About this story
You play Alice Roland, six hours upstream through mangroves and wet bush beside a man introduced to you minutes ago — David Bruce, who runs the timber work for your husband. Asia keeps asking which hill belongs to her father. The house, when it finally appears, is still open framing.
Who you’ll meet
David Bruce at the oar, the weathered boatman who will read the river for you all the way up it, with Asia Roland at the gunwale asking which hill belongs to her father and young Sonny Shoreman on the forward stroke.
How it opens
Dawn found you carrying a baby and basket down a muddy track toward a rotting landing.
Furniture waited under tarpaulin in a black punt hemmed by mangroves and steep wet bush.
Roy HardingMrs Roland, this is David Bruce; he manages the river work for your husband.
The tide is already leaving, so we should load the children first.
Asia RolandIs all that water the road to our new house?
Choose
It is the only road that can carry all our boxes.
Mr Bruce knows each turn even when we cannot see ahead.