Log:Pandora's Box, Scene 1

[Prologue:

Amy (Lady Luck) went to see Mr. Ferguson, a teacher at the school, to buy from him some antiques left by his recently deceased father. Among these was an ebony chest with brass fittings but lacking its key; Caleb, Rachel and a locksmith all failed to break into it, and it was increasingly felt that the box was locked magically, especially when Dancing Coyote proved incapable of looking through it. There moreover had been break-in at Mr. Ferguson's, shortly after he sold the box to Amy.

(While Amy was buying the box, Caleb sneaked a peek at Mr Ferguson's address book and found the phone number of one "Emily", without surname. While this seems to have little bearing on the plot, it may explain a detail or two....)]

[Scene: Pennyroyal Lane, after lunch]

Eel comes out of Elvis Diner. He burps, covering his mouth.

Dancing Coyote waves to Eel. "Haven't seen you since the games. How are you?"

Eel skates over. "Not bad, you?"

Dancing Coyote smiles. "I'm moderately well, actually. Enjoying the relative lull between crises. Though it is apparently soon to be over."

Eel hmm, seeming suspicious. "What have you heard?"

Dancing Coyote seems a bit uncertain. "I'm not sure how much weight to put to it, but those Shadow Sitter entities are apparently concerned about a potential wave of supernatural threats."

Eel says, "Hmm. They seemed pretty vague about all of it."

It's a rather pleasant early afternoon, if a bit cool - sunshine with some fluffy clouds. Amy comes up the street from the direction of the dark, humming to herself.

Dancing Coyote nods. "They reappeared and were slightly less vague... but only slightly. And given who they represent, it's not clear to me they can be trusted in any case." He shrugs.

Dancing Coyote waves to Amy.

Eel says, "Any thoughts about the talent show?"

Eel waves to Amy. "Heya."

Dancing Coyote smiles. "No... I think I'll leave that to others. "

Amy says, "Oh, hi there! What's up?""

Dancing Coyote shakes his head. "Nothing, really. Eel here was trying to organize the BSS talent show for tomorrow."

Amy says, "oh! Maybe I should do something for that too, but I don't know what...."

Dancing Coyote says, "You could probably put together a startling mentalist act. Of course, people would probably just assume you were reading the target's minds."

"Bah. I wasn't trying to organize anything," Eel says, "Was just wondering if anyone else was going to do anything."

Amy says, "Is luck a talent?"

Dancing Coyote smiles. "If not, what is?

Eleven comes to the store bringing some vietnamese sandwhiches for Amy, Bullwinkle, Avenger and Himself.

Amy says, "I guess I just need to work out what to do to make it a good show."

Eel says, "Hrm. No way I'd get onto a stage after Lorelei."

Dancing Coyote waves to Jack. "Well, perhaps Jack can help you... he certainly knows how to get a crowd up on its feet."

Lucky Finds still has its 'closed for lunch' sign up - usually a sign that Amy is out for a walk. But she cna be seen talking to DC and Eel.

Amy says, "Why not after Lorelei?"

Amy says, "oh - hi Jack!"

Amy runs over to give Jack a hug.

Eel blinks and give a 'you gotta be kidding me' look of surprise to Amy. .

Dancing Coyote smiles. "Well, at least half the audience is female. You may simply appeal to different communities, Eel... no?"

Amy doesn't see the look as she runs over to Jack.

Eel shrugs and then turns to Dancing Coyote with the same expression on his face, looking for an audience.

Dancing Coyote laughs. "Very dramatic."

Eel says, "Maybe, still it'd be tough."

Amy says, "Oh, you brought lunch! That really - oh, look at the time! I should have opened up again already!"

Dancing Coyote smiles at the evidence of Jack's rarely revealed generous, domestic side.

"Hey, where's my sandwich, Jack?" Eel asks, teasing.

Amy smiles back an DC and Eel. "You want to come in and talk about it? I could make tea or something if you like?"

