Three weeks had passed without any further contact from Peter. His lack of communication confused Jennifer's family. They wondered if he would ever return.
In her familiar surroundings, Jennifer was recovering, but without Peter's presence, she was unable to accept that he was alive. To avoid the possibility of upsetting Jennifer, Elizabeth, Eric and Andrew could only talk of Peter when she was not present.
Then things seemed to change, when early one morning the RSM handed Elizabeth a written note with a parcel. Hoping to bring the mystery of Peter's absence to a satisfactory conclusion Elizabeth promised that she would follow the instructions.
With Jennifer, Elizabeth opened the parcel containing the gold gown and diamante shoes Jennifer was wearing at the Hunters Hill mansion where all the trouble began.
Recollections of dressing and modelling for Peter were prevalent in Jennifer's mind. She remembered Peter's eyes, his playful comments, and that she felt glamorous.
The family sat down to their Friday breakfast with a pale Jennifer who had cried herself out yet again. It was the usual sad meal with Eric and Andrew seething at Peter's cold-blooded desertion of their daughter and sister. They could hardly be civil.
The RSM arrived, interrupting the meal. He asked them to dress for a special evening and they were to be ready to leave at eight. A car would collect them.
With no knowledge of what the events of evening would bring, Eric and Andrew could only growl in reply.
The moment Jennifer left the room Elizabeth stood and moved to go with her. Then the RSM took Elizabeth by the arm and quietly added. "I have to warn you that tonight's events will be most distressing and you will hear of some atrocities that were committed. You will learn the horror of her plight while Dingo held her captive. Will you be able to cope? The evening's success will depend on your ability to cope and support Jennifer.
"The night will end on a joyous note which will please us all." Without waiting for Elizabeth's reply, the RSM turned to leave.
Elizabeth grasped his arm and quietly questioned him. "We will cope with the evening but there is something that concerns us. We know Peter, you and your men fought together in Malaysia but why are you involved now and why are so many of your men involved?"
Quite taken aback by the question that showed so little knowledge of his culture, the RSM studied Elizabeth's face. Then grinning broadly the RSM replied, "This is family." Elizabeth instantly understood -- he was now talking her language.
The RSM continued, "Peter is more than a comrade in arms he is part of our family. He is one of the bravest men I have ever known and he was prepared to give up his life to protect us. Peter called us for assistance and it wasn't until a few months ago that we realized how significant was the danger for him and Jennifer."
"When one of us is hurting or in danger we all support and fight together. It is the way of the Ghurkha.
"I can only feel sorry for Dingo and his followers. They picked one of our women, Jennifer." He patted Elizabeth's hand. "To do that is to cast a slur on the Ghurkhas and there can only be one outcome. Now they must face the consequences of their stupidity."
Showing that in spite of his gruff military bearing, he was kind hearted. "Stop worrying! Tonight is the end of a very difficult period." Then he was gone.
Elizabeth left to follow her daughter upstairs while the men pondered over what the evening was to bring.
Although accustomed to farm life Eric and Andrew feared that the evening would end in a bloodbath. Neither dared discuss their fears with the other. Eric was troubled that Elizabeth would not cope despite her words of assurance.
Jennifer allowed her mother to dress her. Making no effort to help, she was completely disinterested even when her mother applied her make-up and did her hair. In contrast to the last evening she wore those clothes, tonight she felt neither glamorous nor special.
The men were standing at the bottom of the staircase when the women appeared on the landing. Seeing Jennifer dressed in her gown Eric realizing what he had lost - one beautiful daughter - almost sobbed.
Andrew placed a hand on his father's shoulder to give him comfort but he was also trying to find strength to cope with the loss of his sister's vitality for life.
Armed Ghurkhas in their uniforms stood at the car and the RSM saluted the party as it emerged from the house. Walking slowly before the car he led the way to the shearing shed where rolled out before them was a red carpet.
Completely perplexed, the silent party entered the transformed shearing shed. Black sheeting hung from the ceiling and spotlights focused on the middle of the free space. In the center of the shed, was a 44-gallon drum cut lengthways. Supported on bricks it contained a blazing fire although the night was quite warm. Behind the fire was a table on which rested a laptop and a projector.
Prominently positioned against one wall were four straight-backed chairs. The RSM led the family to these seats.
