The Black Tide

The Northern Lighthouse Board assigned you on eight days' notice. The previous keeper — Macrae, A., eleven months' service — has not filed a daily log since the fourteenth. The lamp has been dark for at least four nights. No explanation is on file. Your posting is temporary. Duration unspecified. The crossing took most of the morning. The weather was poor and the ferry ran late. When you asked the deckhand about the island, he mentioned the pub on the mainland and changed the subject. The captain called the assignment routine. He said this without being asked. The ferry left as soon as you were ashore. The captain cited the weather and the tidal window. He did not wait for you to check the crates. The supply crates are split and water-damaged. The island has no other residents. No light answers from the tower. Your task: reach the lighthouse. Determine why the lamp was extinguished. Restore operation if the mechanism permits. Maintain the light until relief is sent.