As S swims for his life once again, he notices that it’s odd that this has happened to him twice so recently, and he wonders what those voices in his ear chanting about the beginning and the end could mean. He can’t ask them though, and he may never know.

After swimming for a while, by some miracle, S sees the old ship. It’s more beat up than it was last time, but it’s the same ship, complete with Maelstrom’s odd but oddly welcome voice. He even sees the crew, mouths still sewn shut.

In the margins, Eric writes a monologue about how “Sometimes (he’s) jealous of people who’ve studied VMS’s books W/O getting into all of this,” noting that he would almost prefer simply to read the books for their own merit instead of using them as a lens through which to study Straka and FXC (200). When Jen doesn’t respond, Eric writes that he hopes she reads this soon when she comes back. After that, he realizes that all he really hopes is that she returns-

“I hope you come back.”

His simple language in this statement sharply contrasts many of his other writings, which are more studious and intellectual. This shows that his feelings for Jen are well beyond merely intellectual at this point, that he has feelings for her too.