"When you dream, you're supposed to be asleep." "Boo!" "But out here in Coober Pedy, everyone's dreaming all the time." "Maybe that's because this all used to be a big ocean." "Millions of years ago, it was filled with seawater, and sea creatures were swimming all around." "But the water dried up, the sea creatures swam away, and all that was left were bits of opal buried deep underground." "Now people come here from all over to peg a claim and dream of finding color." "Opal shines like stars but it's underneath." "You can't see it but you can dream about it." "And the more you dream, the deeper you wanna dig for it." "But if you dig too deep, you might never get out." "You might never wake up." "Rumor has it that Lucky Jes has pulled out a million-dollar stone, full of color." "Black opal." "No one's seen that sort of stuff around here for years." "Big whoop." "Kellyanne!" "Hey, dolls, what's the date today?" "I don't know." "The 13th?" "Exactly." "Unlucky for some but not for me." "Will you go and get your sister?" "Don't lose track of time down there." "You can't be late." "I won't." "I'll see you at lunchtime." " Okay, good luck." "Bye." " See you." " See you, mate." "Wish me luck." " Bye." " Kellyanne, come on." " See you." "Kels?" "Kels?" "Kels?" "You want some?" "You like yours nice and strong, don't you?" "Kellyanne." "And lots of milk in yours, Pobby." "Do you want soymilk in yours, Dingan?" "I'll make my tea now, Pobby." "See what I've got, I've got a little bit of milk for me, a little bit of soymilk." "Grab those lollies." "Here we go." "One, two, three..." "Hey!" "Hey!" "What are you doing on my claim?" " Nothing." " Well, can't you see the pegs?" " I'm just playing about." " No, you're noodling." "You can't read the bloody signs?" "No noodling on my claim." " Where's your old man?" " He's underground." "Yeah, well, get back over there, you little ratter." "Go on!" "Piss off over there." "And don't come back." "Bloody kids." "Very good." "Thank you, Lucia." "Bye-bye, Lucia." "And moving right along, the next we have is Sandra Dunkley." "Hello, Sandra." "And how old are you, Sandra?" "I'm 11." "So, Sandra, what would you do if you became this year's Opal..." "I'd travel the world and campaign for peace." "And then I'd marry my opal prince in a big white cathedral and have a wedding ring with a huge heart-shaped pink opal on my finger." "That is well said, Sandra." "Thank you very much." "And next up, we have Kellyanne Williamson." "Kellyanne, you'll be fine." "Kellyanne Williamson?" "You look fine." "Hello, Kellyanne." "Your hair looks fine." "She's just a bit shy." "So, Kellyanne, how old are you?" "I'm nine and she's 12." " Hi, Pobby." " Right." "Kellyanne, what would you do if you won this year's Opal Princess Competition?" "Oh." "I don't know." "You don't know?" "Oh, I'm not entering." "Dingan is." "Right." "Kellyanne Williamson and co." "Curtsey, Dingan." "Okay." "Mum, we need two extra plates." "Thank you." "That's all I'm gonna eat." "Kellyanne, they don't exist." "But they're my friends." "Pobby and Dingan only exist in your head." "They're a figment of your imagination." "Shh." "You're going to upset them." "Don't listen, guys." "Ignore him." "The faster you switch that off, the better." "Kellyanne, darling?" "Your dad and I have been talking and thinking..." "That pizza okay for you, Dingan?" "That maybe you're old enough now to..." "Okay, Dingan, have your olives." " I don't think it's..." " No." "Yeah." "Come on, Dingan." "Pobby, do you wanna come?" "You do?" "Don't run off, Dingan." "Wait for me!" "I'll catch you." "Dingan." " Hey, check it out." " Come on, guys, holidays!" "Let's go and see Mum." "Maybe we'll get some lollipops." "My dad's pulled out so much opal this year that we can afford to spend the whole summer at the beach." " Oh, that sounds great, Jezzy." " You're joking, right?" " So, where are you going?" " Stay with my gran in Adelaide," " get out of the heat." " Good idea." " See you, guys." " See you." " See you, Curt." " Bye." "So, where are you going for the summer, Ashmol?" "Nowhere." "Here." "Have a good time." "Kellyanne." "Hi, Mum." "Hi, darling." "Hi, sweetie." " Good day, Ashmol." " Good day." "Hey, Kellyanne, come here." "How's Miss Dingan and dear Pobby doing today?" " They're doing really good." " Yeah?" "Well, guess what?" "I have their favorites." "Lollipops." "Blueberry for Pobby, and for Dingan, cherry." "Merry Christmas." "Thank you very much." "Come on, guys." "Lollipops." "Good day, Annie." " Good day, Betsy." " Good day." "Are you gonna drink all that booze by yourself?" "No, Dan's gonna help." "You can, too, if you like." