No Sugar by Jack Davis Read Free Book Online Page A

Chinamens too.
    SERGEANT : Oh, Jesus, shut up will youse? You’re all goin’ and that’s that, an’ if you don’t co-operate you’ll just go along for resisting arrest and escaping legal custody.
    SAM : When are we supposed to be leavin’?
    SERGEANT : On the seven-twenty mixed goods train in the morning. You’ll be camping in the goods shed overnight.
    MILLY : What about all our things?
    SERGEANT : You can pack personal things belonging to you. Herbert Munday is too old to go by road, Sam and his family will be going on the road party, with his horse and spring cart. Jimmy and Gran can go on the train.
    GRAN : I ain’t goin’ on no train, I’m goin’ with Sam and Milly. You’re not makin’ me go on no train.
    CONSTABLE : You’ll get pretty hot walkin’.
    SERGEANT : Listen, Granny, the road trip will take four days. You’ll be better off on the train.
    GRAN : Chergeant, I ain’t goin’ on no train. You can put me in gaol if you want to.
    She begins to wail and cry.
    I’m not goin’ by train; what we leaving Gubment Well for? Wetjala warrah , warrahmut , oooh !
    SERGEANT : All right, all right, Gran, you can go by road if you want to.
    GRAN : [ recovering instantly ] I am, too.
    CONSTABLE : It’s her funeral if she doesn’t make it.
    JIMMY : It’ll be your funeral.
    SERGEANT : That’s enough. Jimmy, you’re comin’ with us. The rest of you better start packin’ and go and get Herbie’s horse and cart.
    SAM : What about our kangaroo dogs?
    SERGEANT : I’m under strict orders that no dogs are allowed to go.
    SAM : What, leave the dogs behind?
    JIMMY : Come off it, Sergeant, how are they gonna get meat on the way?
    CONSTABLE : You won’t need to worry, you’ll be on the train.
    SERGEANT : There’s plenty of rabbits.
    JOE : What, are you gonna run ’em down?
    SERGEANT : According to Dr Aberdeen you’ve got a serious heart condition, so you’ll be going on the train, Jimmy.
    JIMMY : I’m not goin’ on no fuckin’ train.
    GRAN : Chergeant, I’m not leavin’ Wow Wow behind. If I can’t take him, I’m not goin’.
    MILLY : Who’s gonna look after our dogs?
    CONSTABLE : We’ll attend to them.
    MILLY : Yeah, we know that.
    JIMMY : With a police bullet.
    GRAN : [ frantically ] You’re not gonna shoot Wow, you’re not gonna shoot Wow Wow. You hear me, Chergeant? I’m not goin’.
    GRAN is frantic now. She tears her hair and throws plates and mugs about.
    SERGEANT : Oh Jesus, take your bloody mangy Wow Wow, whatever you call it. Take the bloody lot, just remember to be ready to move out tomorrow morning.
    The police escort JIMMY away. The family looks on in stunned silence. CISSIE clings to her mother and cries.
    END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO, MOORE RIVER
SCENE ONE
    The track to Moore River, day. The family enters. They are laden with possessions, hot, dusty and tired. In a clearing at the Long Pool Camp, Moore River Native Settlement, JIMMY erects a bush shade over a tent. The family is approached by a tracker, BILLY KIMBERLEY . He smokes a clay pipe and carries a whip.
    BILLY : Mornin’, mornin’.
    SAM : Gawd, who the fuckin’ hell are you?
    BILLY : I’m a politjman, name Billy Kimberley.
    DAVID : [ amazed, to CISSIE ] He’s a policeman!
    SAM : More like Tom Mix.
    BILLY holds out his pipe.
    BILLY : You got killarla ?
    CISSIE : He might be Buck Jones.
    SAM : Ain’t got none.
    GRAN : You ain’t politjman, you just black tracker.
    BILLY : All right, you fella follow me, now. I show you where your camp. Come on now, this way.
    They follow BILLY towards the clearing.
    CISSIE : [ to DAVID , nodding at BILLY ] Gawd, he’s black.
    DAVID : He ain’t black, he’s purple!
    GRAN : Choo , you fellas want to dubakieny wahnginy . He might be boolyaduk .
    JOE : Ah, Granny, he’s yuart . [ Making an open gesture ] He’s