Eleven hugs Amy back. "I got us some sandwhiches." He frowns as he sees the others. "What are they doing here?"

Dancing Coyote nods. "Tea would be lovely, thank you."

Amy says, "They're just talking about the talent show tomorrow and stuff...."

Eleven groans. "Oh that." He chuckles at Eel. "Maybe if you beat up bullwinkle for it." He pauses. "Sure.. Its a veggie sandwhich though."

Eel says, "Veggie? Nevermind then."

Amy says, "You don't like the talent show?"

Amy pulls out her key and unlocks the shop, and holds the door open. The chimes jingle.

Eleven shrugs at Eel. "Suit yourself. But look at that." He points to a mustard stain on the Eel's costume. "Didn't you just eat at the Diner? Pig."

Dancing Coyote heads inside and sniffs, then shakes his head. "Cow, I think."

Eleven shrugs. "A bunch of showoffs, Amy. Well some of them. Are you planning to do something?" He chagnes his tone of voice. Jack tries to be supportive."

Eleven grins at DC's comment and chuckles to himself.

Eel laughs.

Amy says, "Uh-huh, I was thinking of it, but I don't know what!"

Eel dabs up the spot of mustard with a finger and scoops it into his mouth.

Amy says, "Isn't anyone coming in?"

Jace instead, strolls down the street toward Amy's shop, stopping near the group waving

Jace says, "Hey guys"

Eleven shakes his head at Eel and offers him a napkin from the bag of sandwhiches.

Dancing Coyote continues heading into the store. "Welcome, Jace... I thought you were going to get some sleep?"

Eleven glances over to Jace. So many kids around. He nods hello.

Amy says, "Oh, hey there!"

Jace nods a bit to DC, "I was thinking about something Amy said earlier, and thought maybe I'd buy myself something special"

[Everyone enters Lucky Finds]

The merry tinkle of an old-fashioned chime welcomes people this somewhat dark and cluttered shop. Antique furniture of different descriptions and styles crowds in on every side, and between, among and on top of this other antiques of all descriptions - and at times even pretty but modern goods - are displayed, with little pattern to it except the matter of where they fit.

At the back of the room is a glass counter, beneath which are displayed items of jewellery and the like, and behind which the owner typically sits, among boxes precariously balanced high. Here are also stairs leading up and a door to the back room.

Jace nods a bit to DC, "I was thinking about something Amy said earlier, and thought maybe I'd buy myself something special"

Dancing Coyote says, "Mm? What?"

Jace says, "a charm so to speak"

Eleven takes the sandwhiches inside.

Jace begins wondering around looking through all the antiques, trying to find one that calls to him

Dancing Coyote blinks. "Is something on fire?" He looks around, concerned.

Jace says, "What?"

Eleven sets the sandwhiches down on a table and looks around. "Probably Bullwinkle mess."

Amy says, "On fire?"

Dancing Coyote shakes his head. "No... I smell gasoline, and smoke. Perhaps it would be best to leave the building?"

Amy sniffs the air.

Eleven looks around for a fire. "I don't see anything burning." He asks Amy, "Did you leave the stove on, Amy?"

Dancing Coyote bolts into the back room without saying another word...

Amy says, "Uh-uh... *Maybe* I could have left the kettle on, I guess...."

Eel says, "Hmm... I don't smell it. Maybe you should call the fire department."

Amy starts walking toward the back room as she says that.

Eleven thinks nothing is wrong and decides to start on a sandwhich. Hmmm shredded pork.

Jace says, "Mind if i take a look amy?"

Smoke is to be smelt as soon as DC opens the door. ANd gasoline.

Dancing Coyote bolts into the back room, diving smoothly over one pile of junk and almost smashing into a second pile of junk while he reaches between a third and fourth pile to snatch a burning rag, which he puts out quickly.

Jace says, "Holy (bleep)"

Amy says, "My stuff!"

