country. It’ll be another of the DCI’s dirty little secrets.’
They arrived at Warren’ Hilux and climbed in.
‘So where is the mirror?’
‘Just around the corner. Let’s go.’
With that, Warren turned the key and they sped off up the bumpy driveway back to the small country roads.
* * *
Warren turned the Hilux onto the road that led back to the small settlement of Donnelly’s Crossing . When he arrived back at the junction and turned left back towards the main highway, Matt spoke up.
‘Isn’t the mirror at your friend’s place?’
‘No, that would be too obvious. I’m sure the DCI or NISO would search there if they got wind of it. I hid it right where I found it, well almost.’
Matt was intrigued. Warren seemed to have thought this out thoroughly. He must have made some quick decisions when he found the mirror. Several minutes later, Warren pulled the car out onto the main road and turned back towards Auckland. ‘I thought you said it was just around the corner.’
‘It is. Unfortunately if we had gone overland to it, we would have been in direct line of sight of that overgrown moron back there.’
‘So we have to take the long way round?’
‘Bingo,’ Warren said as he looked in the mirror. ‘There’s sort of a track that we could otherwise use. A disused railway in fact. The lines were ripped up long ago. But like I said, direct line of sight.’
They turned left again, on to another smaller road that headed back east towards the stream. Soon they had parked the truck beside another farmhouse and Warren was leading Matt over fields again.
‘We’ll cross the stream up here. There’s an old tree that has served as a bridge for the farmers’ kids for many years. I used to play around here when I was a kid. Not much has changed, except the trains have gone.’
‘Was it a freight line or something?’
‘Forestry and passengers. But that’s all ancient history now. Trains in New Zealand are a thing of the past. Few and far between. A couple of tourist numbers that run to a very irregular schedule, and some commuter stuff in Auckland and Wellington. Of course a bit of freight here and there, but the lines are limited in their reach, and everything is diesel. Almost.’
Matt was a bit shocked. A country as big as New Zealand should surely have a huge transit system to get everyone from A to B. He found it hard to imagine Britain without trains. Anywhere for that matter.
‘I can see why you chose to hide the mirror here,’ Matt said, as Warren stopped near a large stand of trees to kneel and start digging. ‘That forest there completely blocks out the other site. How far away is it?’
‘I reckon on a good kilometre.’ Warren answered, his words fighting to be heard through his shortness of breath, as he pulled a bundle of cloth out of the ground. ‘Right where I left you. Little beauty.’ He passed the mirror to Matt.
Matt turned the mirror over, dumbfounded. This mirror was older than the British settlement of New Zealand. There was no question of its antiquity. Matt trembled, the excitement of holding such a beautiful and important object propelling a tingle up through his arm and down his spine. He gazed at his distorted and faint reflection. ‘How did you get here?’
‘Have you seen anything like this before Matt?’
‘I’ve seen similar items of course, in museums and in literature. But I haven’t actually studied one close up. I can’t determine its age or anything, not without help from some specialists.’
‘Then help from specialists we shall get. Just not in New Zealand. Maybe you’ve got some friends back home?’
‘Definitely. I’ll take some pictures and get them off to Julia tonight. This is right up her alley.’
CHAPTER 12
It had been a long day, and Hemi was more than just a little pleased to sit down at his computer to do some research.
He had watched Warren Rennie from a safe distance today. Oh, he had watched Matthew Cameron too,
They arrived at Warren’ Hilux and climbed in.
‘So where is the mirror?’
‘Just around the corner. Let’s go.’
With that, Warren turned the key and they sped off up the bumpy driveway back to the small country roads.
* * *
Warren turned the Hilux onto the road that led back to the small settlement of Donnelly’s Crossing . When he arrived back at the junction and turned left back towards the main highway, Matt spoke up.
‘Isn’t the mirror at your friend’s place?’
‘No, that would be too obvious. I’m sure the DCI or NISO would search there if they got wind of it. I hid it right where I found it, well almost.’
Matt was intrigued. Warren seemed to have thought this out thoroughly. He must have made some quick decisions when he found the mirror. Several minutes later, Warren pulled the car out onto the main road and turned back towards Auckland. ‘I thought you said it was just around the corner.’
‘It is. Unfortunately if we had gone overland to it, we would have been in direct line of sight of that overgrown moron back there.’
‘So we have to take the long way round?’
‘Bingo,’ Warren said as he looked in the mirror. ‘There’s sort of a track that we could otherwise use. A disused railway in fact. The lines were ripped up long ago. But like I said, direct line of sight.’
They turned left again, on to another smaller road that headed back east towards the stream. Soon they had parked the truck beside another farmhouse and Warren was leading Matt over fields again.
‘We’ll cross the stream up here. There’s an old tree that has served as a bridge for the farmers’ kids for many years. I used to play around here when I was a kid. Not much has changed, except the trains have gone.’
‘Was it a freight line or something?’
‘Forestry and passengers. But that’s all ancient history now. Trains in New Zealand are a thing of the past. Few and far between. A couple of tourist numbers that run to a very irregular schedule, and some commuter stuff in Auckland and Wellington. Of course a bit of freight here and there, but the lines are limited in their reach, and everything is diesel. Almost.’
Matt was a bit shocked. A country as big as New Zealand should surely have a huge transit system to get everyone from A to B. He found it hard to imagine Britain without trains. Anywhere for that matter.
‘I can see why you chose to hide the mirror here,’ Matt said, as Warren stopped near a large stand of trees to kneel and start digging. ‘That forest there completely blocks out the other site. How far away is it?’
‘I reckon on a good kilometre.’ Warren answered, his words fighting to be heard through his shortness of breath, as he pulled a bundle of cloth out of the ground. ‘Right where I left you. Little beauty.’ He passed the mirror to Matt.
Matt turned the mirror over, dumbfounded. This mirror was older than the British settlement of New Zealand. There was no question of its antiquity. Matt trembled, the excitement of holding such a beautiful and important object propelling a tingle up through his arm and down his spine. He gazed at his distorted and faint reflection. ‘How did you get here?’
‘Have you seen anything like this before Matt?’
‘I’ve seen similar items of course, in museums and in literature. But I haven’t actually studied one close up. I can’t determine its age or anything, not without help from some specialists.’
‘Then help from specialists we shall get. Just not in New Zealand. Maybe you’ve got some friends back home?’
‘Definitely. I’ll take some pictures and get them off to Julia tonight. This is right up her alley.’
CHAPTER 12
It had been a long day, and Hemi was more than just a little pleased to sit down at his computer to do some research.
He had watched Warren Rennie from a safe distance today. Oh, he had watched Matthew Cameron too,
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