9

A seagull flies again over Bonny, low and raucous. I suspect it has been sent by Beeral to pass the young man a message.

‘Go home,’ the bird seems to cry. ‘Swim hard. Beeral will send the sharks away.’

But Bonny appears not to be listening. He watches as the longboat quickly overtakes him, and a man with no hair leans far over the bow. The man takes hold of Dorondera, roughly hauling her aboard. She is naked now, apart from the long undergarments she has taken to wearing under her skirts, and struggles against him with all her strength. The bald man, laughing, forces her down into the boat. He stares as another man restrains the girl. Does Bonny think of his mother and the bearded thief at this moment, I wonder. Such history cannot be forgotten. When the boat comes for Bonny, the bald man again leans far over the side, his arm outstretched, right hand skimming the water. Bonny takes hold of his arm and, with his other hand, lashes out in gathered fury, smashing the bald man across the face. The shocked German’s head twists sideways, and Bonny lets go. The German’s nose bleeds into the sea.

I have feared such things and have witnessed before what follows. I saw them in life and I have seen them in death, although now all I can do is watch and tell this story. The bird comes again to convince Bonny to abandon his journey.

‘Beeral is proud that you went in after Dorondera to protect her. That is what brave Badtjala men do,’ the bird says. ‘And he knows you fought back because you remembered the man who stole your mother away.’

And even though Bonny cannot understand well the bird’s language, he seems to glean its meaning as a person can decipher a scream, a cry or a laugh. The bird circles low overhead, its keen eyes focused on the longboat as it comes for Bonny once more.

‘But you must stop fighting now or you will be killed,’ the bird says. ‘Swim! Swim hard! Tell Dorondera to jump from the boat and swim, too.’

Dorondera pulls herself upright and looks over the side. A wave comes up quickly between Bonny and the boat as if to form a wall to stop the violence. Is Beeral hoping that Bonny might catch the wave all the way back to the beach? For a moment, Bonny appears to consider doing just this, but the bald man takes his chance to strike him in retaliation with an oar. The first blow strikes Bonny’s forehead, the second his ribs.

‘That is for punching me, you fool!’ the bald man says, blood streaming from his nose. Another crewman pulls the raging man backwards, but it is too late.

Breathless, Bonny vanishes underwater, and I can do nothing to rescue him.

‘No!’ Dorondera cries.

Bonny sinks heavily, the remaining air rushing from his chest in expanding bubbles. It is as if the evil spirit known as the Melong has grabbed hold of Bonny’s foot and is pulling him down. Bonny looks up towards the light, at the bubbles rising through the water, growing, growing, bursting. Then he is rising, too. Kicking to the surface, his body tense and ready. Like a speared sea turtle, Bonny comes up again for air. He asks Beeral aloud for assistance. He calls on his Jun Jaree. He takes a breath. He finds new strength. Dorondera is standing in the boat, attempting to pull the bald man away, but the stranger strikes her with his elbow and she falls backwards again onto the wooden planks.

‘Control yourself, Fritz,’ another man yells.

‘Enough!’ Bonny shouts in Badtjala. ‘Don’t hurt her. Let me aboard.’ He reaches up towards the boat, hooking a hand over the gunnels. Fritz drags him inside, and Bonny’s head strikes the seat hard. Bonny’s eyes close.

Fritz blocks Dorondera as she tries to reach her friend, the sailor’s hands meeting her breasts and holding them.

‘Leave her, Fritz!’ one of the crew shouts, and Dorondera tears away and screams at the bald man as she goes to Bonny’s aid.

The seagull cries over Bonny’s head, but he appears not to be able to move or see. The bird screeches at Bonny that Beeral has changed his mind.

‘Beeral wants you to defeat the hairless savage brute with yellow teeth,’ I understand the bird to say. ‘Do not give up! Fight harder!’ the bird screams. ‘And never, never stop.’