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "We're having a thing on Boxing Day." "Nothing special." "We're just gonna chuck the kids in the pool, get on the grog." "Come over." "Well, I might do that." "I'll bring some sounds." "Good." "And what about you, Annie?" "Do you wanna come, bring the kids along?" "Yeah." "No, I have to see what we're up to." "Okay, no worries." "Of course, you wouldn't wanna be an Opal Princess." "You're a boy, Pobby." "Die, you bastards!" " Stop it." " What do you care?" "They're not real." "You'll hurt them!" "If they're real, why don't they hit back?" "Because they're pacifists, stupid." " She dodged you." " How can they dodge me?" "They don't exist." "If they don't exist, how come you're hitting them?" "Because they're so annoying!" "They're running back to their house now." " They hate you." " Well, that's good." "Oh, yeah, by the way, their house is bulletproof." " Hey." " Hi." "Merry Christmas." "Where did you get the money for that?" "A little win on the trots." "The kids." "Stop it." " What are they?" " I know." "I thought we were trying to stop all of that, Annie." "Yeah, but I just didn't want a scene." "Not at Christmas." "You know." "Hey, that's for Santa." "Ho, ho, ho." "On Boxing Day, I'll take them mining with me." " Who?" " Pobby and Dingan." "And you take Kel to this barbecue without them, leaving her free to play with some real kids." "She'll never buy it." "No, no, no, just wait and see, babe." "Kels will love it if I pretend to be their friend now." "I don't wanna go on my own." "Not to the Dunkley's." "You'll be fine." " Okay." "Ashmol?" " Yeah?" "You're over here." " Chicken." " Mum's there at the end." "Kellyanne, you're right there next to Pobby." "And Dingan's over here next to Dad." "Okay." "Dad, what are you on about?" "You know they don't exist." "Oh, no, no, no, Ashmol." "I think we've been a little harsh on Pobby and Dingan." "I think they really do exist." " I just haven't recognized it until now." " See?" "Come on, Pobby, pull." "I'm gonna help him." "He's a bit shy." "Okay." "One, two, three!" " See what you got..." "Beautiful!" " Right." "Mum." "Could you take a photo of me, Pobby and Dingan, please?" "Of course." " The three of us." "Thanks." " Well, come on then." " One, two..." " Cheese!" "Hop in." "Make sure they're strapped in nice and safe." " Of course." "There you go." " Thanks, Dad." " Fingers." " Watch your wooden leg, Pobby." "Wait on, guys." "Wait." " You will take care of them, won't you, Dad?" " Come on." "Yeah, they might even bring us a bit of luck." " Bye." " Bye." " See you guys." "Careful." " Okay, Kellyanne." "Come on." "He's walking back and she looks him up and down, and then she said," ""That's not a Bratwurst." "This is a Bratwurst."" "Everyone, up your glasses." "Okay, everybody, here we go." "Cheers to Boxing Day." "Yeah, up your bum." "I've got your costume if you want to put it on." "No, thanks." "You don't wanna go in the pool to cool down?" "All right." "Do you think Dad's looking after them?" "Oh, yeah." "Of course he is, darling." " Let's make this one a little bit more full." " Yeah." "Right up." "Nice and strong." " We'll need another one, yeah?" " Yeah, I reckon." "We're probably the best bomb makers in this town." "Got that." "Right around there." "That's it, Ash." "Couple like this and we'll be through to the other side." " Clear!" " Okay." "I'm clearing." "Dad?" "Dad?" "Dad?" "I think we over-cooked that one a bit, Ash." "What happened?" "Dad?" " Dad!" " I can't hear you." "The roof caved in." " Hey!" "Hey!" " Look." "Williamson." "What the hell are you doing down there?" "Boom, it went." "I was out cold." "And when I came around, all I could hear was this ringing in my ear." "Check the state of that out, mate." "I'm lucky to be alive." "You gotta get the mix right, I've told you, Rex." "That much rock above your head, you gotta pay some respect." "Yeah, yeah, respect the rock." "And the rock respects you." "Here." "He mines over the Nest." " There you go." " Cheers." "That'll be $3.20." " What are you looking at?" " Nothing." " Rex?" " Two beers and a..." " Lemonade." " Lemonade." "Thanks, Pat." "You ain't having this on the tab, Rex." "Come on, Pat, it's me." "Yeah, exactly." "You could shout the whole pub a round if what I hear is true." "Oh, yeah?" "What's that?" "That all you blokes up there at Hawk's Nest are sitting on color." "Don't know what you're talking about, mate." "Nothing's come out of that ground for years." "Did you hear that, Ash?" "That's what's known as a bluff." " Thanks, Pat." " No worries." "One way a bloke gets that much cash around here." "One way." "Yes!" "Mum, they're here, they're here, they're here!" "Are we gonna go and get that big drill again?" " Hi, Dad." " We'll drop in a couple of shafts..." " Hi, Dad." " Hi, dolls." " Where are they?" " Where are who?" " Pobby and Dingan." " They're in the back of the Ute." "Yeah, that's right, they're in the back of the Ute." "Strapped in nice and safe." " Hi, guys." " You go see, love." "Guys." "Guys, are you in there?" "Where the hell have you been?" "Kellyanne's been going nuts." "She is nuts." "In the shower, mate, now." "Come on." "You know, I reckon