How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He took his seat by the window and did what everyone does before the instruction to switch off communications; he selected OneDegree on his device, and bumped.
And then… nothing.
He rebooted the app, and bumped again.
Nothing.
He shook his head, unable to understand it […]
He stared a moment longer at his device, wondering if the new version had a bug.
As if something sinister had happened, he leaned out of his seat and a little furtively studied his fellow passengers. (1.1.11-15, 17-18)
Something is definitely up. Eric Seven might not believe in ghosts and ghouls and spirits, but the fact that his precious technology isn't working is a major clue that something not quite rational and scientific is happening on Blessed Island.
Quote #2
There is nothing much about it on the Net. Nothing beyond the times of the steamboat, the hours of sun-fall and moon-up, a brief history of the old fishing trade, now gone.
As for the rumors…
No firsthand accounts, no original source material. The pages that do mention them are simply rehashes of each other, leaving very few original hits to glean anything from.
So little to be read on the Net; that's another strange thing about the place.
All he's heard are the rumors, stories, the speculation, and the swiftly lost words of whispered secrets, about the island where people have started to live forever. (1.1.38-42)
Not only does technology not work on Blessed Island, but there doesn't seem to be much that technology can tell Eric about the place in general. Have you ever Googled something and gotten no results? It's sort of weird. The fact that Blessed Island doesn't have an online presence is pretty darn mysterious.
Quote #3
"Well, my guess," says Nancy, "is that it's a parent and child. They must have died at the same time—probably disease—and were buried together. The child in the arms of the mother. Or father."
"That's so sad."
"It's kind of nice, too, though," Nancy says. "It's so protective. As if the parent is keeping
their child safe. Even in death. Did you ever read about that Mesolithic burial with the skeleton of a child, lain on a swan's wing? I think that's beautiful, too. Like the wing would fly it to heaven."
(2.8.7-9)
Nancy is thinking through the grave of Tor and Eirik logically. Of course this was probably a parent and child who died together. That makes the most sense, not the supernatural events that actually happened. She does mention some ancient superstitions—the child buried on the wing—but it's clear she doesn't believe in any of this stuff for real; she just appreciates the symbolism of it.