There was a rapping at the door. Wan eyes peered through faceted glass above the knocker, saw a Butler approach within. The latch turned under a white glove. A long-faced, tired man stood on the stoop. He clutched a battered black hat and a large medical bag, smelt of soap and whiskey. "Dr. Rammstein?" said the Butler. […]
It was a squally day at sea. Pinprick rain struck from clouds like looming anvils. Nipping wind riled up black and gnashy surf. Miles east, the thin eye of a lighthouse blinked through fog. The same distance west, a gasping geyser lifted from the sea, faded into mist. In her wicker crow's nest, the lookout focused on that silvery […]