we're gonna be on color in a few days." "I just know it." " God, what happened?" " Where are you?" "This isn't funny." " Nothing." "Drive collapsed." " What?" " That claim's had it." " Where are you?" "We're moving on." "This is our big chance." "It's the biggest rush since Broken Ridge." " Guys, come out, wherever you are." " Yeah?" "Hawk's Nest." "It's a dead cert." "I'm gonna peg a claim." " They're not in the Ute." "Where are they?" " Come on." " Where are they, Dad?" " Come on, bed." "Now." "Mum, Dad's forgotten Pobby and Dingan." "Well, maybe they've gone for a play on their swings." " Or maybe they went straight to their house." " I've looked there." "Have you eaten, Ashmol?" "Has he eaten, Rex?" "Yeah, I had a burger in the pub." " Dingan!" "Pobby!" " Sorry." "They're not out there." "You've lost them, Dad." "Good on you." "It's not funny." "It's dark." "They'll be scared." "You know what I think?" "I think that they've probably fallen asleep somewhere because they were so tired, just like you." "Now come on." " It's cold..." " Come on to bed." "Dad took them up to the claim." "I wanna go up there now and look for them." "Dad will look for them in the morning, won't you?" "Yeah." "You know what, Kellyanne?" "Tomorrow morning, first thing," "I'll get down to the claim and I'll have a look." " I promise." " Please, I wanna go now." "I wanna go now." "Would you please talk some sense into her?" "Please." "We need to find them now!" "Kellyanne, they'll turn up, darling..." " I have to go there up now." "Please!" "Please!" " No!" "No, Kellyanne!" "Dingan?" "Pobby?" "Kellyanne, be careful." "There's lots of holes." " Pobby?" " Kellyanne, Kellyanne." "You're not helping, Dad." "You're doing fine on your own, darling." " Come on, Dad." "Please help me." " Look, there they are." " Where?" " I just saw them scuttle behind the winch." " Did you see that, princess?" " Pobby doesn't scuttle." "He walks slowly with a limp because he's got a wooden leg." "Remember?" "Hey, that's right." "Nice try, Dad." "Give us a frigging hand, will you, Ashmol?" "Uh-uh." "Come on, Dad, please." "Pobby!" "Dingan!" " Come on, Dad, you do it, too." " Pobby." "Dingan." "No, do it properly like this." "Pobby!" "Dingan!" "Oh, all right." "Pobby!" "Dingan!" "I'm sorry I left you out here." "I'm sorry I forgot about you." "Hey, guys, if you're interested I've got some lollipops in my pocket." "No, Dad." "They'll know if you're making stuff up." " Maybe they fell down there." " Kellyanne." "Hey, fellas, are you down there?" "Are you down there?" "No, they're not down there." "You know what, Dad?" "Maybe they're over there." "Can you go have a look, please?" "Please, just go." "Okay, Okay." "I'll have a look." "Please." "I'll go up here to get a better view." " Be careful." " I will." "Just bloody find them, Kellyanne." "Pobby!" "Dingan!" " Come on, Kellyanne really misses you." " I'm here to find you." "I'm here." "Pobby?" "Dingan!" " I'm looking down the hole, see?" " Guys, are you out there?" "They're not there." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hey, you!" "Williamson." "Should have known it was you." "What are you doing down my mine?" "Hey, Sid, I wasn't down your mine." "What are you doing on my claim?" " Empty your pockets." " Sid, it's Rex." "It's me, mate." "Empty your pockets or I'll blow your bloody brains out." "Ashmol, the mean man's got a gun in Daddy's face." " That's it." "Come on, all of it." " You satisfied?" " You were ratting me." " I wasn't ratting your claim." "What are you doing here then?" "Kellyanne was..." "She thinks that..." "I can explain the whole thing." "You explain it to the cops." "I've just radioed the station." "Hey, Donny, Sid's got a gun in my dad's face." "Let me sort this out, mate." "He thinks he was ratting." "I've had my eye on you for a while, Williamson." "If your mine's stuffed, you reckon it's okay to rob opal from some other poor fellow's." " I wasn't robbing you!" " Calm down, Williamson." "I was helping out my daughter." "Now he's trying to blame it on his daughter." "What, you taking your kids ratting in the middle of the night?" "I mean, no wonder she's a retard with a crim like you for a dad." "Cut it out." "Come on." "Mum, I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to get Dad in trouble." "Oh, I know, darling." "Hi, I'm here to pick up Rex." "Yeah, I'm just taking a statement." " How's it going with you?" " Oh, you know." " Kids okay?" " Yeah." " Hi." " Hi, Dad." "The Mining Authority will write to you with a where and a when." " What for?" " The hearing." "They're coming down hard on ratters these days." "I told you I wasn't ratting." "Listen, mate, if you don't wanna get accused of ratting, don't go onto other people's claims in the middle of the night." "Just..." "Okay, come on." "Come on, let's go." "Mum, can you ask the policemen to look for Pobby and Dingan?" " Not now, darling." " But they'll be