Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Arthur and Linus change hotels. When they call the children that evening, Zoe reports that they were understandably upset by the radio broadcast of the hearings. Talia asks excitedly whether Linus really threw something at Arthur’s head, and Sal asks how Arthur is doing after the stressful hearing. Arthur assures him that Linus is taking good care of him and that he is fine. That night, in bed, they discuss the difficulties the inspector will create for their plan to move David, an unregistered magical being, to the island. They talk about Arthur’s past helping magical beings hide from the government, and Arthur comments about his many flaws as a person. Linus assures him that he loves him for his flaws, not in spite of them and that he does not really consider them faults. Linus goes to the closet and retrieves a black ring box. He asks Arthur to marry him, and Arthur enthusiastically assents.

The next morning, the two travel to the house where David is being hidden. They meet Jason and his partner, Byron. Jason is relieved when Linus and Arthur easily accept that Byron goes by they/them pronouns. Jason mentions having heard the radio broadcast and seen follow-up reports in the newspapers; his opinion is that EUM is still active—with new faces in charge—and that the tone of the news coverage is mostly unfavorable toward Arthur. He does note that Helen, who is a friend of his, has mentioned that things have been getting better for magical people in the mainland village near Marsyas. Jason worries about their ability to protect David with the inspection coming up, but they promise to keep David safe.

Jason takes them to meet David, a five-foot-tall, 10-year-old yeti covered in long white hair. David has prepared an elaborate noir detective play for them. He plays all of the parts, ducking into a closet to change into various costumes. At the end of the play, he represents a monster who kills the detective. He tells the detective that, “We all have monsters inside of us. The difference between us is that I let mine come out to play” (116). Arthur and Linus learn that David, despite Jason’s explanations to the contrary, believes that he must audition for a place at the orphanage, which he conceives of as a kind of boarding school. When they explain that the reverse is true—that they are essentially there to audition for him and that he can choose whether to come to Marsyas or not—he is stunned. David quizzes them about their rules. It’s clear that he’s nervous about going into a new environment, particularly one with other children, whom he fears will reject him as others have in the past. They assure him that at Marsyas Orphanage, he will be accepted exactly as he is. David shares with Arthur that, just as Arthur is the last living phoenix, David is the last living yeti. After a long conversation, they leave David to think over his decision.

Arthur and Linus are charmed by the bizarre disguise David chooses to wear on the train trip back to the coast. It is David’s first train trip, and at first he is thrilled, but as the hours pass he grows bored and then, as they near the coast, nervous. Linus and Arthur reassure him that the other children will like and accept him. When they meet Helen at the train station, David flies into her arms, excitedly recapping the entire trip for her. On the ride through the village, David is amazed by all of the new sights. He is especially shocked by a family of Cyclopes there to vacation. Linus explains that, although this village used to be prejudiced like many other places, it is now quite friendly to magical people. Helen confesses that, in the past year, her own attitude toward magical people has changed a great deal, as well. “We’re building something” (136), Arthur tells David, explaining their hope that little changes like the one in this village will spread outward to the rest of society. At the shore, Helen suggests that, instead of taking the ferry, they let Zoe create a salt road from the ocean as a special treat for David. When it appears, they drive over it to the island.

When he meets Zoe, David is impressed by her wings. The children are inside, where Zoe has asked them to wait so as not to overwhelm David, but they can all be seen peeking through the house’s windows. David stomps around, claws extended, growling, and then announces that this is how yetis greet new places. Linus does the same, growling so deeply that even David is impressed. He suggests that David can give him lessons on how to be a yeti. Zoe brings the children outside, and they unfurl a banner welcoming David home. Arthur calls Theodore over to meet David. David is puzzled by how they communicate with Theodore, who speaks his own chirpy kind of language, but Linus assures him that soon, he will grow to understand Theodore as well. When David meets Lucy, he asks whether Lucy will one day fight Jesus for the souls of all humankind. Lucy is speechless, but eventually he agrees that yes, probably he will do just that. Talia laughs and says that this is doubtful, considering that just last night Lucy cried over stubbing his toe until Zoe kissed it to make it better. David meets the other children, who are all friendly and excited. Talia offers to show David the house, and Chauncey leads him inside.

Zoe sees the ring Arthur is wearing and offers delighted congratulations on his and Linus’s engagement. Phee comes running back outside to get them; David and Calliope are squaring off with one another because yetis and cats are “mortal enemies” (146). Linus and Arthur go inside and diffuse the situation; David agrees that he will not try to eat Calliope, and Calliope stalks off, having decided to simply ignore David. When the children show David his room, he is overwhelmed. Not only has he never had his own room, but this room—made from the former cellar—is also chilled to an Arctic temperature and decorated to resemble the icy far north. That night, after Arthur and Linus go to bed, all of the children except for David gradually creep into their room and join them in bed. When the children finally notice the ring on Arthur’s finger, they are instantly awake, and their excitement keeps everyone up for much of the night.

On Friday morning, two days after their return from the city, Arthur reads David’s file. He learns that David’s parents were shot by a big game hunter, who is now facing a minimal prison sentence. David comes into Arthur’s office and the two talk about how David is adjusting. Arthur asks what David wants to be when he grows up, and David responds, “a monster” (159). David tries to explain that since people sometimes find it entertaining to be scared, this is what a monster can do. Arthur tells David that he does not have to be a monster if he doesn’t want to be one, which makes David angry. David feels that Arthur, like everyone else, is trying to change him and does not really accept him for who he is. Arthur worries about how to support David’s identity without contradicting what he has been teaching the other children. He apologizes to David for making assumptions and not really listening well to what David was trying to tell him, and they agree that Arthur’s job will be to help David become the best possible version of whatever he wants to be.

On Saturday, the family goes on their weekly adventure. This time, it is Chauncey’s turn to lead, and he chooses a “yachting” adventure. Chauncey decks himself out in his version of fancy yachting clothes and provides everyone else with a wet suit. He proudly shows the family the “yacht” he has constructed from a rowboat and a cardboard box, and they launch the craft into the ocean. Despite his misgivings about his own leadership abilities, David is nominated to be their captain. He rises to the occasion, and all of the children have fun following his directions as they sail along the shoreline. After an hour, Chauncey stops the boat, announcing that they have arrived at their destination. He tells them that he has recently discovered an ability to talk to fish. He yells repeatedly for a particular fish, whom he calls “Frank.” Finally, a fish actually surfaces. Chauncey holds a conversation with the fish and then tells the family that he believes they should no longer eat seafood. While the family debates this, Chauncey undercuts his own arguments by swallowing Frank, whom he soon vomits back into the ocean. David is amazed, telling Arthur, “You weren’t kidding when you said we could be monsters if we wanted to” (176). This outrages Lucy, whom Arthur has repeatedly forbidden from acting like a monster, and Lucy retreats into a sulk.

The wind dies down, and Arthur decides to let the children figure out how to solve the problem of getting back to shore. Lucy creates a tidal wave that lifts the boat up into the air. Chauncey forms himself into a parachute shape and Theodore breathes fire to create a hot-air-balloon effect. The result is a thrilling, chaotic ride that leaves the adults shaken but proud at the children’s ingenuity. When the family arrives back at the house, their upbeat mood is punctured by the arrival of a letter from DICOMY. The inspector will arrive on Wednesday, and if the adults interfere in any way with the investigation, the children will be removed from Marsyas.