Author(s): Nayef Din

Fiction

When a six-year-old boy of the Turrbal tribe suffers a mysterious illness at the bunya nut festival, his uncle initially thinks it is poison. But the true horror is revealed when they realise that a gundir (Aboriginal sorcerer) has pointed the bone at him.Bunji's unexpected survival astounds the region's tribes. Years later, during his kippa (manhood) trials, a second shadow appears to follow him. Then, eerie dreams and whispers from the south come to him. Nothing makes sense until one day, Bunji receives an ominous invitation to the nearby island of Yarun.Three ghosts have apparently returned from the dead?In 1768, James Cook, newly promoted to Lieutenant, replaces the highly esteemed Alexander Dalrymple as Commander of HMB Endeavour. Upon completion of his overt scientific mission in Otaheite, Cook follows secret Admiralty orders to search for the Unknown Southern Land. Encountering Australia, he charts its eastern coastline but misses Turrbal country and its river. Faithfully following Lord Morton's advice, Cook does not take possession of the land when he leaves Australia.But on the streets of Batavia, he learns of a dreadful turn of events and is forced to change the course of Australia's fate forever.This meticulously researched novel reveals a fascinating society and a startling turn of events in Australia's history that few know about.