scared." " Look, can we stop this now?" " Come on, we're going home." "I wouldn't be here in the first place if it wasn't for..." "There we are." "Why are you doing that, Mum?" "Well, I thought they might have come back." " No?" " No." "You still not feeling okay, sweetheart?" "It's not me you should be worried about." "It's Pobby and Dingan." "Come on." "Let's go." "Make sure she has some lunch and keep her out of the sun." "All right?" " Okay." "Bye." " Be good." "Thanks a lot." "You're not ill." "You're just pretending." "Like you pretend to have friends." "Maybe they're out at the drive-in." " Can we go and..." " No." "I think I might go for a little lie down then." "Good day, Ashmol." "Humph." "So, can we do the cutting?" "See, Ashmol, every opal is different." "Every opal contains an infinite number of hidden faces." "Just like secrets waiting to be revealed." "You see there?" "See the green and the purple there?" "I've been thinking about this stone for a few weeks." "Waiting." "Which field did it come from?" "Oh, come on, Ashmol." "You know I can't tell you that." "I'll just get that flaw out." " What do you reckon?" " It's a beauty." "Kellyanne." "Pobby?" "Dingan?" "Kellyanne!" "Where are you guys?" "Come on, this isn't hide and seek." "Are you down there?" "They're not here, Ashmol." "Where are they?" "Help me find them." "What the hell are you doing here, Kellyanne?" "Are you in there?" "I can't find them." "Where are they?" "I need to find them." "Please help me." "I just need to find them." "Where else do they like going?" "They like it here and at home." "In their house." " Yeah?" " Or playing on the swings." "Pobby likes hide and seek." "They've always wanted to come here or to the shop where Vera gives them lollies." "Dingan loves opals, like you." "She has a beautiful opalized seashell on her bellybutton." "Flashes of color all over it." "They're very nice." "They could be at the school." "Mum and Dad could be at home waiting for them." "We're not going anywhere but home." "There it is, Hawk's Nest." "But I think over here is the better bet, on the ridge." "I've just got a hunch." "I can feel those little beauties sitting down there in the faults, staring back at me." "Waiting." "I'll bet you anything tomorrow we'll be on opals..." "Jesus!" "What happened?" " Get back." "Leave it." " No." "No!" " Let it burn." " No." "Let it burn!" " Where you going?" " I'm gonna sort those mongrels out." "No." "Rex, Rex." "Rex!" "Rex, don't." "Ashmol." "Ashmol!" "Ashmol!" "Get up." " Get off the truck, mate." " Now, go on." "Go on." " Come on, get up!" " Back off, kid." " Stay there, you rat." " Buy you a beer, fellas." "Take him home, mate." "Take the ratter home." "We don't need a ratter round here, mate." "Kellyanne." "Come on, sweetheart." "Let's go in." "Come on, darling, let's go." "Come on." "Good girl." "They're all gone." "All gone?" "What do you mean all gone?" "I was just up there." "Like I said, there's no more claims left up at Hawk's Nest." "Show me the map." "Show me the paperwork." "Just leave the files alone, please." "I'm sure you don't want to get involved with the police again." "You're a joke, mate." " I get it." " We just don't want any more trouble." " Go on, get out of here." " Get out, you ratter." " Just get out, mate." " Yeah." "Get out." "Yeah, well, I reckon this rush is all bullshit anyway." "Forget Hawk's Nest." "I'll find a new field." "Start my own rush." "No one else is mining here, are they, Dad?" "They will be, Ash." "They will be." "I'm not quite sure what it is, Annie." "It's probably just a virus." "Right." "I'm sure she'll be all right in a few days." "Well, thanks." " Hi." " Hi." " Hi, Mum." " Hi." " Hey, Jack." " Rex." "Everything all right?" "Yeah, no, Kellyanne, she's sick." "She's been throwing up." "She's got a temperature." "She's having a rest now." " Beer?" " No." "I've gotta get going." "Right." "Well, thanks." "Listen, Rex, mate." "I heard all those rumors about what went on up at Sid's claim, and let me tell you, I don't believe a word of it." "Right." "Good." " Right." "I'll see you." " Yeah." "Keep an eye on her and if there's no improvement after a couple of days" " I'll do those tests, Annie." " All right." "Thanks." "See you." "Did he say what was wrong with her?" "No." "No idea." "Turn it off." "It's too bright." "The Ashmol Williamson Pobby and Dingan Trap." "The little blokes smell the sugar, and unable to resist..." "Dingan's a girl." "The little bloke and girl smell the sugar and, unable to resist their favorite snack, pull at the lollipop, which is attached to this invisible wire, which then pulls the rod and" "they're trapped safely beneath the drum." "Look at that." "What do you think of that?" "I think they might be a bit scared, 'cause Dingan's afraid of the dark." "Oh, no." "They'll be fine because they're busy sucking on their lollipops." "And by the time they've finished, we'll be out here to get