On return from a visit to Hobart Town, James Blay Sr walked into his house with a look that reminded Sarah of the darkness that gathered over Pulpit Rock when a storm was approaching. She didn’t ask what was troubling him; she knew him well enough to wait until he was ready to speak.
‘There’s a new Lieutenant Governor in Hobart Town,’ he began. ‘Name’s George Arthur and he’s determined to have convicts put back in their place. He vows to discipline and control. He’s talkin’ about takin’ away the land those still under sentence have been workin’ to feed themselves and sometimes families. He says convicts are unfree labourers and have been indulged for too long.’
When James Sr dropped the ‘g’ from his words, Sarah knew something upset him or made him angry. She asked quietly for an explana
