Etta is terrified. First the world turned white - the whole of the desert and the scrubland and the sky turned white in one great, blinding flash. Then the evil spirit beings attacked her. She felt their fists as they punched her and she fell to the ground.

Now she staggers to her feet and, in sheer terror, runs from the mamu. But they chase her, maddened, screaming their rage. They are too fast for her. They race ahead of her, through the mallee scrub, dodging amongst the trees, hiding in the gra.s.ses. They are invisible these mamu, but everywhere she turns she is met by their screeching voices.

They have surrounded her, and she sinks to her knees. Their voices are no longer angry. They are playing with her now, taunting her. They surely mean to kill her. She sobs with fear as she awaits her death.

Then all is silent. The voices have ceased.

Etta looks about, whimpering, expecting any moment the mamu will make themselves visible. Where are they hiding? The morning is clear and the sun bright, but she can see little. Her vision is clouded and there are spots before her eyes. The mamu have blinded her.

She feels the child kicking eagerly in her belly. She is only days away from her time and she is frightened. She cannot have her baby here in the presence of the mamu. She must run. She must run far, far away from them.

She tries to stand, but she is exhausted, and the last of her reserves seem now to desert her. She slumps onto her back, the desert sand warming her skin through her thin cotton dress. She is defeated.

Then she sees the great cloud.

The great cloud rises majestically in the sky, just like the cloud she saw from the railway line near Ooldea. But this cloud is far mightier. It is more than a sign; this cloud must surely be a powerful spirit being.

As Etta stares up into the sky, her fear slowly subsides. Her vision is clearing and she knows the mamu have gone. The great cloud spirit has broken their spell and frightened them away.

Again, the child in her belly kicks, reminding her that she will soon give birth. She hoped to have a woman of experience with her when her time came, but she has not found her family, nor those of her people whose women would have tended to her, and she has resigned herself to the prospect of bearing the burden of childbirth alone.

But she is no longer alone, she tells herself. The great cloud spirit is with her, the great cloud spirit who chased away the mamu that would have killed her.

She struggles to her feet. She has regained her breath and now has the strength to stand. She must find water and a comfortable shaded place. There she will wait and give birth to her baby.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

Elizabeth sat in the back row of the conference room, flanked as usual by Bob Swindon and Macca Mackay. Macca had been joined by his fellow journalist Georgie Swann and his photographer Ron Woods, both of whom had accompanied him to Maralinga to observe and record the Biak firing. The men were chatting animatedly to each other as they awaited the arrival of the official party, but Elizabeth wasn't listening. She could think of nothing but her possible confrontation with Harold Dartleigh. She'd spent a sleepless night in antic.i.p.ation and was now keyed up at the prospect, but Nick hadn't been in touch and she had no idea what to expect. Was Dartleigh coming or wasn't he? It was nerve-racking.

There were fewer journalists in attendance than had been at the conference following the Tadje detonation. It was Macca's view that those travelling from interstate were probably saving themselves for the report on the final test of the series. If rumour proved correct, it promised to be spectacular.

'I've heard they're going to suspend the bomb from a balloon,' Macca told Bob in semi-hushed tones.

'You're joking!' Bob replied.

'No, he's not.' Georgie, seated beside Macca, exchanged a look with Ron who nodded. They'd heard the same thing themselves out at Maralinga. 'Three balloons actually,' he said, peering around Macca to address Bob several chairs away. 'Three balloons linked together, one above the other.'

Macca gestured for Georgie to keep his voice down, although given the general hubbub of the gathering it probably wasn't necessary. 'We're not supposed to know that,' he said to Bob. 'At the debriefings we're always warned about disclosing information. Could get us into trouble,' he said with a warning glance to Georgie.

'I don't see how the balloons can be "disclosing information",' Georgie said nonchalantly. 'The blokes we were talking to at Maralinga didn't give a s.h.i.t. The gear's all out there ready to go, they told us '

'And what's the bet there's not one mention of balloons today,' Bob interrupted dryly. Yet again, he'd learnt more from a gossip with the boys than through any official channel. Press conferences were just so much bulls.h.i.t in his opinion. 'What do you reckon, Liz?' She was very quiet, he thought.

'Yes, I'm sure you're right, Bob,' Elizabeth replied automatically. She hadn't really heard what he'd said something about the balloons to be used in the final test of the series. She'd had the full rundown on everything from Macca and she'd found it most interesting, but she could think of nothing now except the possibility of seeing Harold Dartleigh face to face. Was she going to have the chance to confront him or not? She felt nervy and on edge.

Several minutes later, the official party made its entrance. Through the open double doors of the conference room strode an AGIO officer, an official representative from Canberra and Colonel Nick Stratton. As they walked to the dais at the far end of the room, an attendant closed the doors behind them. Lord Dartleigh was clearly not expected to make an appearance.

The AGIO officer introduced Nick, who then addressed the gathering.

'Good morning, everyone. Today, as on a number of previous occasions, you'll be receiving your information directly from me.' He placed his manila folder on the podium. 'I have here a full report from the safety committee and will be happy to answer any questions you may have at the end of the proceedings.'

