Alex smiled his cheery, buck-toothed grin and said, “You get the deciding vote.”

Garbarla gulped again, his Adam’s apple felt like a ball of hot lead in his parched throat.   He cleared his throat loudly, trying to dredge up some saliva, and in a squeaky voice said, “I vote to let them become Elders at our corroborees.”

Alex smiled broadly at him again and Garbarla knew the hunter supported his decision.   But looking round the circle of black faces, he saw many glaring eyes of those who did not.   He could almost here them thinking, “White man breaking down our traditional values again!”

*      *      *

Garbarla met the three women alone in the front room of the corrugated-iron hut he shared with Suzie Wanjimari.   Suzie, Karen Yunupingu, and Wendy Tudjudamara sat together, topless on woven mats on the dirt floor, holding hands for moral support while awaiting the decision of the tribal males.

“Well?” demanded Karen.   At sixty-five the youngest and least patient of the three women.

“The vote was narrowly cast…in your favour…” said Garbarla.   The three women shrieked in delight.   But quickly came back to earth when he added, “But you can’t remain Elders at female corroborees as well.”

“Why not?” demanded Karen.

“To be our Elders, you would be regarded as honorary-men,” explained Garbarla.   “Therefore unable to even attend female corroborees.”

“But that’s not fair!” protested Karen.

“No one else can attend both male and female corroborees,” said Garbarla, repeating Wally Wuyaindjimadjinji’s words.

“But…!”

“No use protesting if vote has passed,” said Suzie, cutting off Karen’s protests.   “Just be grateful we won.”

“But we didn’t win anything if we have to give up our rights as female Elders to become male Elders,” insisted Karen.

To Garbarla’s surprise, in the end it was Suzie who convinced Karen and, more easily, Wendy Tudjudamara.

Later, as they settled down in each other’s arms to make love, Suzie explained, “Later we have time to debate Women’s Lib.   Now more important that we kill Wulgaru, before Wulgaru kills entire tribe.”

*      *      *