Chapter 16

NotuntiltheEmperorHirohito’sdelegatesignedJapan’sofficialsurrenderdidGillanbonebelievethewarwasfinallyover.ThenewscameonSunday,September2,1945,whichwasexactlysixyearsafterthestart.Sixagonizingyears.Somanyplacesempty,nevertobefilledagain:DominicO’Rourke’ssonRory,HorryHopeton’ssonJohn,EdenCarmichael’ssonCormac.RossMacQueen’syoungestson,Angus,wouldneverwalkagain,AnthonyKing’ssonDavidwouldwalkbutneverseewherehewasgoing,PaddyCleary’ssonPatsywouldneverhavechildren.Andtherewerethosewhosewoundsweren’tvisible,butwhosescarswentjustasdeep;whohadgoneoffgaily,eagerandlaughing,butcamehomequietly,saidlittle,andlaughedonlyrarely.Whocouldhavedreamedwhenitbeganthatitwouldgoonsolong,ortakesuchatoll?

Gillanbonewasnotaparticularlysuperstitiouscommunity,buteventhemostcynicalresidentshiveredthatSunday,September2nd.Foronthesamedaythatthewarended,sodidthelongestdroughtinthehistoryofAustralia.Fornearlytenyearsnousefulrainhadfallen,butthatdaythecloudsfilledtheskythousandsoffeetdeep,blackly,crackedthemselvesopenandpouredtwelveinchesofrainonthethirstyearth.Aninchofrainmaynotmeanthebreakingofadrought,itmightnotbefollowedbyanythingmore,buttwelveinchesofrainmeansgrass.