He opened the folder for appearances' sake he didn't need to refer to it and as he did, he looked squarely at Elizabeth. I tried, his eyes said. I tried my best, but ... He gave the slightest of shrugs.

She disguised her disappointment behind a grateful smile. I know you tried, Nick, I know. It doesn't matter.

'The Biak firing took place at ten o'clock yesterday morning. It was a tower detonation, as before ...'

I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

Don't be sorry. I love you.

'... and the energy yield of the device was 6 kilotons.'

His eyes had no trouble sending the message that he found such difficulty in voicing. I love you too, they said.

'I'm sorry about the way things worked out, Elizabeth,' he said as she lay with her head nestled against his shoulder. 'I know today must have been a terrible disappointment for you.'

'How could a day that ends like this be a disappointment?' She rolled onto her side, perched on an elbow and slung a shameless leg over his thigh, the fullness of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rubbing wantonly against his chest.

He laughed. 'Give a man time, for G.o.d's sake,' he said, but it wouldn't take long, he wanted her again already.

Elizabeth disentangled her leg and flopped back on her pillow to look up at the ceiling. She hadn't actually intended to be provocative, just comforting.

'It was a bit of a disappointment,' she admitted. 'I'd got myself quite worked up about confronting Dartleigh, but it's hardly your fault you did what you could.'

'I think he was fobbing me off from the start. He probably never intended to front up. When I approached him early this morning he seemed to have completely forgotten about the conference.'

'It's not your fault, Nick, stop agonising.'

'I'm not agonising, I'm b.l.o.o.d.y annoyed. Christ, he's an arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d. But don't you worry, I haven't thrown in the towel yet. Although we're running short of time, I must say. The final test's less than two weeks away, and we have to corner him between now and then. He'll head straight back to London when the Antler series is over.'

She propped herself on her side again to look at him. 'What do you intend to do?'

'I intend to have an eminently plausible reason why he has to come to Adelaide.' Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were once more caressing his chest, which was distracting. 'It shouldn't be too difficult. A few of the big guns are flying in from Canberra for a meeting at AGIO next week. I'll suggest to them that, in the interests of national security, they express a desire to meet the deputy director of MI6. Even Dartleigh won't be able to refuse a personal request from representatives of the Australian government.'

'Excellent. I shall storm the meeting.'

'Well, we might have to work out a place and a time when '

'Later. Let's talk about that part later.'

She leaned her head down to kiss him, and the smell and the warmth and the womanliness of her was irresistible. Recovery time over, Nick gathered her to him.

Members of the indoctrination force discovered the Aboriginal girl two days after the detonation. They radioed back to the DC/RB area.

'She's irradiated,' they said, 'her readings are going off the dial. She's alive, but only just, and she's heavily pregnant.'

'Bring her in,' was the reply.

By the time the girl arrived she was barely conscious.

Melvyn Crowley was waiting at the decontamination unit to greet the new arrival. He was all suited up in protective clothing, as was his a.s.sistant, Trafford Whitely.

Melvyn immediately set about examining the girl, but Trafford, realising that she appeared to be trying to communicate, did not lend a.s.sistance. Instead, he bent close to the parched lips in an attempt to discern the barely audible whisper. She was speaking English he was sure. Then he made out the words 'baby' and 'save'.

Intent upon offering some form of comfort, he stroked the girl's bare arm with his gloved fingers, ignoring Melvyn Crowley's irritated glance. 'Yes,' he said, 'we'll save your baby.'

The huge brown eyes seemed to look deeply into him and Trafford wondered if she could tell he was lying. They would be unable to save her baby. But she obviously didn't know that, for all he could see in her gaze was grat.i.tude. He wanted to weep. She was so young, he thought, so very young.

'What is your name?' he asked softly.

Very faintly, he heard her say 'Etta'.

'The child's alive,' Melvyn Crowley said.

He had been about to bark at Trafford to address the job at hand, but his irritation had vanished as he'd heard the heartbeat through the stethoscope. Amazingly enough, the baby's vital signs were healthy. The child was very much alive, even though its mother was near dead. Melvyn couldn't have been more excited.

'We need to get it out as soon as possible,' he said.

Trafford stroked the girl's arm once more before he left. 'We'll save your baby, Etta,' he said.

The huge brown eyes thanked him.

He turned away and followed Melvyn Crowley from the decontamination unit to the outer area where they were divested of their protective clothing.

'Have her put through the decontamination process,' Melvyn ordered. 'Once her body readings are acceptable we'll take the baby out.'

A child irradiated in the womb, he thought. Breakthrough examination material perfect. He couldn't have asked for better.

'But once her readings are acceptable, shouldn't we get her to the hospital?' Trafford said.

'Why? She'll be dead by then anyway.'

'The child won't be. The child's still alive.'

'But for how long?' Melvyn was becoming impatient; how dare young Trafford question him. 'Good G.o.d, boy, the baby's readings will go through the roof. We can't deliver a contaminated child in a non-protected area. Besides,' he added, 'this whole business has to be kept as quiet as possible. If word spreads, the army won't like it one bit.' He turned on his heel. 'Now have her decontaminated and get yourself scrubbed up and ready to a.s.sist me. I'll be in the laboratory.'

