‘I’ll send Mark’s brother along with him. The pair of them need a bit of a breather, and I expect their mother will be glad to see them.’

Paddy plunged the hypodermic in Charley’s meaty arm, soaked a clean sheet in a bucket of fresh water and pulled it over him. ‘That should stop the dirt getting into the burns and keep them moist,’ he said.

He looked up at Ben as he wiped the sweat from his face. ‘Any news on whose car that was? Only, I hear tell, it could be the reverend’s body they found.’

‘We don’t know anything for certain,’ replied Ben, ‘and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything in front of the twins.’

The little Irishman nodded. ‘We’ve kept it quiet so far, but I reckon it won’t be too long before someone lets it slip.’

Ben had a fair idea that Paddy liked nothing better than a bit of gossip. ‘Just don’t let it be you,’ he warned. ‘Those boys have worked as hard as any man here; they deserve to be told something like that in private.’

‘I was only saying,’ protested Paddy.

‘Well, don’t,’ snapped Ben as he turned away and went in search of food. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten anything decent, but the cooks from the surrounding stations had got together and there was now a tucker wagon parked well away from the fire, which offered beef stew, fresh bread and soup.

But as he walked wearily towards the wagon he realised something had changed. He stood and looked around him, wondering what it could be. And then, as he understood what it was, his face split into a broad grin.

The wind had miraculously changed direction. Now it was blowing towards the thousands of miles of barren sand and rock to the west. The fire could be beaten, for nothing could survive the Simpson Desert.

*

Gwyneth was so tired she’d actually fallen asleep on the journey home. She opened her eyes and looked about her in bleary confusion as Terence drew the utility to a halt – and for a blessed second she had no memory of why she was sitting in a truck at the break of dawn. And then she remembered and sorrow almost overwhelmed her.

‘Come on, Gran,’ said Terence softly. ‘Let me help you inside.’

For once in her life she didn’t have the energy to argue and, as he steadied her up the hospital steps, she felt as old as Methuselah. She saw Jane come out to welcome her and reached for her hand. ‘Is there any news of Hugh?’

Jane shook her head and told her about Danny and Django.