them." "Do you think we could catch them with that?" "Maybe." "I don't know." "It could work or it could not." "Maybe." "Oh, darling." "I don't feel so well." "Hey, what's the matter?" "Don't recognize your own kind, ratter?" "Oh, mate!" "Your dad's a ratter." "Whole family's ratter scum." "How's Kellyanne?" "She's not good." "No, look," "Annie, I've been speaking to Dan and..." " I've got a business to run." " Yeah?" "Well, we're not the only shop in town and... everyone's started going to Yarnies." "Until this ratting thing dies down," "Janey's gonna take your shifts." "Vera, I really need this job." "I mean, it could be something psychological, something in her head." "I've done blood tests, I've done urine tests, I've tested for allergies." "I've eliminated everything I could possibly eliminate." "There's nothing more I can do, Annie." "Kels?" "What?" "I'm gonna put them up all over town." "It needs a proper photo, though." "But we don't have a photo of them, do we?" "I'll do you a drawing." "Are you well enough?" "Pobby is short and round." "And he's got a red cape because he likes to pretend to be a superhero." "I'll tell you why..." "He's got a wooden leg, and it all happened because he got struck by lightning." "That's how I found them." "And they were all alone." "And he wears a red cape to be a superhero, because he doesn't like being teased." "Well, he's scared of being teased." "And he's got punky, spiky hair." "And he wears sunnies." "Sometimes even at night." "Pobby is a shy person." "He speaks English or whistles to be understood." "And you have to be a certain kind of person to hear him." "Dingan is the pretty one." "She's tall and wears her hair in plaits." "And she's as smart as a fox." "She's real pretty." "And in fact she's got an opal in her bellybutton." "It's beautiful." "It's got bits of green and red and aqua all through it." "It looks like a beauty." "It's a lot prettier than that in real life." "Give it to me." "Like I said to your mother, the sooner that little girl's in hospital, the better." "It's more complicated than that." "See, Kellyanne's sick-with-worry sick." "She isn't hospital-sick sick." "Yeah, right." "That's funny." "It's not how I imagined them at all." "Good day." "Good day, mate." "How're you going?" "Well, Pobby and Dingan have gone missing." "Who are they?" "Could you put one of these up?" "So that everyone sees it at the next show." "Yeah, I reckon I can do that, son." "Hey, hey, hey, what's all this?" "They're everywhere." "I thought if everyone in town saw them, then they'd know that Kellyanne really had lost them." "And that we were up at the claim looking for them, not ratting." " And if Kellyanne saw them..." " What are you on about, mate?" "I thought you were the one sane member of this family." "He's just trying to help." "Yeah, well I'm trying to keep my head down, and these are everywhere." "She likes it." "And what's this about a reward?" "I don't know." "It's what people write on these things." "I got the mail." "Ashmol, come over here." "Look, look at this." "I've got this one, it's Tina somebody, had a hit with the song..." "It's something "Chained."" "Arena." "Tina Arena?" "Oh, right." "Here." "Seven across." "A farm vehicle..." "A magistrate?" ""Charges of assault, trespassing, unlawful prospecting." ""Please give details of legal representation."" "That's a lawyer." "Where am I going to get the money for a lawyer?" "If they decide I'm guilty, they can take the claim away." " They could fine me or even worse..." " Humph's got a law degree." " Where are you going?" " Mining." "I'm going mining." "Good day, kid." "How's it going?" "You know." "Hey, Ashmol, invitation to the funeral of Princess Diana." " You got invited to that?" " Like hell I did." "Cut it out of an old magazine, stuck it down on a bit of card." "Only don't tell anyone." "The tourists love it." "Your law degree, is that real?" " Why, do you want it to be?" " Yeah." "Dad's gonna be in a trial with a magistrate from out of town." "This to do with Sid and that ratting business?" " He's full of shit, Ash." " He's got a degree." " Yeah." " From England." "Don't worry, I'll strike and we'll hire a proper lawyer from the city." " But, Dad, you..." " Gotta keep digging." "Gotta strike." "You haven't even got the proper gear." "Ash, don't get involved with stuff you know nothing about." "In the old days, they dug opal out of here using a pick and shovel and their bare hands." "Now get off home." "This has gone too far, darling." "You know everyone's trying to help." "But you're the only one who's ever going to be able to find them, so you either find them or forget about them so we can get back to normal." "I'm really, really, sorry." "I want to find them but I don't know where they are." "How can I find them if I don't know where they are?" " Have a drink." " No, thanks." "I'm not thirsty." "Come on, have some." "It's nice and cold." "I don't