Sebastian and his followers enter the room. Sebastian knocks Jonathan to the ground “with one vicious punch” (194). He also hits Colin when he tries to escape. As lightning flashes and the wind shrieks, Sebastian threatens both Colin and Jonathan with his sword in the dining room. He orders Colin held down on a table.

The door bursts open, and Patrick, the guy from the mail boat, stands in the doorway. He shouts above the roar of the storm: “I came to warn you about the storm!” (198).

Sebastian raises his sword, points it at Patrick, and says “Grab him” (198).

Sebastian and his boys tie up Patrick. He pleads with the boys to let him go. He explains that he came out to the island to save them all from drowning. Patrick warns them that the storm is a monstrous category five hurricane with a huge storm surge that “could wash this whole place away!” (201).

Sebastian dismisses Patrick’s warning, but Jonathan, remembering what the librarian told him, backs up his claim: “It’s true. This place is crumbling. The island is getting smaller. There used to be a beach and everything” (202). Jonathan points out that the bottom floor is already underwater.