As S. and Sola rest at the bottom of the well, S. begins to have doubts about what they are about to do. He wonders if they would be better served turning around and going back to the ship, which they could use to sail away from all their problems and mysteries. He asks himself whether or not he could be justified in poisoning thousands of people or if there is even a point in doing so. However, despite these doubts, he and Sola begin the climb up the well to Vévoda’s estate.

It’s clear that S. has changed considerably from his time as an assassin on the ship. Before, he had accepted what he thought his fate was; the only purpose in his life was to fight his and others’ ideas of evil and everything else was irrelevant. Now, it is clear that S. has other desires. It would be so easy to turn around and sail in the other direction–to take the easy way out–but something compels him to complete his ultimate task. It seems as though at this moment S. still feels compelled to fulfill his duty, but his contemplation of his desire tells us that his priorities may soon change.

In their third round of notes Eric tells Jen that he’s going back to Standefer before leaving. Jen thinks its a bad idea but understands why he would need to do it.

Standefer is the hall that Eric flooded before being expunged from campus and also the hall where Professor Moody’s office is. Why would Eric voluntarily go back there? Although Moody is certainly Eric’s enemy, it is interesting the extent to which he needs Moody to succeed.

Further down the page Jen asks Eric, Is your leg OK? Are you going to be able to run if you need to? to which Eric responds, Don’t worry about me.

It seems like whatever is trying to do, he is so intent on it that even an injury won’t stop him from completing his objective.

In the last round of notes Jen makes a reference to a Sola quote that carries on from page 418: Listen, we are we, and we have been we for a long, long time. And in that way, I am you.” She writes, I keep wishing we could’ve told her that it was Vaclav, she was in love with Vaclav. And then I remember that it hadn’t mattered to her for a long, long time. The love mattered–not the name, not the dates, not the facts. And then I just start crying all over again. Eric replies, saying that she can just tell him those sorts of things, but Jen replies, Some things are easier to write.

This seems like an attempt to portray love in its purest form, void of any factors that might tamper with it (e.g. the name, the dates, the facts). If Filomela knew that Vaclav was not the real Straka, would she still love him? Jen thinks she might not, but then realizes that her love for him is all that matters. Is this true love?