Catherine Jinks TheRoad (101 page)

And the smoke parted before Del’s sputtering Ford, which crawled clumsily towards the Oakdale track, leaving fire and blood behind it.

When Peter woke up, he knew where he was instantly. He was in the car – Del’s car – and he was stuck in the bush, on a track, exactly where they had ended up the night before when the petrol ran out. It was morning now, though. It was light. He could see through the window, though it was caked with dust and ash. Out there was a stretch of stony ground, topped by a fringe of yellow grass, and a swaying mulga, and a cloudy sky, and – what was that?

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the blast of static, and the chatter of an electronically processed voice.

A grim-faced man in a police uniform was leaning towards the driver’s window, knocking at the glass with one end of a big, black torch.

gurunderi built a fire and placed the body of the Evil One on top of it. As the body was consumed, many insects and birds were released. Only then did he feel free.

About the Author

Catherine Jinks was born in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1963. She grew up in Papua New Guinea and later spent four years studying medieval history at the University of Sydney. She now lives in Leura, New South Wales, with her husband and daughter.

She is the author of many highly acclaimed and award-winning novels including
The Gentleman’s Garden
and
Spinning Around.