From Dr Watson to Sherlock Holmes Esq:

December 16th

Since I am writing this by the light of a candle fashioned from my own earwax, I can hardly dare imagine that my narrative will at some future point be delivered to my companion, let alone copied up in my notes and published in the Strand Magazine with the many other adventures from the annals of our investigations. I fear these very words may in fact be the last that I write, as I can see little hope of rescue and therefore scant possibility of seeing my faithful companion, my dear wife or even Gerald, my pet hedgehog, ever again.

Having said that, my fellow captive Stevenson, has been remarkably chirpy and is at this moment working on an escape tunnel (I have not the heart to tell him we are on board a ship!) I dare say, it is feasible that we may still yet see an avenue of light ahead – the sounds of sea-going traffic (tugboats perhaps?) have caught my ears over the last half hour, which would seem to indicate we are near a port and if so, the possibility of escape.

Nevertheless, given that my usual companion presumably cannot still be lost in his drunken slumber, I have to admit that my hopes of rescue etc are no longer high. In normal circumstances, I would have expected a carrier pigeon to have found its way to our place of detention, but I suspect the location is beyond even the cunning of Sherlock Holmes. This fact is even more unlikely given that I had caught a glimpse of the man who I now know to be behind all these shenanigans. The villain turned his evil features away when he I caught his eye, but I am in no doubt – the criminal mastermind in charge of this vessel is none other than Professor Moriarty! Clearly, he is no longer dead. Or rather, if he was dead, he must have come back to life, unless he’s a vampire, no that’s silly, oh for God’s sake Watson you’re rambling. (Ah, even now the voice of my erstwhile colleague comes back to haunt me…

My earwax candle is burning low, so I will dare to hope that a further opportunity presents itself when I may continue this narrative.

Watson