Chapter 41
Half an hour later they all piled into Catfish, Freeman’s little runabout, and headed upriver. The rain had eased and Freeman was an expert boatman, but it still took an agonisingly long time to negotiate the powerful current. When they arrived back at Red Gums, Sophie was waiting with Jinx and the birds at the temporary tie-up place below the dam – a forlorn little figure huddled under an umbrella. Ric breathed a giant sigh of relief. Should he kiss his daughter or kill her? He wasn’t sure.
When Sophie caught sight of the two geese on Catfish, her face shone with pure joy. ‘Odette, Igor. You’re safe!’
‘What about me?’ said Ric, jumping ashore and swinging her into his arms. ‘Are you happy to see me?’
‘Yes.’ She wriggled from his grasp. ‘Now give me my birds.’
Odette and Ig
