MILES OFF COURSE

'But you did know Communists at Oxford?'
Rowland glared at him. 'Yes.'
'Your friends, Mr. Sinclair...'
Middlemiss waved his cigarette at Rowland.
'What about them?'
'They are not the kind of people one would expect a man of your breeding to associate with.'
'What can I say...they're willing to overlook my breeding.'
Wealthy Rowland Sinclair is an artist whose work has led him to mix with some very colourful people in 1930s Sydney. He has a coterie of friends, real people who have various talents but no money. They share his fancy home, Woodlands, to the disapproval of his older brother, Wilfred, who lives on the family pastoral estate with his wife and children.This is a great romp in picturesque locations, but not without danger. The artists have gone to the Hydro-Majestic Hotel in Medlow Baths in the Blue Mountains of NSW to escape the heat of a Sydney summer and to paint (or be inspired, in the case of resident poet, Milt).

Rowly, of course, is footing the bill. An old schoolmate of Rowly's turns up, a nervous, cowering chap, who clings to Rowly as he did at school in England when he was being bullied by others. He can't say enough about what a terrific protector Rowly was, and he is every bit the sort of man you knew he would be if you'd known him as the snivelling, unattractive boy he once was. But he's now The Honourable Humphrey Abercrombie.This story has the political background that the previous books have had, but I think the politics feels more natural than before - perfect! I like a story that fits into its time, and the author does this particularly well. Rowland's brother Wil is very much the Sinclair family patriarch now, more like their strict father rather than their loveable, rascally Uncle Rowland, and he's a political animal who loathes communists and has terrible trouble putting up with Rowland's radical friends.He's also not happy about his younger brother's wheels, a bright yellow Mercedes Benz. Their older brother was killed in the war when Rowly was a little boy, so along with communists, Wil is vehemently opposed to buying German products. I imagine it looked something like this, a real head-turner!

But when Wil needs help finding missing Aboriginal stockman Harry Simpson, who's practically part of the family and who's been managing their cattle on the Snowy Mountain leases, it's his younger brother and questionable mates who dive in, boots and all. Diving? Well, they do get pretty wet, boots and all.Each chapter is introduced with the representation of a real newspaper clipping from the period, and it's only later that we discover the connection with the story. It may be a society event which the Sinclairs attend and mix with the actual people of influence at the time. Another time, it's a brothel owner who, it turns out, was well-known to Uncle Rowly!

They obviously did establish it, which explains a city boy's surprising horsemanship when they get down to the Snowies!Rowly is still being followed by enemies from earlier, and his sooky 'friend' claims to have people hunting him down as well. The high country proves to be quite an adventure, and we meet Clyde's family on their property - another interesting look.At the stock camp in the mountains, Rowly faces new challenges when he's introduced to what I know as back-of-the-stove soup.''We'll leave the magic stew behind for you tomorrow,' Lofty Cassidy said congenially.'The magic stew?''In the camp oven. Just add a few spuds and whatever's in the rabbit traps to it each day and you'll never reach the bottom . . . it's been feeding us all for weeks now.' The stockman laughed at the look of horror on Rowland's face.Milton nudged Rowland and grinned. 'Close your mouth, Rowly, your silver spoon may fall out.'Clyde was similarly unperturbed. 'The flavour really improves after a few days,' he assured Rowland, who was no convinced they would all die of disease within the week.'His silver spoon certainly gets a little tarnished, what with all the privations of the camps, the drenching rains, the bad guys with guns, the kidnapping attempts, the general excitement. We need that and the politics, but just as much we need the warmth and humour and affection - sometimes rough, sometimes gentle - between these friends.All men love Edna, especially Rowly, and while she is staunchly independent, we know she carries an equally simmering torch. She is soft-hearted and an easy mark for the weak, childish Englishman, insisting that Rowly invite him home to stay in Sydney.''You'll regret it' Clyde said from behind The Sydney Morning Herald.'No doubt, but I can't have Edna thinking I'm mean.'Edna ruffled his hair fondly. 'You're not mean, Rowly, you're really very sweet.'Milton shook his head. 'You know, mate, there's something particularly sad about a hen-pecked bachelor.'Rowly returned to his mail. 'Yes, I know.''

Enough said. On to the next episode in Paving the New Road!