want it." "I'm freezing." "Well." "Oh, sweetheart, you are so cold." "Put that under there." " The hospital?" " Yes." "For observation and tests." "You all right?" "I mean, what do you expect, Rex?" "Dragging a sensitive girl like Kellyanne out to a place like this, dragging a whole family to a town full of holes and losers and..." "It's just a bloody town." "You know, maybe if you'd made a bit of an effort, got yourself a few mates," " she would have as well." " How could you?" "At least then she'd have a few real-life mates." "They are real to her." "Just like opal's real to you." "You're always looking for it." "You talk to it in your sleep like a bloody lover." " But you never actually find any, do you?" " I will." "Hey." "Hey!" "What are you looking at, Mum?" "You frightened me, Ashmol." "Where's Dad?" "He's not back yet." "Can't you get to sleep?" " No." " No." "Well, what were you looking at?" "Just a photo." " Mind if I see?" " No." "Who's the bloke?" "Oh, it's Peter Sidebottom." " Peter what?" " Peter Juvenal Sidebottom." "Was he a mate of yours?" "Yeah, he was." "He was my boyfriend when I was in England." "But he's in America now." "He's in New York." "Were you going to marry this Juvenile Sidebottom?" "Maybe." "But that was before your dad swept me off my feet with his opal eyes." "What's that one?" "That was before you were born." "That was when we worked together in the pub in Melbourne." "The Duke of York." "I bet that Juvenile Sidebottom's a total dag." "I bet he's not half as happy in New York as we are here." " You happy here, Ashmol?" " Course I am." "So long as there's opal waiting to be found." "And there's always something to dream about." "And I reckon Dad's gonna find something pretty special pretty soon." " You reckon?" " Yeah." "I got a hunch." "I know he's having a tough time at the moment, and I know he's got rocks in his head." "But he's a pretty amazing kind of dad, all in all." " Better get to bed, huh?" " Okay." " Good night, Mum." " Good night, Ashmol." "One thing's for sure," "I'm bloody glad I ain't called Ashmol Juvenile Sidebottom." "Good night, Ashmol Williamson." " I'll see you in the morning?" " Yeah." " Night, Mum." " Night." "Ashmol?" "Ashmol?" "I think they may be dead." "Pobby and Dingan." "I think they may be dead." "What are you on about?" "I think maybe they got hurt when the drive collapsed, and their bodies are still lying out there in the dark, all cold." "What?" "Please, can you go out to the old claim, and go down the mine?" "What if I get spotted?" "What about Mum and Dad?" "Wait till they've gone to sleep." "What about Sid?" "Don't worry." "It's dark and nobody will see you." "You won't get into trouble." "Please, Ashmol, before I go to hospital." "Please, Ashmol, for me." "I did what you said, Kellyanne." "I went down the mine, and guess what?" "The roof of one of the drives collapsed and Pobby and Dingan were caught under it." "I know because I found lollipop wrappers and the opal from Dingan's bellybutton." "Were they hurt?" "They were dead." "What did you do with the bodies?" "I couldn't lift them." "They were too heavy." "But I left them." "But you've got to believe me." "They were there." "I could smell them." "I shifted away all the dirt and rock, and they were just lying there all peaceful." "They were holding hands." "Can I see the opal?" "Ashmol, you found the bodies." "You found them." "This is the stone from Dingan's bellybutton." "Feel it." "It's still warm." "Do you think it's worth a funeral?" " What?" " That's what Dingan always wanted." "She said, "When I die, pay for my funeral with my bellybutton."" "Did she?" "Yeah." "They wanted to be buried up at the cemetery." "Promise you'll do this for me." "All people have funerals, and so must Pobby and Dingan." "Tell me, how do I do a funeral for two figments of a kid's imagination?" "There's nothing to bury." "I'll pay for it with this." "Give it to me." " Where did you get this?" " Noodling." "Noodling?" "Ratting more like." " Did you rat it?" "Like father, like son?" " No, I didn't rat it." "I'll swap it for a grave." " Oh, well, I don't know, mate." " Two graves." "With flowers, headstones and all the proper stuff." "All right, you got a deal." " Name of the deceased?" " Names." "Pobby and Dingan." " Say it again." " Pobby and Dingan." " Double-B-I-E." " No, Y." " Y." " Y." " And Dignum?" " Dingan." "Dingan." "Okay." "Now, religion?" "Did they have a religion?" "Pacifists." "Yeah, I think they were pacifists." "Hi, Dad." "What's all that?" "Oh, statements, declarations." "Stuff that Sid's lawyer sent to us." "I don't know." "I'm doing a funeral for her." "What?" "Well, for Pobby and Dingan." "Kellyanne made me promise." "David Humphries, QC, at your service." "Ashmol." " Rex." " Humph." "Went online." "I found a couple of similar cases." "Now tell me exactly what happened that night." "One, two, three, up." " That's the way." "Bring your