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The bed, while a top-quality bed that contained a fair amount of actual bona fide wood--Thomas’s parents had spared no expense--was only so-so as a raft and had trended doard rapidly as the bedclothes and then the h and lost their buoyancy Josh sat heavily on it, crisscross applesauce, resigned, Buddha going doith the ship, while the bed gradually swamped, and the cold seawater lapped up over his knees

But the Muntjac was already in view by then, sheering keenly through the waves toward thele Its sails--his sails, Quentin’s sails, with the pale blue ram of Fillory--stood out in taut, proud curves The power of it, the color, the solidity, the reality of it, were alure sailor was already at the railing, pointing in their direction

Quentin hadn’t for a second doubted that the Muntjac would be there It seemed like years since he’d seen it They had come to take him home

As it bore down on them he’d had a moment of worry: what if centuries had passed, what if Eliot and Janet really were dead, and the Muntjac was the last survivor of the Brakebills era, and he was going hole at the railing, looking just as he always had, ready to haul his royal body back on board and get back to guarding it

Though even as they were toweling off, and hugging each other, andfresh clothes and hot tea, he could see that not everything aboard the Muntjac was exactly as he’d left it The ship was older Not that it was shabby, but it had aged, settled into itself sos, the varnish on the deck--was now rubbed to ht and prickly were now sh blocks over and over again

Also Quentin was no longer in charge of the Muntjac Eliot was

"Where have you been!" he said, when he was done e Quentin "You ridiculous, ridiculousto think you were dead"

"I was on Earth How long have we been gone?"

"A year and a day"

"God It was only three days for us"

"That makes me two years older than you no do you think that makes me feel? Hoas Earth?"

"The sa?"

"A bed Josh An Australian girl named Poppy I didn’t have a lot of time And you kno hard you are to shop for"

Quentin was still in a euphoric state, but the adrenaline earing off, and his eyes felt sandy and jet-lagged Twentyand arduously alcoholic party, and noas early afternoon again They went below to Quentin’s cabin, which was now Eliot’s cabin, and he dried off and changed clothes and cursed Eht to bless Fillory with the miracle of coffee beans

Then he lay down on Eliot’s bed and looked up at the loork ceiling and told Eliot about everything that had happened He told hi back to Brakebills, and about Julia’s safe houses, and how Josh had sold the button He told hion, and about the Chatwins’ house

Eliot sat at the foot of the bed When Quentin was done Eliot watched hi the hollow of his upper lip with the tip of his index finger

"Well," he said finally "This is interesting"

Yes, it was Although Quentin’s i He wanted to fall asleep and moreover felt confident of his ability to do so very quickly Being back in Fillory was a e inflatable cushion of relief of the kind stunthts without injury, and he sank into it

Though if Quentin could have had absolutely everything exactly the way he wanted it, he would have asked for one : he didn’t want to be on a boat any not just to Fillory but specifically to his roo bed and its special calreat interpreter of signs and wonders, but the lesson of the golden key seea Remain where you are, in your castle, and you will be safe No further action on your part is required

"Eliot," he said "Where are we?"

"We’re east Very far east Even farther than you went We left After Island behind teeks ago"

"Oh, no"

"We’re over the horizon"

"No, no, no" Quentin closed his eyes "We can’t be" He wanted it to be dark, but surly yellow late-afternoon sun continued blasting in through his--Eliot’s--cabinunabated "All right We are But we’re going back now, right? You found me and Julia Mission accoo back We just have to do onefirst"

"Eliot, stop I’ain"

"Just one thing You’ll like it"

"I don’t think I’ to like it"