Eleven walks casually towards the back. "So was it the kettle, Amy?"

Amy hurries to the back room.

Jace dashes over to DC and helps him start to put out the fires in the backroom

Amy says, "uh-uh, it's all unplugged - what happened?"

Dancing Coyote looks around. "I'm not quite sure. It seems like a deliberate attempt at arson, perhaps?"

Eleven looks around for clues. "Anything damaged?"

Jace nods a bit to DC, "That was a gas soaked rag?"

Dancing Coyote looks around at the junk. "How could anyone tell, Jack?"

The haphazard piles of boxes are all over the floor, and are damp with gasoline. "Yeah, everything's soaked!"

Dancing Coyote nods to Jace.

Amy says, "Oh, my books!""

Jace says, "Whao, someone would have had to been in here awhile to do this..."

Eleven shakes his head. "This sucks.. " Jack leans down to take a closer look.

Amy grabs her books on antiques and takes them out the front, to be safe.

Jace looks a bit upset at the mention of burning books, "Where are they?"

Dancing Coyote nods, and starts sniffing around for the arsonist's trail.

Jace says, "Ah.."

Eel hmms and starts looking around. "When was the last time you were in the shop, Amy?"

Dancing Coyote sneezes. "Mm. The gasoline has ruined any scent-trail."

Amy says, "Just before lunch! Well - I guess the last time I made tea before lunch. Then I went for a walk in the park, like usual."

Dancing Coyote hrms. "Who else has a key to your shop?"

Eleven checks the back door and front door areas to look for traces of the culprit!

Amy says, "No one."

Dancing Coyote says, "Have you received any threats recently?"

Eleven yells out from the back door area, "Look here. The back door is unlocked and there's scratches about the lock area.."

Amy says, "Uh-uh. I mean, you know, apart from the usual types."

Jace wishes he could do something, then remembers something...

Dancing Coyote looks up at Jack. "Ah. Well, that explains that." He looks back. "The usual types?"

Eel steps outside and starts asking the neighbors whether or not they'd seen anyone suspicious at the store during the time of Amy's walk.

Dancing Coyote repeats the tracking-scent attempt from the area outside Amy's back door.

Amy says, "Uh-huh, you know, I mean lots of people are funny about metas and stuff - oh, there was one recently!"

Eleven tries his tracking skills in that area as well.

Jace sticks his head into the floor and pulls it back out, "Basements flooded..."

Jace says, "Someone is really out to get you"

Amy says, "Oh - I guess it was always kind of like that...."

Dancing Coyote says, "Two people, apparently. A man and a woman. Amy, which was the most recent threat?"

Amy says, "Oh, um... it was something to do with BOTB. Someone who wanted Lorelei to win and though I was bringing the Samaritans too much luck, but they won so it can't be that right?"

Jace says, "Crime doesnt normally have to make sense...but yea could be just a "know your place" attack.."

Eleven seems angry and determined to find the culprit as he eats his sandwhich.

Dancing Coyote nods and shrugs. "Well, at least the fire was averted. Fortunate for you we were all here, yes?"

Dancing Coyote walks over to Eleven, points at his sandwich, and adds "Pig."

Amy says, "Uh-huh, really lucky!"

Eleven nods to Dancing Coyote. "Look at the trail.. Lets follow it and see wher it goes.." Jack follows the gas trail to where it leads.

Eleven frowns. "They must have had a vehicle parked in the adjoining alley. But I can't find tire tracks or anything. How about you, Coyote?"

Dancing Coyote frowns. "I would recognize them if I encountered them again. But I cannot follow their trail."

Eleven nods to Coyote. "Let's go back and see what other clues are left behind."

Eel finds a middle-aged lady who seems willing to talk. Rather too much if anything. :)

Amy is back at the store. "Bullwinkle's all right! I don't think they went upstairs."

Dancing Coyote follows Jack back.

Eleven nods to Amy, "What did you mean the basement's always flooded, Amy?"

