Page 29 of Lyrebird

‘I would usually be still out foraging,’ Laura smiles politely, aware that time is of concern to Bo.

‘Don’t feel you have to rush everything on our account, I want to capture you as you’d normally be.’

‘I wouldn’t normally have served three people my soup,’ she smiles, and to Solomon. ‘That’s the first time I’ve done that in ten years.’

‘Four people,’ Rachel says. ‘Can I have seconds?’

Laura laughs. She likes Rachel, this is obvious. She is wary of Bo. With Solomon, everyone knows it’s a sure thing.

Laura suggests cleaning her clothes, something Bo isn’t interested in. She doesn’t scrunch up her nose but it’s a similar reaction.

‘How about we film you reading?’ Bo asks. ‘Books are an important part of your life aren’t they?’

‘Of course, I read every day.’

‘They’re your connection to the world?’

‘I’d say they are the only things that aren’t my connection to the world,’ Laura replies. ‘They’re entertainment, escape.’

‘Yes,’ Bo says, though she’s too busy planning her next shot to process the answer. ‘Where do you usually read?’

‘In lots of places. In here. Outside.’

‘Let’s go outside, show us where you’d go.’

‘It depends on the time of year, on the day, on the time of day, on the light,’ she says. ‘I walk around until I find somewhere that feels right.’

‘Let’s do that then,’ Bo says, smiling and when Laura isn’t looking, she steals a look at her watch. It’s not that Bo isn’t interested – she is, she can’t have enough information – it’s that time has never been her friend. There is too much to do, and not enough time to do it in. The aim is to do everything, quickly, so that she doesn’t miss a thing, and of course in doing things so quickly all the time, she is missing things, as Solomon constantly warns her.

Solomon accompanies Laura to her bookshelf, which is overflowing. Books are piled up on the floor all around.

‘Do you have a favourite one?’ he asks.

She picks up one, an erotic romance A Rock and a Hard Place, and shows it to him. She then makes the sound she heard from the previous night, Bo’s sounds of pleasure. She is quiet enough so that Bo doesn’t hear her. Solomon laughs and shakes his head.

‘You’re in love with her?’ Laura asks.

He’s so taken aback by the question he’s not sure how to answer. He should know how to answer, but he can’t bring himself to address it.

She mimics his awkward throat-clear.

‘I’m surprised Bridget brought you that book,’ he changes the subject.

‘I’ve never met her but I was surprised too,’ she laughs. ‘There was a whole box of them. Second-hand, church sale. A virgin named Betty Rock and naughty Nathan the window cleaner. They get a lot of suds in a lot of places.’

They both laugh.

‘No. This is my favourite. I’ve read it over fifty times.’ She hands him a picture book.

‘There’s no words,’ he flicks through it.

‘Words are often over-rated,’ she says.

‘What’s it about?’

‘A tree that turns into a woman.’

‘Just like Bo said,’ Solomon says sarcastically, studying it. ‘Your connection to the world.’