This is chapter 13 of The Penal Preserve, you may want to go back to Chapter 12 or start at the beginning.
13
Both Jane and Ross were waiting for Franklin on the beach when he came back from his customary long walk. He saw them from some distance. They were standing far apart, but had to draw near in order to reach him. Once they did, they performed a strange duet of acrimony.
‘Something terrible has happened,’ said Jane.
‘We proved we can stand up to the Aliens,’ said Ross.
‘By killing our own people!’ said Jane.
‘We have to defend ourselves,’ said Ross.
‘They weren’t even carrying weapons!’ said Jane.
‘They had Alien things!’ said Ross.
‘Who are we talking about?’ asked Franklin.
‘Some of those other people living on the island came,’ said Jane.
‘There were hundreds of them,’ said Ross.
‘They were bringing us food,’ said Jane.
‘We were almost surrounded,’ said Ross.
‘It was a welcome party,’ said Jane.
‘Betrayal of their own species,’ said Ross.
‘How much food was there?’ asked Franklin.
‘He killed them all!’ shouted Jane.
‘I didn’t kill anyone,’ said Ross.
‘He told everyone he was a hero!’ said Jane.
‘Who?’ asked Franklin.
‘Rae,’ said Ross. ‘You should have seen him.’
‘They killed all of them,’ said Jane. ‘Even the children.’
The story slowly came out, and Franklin kept his customary peace. Jane was sobbing, and Ross was very animated. When it was finally clear what happened, Franklin said, ‘We still need food.’
They all knew that they needed food, and so there wasn’t really any decision to make in the end. Franklin agreed that they should go to the Vacationer abode Rae had visited and requisition whatever food stores might be available. As Rae was the only one who knew where it was, he clearly would go. But Franklin decided to lead the expedition himself, believing that he could avert any further bloodshed. In this he was terribly wrong.
The Penists struggled their way up the precipitous slopes of the interior, soaked by rain, fog, and the dewy leaves of the thick underbrush. They searched for a miserable three days before Rae finally found his way back to the Vacationer cabin that had been the scene of his triple murder. The bodies of the three prisoners remained, but in a very decomposed state, although, otherwise the cabin was as deserted as it had when he visited the first time.
Franklin approached the cabin and knocked on the door. No one answered, and all was still. He opened the door. The house was clean, and well-kept, but in some disorder as though it had been recently abandoned in haste. Most obvious to the Penists were the many strange Alien products that inhabited the cabin in a familiar manner. Some of the prisoners had never before seen Alien products, and were strongly affected.
They were startled by the new sound of a choking gas motor. Stumbling out of the dim cabin, they saw a male Vacationer struggling to start a dirt bike that some of them had noticed leaning against the cabin before they entered.
‘Wait!’ yelled Franklin.
The man did not cease his efforts to start the bike, nor did he look back to see who was speaking. He was clearly frightened.
‘Stop!’ Rae shouted, and turning to Franklin, he said, ‘You have to stop him!’
‘Stop!’ shouted Franklin, not quite so loudly as Rae.
Rae started towards the Vacationer, running as fast as he could. The man was so focused on trying to start his bike that he did not notice Rae until it was too late. Rae jumped on him, knocking over the bike. Landing on top of the man with his full weight, he began to throttle him and bash his head against the hard packed dirt in front of the cabin. The man struggled against him, and Rae was obliged therefore to slay him with a hefty rock that lay nearby.1
None of the other Penists, not even Franklin, said anything. And when Rae stood up from the dust, his face splattered with blood, it was clear that he had become the leader of the group. He proceeded to the cabin and ransacked it for food and supplies. When he was satisfied that they had found everything, he dragged the Vacationer’s body into the cabin, and left it there. He spilled a container of gasoline over the dead man and ignited the cabin.
‘Let’s take this stuff back home,’ said Rae.
While they did not discover an enormous quantity of food, they found enough to establish a plan for feeding the colony through the long, hard months ahead. Franklin allowed Rae to dispatch crews of Penists to forage across the island. Franklin told Jane there could be no doubt that all the Vacationers would soon quit the island—if they had not already done so—and no doubt that they would leave behind them a sizable store of provisions—if the single cabin he had seen was any indication. These expeditions were some help and a little relief to the Penists, and did keep them from killing one another to eat.2
It almost goes without saying that Franklin was anxious to inculcate a spirit of forbearance towards the Vacationers—should the Penist expeditions encounter any—in the hope that their relations could be cordial.3 But we can also easily imagine the effect of letting loose on the island a number of reckless prisoners, who had until recently been subjected to the rigor of prison discipline and starvation, and who now with inflamed passions were undeterred in the commission of crime by the presence or knowledge of authorities.4
Also, I have to admit that it seems incredible that the Vacationers had such a store of provisions that the Penists could subsist upon them until the next season’s harvest. Indeed, it seems somewhat unlikely that the Penists were any more successful at agriculture in their second year than in their first. Yet the historical record says no more on the matter, providing no other explanation for their survival.
Chapter 14 tomorrow, same time, same place.
Footnotes
-
I was obliged therefore to shoot them. John Batman, “Report to police magistrate Thomas Anstey,” 7 September 1829 ↩
-
The wch was some helpe and a little Reliefe unto us and did kepe us from killeinge one of an other To eate. George Percy, Governor, Jamestowne Colony, A Trewe Relacyon of the pcedeings and ocurrentes of Momente wch have hapned in Virginia from the Tyme Sr Thomas Gates was Shippwrackte uppon the Bermudes Ano 1609 until my depture owtt of the Cowntry wch was in Ano Dni 1612 1624 ↩
-
His Excellency has uniformly been anxious to inculcate a spirit of forbearance towards the Aborigines, in the hope that confidence and cordiality might subsist, and be conducive to their improvement, and the security of the Colonists; but it is with extreme regret he perceives a result so contrary to his hope and expectation. George Arthur, Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, Government Order of November 29, 1826 ↩
-
We can readily imagine the effect of letting loose in the Bush a number of reckless bad men, who had been previously subjected to the rigour of prison discipline, and who now with inflamed passions were undeterred in the commission of crime by the presence of knowledge of the authorities. James Bonwick, The Last of the Tasmanians; or, the Black War of Van Diemen’s Land 1870 ↩