For the last week the wind had been blowing steadily from the north-east, driving the waves into the bay and against the harbour wall. No boat had been able to leave the harbour for almost as long. A few brave or foolhardy crews had tried to venture out into the lough, but they had soon been forced back by the fearsome, black sea. But these boats - the fishing boats and the cargo boats - were the lifeblood of the town, and people soon became desperate.

Only one man seemed unaffected by the storms: Captain Reedy, the lighthouse keeper. As always, he took his place by the lantern at the end of the harbour wall, watching the wind and the waves. Reedy was regarded as 'strange' by the townsfolk. They knew that he had been born in the town, and that he had run away to sea many decades before. When he had returned, he had refused to speak of his adventures, preferring to remain silent and aloof. "You would not believe me," he would tell those who asked. "And I would rather be damned for my silence than for being a liar." And, with no facts, the townsfolk had resorted to rumour and speculation.

As the storm continued, one of the townsmen - a young man by the name of McCullough - decided that he would go to Reedy and seek his advice. Yes, the stories about Reedy were probably just those, but every story has a grain of truth at its heart. Or so McCullough hoped. He scurried along the harbour wall, his coat held tight against him and his hat pulled low to shield him from the drenching spray. Still, by the time he reached the lighthouse, McCullough was soaked through.

"Captain Reedy! A word!" McCullough called out.

Reedy looked at the young man and sucked on his pipe. "Aye?" His quiet voice seemed to pierce the storm.

"The storm! It has been going on too long! D'ye know if it will change?"

Reedy looked out to the horizon. "Aye."

"When?"

The old sailor shrugged. "In its own time. But -" he turned his shaggy head to look at McCullough, "- I will see what I can do." And, with that, Reedy turned his back and entered the lighthouse.

McCullough waited to see if the old man would come back out; but when he didn't, McCullough scurried back to the town, the wind beating at his back.

Overnight, the wind dropped and turned so it was blowing away from the town. The men of the town manned their boats and set out to sea, McCullough among them. As his vessel passed through the harbour wall, McCullough glanced towards the lighthouse. Captain Reedy was there, staring out to sea.