Three days, a week, a month passed, and Lassander had not appeared. Some said he had gone on a distant business trip, some said he had drowned, and others said he had bought a title with a hefty sum and would never return to Booty Bay. None of the speculations were based on facts. He disappeared forever into the sea mist.
The residents and patients slowly returned to the White House. Orders for corpse processing from Lord Silversnap continued to flow in. A week after Tusha's disappearance, he returned and resumed his work. No one in the White House mentioned Lassander again.
One morning, as winter neared its end, Mareni entered a sleep from which she would never awaken. Taking advantage of the low tide, Glocara sent the girl's body into the sea. She lifted her soaked skirt, returned to the beach, and put on the shoes resting on the sand. Tusha crouched nearby, pressing a small crab's shell with his fingers as it crawled by his feet, releasing it to let it move a short distance before pressing it again, and releasing once more.
"Miss Glocara, are you heading back?" Tusha asked. For this burial at sea, Glocara hadn't allowed him to assist, but she hadn't stopped him from following either.
"Yes, going back."
Tusha stood, straightening his back. The crab crawled past his feet.
Glocara walked ahead. After a moment, she said:
"Clean up that room when we get back. You can live there."
"Ah, thank you. Miss Glocara, your soul is truly kind."
She didn't reply nor did she turn around.