banner by Krazymoonkat

Chapter 10
I have always hated alarm clocks, they pull you back from some other world with a smack round the face that I could do without of a morning. His fingers on my face though, that I would pay for. Hot, sticky and happy as a pig in shit, woken up by soft lips on mine, I might just shout Hallelujah. We have barely slept 3 hours I would guess by the feel of my bones. Though that could also be because we fucked the rest of the night. Ok, fucked and talked. I have a feeling that I am going to regret those 3 hours all the same. Christ he is beautiful. I say that already? Once or twice I imagine.

In between his cock and his fingers, my mouth and my hands mixed up with all those words there wasn’t any breath left in either of us. I told him about all the progress that has been made by humanity since the last time he was here. Yeah, so we had a lot of time for the kissing and stuff that I mentioned. Who needs current affairs anyhow? Much over rated. I kept changing the subject away from the Cctv, and pictures of all of them that will be with every single copper and every single fine citizen of New South Wales, on their breakfast tables, on their TV screens and on the net. But now I can tell he wants to know. He needs to know. But I don’t think I want to tell him.

“G’day Eva...isn’t that what they say around here nowadays?”

“Ah…yes! So not ‘top of the Mornin’ to yer’ then?”

He is looking at me like I speak Swahili again, but decides to let it go, still deciding whether to act on that half hard cock that is against my stomach, or face the fact that it is dawn. “Eva I need yer to tell me about those movie cameras”

“ I don’t want to, because then you will get dressed and get as far away from here as you can, and the miles will be the least of it” He is frowning a little, slipping his arm under me so I can lay my head on his shoulder. “I never told you about Bob Dylan in my ‘random thoughts’ tour of the past decades I don’t suppose. He wrote a song called You gonna make me lonesome when you go, there is a line in there about spoilin' me too much, love. I won’t sing it…turn the milk off downstairs, but you get the point”

It makes me happy to see him smile.” No you didn’t tell me about that fella” his voice is so soft, but insistent all the same “though I’d have liked to have heard about that. But I have to know Eva…” He is deadly serious, and frankly that just makes it worse

Deep breath. “Ok well I know for a fact that the bank at Denilquin had cameras, they all have cameras these days. There will be footage of you and the boys robbing the place, in close up” A lighter thought hits my mind “I expect they even have some from out the back…” My attempt to change the subject and work on that erection got a small smile but not enough. Wonder if they would sell me a copy though? Hmmm, or should that be mmmm? “The film will mostly likely be used in one of those ‘Have you seen these Men?’ kind of programmes. To get people to inform, and well, you will be…”

“Shot on sight”

“Jesus Joe...they don’t do that unless they think they are in danger of getting shot themselves” Alright so that’s not strictly true but hey, I don’t even want to think about that. “They will be planning on arresting you, that’s for certain”

I can see him running through the scenario in his mind “Christ, and then we’ll not be able to get back to the horses”

“No”

“Shit…”

“You could say that. Of course they don’t always catch the…” well what will I call him? How about the most gorgeous man I ever saw/slept with/spoke to/said goodbye to?

There is a silence while he thinks and I consider begging him to stay longer but I know. Both that I couldn’t get him to and that I can’t ask in any case. He is, they are, up sh!t creek and they should go. Like yesterday. Forget the cash point, is kind of beneath them anyhow. I watch him change before my eyes, from that warm smiling Joe into something different, like a deer on the plains; suddenly he is listening to everything out side of this room, catching sounds and putting them in place, as best he can. But this is an alien world despite it being the same, and he doesn’t belong. He is putting his clothes on now, slipping those long legs out of my sight, his head bent and his eyes all serious.

“Look lets see if there is anything on the box about it!” More in hope than expectation that it might calm him down.

“What?” there is the sharpness of distraction that makes me want to grab his hand and plead with him to smile at me again. He is miles away already.

“The box, the TV, there might be something on there about you, or maybe …” Right, you are sunk Eva. I get out of bed and grab the remote, pressing the button on the top, instantly the TV on the wall crackles into life.

“Holy Mary! how did you do that?”

“Ah one of the most well loved inventions- you don’t even have to get up to change channels these days”

He can’t help it; there is a boyish appreciation in his nod. You have to love his ability to appreciate the finer things in life eh? He said they had seen a fillum once, back whenever it was they came before, we talked about TV last night, how you could watch anything you wanted any time of day, live in some alternate world instead of your own. If you weren’t too busy fucking an outlaw that was.

Flicking through the channels to find the news, there is a second or two when we see bare curved flesh, one of those adverts for channels you have to pay for and I turn to see him grin “What was that now?”

