Everything As It Should Be
- Before dinner the next day the kids climb the hill by to the dormitory and take a look at the Institute through Kate's telescope.
- They notice another trap—drapeweed next to boulders again—but then have to put the telescope away when two Helpers come up the path.
- Reynie recognizes one of the Helpers, a man, as a Mr. Bloomburg who used to come to the orphanage where Reynie lived to inspect the school.
- The Helper denies being Mr. Bloomburg, saying his name is Harry Harrison, but he can't seem to remember how long he's been on Nomansan Island. Neither can the other helper, a woman named Mary.
- Reynie's questions seem to disturb them both greatly, so Reynie says he must have been mistaken and lets them go on their way.
- However, he tells the other kids that he's positive the man was indeed Mr. Bloomburg and he realizes that Mr. Bloomburg, the rest of the Helpers, and Milligan have all had their memories stolen.
- This reminds him of Charlie Peters, who like the students who had been "recruited," seemed so dazed. And Charlie had never said that he wouldn't tell them about his Messenger work, but that he couldn't. Because he didn't remember it.
- As the kids discuss it, they realize this must be the case, but there's a difference between Charlie Peters and the recruited students and Milligan and the Helpers: Charlie and the new students didn't seem as sad as Milligan and the Helpers.
- They realize that while Milligan and the Helpers have had all of the memories erased, Charlie and the new students have just had specific memories erased.
- And as Reynie says, "You only get sad if you can't remember all the things that are dear to you. If you only lose a little of your memory, you just get confused for a while" (19.56).
- This makes him feel especially downhearted concerning Mr. Bloomburg, who he knows has children he loves dearly but now doesn't remember at all.
- Kate puts it all together when she realizes that Mr. Bloomburg, who was a school inspector, must have come "'to the Institute to make an inspection, which was never supposed to happen, and he didn't like what he found—'" "'And Mr. Curtain made sure that he never went back'" (19.64 – 65), Reynie finishes for her.
- Things are starting to feel a little more dangerous. And evil.