Twenty-two-year-old Jacob Tomkins is sentenced to seven years’ labour in the fledgling colony of Sydney Town, Australia. The voyage across the sea is arduous. He is travelling with mean, street-hardened criminals, some of whom would like to use him for their pleasure. Fortunately he meets Peter, who takes Jacob under his wing. Together they find moments of pleasure amid the drudgery of the voyage. They share their hopes and dreams, and finally declare their love for each other upon the eve of their arrival in Sydney Town -- a place where the currency is rum, distilled and controlled by the powerful military. But what will happen once they disembark? The chances of remaining together are slim. A lot can happen in seven years, especially when Jacob’s new master takes a liking to him. Is their love strong enough to survive the ravages of time? Can they survive the rigors of their sentences?

Across the Sea

“I expect you’re finding the scenery a bit different to what you’re used to,” said Jasper


Jacob took a moment to switch focus from the countryside to Jasper’s comment.


“Yes, sir,” he replied, before adding, “Quite a bit different.”


Jasper smiled. “I think you’ll enjoy my property. It’s quite isolated and literally surrounded by this wonderfully odd greenery.”


Jacob made a small noise of acknowledgement, but said no more. He hadn’t any idea what was expected of him. He didn’t know how familiar he could be with Jasper, his new master. He certainly didn’t want to create a bad impression by speaking out of turn, nor did he know what he could possibly talk about even if he wanted to keep the conversation going.


Every now and again Jasper would tell him the name of the bird making a particular call. His favourite was ‘kookaburra’.


“It’s an Aboriginal word,” Jasper explained. “From the kingfisher family.”


Jacob smiled. “Sounds like you know a lot about birds, sir.”


Chapter 18