XLVA black thing lay on the shore of the broad estuary, half in, half out of the water. The white gulls wheeled and screamed over it, curious that only one of its arms should move up and down as the lilting waves caught it. This black thing had been lying there for two days now, moving higher up the shore when the tide came in, and sliding down again when the waves withdrew. It was alone, the gulls decided. They had seen the raft on which it came slither from under it and then go bobbing away into the deep Irish Sea. As night came on, they lost interest in it and moved away to the island where they rested. Perhaps they would come back again tomorrow and see if it was still there.
In the night a woman came with a lantern, looking for anything the sea might have brought. She came at night b
