Lyza's Story: Book One of The Lane Trilogy. Vicki Inc. Andree

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СКАЧАТЬ student’s gesture. “Now that depends on your terminology, son. People often use the term ‘outback’ in reference to any lands outside urban areas. With that in mind, we could say that we are in the outback, though we are only a couple hours outside the city.”

      Chuck surveyed his surroundings. A thin canopy of eucalyptus shaded the wooded area with a few woody shrubs and bushes. He turned back to George. “Would you say we’re in the ‘bush’ now?”

      “Yes, that’s the term I would use for where we are. The ‘bush’ is not usually as remote as what we call the ‘outback.’”

      The crew-cut young man commented. “George, you know quite a bit more than any of my instructors. Most of them ignore my questions or say they’ll get back to me and never do.”

      George’s modesty was matched only by his tact. “As important as it is, son, academia can never match experience.”

      The first young student pressed for more information about the outback. “How do we get to the real outback?”

      George pointed away from the city. “If you really want to experience the outback, you need to fly to the center of the country, then rent a four-by-four. Then after all that trouble, all you’re gonna find is desert. We’re not doing that today.”

      They started bushwalking. Chuck found the two-hour trek through the national park invigorating. George took great care to identify rocks, land formations, and even plants throughout the hike. The more Chuck learned, the more he wanted to know.

      Chuck continued asking question after question long after the others left. George patiently answered every one of them in detail. The hike rejuvenated Chuck, and he wanted to know more. The two men wound up eating dinner in the local pub.

      Just after midnight, George pushed his beer glass away from him and stood. “Listen, Chuck, I’m ready to call it a night. I’m going bushwalking in a couple of weeks, and you’re welcome to join me.”

      Chuck nodded as he laid out a few bills for a tip. “I look forward to it. Today was amazing. You’re an encyclopedia.”

      His companion laughed. “Sometimes I feel that old.”

      Chuck stood, grimacing at his stiffness. “Like my sore muscles after today’s hike.”

      “Every year it gets more difficult. No matter. I couldn’t give it up for the world. I’m pushing fifty and still going strong. Anyway, they say fifty is the new forty.” George looked young for his age.

      “That’s what they say, but I never trusted them.” Chuck added, “I’m forty-four and I’m sure I’ll feel like a hundred in the morning.”

      They agreed to meet two weeks later for another hike.

      George recommended several books and websites for Chuck to use to prepare for it.

      Thirteen days later, on a Friday, Chuck’s office phone buzzed. “Chuck, this is George, your geologist bushwalking coach.”

      Chuck perked up. “Oh, yeah, is the hike planned?”

      “I was thinking about making the next outing an overnighter.”

      Chuck’s heart beat faster. “You mean like camping?”

      George surprised Chuck with the change in plans. “Just overnight. I think it would be fun to take you deep into the Aussie outback, the Never-Never. It’s incredible the things you can find out there. It’ll be the experience of a lifetime. You’re gonna love it.”

      Chuck’s mind filled with thoughts of adventure and excitement camping in the Ausse outback. “Can’t wait. What do I need to bring?”

      “You’ll need the usual—sun screen, bug repellent, matches, snacks, and toothbrush. Oh, and you’ll need a sleeping bag.”

      “What else?”

      “It’s not going to be the Holiday Inn. We’ll be sleeping under the stars. I have everything we need for the campsite packed. We sleep in our clothes. Bring an extra canteen, and like I said, some snacks and your sleeping bag.”

      Early Saturday morning, Chuck boarded George’s small rickety Cessna at a tiny airstrip on the outskirts of Brisbane.

      George placed their bags in the small space behind the back seats in the tail. Then he walked around the plane, making a cursory inspection of the fuselage, wings, and tail.

      George got in next to Chuck and began checking the instrument panel. “I believe all is in order. Prepare for takeoff.”

      Chuck shouted over the noise of the engine as they broke the bonds of gravity and barely sailed over a nearby copse of trees. “You are full of surprises. Where are we going?”

      George checked the instrument panel. “A few weeks ago I saw a landing strip up around Peera Peera Poolanna Lake between two deserts. It looked pretty desolate, but I think it will be a good place to put down. From there we can explore the wonders of the Australian outback deserts. Buckle up, mate. We have a couple of hours before we get there. You’re going to see a lot on the way.”

      Chuck watched the airstrip below slowly shrink as the plane gained altitude.

      “You’re about to see more of Oz than most folks ever do. So relax, hang on, and enjoy the ride.”

      Chuck swallowed hard. His mouth felt dry. “You sure you know how to fly this thing?”

      “Oh, yeah, I’ve been at this a few years. It’s really the only way to get around in Oz. Everything’s so spread out. You could drive, but it would take us at least all of daylight and add a couple of days to the trip. This is much better. Don’t worry. She’s an old plane, but I keep her up.”

      “I didn’t want to ask, but since you mentioned it, how old is this plane?”

      “Hang on, there; she’s older than I am and still runs like a clock. She’s a Cessna 170 four-seater. They don’t make them like they used to. She’s a classic.”

      Oh, great. Chuck sat back in his seat and tried to relax. A sense of dread pervaded his thoughts as he listened to the loud buzz of the engine, and he tried to keep his overactive imagination at bay. What have I gotten myself into? I hope George knows what he’s doing. I might find an early grave in the Aussie outback. Heaven forbid. The plane shuddered, as if responding to Chuck’s mental battle. For the next two hours, the ride intermittently went from smooth to bumpy. Chuck never relaxed.

      Almost two hours into the trip, the plane began to pitch and the engine coughed. George fumbled with dials and levers cursing under his breath. He barked at Chuck, “Secure your seat belt and brace yourself!”

      Terrified, Chuck pulled his seatbelt tighter and looked out his side window. The silence created by the stalled engine filled his ears as the ground rushed to greet them.

      George suddenly became eerily calm, his tone professional. “Look for any smooth place. Any smooth place without shrubs, boulders, or craters where we can land.”

      Chuck looked to his right. In the distance, he noticed a clear piece of terrain that looked like a dirt road set on a strip of elevated ground, above a dry landscape СКАЧАТЬ