Поющие в терновнике

           "Iusedtothinkhavingadaughterwasn’tnearlyasimportantashavingsons,butIwaswrong.Ienjoyyou,Meggie,inawayIcanneverenjoymysons.Adaughter’sanequal.Sonsaren’t,youknow.They’rejustdefenselessdollswesetuptoknockdownatourleisure."

           Meggiestared."You’reremorseless.Tellme,then,wheredowegowrong?"

           "Inbeingborn,"saidFee.

           ***

           Menwerereturninghomeinthousandsuponthousands,sheddingtheirkhakiuniformsandslouchhatsforcivvies.AndtheLaborgovernment,stillinoffice,tookalong,hardlookatthegreatpropertiesofthewesternplains,someofthebiggerstationscloserin.Itwasn’trightthatsomuchlandshouldbelongtoonefamily,whenmenwhohaddonetheirbitforAustralianeededroomfortheirbelongingsandthecountryneededmoreintensiveworkingofitsland.SixmillionpeopletofillanareaasbigastheUnitedStatesofAmerica,butamerehandfulofthosesixmillionholdingvasttractsinahandfulofnames.Thebiggestpropertieswouldhavetobesubdivided,yieldupsomeoftheiracreagestothewarveterans.

           Bugelawentfrom150,000acresto70,000;tworeturnedsoldiersgot40,000acreseachoffMartinKing.RudnaHunishhad120,000acres,thereforeRossMacQueenlost60,000acresandtwomorereturnedsoldierswereendowed.Soitwent.Ofcoursethegovernmentcompensatedthegraziers,thoughatlowerfiguresthantheopenmarketwouldhavegiven.Andithurt.Oh,ithurt.