“The creature that killed Geraldine!” cried Garbarla, forgetting the edict of silence.

“Yes,” agreed Edward Hunt at a whisper.

“Woo-oo-oo!” shrilled the creature seeing the two men.   It did a 90 Degree turn in mid-hop and bounded across the grassy terrain toward them.

“We must leave now!” cried Edward in terror.   “But remember, my son, you must use the didgeridoo to call Woo to you.”

“Call it to me?” demanded Garbarla.   “Why the hell would I want to do that?”

Without replying, Edward Hunt turned his back on Garbarla, took one step forward, and vanished.   Leaving Garbarla to face the approaching demon alone.

“Woo-oo-oo!” shrilled Woo again.   This time from glee at the half-breed Aboriginal trapped alone and defenceless.   An almost human shit-eater grin crossed its pig-like snout and its rubbery lips slobbered obscenely as it raised its sabre-taloned claws to slash down across Garbarla’s face.

“Oh Jesus!” cried Garbarla as the talons descended toward him.

“Woo-oo-oo!” shrilled Woo in glee.   However, its glee soon turned to a shriek of dismay as Garbarla popped out of existence a second before the talons would have slashed through his face.

*      *      *

“I think he’s coming round,” Garbarla heard a sweet voice say.   Smelling violet scented perfume, for a second he thought it was Geraldine.   But as his vision began to clear he saw the starched blue uniform of a young blonde nurse and realised he was in a ward at the Glen Hartwell and Daley Community Hospital.

The young nurse flitted out into the hallway.   And for a few seconds Garbarla was alone in the half-lit room.   But by the time his vision cleared a small crowd of people swarmed round his bed.

“How are you feeling?” asked a tall, willowy brunette, leaning across the bed.   For a second Garbarla thought it was Geraldine and smiled at her.   Then as he remembered that Geraldine was dead, he realised the brunette was Gina Foley, chief surgeon at the hospital.

Looking past Gina, Garbarla saw Danny Ross, police chief of Glen Hartwell.   A barrel-chested giant of a man, Danny was nicknamed “Bear” by his friends and colleagues.