"Of course, their belief systems vary a great deal. Different tribes believe in different deities, but there is usually some kind of crossover that brings it all together."
Tommy and Reece listened closely as the man continued.
"One of the deities from their religion is a creator god called Baiame. You mentioned before that you visited his cave close to the east coast."
The American nodded.
"On that cave wall, you no doubt saw a few boomerangs — one a little closer to the deity than the other."
"Yeah. We weren't really sure about what that meant."
"Well, I'll tell you. One of them represents Baiame's own boomerang. The other is the one he gave to the people, one to keep — so to speak."
Reece's curiosity piqued. "Why did he give one to the people?"
Rick drew in a deep breath through his nose and then sighed. "The legend says that it was a promise to the people that their god would always be with them. And it was also to guarantee that he would return again someday."
"Return?"
"Yes. As with most religions, there is a common feature in that the people are usually awaiting the return of their god. It's true in most mainstream religions, and in several even more ancient ones."
"Okay," Tommy said, "so this boomerang was left as a promise to the people that Baiame would watch over them and someday come back to do what exactly?"
"I'm a little fuzzy on that part," Rick said. "Most religions believe they'll be taken away to some kind of paradise. I'm not sure what the Aborigines believe Baiame will do."
Silence fell on the kitchen for a minute before Reece spoke up again. "I'm sorry, Rick. I don't mean to sound skeptical. Tell us again how you got them to cough up this information. You mentioned the tribesmen took you in, but for a secret this big, it seems sort of far fetched that they would have just told an outsider like yourself."
"Very astute," Rick answered. "As it turns out, a couple of them really like their whiskey. They also happen to be some of the older guys who are privy to things others are not. We got drunk around a bonfire one night, and they started talking, probably a little too much. I doubt either of them has any recollection of what was discussed the night before. And I have no intention of letting them know they gave up such an important secret."
The story seemed plausible enough, especially considering the amount of whiskey Rick apparently had on hand. Still, they were talking to a guy who'd walked out of a high-paying job one day to move into the Australian bush.
Tommy wanted to know more details, partly because he still wasn't sure about the story. "How big is this golden boomerang?"
Rick leaned back in his chair and flicked the cup's handle with a finger. It made a clinking sound that echoed throughout the room. "No one knows for sure. At least they didn't mention that to me. I'd assume it would be about the size of your average boomerang. That is, if the thing exists."
"You're not sure?" Reece asked.
"No," he said. "I'm not. This world is full of myths and legends. A handful of them are true. The Aborigines can't agree on a single theology that brings all their gods under one banner. They don't fight about it like other religions or denominations, but there are still inconsistencies. I respect what they choose to believe. I've just never seen any sort of proof to make me think any of it is true."
His comments caused serious consideration for the visitors. Rick made a good point. The inconsistencies in the belief systems created a ton of doubt.
"You know," Tommy started, "most of what we do at my agency is all about finding things people don't believe exist. There are times when we come back empty-handed. More often than not, though, we make discoveries that change the way the world views history. One of the reasons I do what I do is to help dissolve those inconsistencies — like the ones you mentioned." He looked up at Rick. "I know that it's a possibility that this boomerang doesn't exist. But we have to keep looking. Not because we're looking for fame and fortune. We have to do it because a woman's life depends on it."
"And what will you do with it once you have it?"
"We'll give it to the Aborigine people. It belongs to them."
"Unless, of course, they already have it," Reece chimed in.
"Right."
Rick considered Tommy's explanation. He made a good case. Unfortunately, he didn't have much more information to give them. "I don't believe they have it," he said. "To the people, the boomerang is just another of their myths. It isn't real. If it were, though, it would be an incredibly important find to all of them, and would go a long way in uniting their theologies."
Something else had been on Tommy's mind during their conversation. "Do you have any idea who else might want something like that?"
Rick snorted. "You mean besides every other treasure hunter in the world?"
"Well, yeah."
Their host shrugged. "I don't know. Never thought about it. That sort of find would fetch a good sum, though. It's priceless."
"Yeah," Reece said, "but how many wealthy Aborigines do you know?"
"Good point."
"We've gone up against big-time collectors before," Tommy said. "Maybe they wouldn't try to sell it to the Aborigines. A historical item like that would be of incredible value on the black market." He paused for a moment. "Rick, do you happen to have a map sitting around?"
"Yep. It's under the table where I keep my truck keys."
Their host got up and walked out of the room, around the corner of the wall that divided the kitchen and eating space from the living room and front door. Twenty seconds later he reappeared holding a folded map in one hand. He tossed it onto the table in front of Tommy. "Here you go. What's in your head?"
Tommy grabbed a pen that happened to be sitting nearby on a counter and then opened up the map. "Okay if I make a few notes on this?"
"Sure. I don't use it much anyway."
Tommy spread the map across the table. He missed the feel of a physical map now that everything was available in a digital format. It took him a second to find what he was looking for. "Ah there it is," he said and circled the word Milbrodale on the map.
Next, he traced an invisible line over to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and then circled it. He repeated the process and circled Watarrka National Park then stepped back to look at his handiwork. Tommy put his hands on his hips as he tried to connect the dots beyond the ones he'd already connected.
"You looking for a pattern or something?" Reece asked. He stood up and craned his neck to get a better view of the map.
"Yeah. So far, though, it's just a line. I don't know. I guess I was just reaching."
"Get some rest," Rick said. "Stop thinking about it for a while, and the answers will come."
"No offense, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. One of my friends — and the girl my best friend loved — was just killed right in front of us. I doubt Sean or I will be sleeping much for a while."
Trying to work through the puzzle surrounding the golden boomerang had momentarily taken Tommy's mind off the crushing sadness of Adriana's death. Now it came crashing down on him again. He slumped back into the seat and stared at the map.
No one said anything for a couple of minutes. Then Tommy lifted his head and looked over at Rick. "Pour me one of those drinks."
Chapter 29
Tommy woke with a start. A familiar smell filled the air. For six or so seconds, his eyes showed him a blurry area lit by a bright light coming from the left. As his eyes adjusted, he remembered where he was, and the disorientation faded away.