Many things happened the next day: only some were good. Tommy found some long sword-like weapons and brought five of them to camp. They were flat and made from wood and decorated with carvings. Some of the swords were seven feet long. I have heard stories of people being speared by such a weapon. It was very disturbing to see them. Jess Young was very interested and he kept a look out all day on the sandhills with his gun.

Peter did the shooting this time since Jess Young was busy keeping watch. He shot a different bird – like a crow except it was grey. So we had that in soup with our damper in the evening.

Tommy found a nest of scorpions. They strutted into our camp as though we had food they’d like. They had an interesting track on the sand, and Asad thought they would be good to play with but I made sure he kept his distance from those swaying tails.

Perhaps because my attention was on the scorpions I didn’t sense the other danger. It was Tommy who caught my attention. ‘Taj.’ He motioned to me to keep still, yet he didn’t look worried, and then I heard the sound of scales scraping across the sand. Asad barked joyfully. The snake was so close; if I had kept moving in its direction I could have been bitten. Asad had it by the tail when Mr Giles hurried over.

‘We have to catch it. I can bottle it and show Adelaide what a desert snake is like. Taj, you head it off.’ But it was Tommy who rushed to help Mr Giles; I had never learnt my father’s skill with snakes.

Both the dogs joined in. Tommy and Mr Giles seemed to be having fun but I watched from a distance. I think the pups got in Tommy’s way, for the snake slid away with just one bloody bite in his tail. ‘I wanted to methylate him, but it appears he has other ideas – an interview with his undertaker perhaps?’ Mr Giles sat down heavily, but he was laughing with Tommy.

There was nothing I did that pleased Mr Giles as much as the things Tommy could do. But I was thankful that this time Tommy warned me.

That evening Padar decided to teach Tommy about the moon. ‘The moon travel east to west, he like the sun – sun travel west too.’

Tommy shook his head. ‘Moon go the other way.’

‘Never,’ Padar said. ‘How could that be?’

Peter Nicholls was asked. ‘Good Lord, I don’t know. It must go the same as the sun. It sets in the west, don’t it?’

So Tommy asked Mr Giles. Jess Young had his smirk in place when Mr Giles answered. ‘The moon goes the opposite way to the sun, Tommy.’

Tommy sighed with satisfaction. ‘I told Saleh.’

Mr Tietkens was laughing by then and I thought Padar would have been used to Mr Giles enough to know he was joking, but still he became upset. ‘How can you say such a thing, Mr Gile? The moon, he special, and goes the same way as the sun.’

Mr Giles laughed too. ‘Anyone would think I was trying to convert you to Christianity, Saleh. Look at Tommy – he knows enough about the stars and the planets, the sun and the moon, just like you and me.’ Sometimes Mr Giles said surprising things; it was as if he was telling Padar not to worry about Tommy even if he didn’t know the right path of the moon, for he could find his way in the desert himself. It made me remember how Tommy found all those water places. He didn’t use the sun like Mr Giles, or the moon like Padar, he sang songs. It was as if the songs and the land itself guided him.

I checked my bedroll carefully before sleeping that night. The thought of that snake made me shudder. I also didn’t want to get bitten by a scorpion and lose my finger like Padar. Asad licked my nose and settled down with me, but I knew he would get out in the night to pee.

In the morning I couldn’t find Asad. I checked to see if he was playing with Mustara. He wasn’t with Dyabun either, for he was nosing around near the cold campfire. Peter’s kitchen area was my first place to check as both pups liked Peter and his scraps of dried beef. ‘Have you seen Asad?’

‘No, Taj. Have you tried in the scrub?’

It was Jess Young who found Asad. The pup was under a bush near my bed roll, hidden from view. But he was lifeless, beside him a dead scorpion.

‘Looks as though he saved you from a sting, Taj. And he managed to kill the scorpion after it stung him.’ Jess Young was kinder than I thought he would be. He rested his hand on my shoulder. ‘A hound once saved my life too, Taj, at the sacrifice of his own.’

I didn’t think I would feel so much. I was the desert after a dust storm had blown through, desolate and dry. Jess Young must have told the others for Padar came and took the pup and buried him in the sand. I went to Padar and helped put the rocks on top of the grave. Asad had been my friend for so short a time.

It was a strange feeling for Padar and me. Neither of us had buried my mother and having spoken about that so recently brought it to mind. It felt as though we were finally able to do so and I wept more than I would have for Asad. The others watching must have thought I loved my pup very much to show such grief, but you never know what is happening inside people.

Tommy came to say sorry. He stood staring at me. I didn’t want him there. Everything went well for Tommy. He was always happy. Mr Giles loved him; he could find water and follow tracks. I didn’t want his sympathy when he still had a pup of his own. A voice inside me said I was being unfair but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t be happy I was saved from a scorpion. So I ignored Tommy until he went away.