was Jake's first impression. The bar was a plank on two barrels, with a bead curtain hanging from the plank to the floor in front, and smaller barrels for seats. Liz was perched on one of them, and the old man had passed her a beer that she held unopened in her hand.She must have asked him if he was all alone out here, and he was in the process of answering: 'Alone? Me? Naw, not much. And anyway I enjoys bein' on me ownsome. Oh, I got a couple o' boys to 'elp out. They ain't 'ere right now, is all. It ain't so bad, actu'ly. 'Ad a truck through just a day or so ago.''A truck?' Liz said, all innocence and light. 'Out here?' And the old man nodded. 'Gawd knows where they'd be goin'! But for that matter, where be you goin', eh? What're yer doin' out 'ere anyway?'
Having taken in much of the single room at a glance, Jake strode to the bar and asked for a beer. Without waiting for an answer from Liz, the old man reached for a bottle and turned to Jake. 'Well now, you was a mite quick!' he said. 'Yer just topped 'er up, am I right? I mean, yer'd never fill a big tank as quick as that/
'Right/ said Jake, accepting the beer. He gave the bottle a quick shake, forced the top off with a practised thumb. Then, changing the subject as the warm beer foamed, 'No cans?' he inquired. He passed the bottle to Liz, took hers and repeated his trick, with the same result. The beer wasn't flat; these bottles were old stock, but they hadn't been opened previously.And meanwhile: 'Cans? I don't hold with 'em/ the oldster told him. 'All this newfangled shite! But yer can trust a bottle/ And turning to Liz again, 'You were sayin'?''No/ she answered, 'you were saying. You asked what we're doing out here/'Well then?' he pressed.She smiled. 'Can you keep a secret?'He shrugged his hunched shoulders, sat down on a barrel on his side of the plank and chuckled. 'And who do yer reckon I'd be tellin'?'Liz nodded. 'We were visiting kin in Wiluna, decided to get married sort of quick. So here we are, run off where no one can find us/'Eh? Honeymooners, yer say? Run off on yer ownsome and left no forwardin' address? All out o' touch, secret an' private in the Gibson Desert? Huh! Hell o' a place fer a honeymoon .. /'I told him the very same thing/ Liz nodded her agreement, shaking an I-told-you-so finger at Jake.And Jake said, 'Anyway, we're headed north. We thought we'd take a look at the lakes, and - '
'Lakes?' the old fellow cut in, frowning. 'Yer visitin' the lakes?' Then, with a knowing nod of his head, he muttered, 'Big disappointment, that/
'Oh?' Jake lifted an eyebrow.
But the oldster only laughed out loud and slapped his thigh. 'Lake Disappointment!' he guffawed. 'Way up north o' here. Damn me, they falls fer it every time!' He sobered up, said, 'Lakes, eh? Somethin' ter see, is it? Huh! Plenty o' mud and salt, but that's about all/
'And wildlife!' Liz protested.'Oh, aye, that too,' he said. 'Anyway, what would I know or care? I 'ave me own wildlife, after all.''The creature?' Jake swigged on his beer."Im's the one,' the old boy nodded. 'Yer wanna see 'im?'Jake had done with studying the oldster. But he would certainly like to take a closer look at this shack - or what lay behind it or maybe beneath it. Liz could feel his curiosity, no matter how hard he tried to keep it from the old boy. Moreover, she knew that between them they must check this place out, and so decided to do her bit, create a diversion as best she could. And anyway (she told herself), the old man didn't seem much of a threat.I'd like to see him,' she said. 'I mean, what's the mystery? What kind of creature is it, anyway? Or is it just a con - some mangy, diseased dingo crawled in out of the desert - to pull in a few more travellers?' And to her partner, though she knew he wouldn't take her up on it: 'What about you, Jake? You want to come and see this thing?'Jake shook his head, took another pull at his bottle. 'Not me, Liz. I've a thirst to slake. But if you want to have