- the very people the King and Empire Alliance has been secretly marshalled to confront. Little wonder at Rosenthal's hostile - indeed, explosive - reaction. This is as bad as whatever his worst nightmare could possibly be, "the sum of all his fears". Rosenthal has just been elected a member of parliament, and is a prominent member of the NSW Government. He is a leading citizen, an alderman of the city council, a frequent guest at Government House, a general in the Army, a pillar of his church, a senior Mason, a war hero, a leader in his profession, and a knight of the realm. All this and more is in immediate jeopardy from this casual acquaintance whom Scott has somehow picked up and brought to see him about a possible job on their about-to-be-disbanded organisation, and soon-to-be-defunct journal. As Scott earlier told Lawrence, running a secret army in Australia is technically treason, and the penalty for that is, by law, to be hanged. (In chapter v Callcott - ie, Jack Scott - calls what he tells Somers/Lawrence on the beach below "Wyewurk" […"Politics and red-hot treason"…]). The seriousness of the situation has to be brought home to this ludicrous little upstart, quick smart. [...Kangaroo looked at him sharply through his pince-nez...] The exchange becomes hostile. [..."why have you deceived me, played with me," suddenly roared Kangaroo. "I could have you killed."...] Rosenthal (according to the text) then turns nasty. [..."I am sorry I have made a mistake in you," he said. "But we had better settle the matter finally here. I think the best thing you can do is to leave Australia. I don't think you can do me any serious damage with your talk. I would ask you--before I warn you--not to try...] Rosenthal is no longer the benign, benevolent, Jehovah-like figure [….there came an exceedingly sweet charm into his face, for a moment his face was like a flower…] Lawrence had lunch with a week or so ago. The secret army leader has now - inexplicably to Lawrence - been transformed into a monster. [...He had become again hideous, with a long yellowish face and black eyes close together, and a cold, mindless, dangerous hulk to his shoulders. For a moment Somers was afraid of him, as of some great ugly idol that might strike. He felt the intense hatred of the man coming at him in cold waves. He stood up in a kind of horror, in front of the great, close-eyed horrible thing that was now Kangaroo. Yes, a thing, not a whole man. A great Thing, a horror...] Fearing for his very life, Lawrence makes for the door. [...he kept all his wits about him, and as by inspiration managed the three separate locks of the strong door…] Rosenthal is close behind him. [..."Good-night!" said Somers, at the blind, horrible-looking face. And he moved quickly down the stairs and out into the street…] Lawrence is now a very aware and a very frightened individual. [...Dark streets, dark, streaming people. And fear. One could feel such fear, in Australia...] Where is he to go? What is he to do?

c7pm-midnight - Apparently he wanders around for a while, rubbing shoulders with cinema crowds, then goes back to the Carlton Hotel, a block down from Mendes Chambers in Castlereagh Street, and books himself a room for the night (despite the expense). He intended to go across the Harbour to stay with Jack Scott at 112 Wycombe Road, but that is out of the question now. [..."Were you disgusted with Lovatt when he didn't turn up the other Saturday?" said Harriet. "I do hope you weren't sitting waiting for him." "Well - er - yes, we did wait up a while for him."...] That night in the Carlton Hotel Lawrence experiences what he calls in the novel "The Nightmare", and which is to provide the ingredients for a famous chapter - chapter xii - that he is to write when he returns to "Wyewurk".

SUNDAY 25/6/22

But that is not the chapter he writes next, after returning to Thirroul, presumably departing from Central on Sunday morning. He has the dramatic and traumatic events of yesterday yet to turn into "fiction". His composition is now, however, very much "up to speed". He is no longer "stuck". He probably gets back to "Wyewurk" in the early afternoon, where he may have had a lot to tell Frieda. (He certainly told her about not turning up at Jack Scott's place, as he had intended.) There is no time for writing that day, though what he is going to write tomorrow is no doubt bubbling up inside him. The morning drizzle has cleared to a fine, cold day. Perhaps he goes for a late-afternoon walk along McCauley's Beach…he has much to mull over.