'Yes, Dr Crowley.'

While the girl was being put through the gruelling process of decontamination, Trafford, unbeknownst to his superior, issued his own order.

'Radio the hospital and tell Dr Bradshaw I'd like him to come to the DC/RB area as quickly as possible,' he said to one of the junior a.s.sistants. 'Tell him to say nothing to anyone, but warn him he's to deliver a child by caesarean.'

Trafford could just imagine the look on Cliff Bradshaw's face when he received the message. It was hardly the sort of summons one would expect at Maralinga.

He left instructions with the MPs at the main gate and took himself off to the scrubroom adjoining the main pathology laboratory, where he would await Clifton Bradshaw's arrival.

Captain Clifton 'Cliff' Bradshaw of the British medical corps was Trafford's senior by little more than a year. Like Trafford he was an ambitious but highly principled young man, and the two had become friends. It was unusual scientists and military kept to their own as a rule but Cliff and Trafford shared the mutual bond of their medical background. Coincidentally, both had graduated from Oxford, although they'd barely known each other at university. Their friendship had been forged at Maralinga. It was a friendship that would prove to last a lifetime, due princ.i.p.ally to the events of this day.

When the girl was finally returned to the laboratory she was unconscious and her vital signs minimal. She would not regain consciousness.

Melvyn watched with eager antic.i.p.ation as the two a.s.sistants from the decontamination unit lifted her naked body from the gurney to the examination table. He was so excited by the prospect of what lay ahead that he didn't notice Trafford usher Clifton Bradshaw through the door. Cliff was gowned, scrubbed up and ready to operate.

The men departed with the gurney, and Melvyn dragged his eyes from the body to issue instructions to his a.s.sistant. It was then he noticed to his utter astonishment that there was a third person in the laboratory.

Trafford made the introductions. 'Dr Crowley, this is Dr Bradshaw,' he said. 'I'm sure you will have met each other from time to time. Cliff, this is Dr Crowley, our head pathologist.'

'Yes, we've b.u.mped into each other on a number of occasions,' Cliff said congenially. 'Difficult not to in a place like Maralinga.' He saluted the older man with the wave of a sterilised hand. 'Only too happy to be of a.s.sistance, sir.'

a.s.sistance? Melvyn looked dumbfounded from Clifton to Trafford and back again. What a.s.sistance? He didn't need any f.u.c.king a.s.sistance!

'I thought that as we couldn't take the girl to the hospital, we could bring the hospital to the girl,' Trafford said. 'Cliff's a medical pract.i.tioner. He's experienced in child delivery and I was sure you'd want to exercise every caution, Dr Crowley, given the fact that the baby's vital signs are still strong.'

A murderous light shone in Melvyn's eyes. You little b.a.s.t.a.r.d. 'Of course, Trafford ... how clever of you to show such foresight.' You f.u.c.king little b.a.s.t.a.r.d! 'I'm indebted to you, Dr Bradshaw.'

He stood to one side, gesturing to the examination table, the girl, the tray of instruments, a gesture that said she's all yours, but the murderous light didn't leave his eyes. You young b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, the pair of you. Melvyn wanted to kill them both.

As Clifton stepped forward to the table Trafford joined him to a.s.sist with the operation and the two exchanged the quickest of glances. Trafford was right, Cliff thought. There was something of the madman about Crowley.

The moment he looked down at the girl he knew she was gone, but he felt her pulse anyway. 'We've lost her,' he said.

Poor little Etta, Trafford thought. She'd died unnoticed in the minute or so they'd been talking.

'We'll have to move fast.' Clasping the scalpel Trafford placed in his open palm, Cliff made the incision.

With Trafford a.s.sisting, Clifton Bradshaw worked speedily and efficiently, the two young men forming a slick, professional team. Melvyn watched from the sidelines, fuming. This is my laboratory, he thought. That cadaver and that child belong to me. But he was powerless and he knew it. He seethed with impotent rage.

Within only minutes the baby was lifted, squirming, from the dead woman's womb. It was a girl, and she wanted to live. She opened her mouth, her tiny lungs filled with air, her angry little brown face twisted and she cried out her existence to the world.

When they'd cut the cord and cleaned her up, they took a reading of the baby's levels with the radiac survey meter, Trafford running the external probe over the tiny naked body and Clifton listening through the headphones. All eyes, including Melvyn Crowley's, were keenly trained on the Geiger counter's dial and indicator. But to the utter astonishment of all three men, there was no reading.

'There's no evidence of ionising radiation in this baby,' Cliff Bradshaw announced.

'My G.o.d,' Trafford said, amazed, 'she's clean.'

'Impossible,' Melvyn Crowley snapped.

'Have a listen yourself.' Clifton handed him the headphones.

Melvyn jammed them on his head and once again Trafford ran the probe over the baby. Once again they all studied the dial, and once again the Geiger counter showed no reading.