The House in the Cerulean Sea

The voice belongs to Lucy, who frightens Linus terribly before Arthur Parnassus, the master of the orphanage, shows up and tells him to stop. Linus is drawn to Arthur but maintains his professionalism. Linus is thrown off balance; Arthur advises him to leave his preconceptions behind. Arthur also tells Linus that Theodore loves his button and that it was kind of Linus to give it to him. He calls to the children, who emerge from the guest house and speak to Arthur in their own languages. Linus goes to his bedroom and finds that his luggage has been tidily unpacked by Chauncey. Feeling overwhelmed, he reads the children’s files and realizes how extraordinary they are.

Linus goes to the main house for dinner and finds Lucy and Zoe (Ms. Chapelwhite) singing in the kitchen as they prepare dinner. Phee and Talia find him and accuse him of spying, but Arthur appears again to remind the children of their manners. They briefly interact with Theodore, whose language Arthur also appears to speak. Everyone sits for dinner, where Lucy continues to say outlandishly evil things in an attempt to unsettle Linus. During the meal, Talia wonders why Linus is eating only a salad, and he tells her that he needs to lose weight. The conversation moves in many different directions as the children contribute, leaving Linus scrambling to keep up. Sal asks if Linus is going to take their home away, but Arthur steps in to reassure them that Linus is only there to make sure that they’re all safe and well taken care of.

Arthur gives Linus a tour of the main house. They discuss making arrangements for him to inspect the rooms. In Arthur’s office, they talk about the children in more depth, specifically: Chauncey’s unknown origins and early childhood conviction that he was a monster; Sal’s short tenures at other house, which make his three months at Marsyas his longest stay; and Arthur’s efforts to banish the word “antichrist” and expand Lucy’s understanding of what and who he can be. Arthur gently insists that mystery and ambiguity is okay; Linus, who has spent 17 years working for DICOMY, is uncomfortable with this view and believes there’s an explanation for everything. Their discussion makes Linus think about earlier regulations about magical youth; they were torn from their homes and banished to schools that were essentially prisons. Linus thinks about how unfair the system is. Arthur expresses some pity for Linus’s regimented approach to life, irritating Linus, who retreats into his position as caseworker for security. He notes that Arthur doesn’t take the children off the island. Arthur explains that the villagers are too hostile, and he doesn’t want to expose the children to that hate.

Their conversation moves between easy dialogue and tense moments of testing each other’s beliefs and views. Arthur apologizes for assuming Linus will hold the prejudices of other DICOMY employees. They discuss Lucy, whom Arthur describes as having a “morbid sense of humor for one so young” (121). When Linus shifts to speaking in a more official capacity, Arthur challenges him with reminders that his charges are still children who shouldn’t be punished for their existence. Linus returns to the guest house, marveling at some of the things he’s learned, and falls asleep thinking of Arthur.

Linus wakes after a good night’s sleep but is immediately frightened by Chauncey, who has hidden under his bed in the night. Linus begins writing his first report for EUM. In it, he chides them for the inadequate files for the children and for Arthur, and the lack of a file at all for Zoe. Linus briefly discusses the children’s lodgings, describes the house as “on the verge of chaos” (130), and recommends more supervision.

Linus observes school for the day. In one assignment, the children engage in a curriculum Arthur calls “Expressing Yourself,” in which each student tells a story of their own creation that can be true or fiction. Most of the children participate enthusiastically, but Sal is shy; when he musters the courage to speak in front of the others, he reads a beautiful poem he’s written. After lunch, Zoe takes Linus to the other side of the island and shows him a raft with a message that was sent over from the village. The note says: “Leave. We don’t want your kind here” (137). He and Zoe discuss the discrimination magical people face. Angry, Linus sends the raft back with a message of his own: “No, thank you” (140).