Amy says, "Well, it's only a *bit* flooded.... I guess it's one of those things I should fix sometime..."

Dancing Coyote starts looking around the storage room again. Clues aren't really something he's very good at, but perhaps something will jump out at him.

The lady tells Eel she didn't anyone in the shop, but says at last there were a couple of people in the back alley. Students, she thought. She figured they were there to make out.

Amy sighs at the mess. "It's going to take ages to get all this right. And a lot of it is heavy!"

Dancing Coyote shrugs. "If you need help moving items, I'd be happy to help."

Amy says, "Oh really? Thanks!"

Dancing Coyote says, "Just tell me what you want moved where."

Only the back room seems to have been disturbed. The store proper is as untouched as the upstairs.

Eleven looks around the back room to see what was disturbed. "Did they take anything, Amy?"

Amy asks for the boxes to be cleared from the shelves, so the shelves ca be put back. She starts putting things that have fallen out of boxes back in...

Amy says, "I don't know, it's so hard to tell yet...."

Dancing Coyote follows Amy's direction, it being as reasonable a thing as any to do while he looks around for anything the arsonists might have left behind.

Eleven helps with the task at hand. He tries to remember what was here in the back room. He's helped before in putting stuff here.

Amy says, "But i guess they can't have been thieves or they'de have gone and tajen the stuff at the front."

Eleven says, "You have valuable stuff back here, Amy?"

It's a few minutes later when Amy says, "Hey - where's the chest?"

Eleven continues to help and to look and tries to remember.

Eleven says, "What chest?"

Dancing Coyote says, "The magic chest, you mean?"

Eleven points at some chest. "There's one here."

Dancing Coyote takes a quick scan around the building, looking for anything chest-sized that blocks his Nray...

Amy says, "You know - the one I got from Mr Ferguson - yeah, the magic chest. Uh-uh, this one's like ebony with brass fittings...."

Dancing Coyote hrms. "It no longer appears to be in the building. Either that, or it is no longer enchanted. Perhaps this was a robbery, with the arson intended to cover evidence?"

Eel gathers as good a description as he can about the people the old lady saw, plus anything about their vehicle if she noticed one.

Eleven nods. "Right.. Where is that thing?" Jack looks around.

Amy says, "But what do they want the chest for? You can't even open it!"

Dancing Coyote shrugs. "Perhaps they can. Or perhaps they are afraid you might learn how to. Perhaps they simply collect unopenable magic chests. Hard to say, really."

Dancing Coyote says, "Have you showed it to anyone recently? A couple?"

The woman shrugs to eel. "I don't know anything about cars. It was green I think. Or blue. But I remember, they both had black hair. She was kind of tall and skinny, as tall as him."

Amy shakes her head. "It's been out the back for ages - the only person I showed it to was you!"

Dancing Coyote nods. "Well, then, either they had some other means of tracing it, or they talked to the man who sold it to you. What was his name, again?"

Amy says, "Mr Ferguson, I think, he's a teacher at the school anyway, science I think, I could find the it in the book if you want!"

Eleven nods. "We should talk to this Mr. Ferguson.."

Dancing Coyote nods. "If you could get the number, that would be helpful."

Amy says, "Ok, I'll go look him up.... What do we do about all this gasoline though?"

Eel comes back and relays what he's found to the others. "Two suspects..." he describes them.

Amy looks him up in her ledger instead. "Uh-huh, here it is! Brian Ferguson, PDA number and address right here."

Dancing Coyote nods. "That's consistent with what little track they left." He pulls out his PDA and calls Mr. F's number.

Eleven tells Amy, "I'll clean it up and try to fix the basement.."

The description is unfortunately rather limited: the woman seems unsure on most details.

Amy says, "Oh thank you! That's great!"

Amy says, "Ferguson speaking."

"Ferguson speaking."

