In The Sherlock Society, what is special about the island in the clue?

• A. It can be reached without a boat and is an island on an island
• B. It is reached only by ferry and is on a waterlogged map
• C. It is located on a different continent
• D. It has no water around it

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how to read a clue that plays with geography and travel: an island that you can reach without using a boat, and that sits on top of another island. When a clue says an island is “an island on an island,” it points to a smaller land area that is itself surrounded by water, but located on a larger landmass that is also an island—so you can get there by moving over land on the bigger island rather than crossing water. That’s why the best choice is the one describing both conditions together: no boat needed to reach it, and the notion of an island perched on another island. The other options clash with this: needing a ferry means you do cross water, being on a different continent breaks the idea of being on an island within another landmass, and having no water around it would make it not an island at all.