That night, to everyone's surprise, Beth insisted on coming with us on a 'Roo' shoot, which surely must be the last bastion against feminism, or maybe the bravado simply to show Chin up, who decided that he did not 'feel up to it' ... Men, considerably worse for drink, all waving an assortment of artillery on the back of a speeding, pitching, vehicle.
The three vehicles sped out into the pitch black nowhere. Spotlights waving, men silent, only the whine of engines disturbing the initial calm.
Beth standing, jammed in a back corner, arms round her, gun on the rail. She said something about keeping my hands on the weapon. The drink was passed round, wind in our faces, a feeling of freedom. Ran straight into a large bunch of Kangaroos. Shots, a whole volley, shouts. A mad merry-go-round. Bullets flying in apparently every direction. The land rovers spinning about, knocking over the startled animals, too terrified to move, their eyes, huge, brown, staring straight into the blazing light. It did not last long. The men had become relaxed after the initial onslaught. Drinks, laughs, vehicles travelling very fast. Maybe because of Beth, her waves wynding everyone up. The men not exactly resentful, or exactly jealous. Been in this situation before and perfectly aware of what the wrong move would bring. Beth, completely petrified at the changed atmosphere. She must have thought herself very clever invading this situation, carrying the feminist flag. Feminism is okay, if you are closeted up with other females, a glass of wine, a cigarette, shit on all men. It is quite easy to say then men are irrelevant, not needed, the only need is each other.
Quite suddenly the convoy stopped, as if on a given signal. Momentarily complete silence. I had a feeling, not the slightest doubt, going to be trouble. A voice ...
"Hey Blue" this to me "How does the little lady like her trip?"
The tone of the voice told me everything.
"Bring her down, and let's all have a close look."
Somebody splashed a spotlight on Beth. The edge of civilisation.
I was calm, quite calm, the inevitable about to happen, hardly saw any room for heroics. Could try talking, they were past that. The gun in my hand might well have been a lump of wood, how far I would get with it. At a quick count, ten men, including Doug and Dan. Momentarily, thought of appealing to them, but I was the outsider, worse, a Pomm, worse still, had the best looking female between this God forsaken spot and Adelaide ... a female not shrivelled up, shrewish, someone who spoke on a level, which quite unintentionally put her apart from them. But they wanted to get even, to get their heads between her legs ... to bring her down, they were tired of sheep.
All this rushed through my mind in the time it took for someone to drop the tail board. They formed a semi-circle at the back of the vehicle, a gun was cocked. Beth held onto the guard rail. She didn't scream, didn't speak.
Had the feeling that in their inflamed mood, they would put a bullet in both of us with very little compunction. Looking at Beth, very little that could be described about her as inflammatory. Dressed in a black flaired ankle length skirt, and an embroided top covering her to the neck and wrists. But the idea inflamed them. They were becoming impatient. One man walked across and taking both her wrists twisted her grip off the rail, forcing her from the vehicle onto the ground. She stood, arms at her side, a tarpaulin thrown into the arena.
"Well, c'mon Blue...we ain't got all night. Better git on with it.. "
"Yeah, come on ... we want to see what she's really got ... "
They were anxious, uneasy. Evidently felt committed to this enterprise. Obviously, no intention of being cheated, having made such a strong move.
Taking hold of her blouse, I started to pull it off, momentarily she resisted, then pulled it off herself, throwing the bra to the floor after it. They were not satisfied with that. She pulled the remainder of her clothes off.
"Well, come on ... do it."
General murmurs. I took hold of her and we went down on the canvas together... my turn in this bizarre atmosphere.
In the glare of the waving lights, impossible to see the motley collection of voyeurs. Doubtless, if I was unwilling to do the expected, someone else would. Lowered myself onto Beth. She had one arm thrown over her face. Her open legs pulled half way up.
Before we touched, could feel the heat coming from her body. Clutched me suddenly, madly as ever, tears streaming down her face, as if nobody was staring, intense, looking for the slightest excuse to get hold of her, to end their frustration, to punish her for all the scorn and humiliation other women had heaped on them.
The men and the situation faded as I pushed my way into her. Opened my eyes... pitch black. Tail lights fast disappearing into the distance. We were alone ... it was raining.
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