Crow Country

As a way of covering up the real reason they want to speak to Auntie Lily, Walter tells David that he and Sadie are doing an oral history school project. David and Ellie drop off the kids at Auntie Lily’s house. At the house, Sadie follows Walter to Auntie Lily’s room. She is an ancient old woman, who is half blind. Sadie listens as Walter tells Auntie Lily about the stone circle and the crows, and about what the crow said to him and Sadie in Sadie’s backyard: that there had been a clever man, and that something was stolen from him that needed to be returned. Auntie Lily’s expression changes. She tells Walter that her uncle was a clever man, who was killed by someone, and that his body was never found. She also says her uncle appeared to her aunt in a dream to tell her what had really happened.

As she listens to Auntie Lily, Sadie realizes that the “clever man” Lily refers to is Jimmy Raven. When Sadie mentions this out loud, Auntie Lily suddenly turns on Sadie. She seems to be offended and commands Sadie to go stand outside. Sadie leaves the room; she feels ashamed at having offended Auntie Lily, and yet she thinks that the crows came to her without her asking. As she stands outside, Sadie puts together the pieces based on what she has just heard from Auntie Lily. She is sure Auntie Lily’s uncle was Jimmy, and that after his murder, something was taken from his body.

Walter finds Sadie and tells her to come back into the room. Inside, Auntie Lily asks her whether it’s true, as Walter says, that the crows talk to her. Sadie says yes. She again names Auntie Lily’s uncle as Jimmy Raven, and tells her that his wife’s name was Netta. Auntie Lily nods, and asks Sadie if she has some “blackfella” blood in her. Sadie says she isn’t sure—she doesn’t know much about her father’s side of the family.

Auntie Lily then says that her uncle Jimmy had special, sacred things, which no one was allowed to see or touch. Her uncle’s things were stolen, perhaps used by someone who wasn’t supposed to use them. Auntie Lily tells Walter and Sadie to find Jimmy’s special things, as well as his body, and to give him a proper burial. She tells them that when they find his things, they should bring them to her immediately—she will know who to give them to.

Outside, Sadie tells Walter she must go back to 1933, to the night of the murder, to find out what happened to Jimmy’s special things. Walter guesses the Mortlocks have them, which is why that family has been visited by bad luck: Gerald Mortlock died, they’ve lost a lot of their money, and their dam dried up. Sadie suddenly remembers that Craig Mortlock mentioned the other day that he had “some Aboriginal bits and pieces lying around.” Walter says they must break into their house to find the things.