the mobile phone had been reassembled and delivered back to Rose, who was sitting in a corner catching up on all the news from her friends.
Fred was right when he said he had just about everything in his shed. He certainly had all that Tony needed. The idea was to paint the concretion and display the halves on wood. He wanted to sell them to get money for Christmas presents.
Two hours later he was finished. Rose and Fred gathered around to assess his handiwork.
‘Very good,’ said Fred. ‘You should make more of these. The tourists will love them.’
‘They’re both nice,’ added Rose. ‘But I like that one best.’ That one was the half containing the imprint of the crab. Tony had added thin, white lines to highlight the hollows. It gave a beautiful modern look to the ancient image. The other contained the crab, which was now a polished, deepblack. It was also beautiful, but in a more sinister way. Each of the halves sat on a piece of golden rimu.
‘Are you going to make more?’ asked Rose.
‘Yes. Tomorrow, I’m going back into the mine to do some collecting. That’s if Fred will let me.’
Fred thought for a while. ‘I don’t like you going in by yourself, Tony. Just in case something happens.’
Tony turned to Rose. ‘Will you come with me?’
Rose pulled a face. ‘Do I have to? That place gives me the creeps.’
‘You know,’ said Fred with a twinkle in his eyes, ‘there’s also greenstone pebbles stuck in that sand.’
‘Is there?’ said Rose. ‘I could use it to make jewellery.’
Thus it was arranged: Rose would join Tony in the mine, so they could each collect things. Though from the wink that Fred gave Tony, he wasn’t sure that Rose would find what she was after.
That afternoon they visited Duggan’s farm. It was an easy walk up the hill onto the terrace behind the mine entrance. Tony became aware that the mine must be under the Scotsman’s property.
Alongside the parking area was a shop labelled Golden Glow Herbal Medicines . The shop was empty, but a bell somewhere in the distance rang to announce their arrival. The first impression was the smell—sweet, creamy and relaxing.
‘Vanilla,’ said Rose. ‘Oh, how I love that smell.’ She walked around the shop with her nose in the air until she located a basket full of brown-coloured pods. She picked one up and rolled it past her nose.
‘You like the smell of vanilla, do you?’ It was Duggan. He had entered noiselessly, through a door behind the counter. ‘Those beans’re grown right here in Charleston. As is everythin’ else in this shop.’
Tony and Rose looked around. It was an attractive-looking shop. Most of the goods rested on straw packed into cane baskets. There were jars of all shapes and sizes. The ingredients came in a range of colours, with the dominant one being a golden yellow.
‘Are they all medicines?’ Tony asked.
‘Aye, sort of. They’re all good fer you in some way.’
The bell rang again as a group of tourists entered. They seemed to know just what they were after, for they went straight to a box by the counter and picked up several packages. A good amount of money changed hands and they were off again.
‘Marshmallows,’ said Duggan. ‘By far ma biggest seller. Here, try one.’ He held out a dish with some yellow jellylike blobs.
‘Marshmallows?’ said Rose. ‘They don’t look like marshmallows.’
Duggan just smiled.
Tony popped one in his mouth. It felt like it looked, with a slight taste of vanilla. It was nothing like any other marshmallow he’d tasted.
‘You see, these’re the original marshmallows. They’re made oot of a mallow plant tha’ grows in marshes. They’re not made oot of any of tha’ other rubbish you get in sweeties. These ones’re good fer you.’
Tony nodded his head. Now he understood why they tasted that way—they were healthy.
‘C’mon oot the back and I’ll show you.’
The mallows were small shrubs with white flowers. They seemed to like
Fred was right when he said he had just about everything in his shed. He certainly had all that Tony needed. The idea was to paint the concretion and display the halves on wood. He wanted to sell them to get money for Christmas presents.
Two hours later he was finished. Rose and Fred gathered around to assess his handiwork.
‘Very good,’ said Fred. ‘You should make more of these. The tourists will love them.’
‘They’re both nice,’ added Rose. ‘But I like that one best.’ That one was the half containing the imprint of the crab. Tony had added thin, white lines to highlight the hollows. It gave a beautiful modern look to the ancient image. The other contained the crab, which was now a polished, deepblack. It was also beautiful, but in a more sinister way. Each of the halves sat on a piece of golden rimu.
‘Are you going to make more?’ asked Rose.
‘Yes. Tomorrow, I’m going back into the mine to do some collecting. That’s if Fred will let me.’
Fred thought for a while. ‘I don’t like you going in by yourself, Tony. Just in case something happens.’
Tony turned to Rose. ‘Will you come with me?’
Rose pulled a face. ‘Do I have to? That place gives me the creeps.’
‘You know,’ said Fred with a twinkle in his eyes, ‘there’s also greenstone pebbles stuck in that sand.’
‘Is there?’ said Rose. ‘I could use it to make jewellery.’
Thus it was arranged: Rose would join Tony in the mine, so they could each collect things. Though from the wink that Fred gave Tony, he wasn’t sure that Rose would find what she was after.
That afternoon they visited Duggan’s farm. It was an easy walk up the hill onto the terrace behind the mine entrance. Tony became aware that the mine must be under the Scotsman’s property.
Alongside the parking area was a shop labelled Golden Glow Herbal Medicines . The shop was empty, but a bell somewhere in the distance rang to announce their arrival. The first impression was the smell—sweet, creamy and relaxing.
‘Vanilla,’ said Rose. ‘Oh, how I love that smell.’ She walked around the shop with her nose in the air until she located a basket full of brown-coloured pods. She picked one up and rolled it past her nose.
‘You like the smell of vanilla, do you?’ It was Duggan. He had entered noiselessly, through a door behind the counter. ‘Those beans’re grown right here in Charleston. As is everythin’ else in this shop.’
Tony and Rose looked around. It was an attractive-looking shop. Most of the goods rested on straw packed into cane baskets. There were jars of all shapes and sizes. The ingredients came in a range of colours, with the dominant one being a golden yellow.
‘Are they all medicines?’ Tony asked.
‘Aye, sort of. They’re all good fer you in some way.’
The bell rang again as a group of tourists entered. They seemed to know just what they were after, for they went straight to a box by the counter and picked up several packages. A good amount of money changed hands and they were off again.
‘Marshmallows,’ said Duggan. ‘By far ma biggest seller. Here, try one.’ He held out a dish with some yellow jellylike blobs.
‘Marshmallows?’ said Rose. ‘They don’t look like marshmallows.’
Duggan just smiled.
Tony popped one in his mouth. It felt like it looked, with a slight taste of vanilla. It was nothing like any other marshmallow he’d tasted.
‘You see, these’re the original marshmallows. They’re made oot of a mallow plant tha’ grows in marshes. They’re not made oot of any of tha’ other rubbish you get in sweeties. These ones’re good fer you.’
Tony nodded his head. Now he understood why they tasted that way—they were healthy.
‘C’mon oot the back and I’ll show you.’
The mallows were small shrubs with white flowers. They seemed to like
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