legs around." " All right." " Thanks, Rex." " Thanks, mate." " See you, love." "See you." " Bye, Dad." " You coming, Ashmol?" " Look after yourself." " No, he's going to stay here." " You'll be all right." "Take care, love." "I'll come and pick you up later on then, yeah?" " Okay, yeah." " Okay, good luck." "Thanks, Jack." " Drive safely." " Yeah." " I'll call you at the hospital." " Right." " Watch your hand." " Here we go." "Here." " Put your arm through there, darling." " Bye." "Right." "Good girl." " See you, Kels." "See you, Mum." " Bye." "Thanks, Jack." "See youse." " Bye." " Bye." "Quiet, please." "Case number seven." "Frazer vs. Williamson." "Rex Williamson, you're accused of trespassing and prospecting unlawfully on Mr. Frazer's claim." "Also of common assault." "How do you plead?" "He's guilty, the mongrel." "Guilty, yeah." "Settle." " Not guilty, Your Honor." " Oh, come on!" " Jingle bells." " Keep trying, keep trying." "In your statement, you say that you were on my client's claim because," " "My daughter told me to."" " Yeah, that's right." " How old is your daughter?" " Nine." "Nine?" "Mr. Williamson, how long have you been mining for opal?" "About a year." " Any luck?" " Bits and pieces." "No, no luck." "But you had heard rumors that my client was "on color."" "Yeah, I heard." "You know, you hear a lot of things in this town." "Lots of different rumors." "Mr. Williamson, is it true that your own mine recently collapsed?" "Yeah, yeah, it did." "Couple of months back." "Yeah, so he thought he'd steal from someone else's." " Thank you, Mr. Frazer." " He's done time." " That was years ago." " He's a bloody crim." "Previous convictions are not taken into account." " He's a ratter." " He's a ratter, boys." "I didn't rat you, all right?" "I didn't rat him." "All right" " I didn't rat him." " All right." "I was looking for Pobby and Dingan." "Pobby and Dingan?" "Yeah, they're my daughter's friends." "They're imaginary." "Please explain." "My daughter, Kellyanne, has..." "Had these imaginary friends." "And I just happened to be looking after them on that day and I forgot about them." "Kind of lost them." "So when I got home, she went crazy." "She's an unusual kid." "She asked me if I'd go back up to the fields and have a look for them." "And so when we went there, I had a bit of a look, and she thought they might have wandered onto Sid's claim." "Mr. Williamson, can you show us how you looked for them?" "What?" "I'm just intrigued as to how a man looks for imaginary people." "You know?" "Would you mind standing and showing the court how you did it?" "Please." "Well, I don't know." "I was..." "I was out there and I was looking." "I was looking like this, as you do." "I started yelling out." ""Pobby!" "Dingan!" ""Where are you fellas?"" "This is your defense?" "It's the truth." "So," " it sounds like these..." " No, hang on, you can't do that." "Objection, Your Honor." " Why?" " Well, he's pacing." "You can't pace." "Is it okay if I just walk up and down a little bit?" "He's badgering the witness." "Yeah, well, it's his client." "Oh, come on, get on with it." "If he doesn't know the rules, he shouldn't be here." "Jesus." "Overruled." "Thank you, Mr. Nichols." "So," "these imaginary friends, they were pretty real to Kellyanne?" "Oh, yeah, totally." "Yeah, she talked to them." "She played with them all the time like they were real people." "The missus would even lay places at the table for them." "They kind of became part of the family." "So, for Kellyanne, they were real?" " They sure were." " And for you?" "Well, in a way, yeah." "Real enough for you to go onto Sid's claim in the middle of the night looking for them?" " Yes." " Yeah." "Right." "I call Vera Dunkley." "Yeah, she'd bring them into the shop to show her mum." "Those two went everywhere with her." "Would you talk to them?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I'd give them lollipops." "Cherry for Dingan and blueberry for Pobby." "Well, she loved it." "She's just a kid." "Would she bring them to school?" "Sometimes." "She'd even talk to them in class." "How would you describe Kellyanne's nature?" "She's a lovely girl." "Vivid imagination." "Dreamer." " She have many friends?" " Not really." "I don't think she finds people very easy." "So, how's Kellyanne's health been since the night in question?" "Yeah, no, not good." "A steady decline, really." "Vomiting, sleeplessness, fever." "She's lost a lot of weight." "Photophobic." " Hardly speaks." "Anxious." " What's photophobic?" " She's in the hospital now." " Poor kid." "That's no good." " Hospital?" " Yeah, that's right." "We wanted to get her in and try and stabilize her condition." "Keep an eye on her." "In your opinion, has the negative attitude of the town towards Kellyanne and her family contributed to this decline in health?" "Yeah, I think it has, yes." "Quiet, please." " Quiet, please!" " Here we go." "I'll get straight to the