‘Too far away! And this is my home. This is the Achillion.’

‘It’s obvious the police suspect you tried to burn down that store. What if they come back with a warrant to search the place?’

‘Police in this city probably don’t go to such lengths. And what exactly is a warrant?’

‘You have to leave,’ Valia repeated. ‘Do you want to kill this business completely?’

Achilles refused a final meal at the cafe and, instead, he demanded a few words with Lucky. He spoke as if he were handing over the property forever, as if Lucky were his younger self and Achilles wanted that younger self to have the benefit of some experience. Maybe Lucky should spend his military severance pay? The cafe needed a soda fountain—this gimmick would bring customers by the hundreds. He told Lucky he should donate money to the local Anglican and Catholic churches, equal amounts. Do what you can for the Orthodox. You don’t have to go to mass; give the money to the priests, and in person. But never to the local Marist brothers, who are dishonest. Ask the priests about weddings and funerals on their calendar and remind them we offer catering for big events, said Achilles. We did such work before the war and it will come back in time. Don’t be afraid to write letters to the families. Sometimes the bride’s family pays for the banquet, sometimes not. Maybe ask the priest who will pay. And we need dogs to protect the yard. We never had dogs because I don’t like animals. Here is my gun. Find a jukebox.

Achilles said: ‘If I go to Brisbane, will it make things better with Penny and Valia?’

‘I honestly don’t know,’ Lucky said.

Achilles walked around his home for what would be the last time. When his head itched, he scratched it with the end of a pencil. He wanted to give Lucky additional advice: drink more; go to the pub after lunch; make friends. I failed in those ways. The laneway out the back is where you go after you learn your wife is dead. You never know what comes next in life. You never know what you are going to do yourself. The olive tree is strong enough to hold a hanging man. The American theme of the cafe is most important: on the menu we need hamburgers, sundaes and other American items. There was something he didn’t mention to Lucky: Achilles had his doubts about whether the police were looking for him—but he recognised his downfall; he accepted that a period of exile might be necessary for his daughters to forgive him.

‘I come back in nine months?’ said Achilles.

‘A year, to be safe,’ Lucky suggested.