- Alex (who has prettied himself up a bit) enters the library and asks for Basil. The receptionist tells him to go to a conference room in the back.
- Alex enters the room, but there are two dudes sitting down. Which one is Basil? Confused, Alex spouts an excuse for his visit before hightailing it out of there.
- He decides to hide outside until the two men leave, assuming he'll be able to figure it out from there.
- The first man leaves the building and walks away; somehow, Alex can instantly tell that "this was not Basil" (12.22). So Alex has psychic powers now, we guess?
- Alex leaps up when the second man exits the building. The man acknowledges his presence, but tells Alex to stay quiet and follow him from a distance.
- When they reach the bank of a river, the man sits down and motions Alex over. Basil explains that Katriana had told him about Alex before leaving the country herself. You go, girl.
- What he hadn't expected was that Alex would bring along so many people. Concerned, he tells Alex to introduce him to the posse.
- Basil is aghast when he sees everyone: There are way too many people to fit in a single boat. He tells Alex that he must "go home and think" (12.51) before making any commitments.
- The boys spend the next day wandering around, waiting for Basil to give them the word. And he does, finally telling them that they can all come along.
- He tells them to hop on the next northbound train and get off at the last stop, where they'll meet a fisherman named Nicholai with a "red and black beard" (12.78). Stylish.