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RANDY FELT HIS HEART miss two beats in a row. Perhaps they were the spies! But he had no time to do anything, say anything, or even think anything before Blowfly veered off target, ran past the strangers and kept going down the slope. Piho hesitated a moment, trying to suss who they were, made a quick decision, and ran full tilt after Blowfly shouting, “You bad dog! How’d you get off your leash?”
Randy slowed up, taking a slightly longer look at the strangers before he went past.
Then he recognised one of them - the council guy from that meeting: Mr Dirke. Two of the other ‘suits’ started looking vaguely familiar too. Had he seen their photos in the paper?
“Hey, kid!” called the woman in the snazzy blue pinstripe suit, “Come here a minute.” It didn’t sound too bad. Un-authoritarian. Kind of safe.
“What?” asked Randy cautiously, slowing up a little bit more.
“I’d just like you to answer a few questions,” she added pleasantly.
“Like what?” asked Randy, now curious. He stopped a few metres away from them.
“Well, do you come here often?” she asked, “Do you like the place? Do you think it needs anything done to it? See we’re just trying to build up a ‘User Profile’.” Dirke rolled his eyes and heaved an impatient sigh.
Randy hesitated, carefully planning his answer. This was a golden opportunity - he knew this Dirke dude was pushing to sell the place, so he had to answer carefully. “Yeah, ah, well I guess I come here every day. Cos, see, I love the place. It’s ah, it’s so... ah, enriching. But, ah, I think they should just keep it as it is, sorta run-down and natural, but no native trees! I mean, like, that’s the whole nice thing about it - that it’s sorta like France.”
'Arrrgh! What am I saying! This is too close to the truth!'
But it seemed to pass. The suits looked at each other, and the purple-suited guy with the pony-tail (the only one Randy didn’t recognise) raised one eyebrow as if in surprise.
“Do you see many others here?” asked the woman.
“Ah, yeah, lots of little old ladies going walking, and, and, and people with their dogs - great place for dogs! Yeah, it’s popular. - Just as it is. Can I... ah... can I go now?” At the mention of dogs he’d heard the sound of Blowfly woofing up a storm somewhere through the trees. Another truffle - and major danger if these dudes decided to follow them.
Councillor Dirke cleared his throat, “Ah listen, kid, about your dog. You know it should be on a leash, don’t you?”
“Ah, yeah, of course. Bye!”
Randy hurried on, but not before he’d heard a little more of the conversation that instantly burst into life behind him: “It’s all very well, Allan, but it needs to make a return...” – “Tourism: ‘A little bit of France!’...” – “I say develop it! It would make a perfect truffière...”
Randy stopped dead. He glanced back. They were still talking, looking away from him down the other slope, while the purple-suited guy explained about truffières and gestured and spoke enthusiastically about restaurants and international tourists.
Grey-Suit scowling thoughtfully, Blue-Suit nodding encouragingly, and the older-looking guy, Brown Suit, didn’t say a word as always. Randy wasn’t entirely sure, but he was beginning to suspect Brown Suit was the Mayor himself.
Randy slipped behind a nearby tree, his ears on high-alert.
Dirke was now talking, “...but the council can’t possibly invest in such a plan. We can’t even afford our current maintenance programme, let alone a major commercial development!” He sighed again, as if he carried the financial burden of the whole district upon his shoulders, then said with a trace of optimism, “But the concept alone might just help to push up the price,” he spoke two words into his little tape recorder, “Research truffières.” Then squaring his shoulders he looked towards the road, “Okay, I’ve seen enough, let’s get back to the office.”
#
RANDY RACED THROUGH the woods to rejoin Piho, who was just bagging another fine black truffle while Blowfly feasted messily on his second piece of bacon for the day.
“Geez, man!” puffed Randy in a panic, “D’ya know who those dudes were?” He rushed out a garbled explanation.
After Piho had finally got the story straight he quietly said, “Bugger.”
