”“I’ll talk to Tessa. Thanks.”Noontime in Kununurra a beat-up ute stopped at boobook’s and a man and a gin got out.“Good day, boobook. I a... Henk and this jane is Tadum. We are danjoo.”“So. Tadum is a star, and you are betrothed. You have not married?”“Not the whitefellas way.”“Sit. This is Jos and these are Zeke and Susan. They will soon be goordar.”“Frogmouth told us that Jos will make a new place. We would be part of a new place.”“The new place is not yet. Perhaps it never will be. It may be. How perfectly hideous to be a slave, reflected Tavia, especially if one had once held high rank. She believed there were quite a number in that category chained to the oars at that very moment.Fate had been unkind to them... but it had been kind to her. That was the way of the world. Perhaps later, she thought with a little pleasurable shiver, I shall have the honour of pleasing the Princess in the cabin below the poop deck. Yes... almost certainly that would happen. Princess Venetia was. "There wouldn't be any ultra liberal judges or lawmakers to force them upon us. They will go packing back to the left coast anyway. That or be forced onto boats and shipped out. They can't be counted on to defend us if needed, and would be traitors anyway."Jake, quiet until then, added, "I agree that they will turn tail and run once they figure out that their agenda won't be tolerated. Has anyone noticed that it will be hard to maintain a defense force without some form of conscription? What. Had a lot of friends here, every weekend we all guys and girls used to go about exploring each mall, which eventually got boring. Once it so happened that we went to Skybar and were hanging out, I don’t drink much nor does Shwetha (real name or not who the fuck cares. Like it’s even going to matter :P) All others were quite high and we were chatting. Time flies when you are in a good company doesn’t it? When we saw the watch it was 11.00pm already. By the time we came down it was 11.30ish. Now.