The Giant Rat of Sumatra Part VII

"Whereabouts did you buy your black silk nylon stockings?" Captain Heelander asked Vittoria Donna Gina as the group now stood aboard the deck of the ship Matilda Briggs looking up at the moonlight, "I'm thinking of buying a pair for ... ahem!... a good friend of mine."

The captain looked down at his own reflection in the moonlit water.

First Mate Leonard Spock buried his head in his hands.

"That man at the end of the dock on shore there," the Man in the Golden Mask seethed, "I know him."

Holmes looked at the man standing on shore at the end of the dock. He had dark hair, dark beard and piercing dark eyes which seemed to pierce the soul even from the distance of shore to the deck of this ship.

"He's a thief," Hemlock the Magician adjusted his golden mask so he could view the man better through the mask's eyeholes, "I encountered him often at circuses over in Germany."

"He stole from circuses?" Holmes looked quizzical.

"That he did, Mr. Holmes," the Man in the Golden Mask spat out the words- not a good thing to do when one is wearing a full faced mask.

"Curious," Holmes blew smoke rings into the night's sea air.

"Bloody Hell," the Man in the Golden Mask tried to wipe off the spit from underneath his mask.

"When I was in Germany with Hemlock's show," Vittoria spoke, "that man was always trying to enter my dressing room." She cast her gaze in the direction of the dark haired dark bearded man with piercing dark eyes.

"Obviously more than just a thief," Holmes stated.

"Indeed," Hemlock having wiped away the spit had re-adjusted his mask.

"He looks Italian," Holmes carefully observed the dark haired dark bearded dark eyed man who stood on the shore well-dressed with top hat and cane.

"Italian?" Captain Heelander laughed, "Well that would explain both his being a thief and his being a touch amourous with the ladies then, wouldn't it?".

"Such prejudicial statements and generalizations are irrational and illogical, Captain," Spock once again buried his head in his hands.

"If he is a thief, he certainly isn't your run of the mill common thief," Holmes even from a distance could tell the man was wearing a high quality tailored suit.

The man noticed that Holmes was staring at him intently.

He then turned...

... and seemingly disappeared into the night.

To be continued.