The Search For Doctor Vane

by Jeffery Scott Sims

About the Author: Jeffery Scott Sims is an author devoted to fantastic literature, living in Arizona, which forms the background for many of his stories. His recent publications include a volume of weird tales, 'Eerie Arizona'; and the short stories "The Vault of Phalos", "The Idol of Zita", "Klinghofer's Folly", "A Sojourn in Crost", "Klinghofer's Preview", and "Danger Below the East Rim."

Excerpt

I brought my boat in that morning to the eastern side of the island. Not much in the way of harbor there, but at this season the winds tended to howl from the west, so I made do with a shallow cove, splashed down, secured the vessel with three stout hawsers lashed to steel pegs driven deep into the sand. Unless we caught a fierce blow, that should do the trick. Once I dropped the ramp, Professor Vorchek and his girl Friday joined me, followed by his two graduate students, whom he seemed to treat as nothing more than pack animals. They carried the supplies and gear ashore. I sympathized, but didn’t lend a hand. That wasn’t in my contract. I’d been paid to haul them all to Ironfang Island, and God help me, I did that.

Vorchek explained it simply enough when we made the deal. “I have misplaced a colleague,” he said, in that slightly accented but perfect English of his, carefully enunciating every word. He dressed well, this Anton Vorchek, looked good, tall and distinguished, with silvery temples and a short, manicured beard, but he rubbed me the wrong way from the start. He’s one of those guys who smiles a little bit all the time, only it means nothing, and his eyes are dark ice. It wasn’t long before he gave me the creeps. “Doctor Vane,” he went on, “Wallis Vane, a sound researcher in folklore and local history. He consulted me on a project which took him to your coast, subsequently mounted an expedition into your waters. He never returned. I wish to learn what happened to him. That is why I want you to take me to Ironfang Island.”

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