The bathroom ponged of disinfectant and tacky air freshener. Leon filled the jug at the basin, which had bits of whiskers in it and a clump of toothpaste. He set the jug on to boil then wiped down the basin, straightened the towel and picked up the bathmat left screwed up on the floor. He couldn’t help himself; when he was a teenager, his mother had insisted on tidiness. She’d said she was training him to be a good husband one day.

‘Tell me about your job,’ Grandpa called from his chair.

Leon went back to join him. ‘Not working in forests. I’m with Parks.’

‘Ah! And what does your father think about that?’

‘He loves it.’ Leon perched on the bed again.

‘I don’t believe you. He’d be saying you ought to be knocking trees down, not locking them up.’

‘Yep. That’s his mantra.’

‘But the park’s in the high country, so why would he care? Only wind and crows up there. Nothing worth cutting.’

‘I’m breaking family tradition, Grandpa. Dad says I should have a chainsaw in my hands.’

Grandpa shook his head. ‘But they don’t use chainsaws anymore. It’s all machines.’

‘Who told you that?’ Leon was surprised—the old coot couldn’t have been up to the forest in years.

‘I have a friend who keeps an eye on things,’ Grandpa said. ‘He’s a bit more mobile than me, and he goes for a drive in the forest every month then calls me up and gives me the lowdown.’ He shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t work in the industry now if you paid me. It’s changed too much. Vandalism, if you ask me. My mate thinks so too. The forest is overcut, that’s a fact. Young blokes these days don’t know what it used to be like, so they can’t see what they’re doing. If they asked us old codgers, we’d tell them to stop. They’ve overdone it now.’

‘Maybe they could switch to plantations.’

‘Could. But won’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘Ideology.’

‘Isn’t that politics?’

‘Forestry is politics. Back in my day it was just a job.’

The kettle boiled, spitting water all over the basin, and Leon went to turn it off. ‘You need a better kettle,’ he said.

‘That’d cost money. Unless it’s totally broke, they won’t fix it. That would be unnecessary expenditure.’

‘I’ll buy you one then. Next time I come.’

The old man snorted. ‘You won’t come again.’

Leon poured hot water over the tea bags. ‘Yeah? Well, get ready. I’m close by, and I’m going to be your new best friend. I might even take you for a drive in the forest sometime.’