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It really was beautiful down here.
He left Albie sleeping, deciding to go clean himself up in the creek with some privacy. He stripped off his underwear and shirt, then sat fully naked in the water.
It was fresh and invigorating, easing any aches and stings, and cleaning himself in the process. He redressed, fixed the fire for fresh tea, then set about cleaning their utensils in the river.
With his long johns rolled to his knees and without his shirt, he waded downstream a little and set about doing his work. He tipped the old tea out, then rinsed the billy...
When something in the water caught his eye.
At first he thought it was just the sunlight glinting off the water, but then he realised it wasn’t.
His heart raced with excitement and exhilaration as he reached into the water and snatched up a fistful of mud and pebbles. He shook out the dredge, turning his hand over to reveal some brown pebbles on his palm.
And a small nugget of gold, glinting in the sunlight.
He knew what this meant. He knew what this would mean.
What it did to his father.
“What is it?” Albie said.
Percy startled and instinctively closed his fist. He shook his head and swallowed hard, the excitement now a lump of dread. “Albie,” he breathed.
Albie closed the distance between them. “What is it?”
He couldn’t hide this from Albie. He just couldn’t.
With a heavy, thumping heart, he held his hand out, revealing what he held in his palm.
Albie’s eyes went wide, as did his smile, but when he looked at Percy, all Percy could do was shake his head. “I just found it. Just now. It was glinting in the sunlight under the water.”
Why did his mouth feel so dry?
Albie studied him for a second. “Were you going to hide this from me?”
Percy shook his head quickly and thrust the nugget of gold into Albie’s hand. “Take it. Have it. This stuff is poison. It will poison your mind, make you crazy, Albie. That’s what happened to my father. He almost lost everything. He should have lost everything, if it weren’t for my mother’s family.” He shook his head again, suddenly feeling ill. He pushed the heel of his hand against his stomach, and he was finding it hard to breathe.
“Percy,” Albie whispered. “Calm down. Take a breath in.” Percy did, and Albie breathed slowly with him. “That’s it. Are you sure you’re all right?”
He shook his head. “Albie, you can’t let it ruin you. I won’t let it.”
“I would never,” he said.
“All men think that. All men think they won’t... They call it gold fever for a reason, Albie. It’s ruined more men than it ever saved.” He tried to lick his lips but his mouth was too dry.
Albie took Percy’s arm and led him out of the water. “Come with me. Let’s sit down.”
They did that, Albie sitting beside him, until Percy could breathe a little easier. “Sorry,” Percy said. “I just... I panicked.”
Albie gave him a soft smile. “You had a bit of a scare.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” Percy said. “Not for gold; not for anything. You’re a mountain man, a good farmer, as your father raised you to be.”
“I’ll never be anything else,” Albie said gently. “And you’re never losing me.”
He turned his palm upside down, revealing the small nugget. It must have been two ounces, at least. It was pretty and innocuous as it sat there in Albie’s hand, but Percy couldn’t help but feel the weight of dread that came with it.
“You and I can look for more today,” Albie said, and when Percy tried to protest, Albie put his hand up to silence him. “Just one half-day. We leave at midday to make it back to Alpine Falls by night fall, no exceptions.”
