Stacey came back into the bar with two steaming cups of coffee in her hands. Morgan reached out and took one from her, inhaling the aroma of fresh beans.
"So, first stop the waterfalls?"
"If you don't mind, how about I drive and take you on a tour ending at the waterfalls. I would love to show you my favorite spots and you haven't seen the Maltese crosses. That way we can have a swim and laze around after lunch. There are a couple of places I really want to show you first if that's okay."
"Sure. We have all day." He sipped the coffee and wondered if they would come across anyone who knew him. Since he had never been to the mine his company owned before, he doubted it but the thought was in the back of his mind. "We may as well take my car though, company expense account."
* * *
Stacey drove along the track with her window down and her arm resting in the sun. She was letting herself relax and was hell bent on enjoying the day. Seeing the crossing ahead, she changed gear and turned into the small dirt track. Bumping along they drove for about five minutes before she pulled the car over to a clearing and killed the engine.
"Here we are." Stacey grinned at his confused look and opened her door. "Maltese crosses, here." She opened the back door of the four wheel drive and took out the two camp chairs and a couple of plastic containers.
"Okay, this is how it works. You plonk you chair where ever you want and grab a tub of these little pebbles. Then you sit down and pick through a handful at a time. Let me show you what you're looking for."
She pushed her chair down and sat her butt in it before scooping up a pile of stones. Leaning back in her camp chair Stacey held them up for Morgan to see. One at a time she picked them up and looked at both sides before throwing them to the ground again. "Here, look."
Morgan squatted beside her and took the stone from her fingers. "Wow, how cool is that." He turned it over and rubbed the shape of the cross with his thumb. "So you only get these here and one other place in the world then?"
"Yep, South Africa. I'm terrified the mine is going to swallow this little bit of land up. I tried to find out what their boundaries were going to be but I keep hitting a brick wall. Nobody seems to know what is going on with rumors of another mine kicking in soon too." She blew her hair from her face. "I'll be kicking some serious butt if they destroy this place. It would be criminal if it was wiped out for what was under the soil."
"Surely if this is as wonderful and rare as you say, the government would be classing it as some kind of environmental site." Morgan stood up and looked around, hands on hips.
"Yeah you would think so wouldn't you? I guess big money has the last say though. Anyway, have a go and see if you can get some for yourself. You may never have the opportunity again."
Stacey watched him take his camp chair and find a place to start looking for stones. They sat picking their way through a couple of containers each before Morgan called out to her.
"I have a few good ones here. Have a look."
Pushing herself to her feet Stacey put her stones down and walked over to see what he had collected. Morgan held out his hand and nestled inside were about a dozen small stones with definite crosses marking their sides.
"You should take some photos of the area so you will remember where you got them."
"Yeah, good idea although I doubt I will forget this trip any time soon."
Stacey dropped her head looking at the dust on her toe nail polish. She would remember him for longer than she first thought.
"How about heading off to the next stop?"
"Sure, lead the way." Morgan picked up his chair and followed her back to the vehicle.
"I want you to meet someone who has been like a second Grandfather to me. He was one of the original gold miners in the area and worked with my Pop. He has the biggest collection of what he calls old junk out. I used to rummage through it when I was a kid, always finding something interesting." She put the car in gear and they headed off again.
* * *
Morgan looked out the window as she drove. His stomach was churning with a series on knots. This was removed far from the way he imagined his trip going. All he wanted to do was have a quick look at what he was heading into in the next few months so he could get a feel for the area.
What Stacey was doing to him was nothing short of sabotage but she knew nothing of the way he was thinking. She was just showing him the things that mattered to her and the few remaining locals in their small town.
Just before the turnoff to Fairy Springs she turned into a dirt track marked by a majestic old windmill and headed down a rough driveway to a small wooden cottage. The garden was full of rusting relics of the early gold rush.
Before the car stopped a black and white mongrel dog raced out barking.
"Woah, Cobber. It's only me." Stacey jumped out of the vehicle and patted the dog. "Morgan this here is Cobber."
The dog raced around to his side of the car and sniffed at his boots before going back to Stacey.
"About time you came out to visit an old man." On the veranda stood a tall elderly gentleman with white hair and
