Bush Snipers. Greg Pius
You must be Mosser. Hello dear."
Hera spoke softly to this much loved woman,
"We all call her Mossy."
Nanny Upright showed genuine censure in her look. She exclaimed,
"I never approved of your father's nicknames. You know he called me "banana"? I told him off I can tell you. No this sweet little thing is too beautiful to be called after an insect. We will have to think of a better nickname won't we?"
Again the Feelgood women heard themselves chorus,
"Yes Nanny dearest."
Nanny Upright took Mossy's little hands and kissed both palms. She spoke in her ultra soft voice, looking right into the girls's eyes when she whispered,
"That's my special gift that I give all my special girls."
Mossy gave her a smile that instantly won her heart. But as Hannah took Mossy to show her the "gee gees" as Mossy called them, Nanny Upright sadly said to Hera,
"I knew your mother as a young girl. We were playmates. Its was like I was six again when I looked into your child's eyes. As for that smile, I remember it from my youth. She is your mother reborn."
Hera felt her heart swell as she said,
"I know I see it every day. It has helped me cope this last month. Nanny I miss Mummy so much."
Comforting a crying Hera came natural to this woman, so she said exactly the right thing ,
"I know. I miss her too Hera. She was my best friend. Until today I thought that there would never be another Mary Feelgood. Now I know how merciful God really is to us all. He sent us an angel in the form of a child, just like he did all those years ago when your mother was born."
Hera had to admit something to this loved woman,
"Nanny I don't believe in God anymore. Sorry but he can't exist as far as I can see."
Nanny Upright was not going to let this go, so she replied in kind,
"Luckily he believes in you. Listen to me Hera Ermentine Feelgood he exists in every good thing in your life. That child of yours is proof of that. Don't think I missed the signs of your old weakness in her breathing. She is asthmatic just like you were at her age. When your sainted mother had to go on those horrid overseas trips with your father, I sat at your bedside every night and prayed for your life. Here you are healthy and cured. You must sit watching your daughter struggle for breath. Well I thought of you as my second daughter. Every time you stopped breathing at night, I stopped breathing."
Now Hera was sobbing but still clutched this woman's hand in a cherished grip. Finally she said,
"I loved you as a second mother, Nanny. You could always calm my fears."
Nanny Upright was also crying when she said,
"I will always be there for you my little volcano."
Both woman now sat still next to each other as memories flooded their minds.
Adam Champion was in deep trouble. His court martial was not going well, with his army appointed lawyer warning him of certain defeat. Then a surprise witness asked the court for permission to give evidence. The prosecuting major saw that it was the spymaster's former pet killer. A commando trained sniper known as Lieutenant Otrera Doras, this sniper had been seconded to the personal service of Australia's spymaster. So the army prosecutor raised no objections to her giving evidence. He was to regret this mistake.
In the witness box Lieutenant Doras said,
"I was there on duty when the spymaster was assassinated! I saw who shot the fatal bullet."
Forgetting his legal professor's warning about evidence given that has not been first checked, the cocky army prosecutor said,
"Good. Please tell the court who that killer was Lieutenant."
Lieutenant looked right at Champion as she exclaimed,
"It was Cain Flint!"
Summer Revelations
As the sounds of running feet were swamped by the noises of children's laughter, Shakata finally got control of his shaking body. He took pity on Flint by explaining,
"Sorry Flint but your facial expression was priceless."
Just then a large bunk of shouting children came racing around the corner of Shakata's tent. It was clear that they were in a race to be the first to touch Shakat's main tent pole. One young female got that honour. Shakata did not look surprised when he saw this girl be first to his tent. He exclaimed sternly, in a mock tone,
"Zaheer you are the oldest, you must give the younger ones a head start."
The young girl was not to be deprived of her victory, so she grumpily replied,
"I did give them a head start. They are just too slow in running."
Another girl who looked a lot like Zaheer scoffed at this, she interjected,
"Hah! You gave us only ten seconds start, I hear you jump from nine to twenty!"
Zaheer gave her sister a scolding look and retorted,
"Did not."
But her sister felt safe in public, so she shot back,
"Did so you big cheater."
The looks on the faces of these two sisters warned of imminent warfare, so Shakata intervened,
"Now you two, what did I say about family fights at school times?'
Both girls were slightly quelled, enough to chorus.
"No family fights at school if you want to look cool."
Shakata smiled at these hot tempered girls, he could see they were not yet ready to shake hands so he distracted them both by announcing,
"Children, today we are lucky to have a visit from one of the rebel army's greatest warriors. I can't tell you his name because its a big secret. You must all promise never to tell anyone, except your Moms, that you have seen him. Never ever. Do you hear me?"
All the children adopted that solemn attitude that kids have when given the trust of a big secret. They all yelled out,
"Yes Mister Shakata."
Laughing and smiling to show them how proud he weas of everone of them, Shakata now introduce Flint.
"This is Mister Fitzgerald! He has been on the front line in the city. But he will now spend sometime with us. You will see him around my tent a lot. He is not to be considered a stranger but a freedom fighter."
When Flint bowed theatrically to the