Elizabeth, Eric, Andrew and Jennifer surveyed the shed. They were quite surprised to see the girls from the brothel seated around the other walls. Strangely, Jennifer felt comforted by the presence of the girls who had become her friends since living on the property. Elizabeth felt uncomfortable that Jennifer had been dressed in her gown and now looked completely out of place.
Yet, the family was perplexed, as they had no inkling as to why the Ghurkhas had brought everyone to the shearing shed.
Once the new arrivals sat, the RSM stood in the middle of the floor and began an explanation of the planned evening's events. "Tonight we, as a court, try a number of criminals. We will try to prove they have committed atrocities on innocent individuals. The girls, freed from the brothel, and Jennifer will be prosecution witnesses and will identify the perpetrators of the offences against them."
"It will be a long night for some and a very short night for others."
The family cringed. They knew that the RSM was effectively telling them the prisoners would be dead before sunrise.
"Guards, bring the first batch of prisoners!"
They heard the words, "Kedee, kedar, kedee, kedar, kedee," and four Ghurkhas with khukuris prominently displayed, hanging from their belts marched into the room with the four bullyboys captured at the brothel.
Jennifer jumped to her feet and rushed towards the captives. When she reached the tallest and largest of the four she screeched into his face "You bastard! You raped me repeatedly. Not once did you listen to my pleas for mercy. You were the ringleader!"
"Why didn't you dress like this at the Raging Bull? You really would have turned us on." Stupidly he leered and leant over to stare down her cleavage.
Before anyone could react, she kneed him in the groin.
Pandemonium broke out but neither the guards nor the prisoners made a sound or moved. Cheers from the girls rang from the ceiling. Elizabeth rushed to Jennifer's side and as quick as lightning punched the guard as he crouched in agony. Guards immediately encircled Jennifer and Elizabeth and guided them back to their seats where other Ghurkhas were restraining Eric and Andrew.
When the confusion ebbed, Eric softly asked the RSM why that bullyboy had his right hand wrapped in bandages and a blood stained bag was hanging from his neck.
Expressionless the RSM pointed out the young baby-faced Ghurkha standing beside the bullyboy. "The prisoner believed that being so big and white he was superior. He thought he could escape from the teenage lad guarding him. What a frightful error of judgement! My man may be short and he may look a teenager but that bullyboy found out why he was a guard. In the bag around the prisoner's neck are his fingers. Since that moment, no prisoner has tried to escape."
The RSM turned away from Eric and faced the family. However, it was obvious he was addressing the four bullyboys.
Elizabeth went ashen and her stomach heaved.
"We are here tonight for the trial of the prisoners. The prosecution needs to identify each prisoner and state the reason why that prisoner should not live. Each prisoner will have a chance to state his or her own case but..." he turned to the prisoners, "be warned. We have DVD evidence to reinforce the prosecution's case.
"You are here to face the young women who are charging each of you with crimes against them. You will submit your defense in these matters. However, you will not lie, as your lies will bring swift retribution. I am again formally warning you that we have DVDs and written evidence to back the claims of your victims. If the crimes are as horrendous as the prosecution alleges the plea for mercy becomes superfluous. No one in this building will listen to any pleas for mercy.
"Jennifer has made the first charge. Now we will hear the other young women's charges."
Each young woman stood and told of her multiple rapes by the four guards and of their inhuman treatment of her.
Ashen at their stories, Elizabeth gripped Jennifer's hands trying to show her daughter that at last she understood everything that had happened to her.
Growling softly, Andrew leaned towards his father. "The bastards! Let me just get them into the slaughter pens and I'll make certain they never rape again."
However, Eric was busy and really didn't hear his son. He had his arm across his wife's shoulders trying to console her.
"We've heard the charges. Does any one of you wish to make a statement in his defense?"
The leader of the group lumbered to his feet and holding his injured hand carefully, glared at the women. Then turning to Jennifer he grunted, "All lies, all lies, all your statements are fairytales. Everything happened because you wanted it to happen. Look how you are dressed!"
Shouting and shaking his fingerless hand at Jennifer he ranted, "And tell me that you are not enticing every man here. You, Big Red couldn't get enough of us..."
Andrew's roar drowned his further comments. "You bastard, you..." and, with his body contorted in rage, he leapt to his feet. Two Ghurkhas forced him back down to his seat and, with hands on his shoulders, restrained him from attacking the bullyboy.
The women's screams of denial and their yells demanding justice went unheeded.