“You said it, dude! .. Whoops! Here we go again!” Blowfly was at work once more. Randy glanced around nervously as they dug their next truffle. Pierre had been followed, now those council dudes turn up. Who next?
They cleaned and bagged the truffle and Blowfly got his bacon, then Piho sighed and gazed away through the trees at the lowering sun, “So,” he admitted reluctantly, “guess you were right, dude. Looks like we’re stuffed. This’ll probably be our only chance to... Hey!” Blowfly had jumped at the bacon-bag but Piho pulled it away in time, “No! Bad dog. You go and find another piggie! Go on!”
“But hang on,” said Randy, “they’ll grow again next year, so we could still...”
“Forget it,” interrupted Piho sharply, “If it becomes private property, then this'll be called ‘theft’.”
Randy kicked the ground angrily. “Awww, bugger!”
Just then Blowfly found another ‘piggie’. They dug it up, cleaned it and bagged it without much enthusiasm, then started for home. It was getting late anyway.
“If we get another four tomorrow...” murmured Randy, “...four on Wednesday...”
“Yeah, if, maybe,” mumbled Piho moodily, “but one day it’ll be over. So we’d better just make hay while the sun shines, eh?”
Then he cheered up a bit, “At least we’ll be amazingly rich by next year!”
“Yeah,” sighed Randy, “guess you’re right. What’cha gonna do with yours?”
“Bank it. I’m saving up for Polytech.”
“Don’t ya want a bike or something?”
“An education’s better.”
“Get a computer then.”
Piho just snorted.
They lapsed into silence, plodding wearily home with about $1500 worth of truffles in their pockets. But they still had to wash the dog, feed him, bike across town to meet Pierre, deliver the goodies, collect yesterday’s money and get back home in time for tea.
Life was tough.
#
PIERRE WAS LATE. THE boys had been late home for tea three nights in a row, now, and Randy was getting anxious. “Where is he! He’s ten minutes late.”
“Aw, let’s jack it in!” growled Piho bitterly, “I’m freezing!”
“Hang on, here comes something.”
“Nar, just another car.” But it was slowing down, indicating, turning towards them.
“Hide!” squawked Randy, running for the trees, but Piho had seen it different.
“Chill it, dude! It’s him!”
Pierre drove past them, parked the car deep in the shadows of some trees, and killed the lights. They boys quickly got in as Pierre anxiously peered back along the main road.
“You been followed again?” asked Piho.
“Don’t think so,” answered Pierre, slowly relaxing as the highway remained clear, “Hopefully they’re still watching my van in the driveway back in Auckland, wondering just how long I’m going to be in the shower.”
“You switched cars!” said Piho cleverly.
“Bought one,” corrected Pierre, “Nice, eh?”
“Yeah,” murmured the boys, both wondering where the guy suddenly got all the money for a new car, hoping it didn’t fall into the category of ‘expenses’.
“Um, so, you made the sale?” asked Randy anxiously.
“Yep.” Pierre took one last look at the highway, relaxed a bit more and got out the customary two envelopes. “We’re doing well, guys,” he said as he passed them over, “The goodies are getting better and better!”
The envelopes were fat. Randy felt quite faint. He was finally getting seriously rich!
“I’m worried about this getting-following business, though,” admitted Piho.
“Me too, dude,” agreed Pierre, “Listen, why don’t you guys come clean with me? Tell me where you’re getting them. I mean, it’s pretty remarkable you finding free truffles. It can’t be entirely legal. Maybe there’s some way we can secure the supply...”
“Nope!” answered Piho at once, “That was the deal – no questions asked!”
Pierre said nothing more on the subject. Neither did the boys, but Randy began to wonder. How much did it cost to buy a patch of land anyway? Five thousand? Ten? And if he could buy it – what then? Suddenly his brain flashed with a great vision - Piho could have his restaurant right here in Kainui - Pierre would be the chef - Blowfly would find the truffles - Kainui would have lots of tourists and all the businesses would boom! Cafes – motels - gas stations – employment - everyone would be happy!
But what about him? What about Randy Cathro?
Where would he fit in?