Two Clicks looks out over the edge of the continent. He is wise. He knows there’s someone out there. He’s never seen a ship, and he’s never seen a European, but he knows they’re out there. Thirteen generations ago, Snap Jump was the leader of the tribe. He saw an explorer arrive on a ship … Continue reading The Edge of the Continent
“Bong!” There are footsteps. Then again. “Bong!” More footsteps. “Bong!” No, it’s not a bell-ringer practising his repertoire. It’s a farmer walking along his row of water tanks. “Bong!” Footsteps. “Thunk!” The last tank in the row is half full. It’s barely enough to supply the house, let alone the livestock and the crop. The … Continue reading The Big Instrument
"Hello Adelina. How beautiful your dress is." "Thanks, it is an Armani." Later, Jody made an announcement. "Hi girls. I saw Adelina today when she came to work and she is wearing an Armani dress. I wonder how she can buy those dresses - so expensive and all, with expensive labels." "Maybe she has a … Continue reading The Armani Dress
The mass spectrometer shows the presence of organic compounds, brass and a little bit of steel. The technicians have used the top-notch lab machine that doesn’t even need to make contact with the specimen being tested. It can scan the specimen from a distance. It’s safer that way, considering the fact that they don’t know … Continue reading The Enigma Device
Fermi Paradox: Named after Enrico Fermi, it’s the question of - given the age of the universe and the probability of extra-terrestrial life - why haven’t we been visited by an intelligent alien species yet? Little Jane is playing by the pond. Mum has a close eye on her as the rest of the adults … Continue reading Fermi Paradox
Standing on a hillside in Victoria, I look across the open fields and see a million scruffy, wild bushes with little red fruits. The first frost of the year was last night and the little old lady whose house I clean has asked me - no begged me - to take her out into the … Continue reading The Scabby Fruit
I recently moved to a little beach town in New Zealand from a nice apartment in New York City. I had to escape the hustle, the bustle and the vain, lying, superficial people that I saw day to day. Everyone in this town was so down to earth, except it seemed for the vain, lying, … Continue reading The Beach Town
The rosella isn’t just a squawking, flying, crapping parrot. It’s an icon of Australia, and if it doesn’t conjure images of soup, biscuits, tomato sauce and jam, then you’re just un-Australian. But the Rosella Preserving and Manufacturing Co. wasn’t named after a parrot, it was named after a plant: the Roselle, or Hibiscus sabdariffa. It’s … Continue reading The Scoop
“That tent’s been on the side of the highway for the last three days. I wouldn’t want to go near it. Only a freak would camp right beside a busy highway for three days.” That’s the mental process of everyone that’s driven past the little blue tent. And if the person that set it up … Continue reading The Suspicious Tent
The rails whisper before the steam even appears on the horizon, but Glen doesn’t know for sure that the train is coming until he sees its headlight blazing the way. His vision is failing him, and his hearing is all but gone. There’s no mistaking the feeling of the earth rumbling though, as the steam … Continue reading Glen, the Railway Man
Tandi Tales 