The effect was instantaneous. The man jumped to his feet, swept the bundle of notes into the safe, whisked the bottle in as well and closed the door. He said something to the person I could not see, at the same time throwing the contents of his glass into the fire which blazed violently. Then he stepped across to the window and pulled back the curtain. Our faces were about a foot apart with the streaming glass of the window panes between us. His eyes were excited, almost wild-looking. 'Who are you? What do you want?' His voice was faint.
'I want to speak to Captain Manack,' I shouted back.
'I'm Captain Manack. What do you want?' he sounded suspicious.
'Dave Tanner sent me,' I said.
I saw him start. The man seemed strung up. Or was it that he had been drinking?
'Can you let me in?' I shouted. 'It's wet out here.'
He hesitated. I fished in the pocket of my jacket and produced Dave's lighter, holding it up for him to see. 'Dave told me to give you this,' I called.
He peered at it with a quick, bird-like glance. Then he nodded. 'Go round the back and I'll let you in,' he said and dropped the curtain.
After staring into that lamplit room, the sudden darkness was indescribably black. As I turned from the window a gust of rain lashed my face. It seemed to beat upon my bare body, so sodden had my clothes become. I shivered and stood still, for it was too dark for me to move. Then a blinding sheet of lightning showed me a line of outbuildings jutting from the house. As I made for them a door opened and Manack stood there with a lamp in his hand.
He shut the door behind me. I was in a stone-flagged scullery, and though it was cold, I felt the instant relief from the fury of the wind and rain outside. He held the lamp higher and peered at me. He was quite a short man. His size accentuated the breadth of his powerful shoulders. His eyes glittered in the uncertain light. 'You're not one of the crew of the Isle of Mull are you?' he said.