Smith - Land of Fences

Finn and Kas are surviving on the coastmore than surviving: theyre enjoying the surf, the summer and being together. And now, the lights of Wentworth mean life could soon be back to normal. Finn is cautiously optimistic, but Kas knows she can never escape her status as a Siley, and that a return to slavery is a very real possibility. Shes nervous. And it turns out shes right to be. When Kas is captured and taken inside the fences, Finn faces his greatest challenge yet.

Land of Fences is the compelling third and final novel in Mark Smiths highly acclaimed action-packed trilogy that began with The Road to Winter.

Contents

For Albert Johnston Smith (19272017)

Kas and I take the track along the clifftops and down to the point. Its another perfect summer day. Shes almost running, eager to get to the beach and the rock pools, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. Rowdy is miles ahead of us. Hell be in the water by now.

Come on! The tide wont wait, she says over her shoulder.

In the three months since we arrived back in Angowrie, Kas has fallen in love with the sea. Shes learnt to swim and surf. Shes comfortable dropping off the edge of the reef with me, into the deep waters of the bay. She knows how to prise abalone off the rocks and where to look for crays on the ledges and in the crevices. We compete for who can hold their breath the longest. Shes getting better, but Ive still got her covered. Years of surfing have taught me how to relax underwater to conserve oxygen.

Now, she laughs and swings around behind me, jumping onto my back. I piggyback her for a few seconds then let her drop her feet to the ground.

How good is this? she says. Just the two of us and Rowdy and an empty beach.

All the beaches are empty remember. And, anyway, were here to collect food, too, I say.

The path opens onto the beach at the point. The sand sweeps out towards the reef, where rock pools trap the water from the high tide. It seems like an age ago that we were here with Willow, in the days before Rose died. So much has happened since thenthe winter of storms, the journey north into Wilder country, finding Hope and taking her to Harry and Stella in the valley. Then returning to Angowrie to find Ray alive. Kas and I carry the scarsthe ones we can see and the ones we cantto remind us how close we came to losing everything.

This summer weve been able to relax a little. Kas and I hunt and fish and swim and surf, while Ray tends the veggie gardens and helps out skinning the rabbits and cooking meals. It almost seems like a normal lifeexcept were still on our own here. There have been no more drifters finding their way into our quarantined town and, more importantly, we havent seen any Wilders since their defeat at the valley farm. Some of them were killed, others fled into the forest and Ramage retreated towards Longley, alone and wounded. Weve got no way of knowing if he survived or whether the Wilders have been able to reorganise.

Each day we check the road into town, watching for JT, Daymu and any of the feedstore kids who may have escaped from the No-landers farm. We figure they wouldve been here by now if the No-landers had allowed them to leave, as they promised. We both feel a nagging sense of guilt that our escape may have led to them becoming prisoners.

Kas and I have given up wearing clothes at the beach. The summer has turned my skin a deep brown and the sun and saltwater have bleached my hair almost white. Kas is lean and muscled and her black hair is a tangle of knots and braids that fall down her back. I love watching her underwater, her body flexing and rippling in the light when she dives off the point. Were more modest at home with Ray around, wearing shorts and singlets, but each night we lie together with our shoulders touching, skin on skin, salt from our hair crusting the pillow.

Kas leads me out to her favourite pool, a deep sinkhole that hides crabs and sea anemone on its sandy bottom. She dives straight in and surfaces with a smile. She splashes water at Rowdy, who leaps up, trying to snap it out of the air.

Its so warm this morning, she says. Like a bath. She duck dives and the water slides over her back and legs. I jump in and follow her down. Well have to get back to the business of finding food before the tide turns, but for now we can steal half an hour and enjoy ourselves. Straightaway, I know this is one of our breath-holding competitions. Kas sits cross-legged on the sand at the base of the pool, eyes closed, index fingers touching her thumbs, pretending to meditate. Her hair forms a black halo around her head. I ease my way down next to her and wait. Finally, her eyes spring open and she tries to grab me, to push the air out of my lungs. But Im too quick for her and she strokes for the surface with me at her heels. We burst into the warm blue air and gasp for oxygen.

Not fair! she yells. I was down there before you.

Your mistake, not mine.

She swims to the edge of the pool and lifts herself onto the rocks. Leaning down to offer me her hand, she pulls me most of the way out before suddenly letting go. I fall back and resurface to hear her laughing.

Youll never learn, will you? she says.

I haul myself out and find a flat spot to lie next to her on the rocks. The sun dries us quickly and my skin prickles with little crystals of salt. Come on, I say, getting to my feet. Lets get the snorkelling gear and see what we can catch for dinner.

We fit our masks, and pindrop off the reef. We find the surface, fill our lungs and dive. The summer currents have brought new life to the reef. There are abalone clinging to the rocks, fish of all colours and sizes flitting around just out of reach and the ledges hold crayfish bigger than my forearm. We separate by a few metres and begin to fill our bags, being careful not to take too much. Its a natural foodstore down here, one that has replenished itself in the three years since the virus. It makes me wonder how much better off the planet might be without humans stuffing it up.

Back on the rocks we compare catches. One of my crays has eggs tucked under it so we carefully return it to the water. Kas still marvels at their shells and sharp pincers. Theyre almost too beautiful to eat, she says.

We make our way to our clothes on the beach. Rowdy struggles to his feet. Hes okay once he gets going, but the damage to his hip where he was shot makes it hard for him to get his legs working sometimes. Kas drops to her knees and nuzzles her face into his coat.

Wed better get back to Ray, I say.

Not yet, she says. Lets stay a little bit longer.

We stretch ourselves out on the sand.

Do you remember that first day we came down here? she asks.

Yeah, of course. How could I forget? Wed only known each other for a few days but already I was falling for her. And that afternoon we kissed for the first time. You and Wils swam in the shallow pool and I dived off the reef.

I was so sus of youthis wild boy I could hardly understand.

I smile. When you squatted down next to me to look at the crays Id bagged, I just wanted to touch you.

Ha! I know. I felt it.

I glance at her and shes looking straight up into the endless sky. She rolls onto her side and lies her hand on my chest. Shes mulling something over.

What is it? I ask.

She thinks for a while longer then says, How long can it go on, Finn?

How do you mean?

This summer, Ive been so

Happy?

My lifes never been like this. You, me, Ray, Rowdywere a family. Is this what it was like for you before the virus?