‘Ancestors,’ he said.

I looked up, and the sight that greeted me took my breath away. The stars shone down as I had never seen them before. An array of brilliant, twinkling majesty hung above us. Orion, Taurus, Perseus, Pleiades . . . The constellations themselves were ablaze with wonder.

‘Yarran . . . the stars . . . I have never seen them like this . . .’

‘Always here,’ Yarran replied. ‘But you don’t see. Spirit broken. Getting better.’

I was humbled by the sheer breadth of the shimmering sky. In that moment, I saw life in the dark and warmth in the cold. I turned my eye to the Seven Sisters.

‘Hello, old friends.’

I absorbed their splendour, silently apologising for forgetting all they had done for me during my life’s journey. After all, it was they who had delivered me to safety during my impossible journey as a young boy. Without them, I would be lying dead on a bed of Siberian snow. I still believed that the sisters had sent me Elle, and Landowski, and Brouilly, and Pip and Karine and Archie Vaughan. Not to mention Kitty Mercer and her brother Ralph.

‘All right,’ Yarran said, standing. ‘Home.’ Without so much as a goodbye, he continued walking away from the mines.

‘Hang on a moment, Yarran, the village is back this way.’ He waved me away. ‘Please, come back and stay the evening. We’ll take you home on horseback tomorrow!’

Yarran turned back to me. ‘No, you, home.’ He pointed up to the sky again.

‘Wait, you mean I’m supposed to go home? To Coober Pedy? Or did you mean home home? Switzerland? Yarran!’ I cried.

He paused and turned to me once again, a broad smile on his face. ‘Much to do.’

Those three words . . . he’d said them in the dream. ‘I knew it . . . Am I to go looking for Elle, Yarran?’ He continued to walk away from me, and did not turn around this time. ‘Please stop. I can’t let you disappear into the outback! It’s not safe!’

Yarran laughed loudly, and wandered off into the still Australian night.

Knowing it was a lost cause, I made my way back to my underground abode.

After my encounter with a member of the Ngangkari, I feel enlivened . . . dare I say, even hopeful? There is air passing through my lungs, which is more than can be said for those who I have lost. Father, Pip, Karine, Archie . . . I owe it to them to get up and live my life.

And now I know what I have to do.

I have to find Elle.

And win her back.

For that is all there is.