Ithmus Gallow sat at the rough wooden table inside his cabin. A smoky oil lamp speckled the room with an eerie yellow light sending shadows shimmering over the cabin's sparse contents. He clutched the half-empty bottle with both hands, fighting the tremor that ran through his body. He'd heard the sound from the marsh, and he was more than aware of just what it meant.

He tilted the bottle to his lips and gulped greedily, coughing and sputtering as the sharp liquid burned a path down his throat. It had been years since there had been any trouble from the marsh, so long in fact, he thought it was all behind him, but the sounds he heard earlier killed any hope of that being the truth.

Ithmus fretted over what to do. By rights, he should tell the families to pack their things and leave as fast as possible, but he would have to explain and that only meant big trouble for him. His red-rimmed eyes searched out the different corners of the small room for an answer, fear building like an expanding balloon in his chest.

With a mournful moan, he tipped back his chair and stumbled to the cot in the corner, crawling onto the sheets and curling up with the bottle clutched tightly to his chest.

******

"Instead of saying we were frightened by the storm, we just should have told the truth, Andy." Pauline whispered across the room from her bed.

"And get in trouble for being at the marsh?"

"Well what if that thing comes down here?" Heddy murmured from under the covers.

"What thing? You didn't see anything. None of us did... really."

"Well we all sure heard something." Pauline said in support of her sister.

"Prob'ly just the wind and the storm. Anyway, nothin's happened since we've been home has it?"

The girls stayed silently unconvinced. After their experience on the island a few years ago, they weren't discounting anything.

"Maybe we should tell him about Amigona," Heddy whispered.

"Shhh! He wouldn't believe us if we did, and I don't want to think about that anyway." Pauline wiggled down under the cover, tucking it snugly about her neck.

"Hey, we're all in this together, so no secrets, eh." Andy's voiced hissed.

"We were just saying good night." Heddy poked Pauline, getting a sharper one in return.

The rain and wind ended sometime during the night, and morning brought a hazy fog from the lake that sifted through the trees, leaving the air moist and heavy. The scruffy grass glittered with dew, and tracks from nocturnal animals could be seen criss-crossing the ground in front of the lodge.

"This would be a really good time to fish if you kids would like to go," Adrian said, drying the last of the breakfast dishes and putting them away.

"That sounds like a plan," Karen agreed, "I'll buzz Mr. Gallow and he can get us set up. Maybe we can catch something for dinner tonight."

"Can we go swimming?" Heddy pleaded.

"Not while it's so foggy, but after it lifts I don't see why not."

"Yea!" Heddy dashed off to get her swimsuit in preparation.

"We just push this, is that right?" Karen checked, pressing the buzzer on the intercom.

"Far as I know."

Ithmus jerked awake, bouncing the empty bottle onto the cabin floor. His brain was groggy from the buzzing, and he sat up rubbing his face brusquely. Images of the nightmare that had haunted his sleep blurred and faded, and he hauled himself up, stumping to the intercom and pressed the talk button.

"Yes?" His voice crackled with phlegm, and he coughed violently.

"Mr. Gallow? Good morning. It's Mrs. Foster, we were wondering if you might fix us up with some fishing gear. We thought it might be a good time to give it a try."

"Fishing. Yes, all right. Wait for me at the top of the steps over by the back of the lodge." He cut off the speaker, grumbling to himself, and gaped around the cabin, forcing his mind to wake up and concentrate.

"Boy! Mr. Diplomat. I must have jarred him out of bed."

"Tough cheese," Adrian said, "that's what he's here for. We certainly paid enough for the service."

"You've got that right. We'd better get the kids together and find these steps he's talking about."

The families waited patiently on the small wooden landing at the top of the steps leading down to the lake. The children, of course, had to climb around on the pine railing, and venture daringly down the first few steps, before reluctantly, being called back. Eventually, Ithmus emerged from the woods carrying a bundle of fishing rods, tackle box, and a bucket of bait.

The old hat hid his eyes, but they could tell from the grim mouth that he was in a dark mood. He muttered a greeting, stepped past them and directed them to follow him down to the lake. The steps were old and missing in spots, replaced by hastily dug holes that served to bridge the gaps.

The family clung nervously to the splintery rail, picking their way after the lumbering Ithmus. When they reached the bottom, they were surprised to find a brand-new dock that stretched for about twenty feet out into the water. Alongside was a pebble speckled, sandy beach with a small stone fire pit set in front of a bark free log bench.

The boat was bobbing serenely against the dock, its aluminium hull glaring in the emerging sunlight, and Ithmus stepped down into it, arranging the fishing gear and tossing life jackets up onto the dock.

"Any of you know how to work the outboard?" He asked, glaring up at them.

"I do," Adrain said, "we have one at our cottage."

"Fine, I'll prime and start it, you can drive. Put them jackets on."

"Yessir, Captain Bligh," Karen muttered, turning away and giving Adrian a wink.

"This here lake's shallow, so don't be goin' way out in the middle. If a wind comes up you'll be in a mess o' trouble. Best fishin' is in that inlet down by the point. There's trout, pickerel, and catfish mainly. Don't be reelin' in any pike if you happen to hook one, they're mean and dangerous." He climbed back onto the dock and handed the line to Karen, jamming his hands in his pockets and standing back to watch.

Everyone settled in the boat and Adrian expertly guided it away from the dock and out into the lake, maintaining a pace slow enough for safety and fast enough for the kids. They looked back and saw Ithmus jump down onto the beach and stride off in the opposite direction.

"Wonder where he's going?" Karen asked.

"Guess he's got other stuff to check on while he's down here."

"He's not very friendly, mom." Pauline said, watching the figure grow smaller in the distance.

"Well, he's probably used to being alone without a lot of vacationers to bother him."

"Still..."

"Look! Over there!" Heddy was pointing at a speedboat out in the middle of the lake, just below the scattering fog. "We saw him yesterday."

"He's really movin' too." Andy observed.

"Faster than he should be." Adrian angled their boat toward the shore, heading for the inlet Ithmus had suggested.