The Birthmark Read Online Free

and see if the girl was there? Perhaps she’d snuck away when the police were at the front door. She took a deep breath and walked down the kitchen steps onto the terrace.
    The laundry stood away from the house at the edge of the yard. It reminded her of a ticketing booth or a food vendor’s box at a country show. The big open windows were extensions of the concrete bench and wash trough. The door was ajar.
    â€˜Hello,’ she called meekly. ‘Hello, you can come out now. The police have gone.’
    Silence. The girl must have slipped away. Christina pushed the door open.
    â€˜Ye-oow!’ The squeal came as the door bumped against a body. She saw the boy and girl crouched on the floor. The girl was huddled awkwardly under the bench. The boy, still clutching his captive chicken, rubbed at his foot and swore.
    â€˜I’m sorry! I’ve hurt you. I didn’t mean…’ Christina spluttered.
    â€˜You stupid arse—what a dumb place to sit down!’ shrieked the girl.
    â€˜ Suh , shut up, you witch! You look stupid, all twisted up like the plumbing.’ The two of them burst out laughing.
    Christina felt embarrassed; they were ignoring her with their laughter and shouting. ‘I’m sorry. I thought you’d be safe here. The police have gone,’ she said, louder this time.
    â€˜And why’d they come? Did you tell them we were here?’ the boy snapped.
    â€˜No!’ she said, staring at him, noting his features for the first time. His left eye was disfigured by a huge scar that ran down onto his cheek. It made his face appear lopsided. Thick black hair grew long over his brow, probably to hide the scar, she thought. ‘How could I tell them? You showed up the same time they did,’ she retorted.
    â€˜What did you say to them?’ the girl asked as she crawled out from under the bench.
    Christina related her brief conversation with the police.
    â€˜Don’t worry, they won’t come back,’ said the boy. ‘They’re too fat and lazy.’
    â€˜I want to know who called them,’ the girl said.
    â€˜Must have been the Chinese,’ the boy mumbled.
    â€˜What have you done to have the police after you?’ Christina asked.
    â€˜Nothing, we did nothing,’ the girl said, and her expression warned Christina not to pry further. The three of them looked at one another uneasily.
    Finally the boy spoke. ‘What’s your name?’
    â€˜Christina Lowry. My dad works for the Lands Department. I’m here on school holidays, to spend time with Dad.’
    â€˜Where’s your mother?’ the girl asked.
    â€˜She’s in Australia…my parents are divorced.’
    The girl nodded. She kept staring at Christina’s belly. Her gaze was unsettling. Hadn’t she seen a navel ring before?
    â€˜I’m Hector, that’s Lily,’ said the boy. ‘We’re on holidays too, exploring the forest.’
    â€˜You talk shit, Hector,’ Lily laughed.
    Christina grinned. It was obvious that Hector was used to telling tales. He smiled back at her and she relaxed. He was the first islander she’d met who had actually been friendly, in an offhand sort of way. Even the few times she’d been out, hardly any locals had spoken to her; and if they did, it seemed rude, the way they never really looked you in the eye. And they didn’t smile much, not like those friendly faces you see in travel brochures.
    â€˜Do you want a drink or something?’ she asked. ‘I could get you some water.’
    â€˜Yes, water,’ Hector said, and they followed Christina out into the sunshine on the terrace. Hector still hugged the chicken and Lily dragged the sword.
    Christina eyed it suspiciously. ‘Where did you get the sword?’ she asked.
    Lily nodded towards the forest. ‘Down there.’
    â€˜We think it’s from the war,’ Hector said. ‘It’s got Japanese writing on