“Joseph Byrne. Men who sit in hotel rooms watching almost naked women cavort on TV are viewed very dimly”

“Is that right now? And what about viewing the one that happens to be on my bed?” I can see that would perhaps be a tough one to win, though I would beg for the chance to try right now. Anything to stop the moments ticking by. Come on Andrea Dworkin…I challenge you.

“Well, those are a bit different…Yes” F uck I am going to miss him. A second more and it is gone, the news taking up more space in his head. Eventually I find the local station and we both sit on the edge of the bed to watch in silence as scenes of the inside of the Bank are relayed onto the screen. Mr Woodward is there, his face all grave and full of retribution, there are appeals for information from the public, interviews with some of my colleagues. Apart from the fucking assistant managers who are shaking their head solemnly, on the whole I am quite impressed with them. They appear vaguely amused, speaking about how they had not felt threatened in the slightest, well though to tell the truth that is mainly the women. I swear Susan has a bit of a sparkle in her eye. I wonder what she is going to say when I get back and confess all; perhaps confession is the wrong word? More like savour every detail. Maybe I will leave the time travelling bandit bit out though. The Police Chief is swearing everything is being done to apprehend these villains.

Rest assured these are no modern day bushrangers, they are common thieves.

I can feel him stiffening beside me “Eva, I have to go get the boys outta here, talk to Ned,” I am granted the honour of just having to understand as he walks right out of the door, an honour usually earned and bestowed after years perhaps of taking and giving, fucking shame I have to miss that bit eh?

I look rather forlornly at the sheets and the blankets all tangled up and, with a bit of petulance, grab my knickers from over by the door. It is just not fair, though in truth he is a far worse place. Talk about the devil and deep blue sea. Caught between somewhere that is not his, where bright as he is, he can’t hope to be himself, his pistol no match for the automatic machine gun, with or without the tin armour. Caught between now and then. And my blood runs cold. He MUST know what happened to them…mustn’t he? Bloody hell you can’t walk around Victoria or New South Wales without bumping into grotesque imitations and impressions of Ned Kelly at every step. From tea towels to G strings, tattoos to key rings. All about how they died at Glenrowan. And I can’t help myself crease.

It is a while before he comes back, plenty of time to visit the facilities down the hall, sit here wringing my hands- never quite understood that expression- but I get it now. Stand up, sit down again, watch the news, go to the window, shut the curtains. I am on the verge of going to find him, surely he wouldn’t go without saying goodbye, when he is inside the room.

I don’t know what to say, and I can’t just sink to the floor and grab hold of his legs.

“Joe do you know what happens?” Alright then he said he liked direct.

“Of course I do, had time to think on it."

"So...well can you not do something?"

"We've had a think, what to do and all. But well but it’s not like changing our plans and going to America now is it? It is a bit more complicated than that. To tell the truth Lass I don't know that I understand anything about it, so I just keep doing what I know best”

“Speaking of that...you could stay with me...”

He is sweet too, smiles at me, as if that is the best offer he’s had in a while, whether he means it or not. “No I couldn’t lass, we owe it to them back home”

“Jesus Joe…”

“Ah come on now Eva” I like it when he hugs me, sort of breathes into my hair. He is so warm, solid, strong. “We have to go now, though I wish it were different. Hey maybe I will see you again eh? In a few decades...”

I can feel myself blanch. “No…no you can’t. You mustn’t” I am staring at him now, can’t quite stop me eyes filling up “I will be old and you will still be beautiful, and you won’t want me any more, not like this anyway…will you?”

He looks a way for a moment, the truth of all that in the close of his eyes “Well, perhaps you will remember me then eh?”

“Fuck…you imagine I would forget?”

He nods his head, nothing about arrogance, he just is him. “Well if you say so. I have something for yer. It isn’t much now...don’t get all excited” Digging in pockets and pulling in his stomach to get to the bottom. He holds out his hand. It is just a stone, yellow and brown, lines and pock marks. “It’s from home, I had it me pocket, just to...well I dunno really Eva...to bring the place with me, keep a connection. Anyways, it’s yours, if yer want it.”

He might have given me the crown jewels. I can’t speak, just close my fingers round it and smile one of them watery smiles. I can hear the voices in the hall, the lilt and the resolve.

“Joe, are yer coming?”

“Aye” a quiet voice, just to me, before he kisses me soft “goodbye lass”

No No. “Joe...that bastard Curnow…”

“I will keep a better eye”

“Good…”

And I watch him walk out of the room.


Epilogue

She does a good breakfast Cat, though I can’t quite taste anything but salt in my mouth. I can’t believe he is gone, I don’t want to. But…well...seeing him grow old in jail, now that would be worse eh?

Cat, she is in no hurry to have me sign out. Maybe I will stay around here a while, stay in that room. Anyhow she looks like she needs some company.

Goodbye Joe. I will see you in my dreams.

The End