Island Hideaway 37 - The Stranger

"Who's there?" I said again.​
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The figure was clearly visible in my torchlight, dressed in black and wearing a black balaclava. I clutched at a rock on the ground in case the figure attacked us. Well, I say a rock, it was dark and my options were slight, it was a stone about an inch in diameter. Not quite the sling shot with which David brought down Goliath, but you use what you can in these circumstances.​
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"I can see you," I said.​
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"It's only me Terrence," the figure said eventually. "The Boatman."​
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"What on Earth are you doing, creeping about in the dark, dressed in black, wearing a balaclava?"​
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"It's that boat. I saw it again. It keeps coming here. I'm trying to find out what they're up to."​
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"How did you see it, your boat left hours ago?"​
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"Binoculars. I look out occasionally, just to see if anything's going on. Oh, you must be Terrence's guest miss, how do you do. I'm the Boatman."​
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"Hi, I'm Mo," Mo said.   ​
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"Terrence here doesn't get many visitors. You must let me know if you want anything, Terrence can be a bit shy about those things."​
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"I will thank you. Nice balaclava."​
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"Oh, I'll take it off miss. I was just doing a bit of spying, like."​
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"How long's the boat been here?"​
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"Well over an hour miss. That's why I came, it's certainly not just passing by. I'll stay and keep watch, if you like. I've nothing better to do."​

"Yeah, we should be going," said Mo. "I've not been outside for a long time, I'm starting to feel the cold."
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"What are you thinking?" I said as we walked back to the house.​
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"What do you mean?"​
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"You gave him your name. You're supposed to be in hiding."​
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"Just my first name. There are lots of Mo’s."​
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"We have to be careful. We only have the Boatman's word for it that he's here to spy on the boat, he might be here to meet it."​
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"Oh, I hadn't thought of that."
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"We need to get back to the house. If there are people on the island we need to be safely locked away out of sight. Pity though, I'd love to stay and watch what the Boatman's up to."​
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"Oh don't worry about that. While you were talking I signalled Tonks to keep an eye on him."​