Page 117 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

‘Thank you. Although I’ve always been amused by the fact I have found myself head of a “family” business. I merely married into the Mercer family. Then, due to circumstances completely outside of my control, I became custodian of an empire I did not build.’

‘Has it proved a burden?’ I asked.

Kitty thought for a moment. ‘No. It has been an honour.But this will be my final voyage to Australia. I intend to hand over the business to my brother, Ralph Mackenzie. During the past three years, Ralph has proved himself to be a talented manager, with an excellent head for business. Not forgetting that he is blood of my blood, which is in short supply these days. I can think of no one better to care for the business in the future.’

Over the course of the next hour, Kitty told me a complex tale of heartbreak, new beginnings and, most jaw-droppingly, of her relationship with a pair of identical twins – Andrew and Drummond Mercer.

When she had finished, I was silent for a while. ‘I have not yet met an individual whose story rivals my own, Mrs Mercer, until today.’ As the extraordinary events of Kitty’s life danced around my mind, there was one aspect I found particularly bewildering... a detail that intrigued and shocked me beyond any other. ‘The Roseate Pearl... do you truly believe it is cursed?’

Kitty took a slow sip of her gin. ‘When Andrew forced Drummond to disembark theKoombana, it sank, taking Andrew with it. Then my maid’s daughter, young Alkina, perished after digging it up in the outback.’ Kitty stared at me. ‘Tell me, Mr Tanit, after all I have told you, would you be willing to take ownership of that pearl?’

I needed no time to consider. ‘No, I would not.’

Kitty managed a grim chuckle. ‘Nor would I.’

‘Do you know where the pearl is now?’ I enquired.

‘No,’ Kitty replied. ‘I haven’t a clue. I think that’s for the best, don’t you?’ I nodded emphatically. ‘Anyway, now you know of my plan to hand over the business to Ralph, I am quite sure he is going to need some wise heads around him, to help with the day-to-day decisions that must be taken. I wondered if you were perhaps looking for employment? Iwould have no hesitation in recommending you to Ralph. Although, of course, the final decision would be his to make.’

I was touched by her kindness. ‘Thank you, Mrs Mercer. But we’ve only just met. How do you have enough confidence in me to offer such help?’

Kitty smiled warmly. ‘Young Sarah is very fond of you, Mr Tanit. It strikes me, from what she has said, that your only crime is heartbreak. After my story, you know that it is a topic I am quite familiar with.’

‘Indeed. I really can’t thank you enough.’

She stood up and walked over to the mahogany writing desk in the corner of the room. ‘This is the address of Alicia Hall in Adelaide. It is the grandest of the houses on Victoria Avenue, and it is where you will find Ralph and his wife Ruth. After we dock, Mr Tanit, that is where I will go, to inform Ralph of my position, before travelling on to Ayers Rock.’ She stared wistfully out of the cabin window. ‘I’ve always intended to make a pilgrimage there since I was a little girl, but life had other plans. As this will be my final time on Australia’s shores, I’m finally going to visit.’ Kitty’s eyes shone with excitement. ‘If you wouldn’t mind giving me a few days to sort out my affairs before you make your appearance at Alicia Hall, that would be appreciated.’

‘Of course,’ I replied. ‘I’m so happy that you’ll finally make it to Ayers Rock. Don’t the indigenous people know it as Uluru?’

She looked surprised. ‘That’s right, Mr Tanit. I didn’t realise you were interested in Aboriginal heritage.’

I finished the remnants of my drink. ‘I must confess that I’m not as knowledgeable about it as I should be. But my father once told me Uluru was a deeply spiritual place.’

Kitty nodded. ‘It is, particularly for the Aboriginal people. They say it dates all the way back to the “Dreamtime”.’

‘The Dreamtime?’

She returned to the sofa opposite me. ‘Sometimes called the “Dreaming”. Fear not, Mr Tanit, it isn’t well understood by non-indigenous people. But Aboriginals believe the Dreamtime was the state at the very beginning of the universe. In their culture, the land and its people were created by spirits, or ancestors, who made the rivers, the hills, the rocks...’

‘And Uluru,’ I added.

‘Exactly. That is why the rock is so special.’ We both took a moment to picture the great sandstone formation in the middle of the outback, which can be seen from miles around. ‘Do you know, it even changes colour at certain times of the year, glowing bright orange with the sunset?’

‘How magical.’

‘I’ve always thought so, yes.’ Kitty’s eyes sparkled as she thought about the special place that had eluded her for so long. It took her a while to speak again. ‘Forgive me, Mr Tanit. Now you have the details of Alicia Hall, I will inform Ralph that you’ll be showing up sooner or later.’

I stood up and gently shook Kitty’s hand. ‘Thank you, Mrs Mercer. I am deeply grateful to you, and to Sarah, of course. I wonder...’ I said with trepidation, ‘might you be able to offer her any assistance in Australia? Not that you haven’t already done enough.’

Kitty gave me another wry smile. ‘I have the strangest feeling that young Sarah and I may end up knowing one another for a long time to come.’

With that, I thanked her again, and made my way back to my cabin.

I have never experienced a heat quite like it. The Australian sun has the ability to stifle and suffocate, not like the pleasant warming rays of the Mediterranean. Here, in this new land, the earth itself is baked, and the strange creatures that inhabit it have adapted to manage the temperature over many centuries. I, alas, have not had that luxury. I am cold-blooded, accustomed to keeping heat in, rather than expelling it with ease.

Weather aside, my limited experience of Australia is that it is stunningly beautiful. The ochre-red outback is punctuated by primal rock formations and verdurous shrubs. Much of the ground is caked in orange mud, which dries out in the sun to form a powder, and blows across the roads in the wind like fairy dust.

As for Alicia Hall itself, I have rarely seen an oasis more delightful. After a few days spent around Adelaide’s port, I eventually travelled down roads of tin-roofed shacks, which graduated to rows of bungalows and, finally, to a wide street lined with grand houses. Alicia Hall is the most impressive of them all. A white colonial mansion built to withstand theheat of the day, it is surrounded on all sides by cool, shady verandas and terraces fenced with delicate latticework.