Roachville

The naga, secured between my feet, was in a brand new dark grey bag. Inside the shopping centre, there was a shop displaying different coloured rucksacks in the window. I had chosen a sturdy one, with a tough zip, a small lock and a thick inner lining.

Unlike Mei, Phuong and his own brother, this twin was all smiles. After finding a seat in what looked like the exact middle of the crowded eating area, he had queued to get me food and drink and as I devoured the Thai green curry with sticky rice, he told me what had happened while I was stuck in the gravel pit.

‘I smashed your front door this morning. This way, you can claim on your house insurance. You’ll be able to get enough money to replace all the items in your house.’

The thought of shopping filled me with simultaneous dread and excitement… still, it didn’t feel so bad to be in a damaged empty shell. It was just a question of getting used to things. My own fantasy of the end of the world and starting anew had more or less happened in the security of my own home. Although my own home didn’t seem all that secure right now.

‘I’m scared of going back,’ I said.

‘I understand, but this has got to be the best place for you to be. If you run away, Tann will come after you and find the naga. But right now, he’s convinced that Ely has it.’

‘But Tann is going to keep an eye on me. I’m not sure I can handle it.’

‘Strategically this is the best thing to do for the moment.’

I finished my coffee. ‘I guess, strategically, you’re right.’

I studied Kalaroo. His jet black skin was offset by supple copper curls; I kept glancing at his hair in complete admiration.

As far as I could tell, he didn’t mind me gawping at him. Despite his amazing appearance, nobody noticed him, not even to glance at him, and I remembered what Mullaloo said about being ‘invisible’. The more I observed people walking past our table, the more I was convinced something was odd.

‘Why is nobody looking at us? Are they not seeing us or something?’

Booming laughter came out of Kalaroo’s mouth, but even the people sitting closest to us carried on their conversation undisturbed.

‘Mei had doubts about you, but I can see why Phuong chose you.’ Kalaroo gave me a beaming white radioactive smile. ‘I like people with a sense of observation,’ he added, licking his teeth. ‘Not many people know it, but I can let you in on this secret of mine. You may have heard that all living beings, therefore you and me,’ he said with an exaggerated wink, ‘generate an aura.’

I nodded. He refilled his glass and swallowed until the glass was empty.

‘And as you may have noticed my brother and I are Indigenous Australian or what I like to call Aborigines.’

Lack of sleep and anxiety about Ely kept me on edge, but nonetheless I smiled at his little joke.

‘So, there are things that he and I know and can do that other people can’t. It’s just a fact. For example, we are aware of our aura and the aura of other people.’

‘You can see my aura?’ I frowned.

‘Yup. And it’s a little… erratic just now.’

‘Great.’ I sighed.

‘Anyhow, we can also control and modify our auras at will in order to blend in our surroundings.’

I kept silent.

‘You don’t believe me?’ Kalaroo asked with a huge grin.

‘A couple of weeks ago, I would have been very sceptical, but now, I don’t see how I could not believe you.’

‘By the way, I’ve included you in my aura. It’s possible as long as the other person stays close.’

‘You’re interfering with my aura?’

‘No, just enveloping you. Like a shield.’

I mulled this over for a couple of seconds.

‘Okay, I like it. But you don’t exactly become invisible, do you?’ I asked, raising my hand to my eyes in case it had become transparent. I could still see it with its five narrow fingers.

‘It’s not so much that I become invisible…’ Kalaroo paused, searching for the right words. ‘It’s hard to describe precisely what goes on, but let’s say that I am able to project a grey luminous radiation, which makes people nearby turn their attention elsewhere.’

‘But how about sounds? You just burst out laughing a second ago and I didn’t notice anybody glancing in our direction. How does that happen?’

‘That’s because it’s very noisy around here and they’re all very self-absorbed.’

‘Yeah,’ I said.

‘It’s symptomatic of our times.’

‘I can be very self-absorbed too.’

He waited for me to continue.

‘But I don’t want to be anymore… I don’t know why I said that.’

‘Maybe because you feel like you can trust me.’

‘Yeah.’ I smiled. ‘You’re not at all like your brother,’ I added, finishing my coffee.

Kalaroo grinned at me and I wondered about the love triangle: him and Mei and Mulaloo.

‘So this grey aura of yours – that’s a pretty useful skill to have against Kenneth Tann.’

‘It has its uses. But it doesn’t mean I’m invincible. He’s one mean motherfucker and if he catches me, I won’t be able to hide anywhere.’ He scratched his copper locks with a manic gesture.

‘Kalaroo?’ I wrung my hands. ‘I need to find Ely. Will you help me?’

‘I promise I’ll do my best.’