Vanishing Point by Alan Moore Read Free Book Online Page A

thing,’ she said quietly. She imagined the animal trotting through the scrub, on the lookout for possible prey, a small wallaby or a rabbit, to catch and feed to her pups. The old traditional hunting path, used for countless generations of dingos, was barred by something now: a fence. Settlers from the old world needed to define their boundaries and protect their exotic animals so they built miles and miles of wired, prison-like enclosures that kept creatures both in and out.
    Katherine imagined the dog trotting along the fence line barrier, looking for a way through. Suddenly, without warning, the jaws of the trap snapped shut. As her mind pictured the scenario, she looked closer at the trapped animal and realised that it must have taken a long time to die. In its desperate attempts to free itself it had almost chewed through its own leg. Above where the steel jaws had trapped it all the flesh had been torn away and the bone partly damaged, but the teeth marks were clear. Escape was impossible.
    Tears welled up in Katherine’s eyes. ‘What an awful way to die. How cruel these traps are. How can the men that set them be so unfeeling?’
    As if Carolyn could understand Katherine said to her baby, ‘I wonder if a human would do something like that if they were trapped and trying to escape. I wonder if a person would be prepared to undergo such pain in order just to live. I doubt it.’ She shuddered involuntarily. ‘The more I know of people, the more I like animals.’

    * * *
    Late in the afternoon, as the shadows lengthened, Katherine collected almost a full container of water from the pit and drained an equal amount from the little plastic bags on the branches of the surrounding vegetation. She collected a small pile of twigs and branches from the dead mulga trees near the fence to make a fire and cook her evening meal. She broke the twigs and stacked them over crumpled paper, ready to light a cooking fire. Her planned meal consisted of a few tins of baked beans, some tinned vegetables and a steak and onion mix from the remaining food in the Kombi. She took out the tins, ready for her own meal, but first fed Carolyn so she could eat without being interrupted by a hungry cry.
    After feeding and changing Carolyn she was about to start her own meal when she heard the faint noise of a vehicle. Katherine climbed out of the Kombi and looked up and down the track. The noise was quite distinct but she could not decide which direction it was coming from. She took a few steps into the track and squinted her eyes westward, using her hand as a shield. It was the direction from which Alec would return. Her heart lifted.
    Nothing but the long shadows from the sun low in the sky could be seen. She turned east to see a small dust cloud moving slowly towards her. A vehicle, at last. It wasn’t Alec, but it was someone.

K atherine heard the steady throb of the engine coming closer. A four-wheel drive diesel engine makes a noise very different from the higher pitch, distinctive throaty whine of their Kombi. As the vehicle drew nearer Katherine recognised it as a Land Rover, so familiar with its functional design. It was a utility and towing a small, two wheeled trailer. A fine dust plume trailed the pair.
    As it approached the Kombi Katherine raised her hand in greeting. The driver slowed the vehicle, changed gear down and pulled up in a whirl of dust. Katherine turned her body away. By holding her hands over her face she shielded her nose and eyes until the cloud of dust accompanying, and now overtaking the vehicle, had settled. The driver had his window open and seemed oblivious to the mini-sandstorm he had created. He looked at Katherine but appeared expressionless and said nothing as she dropped her hand and turned to face him.
    â€˜G’day.’ Katherine opened the conversation with the standard country greeting.
    â€˜G’day. How ya goin’?’
    â€˜Not so good. We broke