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Chapter 19

Damn them all! Rotten earth, slave of the devil,--thundered the voice in the middle of the street, --The dung of rottenness. The p********e Rome  that lives in this damned town. I curse it in the name of God. 

Zacharias awoke to the screams. He leaned out of the window to see a man with a wagon. Standing in it and accompanied by 5 girls of various ages he cried out, armed with a bible.

--I cry out to God. I cry to God for mercy, against the devil that copulates  with this lost land of God's love. I Stephen Campbell, by the power of the holy spirit bathed in me and my family ask for mercy and curse again this land of prostitutes, murderers and thieves.

--Shut up, you fool,-- cried from the roofed sidewalk, policeman Peter  Glenn, --Keep your filthy, crooked mouth shut.

--The Lord God give me the strength and authority to save a soul if I can. To every Christian around here it is imperative that you flee from the clutches of the devil.

The policeman came out into the strong sun, armed with his rifle and fi gallop red two shots into the air, causing the horses in the wagon to panic and out of the village, throwing the priest backwards, falling in the middle of his daughters.

Zacharias reached the street and the policeman spat on the ground.

--Of course this town has its madman too,--he explained, turning his back on him and entering the police station.

12.-

II

--You, Lionel  Sullivan, are a coward,--said the young man to his reflection in the mirror. Why  did you want to go to the Australian Defence Force Academy ? if from the outset you did not comply with the motto "Through the adversity to the stars  ".  Of course he liked Darzinda. He was fascinated by her color, her body, her graceful walk, her hair, the way she spoke English with a Portuguese accent. By her all materialistic difficulties . She was black, a foreigner, the daughter of workers on the farm of her father's main competitors. Even worse, . She was a Catholic. Quite an impediment to the eyes of his Anglican and English family. But he liked her. She called him. She urged him on. And he could no longer deny it. He was falling in love with her.  The time would come when he couldn't hide it anymore. If he had to face half the world. Then he would.  Looking in the mirror again, he said... 

--You're going to do it. You coward.

13.-

--Help!. Something terrible has happened-- Bugs came shouting in his invariable reeking of alcohol voice through the middle of the dusty town street.

I have found a girl. I think something bad has happened to her,-- he explained, almost breathless from running.

--Where?-- Policeman Tony Glenn immediately inquired.

Zacharias, leaning against one of the old horse moorings and contemplating the nothingness of the day, was carried by the impulse of a former policeman and followed the frantically calling man and he ran back to where the young woman was found.

They reached the spot. A young brunette, half-n***d, stood with open eyes and a terrified expression, staring at nothing.

--Do you know her?-- the policeman asked Zacharias.

--Well, no. You guys?

--No,-- said Bugs, --I don't know her. She's not from Spring Rock.

--Maybe the ones from the bar,-- suggested Zacharias.

--The ones from the bar!,-- replied the policeman sarcastically and added, --This young lady is not from around here. She's not from this town. She needs to be taken urgently to Alice Spring so that they can keep the corpse  while we find out. I'll bet 2 boxes of Coldies that it's from the immigrants   they brought past Alice Spring.

--Won't you check out the body. You can see from the top that she was badly beaten,--said Zacharias in astonishment at the other man's indifference, --Possibly she was r***d,-- he said.

--No. She's dead and that's all I know. I'll notify the investigative police. They will .

--But there may be evidence in the area.

--Well, don't let anyone step on it.  You Bugs, I want to keep you always in my sights. Same to you. Your arrival here is really shaking things up.

--Hey, buddy. You're not insinuating that I...

- I am not insinuating anything.We need to find out.. Escort me and the corpse to Alice Spring.