point." "This court finds the defendant innocent to all charges." " What?" " What did I tell you?" "It is clear that Mr. Williamson was only trying to help his daughter." "And what was nothing but a minor, as in "not major," offense, a scuffle between two men and an unfortunate but minor injury, has been blown out of all proportion by Mr. Frazer." " What would you know?" " Go back home, you city slicker." "Pull your head in, Ronnie, you clown." " Good on you, Jack." " Yeah, pull your head in." "Settle down." "Other members of this community have been easily turned against the Williamsons." "Now this animosity has had the most detrimental effect upon the family." "In particular, young Kellyanne." " Your Honor?" " Yes?" "I've organized a funeral for Pobby and Dingan." "Go on." "Well, I know how it sounds." "A funeral for two dead imaginary people." "But I promised Kellyanne." "She always seemed happiest when people pretended that they believed in Pobby and Dingan." "And if heaps of people showed up, it might just help her get better." "Thank you." "Well can you give us a time and a place?" "Oh, yeah." "Sorry." "Saturday, 10:00." "Up at the cemetery." "It's proper with flowers, coffins and everything." "Case closed." "Now I've got with me an announcement from young Ashmol Williamson, who's organized a big event up at the cemetery today for his sister," "Kellyanne, nine years old and currently out in the hospital and trying to get better." "Young Ashmol has organized a funeral for Kellyanne's friends," "Pobby and Dingan, and you're all invited." "So, any of youse with a heart, grab yourselves an esky and get up to the cemetery." "Should be a good crowd." "You might even meet some old friends." "I'll drop you off at the cemetery, then I'll go and pick up Kellyanne." " Are you all right, mate?" " No." "Turn around, turn around." "What have you done?" "Oh, that looks good." "You missed a bit." "Under and through." "Done." "There you go." "Looks great." "Thanks, Dad." "Do you want to check to see that everything's tickety-boo?" "Yep." "There." "There you go." "I think we've got enough, you reckon?" "Everything okay over there?" "Yeah, it's all fine." "You want a drink, kid?" "No thanks, Vera." "Where is everybody?" "Well, hold on." "They'll be here any minute." "You'll see." " Give it time, give it time." " Right." "They'll be here." "Oh, Vera." "You know what?" "I don't think they're coming." "We'll see." "See?" "Christ." "All right?" "Dan, the natives are getting restless." "Yeah, but I don't know what to tell them." "You gonna say something?" "Okay, yeah." "Thanks very much for coming." "Sorry to keep you waiting so long." "Yeah." "Kellyanne will be here very, very soon, okay?" "And we've got some drinks for later." " Thank you." " Thanks." " No, no, that's okay." " All right?" " It's them." " Yep, yep." "Well, here we go." "I was a bit worried there for a second." "You okay?" " Hey, Jack." " Hey, Rex." "Now look who's here." "Mum's here." "Ash is here." "Hello, darling." "You okay?" "Hi, Mum." " You all right?" " Yeah." " Right." " Okay." "Okay, everybody, a speech." "Young Ashmol's gonna make a speech." "Right." "Um..." "We're gathered here today to solemnly celebrate the lives of Pobby and Dingan, who were two very close friends to my daughter," "Kellyanne Williamson." "Let us remember how they always went round together, and how they loved playing on the swings with Kellyanne." "And Pobby's wooden leg and how courageous he was with his limp." "And, oh, and they were afraid of the dark." "Dingan was the pretty one." "Pobby was a lot more..." "He was shy and..." "Pacifists." "Yeah, thanks, Ash." "Let us remember the calm and pacifist nature of both Pobby and Dingan." "And how kind and gentle they were to Kellyanne." "And they talked English or whistled to make themselves understood." "But you had to be a certain kind of person to hear them." "And they didn't leave any footprints because they walked in the same place as Kellyanne." "And although it's sad that they're dead, we can all be happy because no matter what anyone ever said, they really did live." "Thank you." "It's all right." "They're just putting them to rest." "You're a very brave girl." "Bye, Pobby." "Go on." "Bye, Dingan." "Hi, sweetheart." "I'm sorry to hear about Pobby and Dingan." "It was a beautiful funeral." "Kellyanne, I'm so sorry about your friends." "Good on you, son." "That was a lovely funeral, Ash." " How are you feeling, darling?" " Good." "Yeah." "Well done, mate." "Thank you." "On the house, kid." "Hey, Ashmol, you're the best brother." "When you believe in something, that's when it's real." "And that's what makes a person real, too." "How they dream and how they share their dreams." "When they're with you, or even after they're gone." "Because a dream is forever." "Like my mum or dad or my sister, we're all dreaming together," "and that's what's real." "That's what's real forever."