Fifer nodded. “I will.”

“Good. Now… is there anything else you need to talk through before we start our day?”

Fifer thought about mentioning Thisbe and their fight. But that felt wrong. Not only was Fifer spent after all they’d worked through so far, but more importantly she didn’t feel right about bringing it up when she and Thisbe had agreed to talk things through. “I think that’s it for this session,” Fifer said with a small smile.

“Good,” said Sky, giving Fifer another hug. “Let’s hit this day hard.” With that they descended the stairs. “This place is looking better,” Sky said with a critical eye sweeping over the main entry area. “Someone was working overnight.”

“The statues, no doubt,” said Fifer. She hastily wiped the last of her tears with her sleeve and took a cleansing breath. They found Simber guarding the doorway to the hospital ward. People were talking and moving about in the room. When they saw Fifer pass by, a couple of them started shouting. “Let us out of here!” and “We said we’re sorry!” and “We want our rooms back!” Then one, accusingly: “Did you kill Frieda Stubbs?”

Fifer felt a chill go down her spine. Sky squeezed her hand to remind her of their talk. Fifer squeezed back and exchanged a glance with Simber. “I’ll return shortly,” she told him.

“Take yourrr time,” Simber drawled. “They arrren’t going anywherrre.”

Though Fifer had expected the dissenters would soon discover that she’d been the one to put an end to Frieda Stubbs, the first accusation of it out loud had been jarring. “Let’s step outside,” Fifer said smoothly. “We have some things to collect from Scarlet’s skiff.”

“Indeed we do,” said Sky.

Fifer and Sky continued out the front door and to the shore. “Are you okay?” Sky asked.

“I will be,” Fifer said. “I’m… trying to be.” They waded out to the skiff, which had only been slightly damaged during the battle due to its location away from the action. Thankfully, the books and supplies they’d gathered from Eagala’s throne room were unharmed by the battle and just as they’d left them.

Fifer and Sky brought them into the mansion and dropped them off in Ms. Octavia’s art classroom for Thisbe to study later. When they entered that room, they were surprised to see Aaron, looking disheveled, curled up and reading in a comfortable chair in the corner.

“Have you been here all night?” Fifer asked him. She and Sky set their piles of Eagala’s journals on a table.

“Yes,” Aaron admitted. “I dozed a little. But I found some pamphlets that Mr. Today wrote regarding the installation of the tubes. They were folded and tucked inside a different book that I found in the Museum of Large library. The good news is that I think I know what to do now. It might take me a while to rebuild the control panels, but I have the tools I need over at my island.” He looked at Fifer. “Did someone say the upstairs kitchenette tube is still functional?”