‘Billy’s Django’s grandson – he’s the tribe elder – and he’s got red hair. George can’t get over here much cos he lives out at Killigarth Station, but our mums are best friends, so he sometimes comes to stay a couple of nights in the school holidays. George likes reading and is a bit serious sometimes, but he’s a good mate. We both go to St Martin’s in Brisbane. Billy goes to Miss Emily’s school.’ He dropped the stick into the embers and watched it catch light. ‘Billy never had a dad, and now me and George don’t either,’ he finished softly.

‘How long is it since your mum got that letter from your dad’s commanding officer?’ he asked quietly.

‘Three years.’

‘That’s a long time,’ he replied. ‘Do you really believe he’s coming back?’

Danny was silent for a long while and then gave a tremulous sigh. ‘Not really. Not any more. But sometimes I just have to come out here and think about him. It’s as if he’s closer here, and I can talk to him. I like wandering out in the bush.’

‘What does your mum say when you go walkabout like that?’

Danny reddened and refused to look at him. ‘She cries a lot, and sometimes she gets really cross.’

‘And what about your mate George?’ he asked. ‘Does he go looking for his father too?’

Danny shook his head. ‘George and me fell out about it, cos he knows his dad’s never coming back, and it upsets him. He said I was stupid not to believe what all the grown-ups have been telling me.’ He chewed his lip.

He regarded the boy evenly. ‘Why do you think he’s so sure about that, when you’re clearly still secretly hoping your dad will come back?’

‘Dunno,’ said Danny, with a slight shrug that made him wince. ‘But he and his mum had to go to Brisbane to get a special medal from the army – and they wouldn’t have given her that if they thought he was still alive, would they?’

‘I suppose not,’ he agreed. ‘What about your dad? Did he get any medals?’

Danny nodded. ‘Three. We’ve got them in a special box with all his letters and Mum’s favourite photographs. She calls it our special memory box.’

‘Your mum must really have loved your dad,’ he murmured.

Danny balled his fist and kept his chin tucked into the blanket. ‘Yeah, she did. But I know she likes Ben Freeman now, cos I saw them kissing.’