When
Rill wakes up, she is exuberant because she knows they’re close to where the
Arcadia must be tied up. When Rill throws cookies to some kids who help them push their boat back into the water after sleeping on the shore,
Arney gets mad, but Rill assures her that
Queenie will make them dozens of cookies. Rill tells herself over and over that once they get back to the
Arcadia, their lives will be truly happy again, but she begins to worry a bit as they get closer—what will
Briny and Queenie think when they see it’s just Rill and
Fern? As they approach the
Arcadia, Rill realizes something is wrong even though Fern shouts excitedly. The boat looks uncared for, and
Silas runs out to greet them. However, he tells them that Queenie died and Briny “took to the bottle.”