The Blue Seal of Trinity Cove by Linda Maree Malcolm Page A

snake, witchetty grubs and gumleaves or something like that (and she wasn’t far off the mark either).
    â€œYou have come here for a reason,” the man said. He looked at them intently from his position by the stove. Then he took a pipe and some tobacco out of his pocket. Bobby and David looked at one another and Bobby remembered the old homeless man in their own hometown who had told them the story about the ‘alien ship sighting’. His smoking had offended David dreadfully and so she frowned at David now as if to warn him, “Don’t say anything, or I’ll thump you,” and David frowned back at her as if to say, “As if I would be that rude.” Bobby pursed her lips and nodded her head slightly to David as if to say, “Yes, I know you by now and I think you would be that rude.”
    â€œMaybe I smoke later,” the man said and put the pipe and tobacco away, as if reading their minds.
    â€œNo, no, we don’t mind at all,” Bobby said and she elbowed David sharply, “do we, David?”
    â€œOh no, go right ahead,” he said, through locked teeth and he gave Bobby a look that said, “See.”
    â€œYou’re so very rude,” she couldn’t help but blurt out.
    â€œOh, I’m the one that’s rude. Listen to you slurping that soup like a – like a homeless person.” David couldn’t help saying it out loud, either. How could he be so mean, she thought to herself not for the first time, and seriously considered punching him right on the nose right here and now. But then she remembered her view on violence, so she used words instead.
    â€œWell, maybe I am a homeless person. I suppose that means you don’t like me anymore,” she retorted. David turned to face her squarely as if he was about to let loose a verbal barrage that she would find very offensive. But right at that moment the man let out an enormous laugh that made both of them hush instantly and look at him. He was slapping his leg with one hand and had his other arm wrapped tightly around his stomach as if trying to hold something inside. Tears were rolling down his face and he was jumping up and down in his chair, unable to control himself.
    â€œYou so funny,” he finally managed to say and he pointed at them and broke out laughing again.
    â€œI don’t see how we can be so amusing,” David said smiling and trying to remain as polite as he possibly could.
    â€œYou two; they said you were like that – you and you,” he said and pointed to them individually. “You make nice couple, real nice couple, ah ha ah ha ah ha,” and off he went again in peals of laughter, leaving Bobby and David staring at each other and speechless for a moment.
    â€œNo, I think you’ve made a mistake,” Bobby finally found her voice. “We’re not a couple. We’re cousins. And besides, who do you mean when you say ‘they’?”
    â€œYes, that’s right. You are here to get the story. I tell you everything,” the man said, suddenly regaining his composure. He sat up quite straight in his chair and took out his pipe and tobacco. This time he filled the pipe and lit the tobacco quietly. It seemed to be some kind of ritual, not unlike the one they had witnessed before, so Bobby and David waited patiently, knowing their questions would be answered. Then he launched into a story that was so momentous and intriguing that the next thing Bobby and David knew, they were lighting candles against the dark; the daytime hours had vanished without them even noticing, slipping into another age, right at the start of their shared history and epic journey together.

Chapter 8
The Story Of Wanda
    H e began by telling them how the white man came and how that meant the end of the days of his people. His people had been there since “long, long time”. They had their own stories and legends handed down to each generation from a