Eleven grabs the phone. "Listen punk! You better talk or I'm coming over to kick your ass." Angry Eleven is impatient!

A stern voice replies, "Who is this?" Amy makes a discouraging face at Jack.

Eleven speaks into the phone. "This is Eleven. You sold Lady Luck some magic chest and now someone's stole it and tried to burn down her place. What's with this chest?"

Eleven tries to calm down with Amy's urging.

"What is all this nonsense you're babbling? Magic chests?"

Eleven takes out his gun ready to shoot someone, but there's no one here to shoot at that's guilty of anything. "You Sold Lady Luck a Chest! You'd better speak up or I'm coming over!"

He makes a noise of disgust and hangs up.

Eleven runs out to look for Mr. F at his address.

Amy says, "Jack - the chest was his father's! He sold it to me when he died..."

One must wonder if those words fall on deaf ears as Jack is already out the door. The chimes chiming as he departs.

Amy says, "Oh no! Jack!"

Amy shouts after him to no avail.

Dancing Coyote redials...

"If you ring this number once more- " Mr Ferguson begins.

Eel shakes his head. "I can imagine the telephone commercial: Eleven is 100% as abrasive over our phones as he is in person."

Amy giggles despite herself.

Dancing Coyote says, "Mr. Ferguson, I apologize for the previous... infelicity. Can we try again, more sensibly?"

"Very well. Who's speaking?"

Dancing Coyote says, "My name is Dancing Coyote, I'm a friend of Amy's... the proprieter of Lucky Finds. I was wondering if you'd talked to anyone recently about the sale of your fathers' chest to her store."

"What - that again? I don't think so...."

Dancing Coyote says, "I'm sorry to bring up the subject again... I assure you, I would not do so were it not important. Thank you for your cooperation. Are you certain?"

"Yes, I haven't mention the chest to... hm..."

Dancing Coyote says, "Yes?"

"I just thought. There was someone on the phone a week or two back - asking about my father's things and whether I wanted to sell them - something like that. I said I'd alrady sold what I wanted to."

Dancing Coyote nods, even though Mr. F. can't see him. "I see. Thank you for that information, it's very helpful. Now... please think carefully, sir, this is important... can you remember anything about the person who called? Did they leave a name, or a number you could call them back at? Was there anything distinctive about their voice?"

"Hm, not really... No accent that I remember. A bit deep, maybe. I remeber thinking that he wasn't very smooth spoken if that was how he made his living. But mostly I wanted to get rid of him."

Dancing Coyote says, "Understandably. I imagine you feel the same about me... but please, if you do happen to remember anything, call this number and leave a message. Thank you again, sir."

"One moment.... why are you asking about this?"

Dancing Coyote hesitates a moment, but figures the best way to get information is to give it sometimes. "The chest was stolen, and the thieves attempted to burn down the store to cover their trail. I thought they might have found out about it's location through you, since you had no reason not to share that information.

THere's a pause. "There's something that might be connected."

Dancing Coyote says, "Any information would be useful."

"Maybe a week after I sold Miss McLauglin the box - I forget exactly - my house was burgled."

Dancing Coyote shares this information with the room. "I see. Yes, that probably is relevant. Did the thieves take anything else?"

"Nothing much was missing, and I took it as a student prank."

Dancing Coyote nods. "Mm. Well, apparently not. Would you mind if I took a look at your home, sir? Perhaps they left behind some further indication of their purpose or identity."

"Hm, well, if it helps catch these burglars.... I'd sooner you come this afternoon, while my wife's at work. Unless you need to speak to her too."

Dancing Coyote says, "I'll be there as soon as I can. You're still at (address), yes?"

"That's correct." It's a bit out of town, in a middle class suburb.

Dancing Coyote nods. "I'll see you soon, then."

Dancing Coyote turns to Eel and Amy. "Eel, can we use your cab?"

Eel says, "Yeah... it's parked in Harrisburg though."

Amy says, "We can take my van!"

Dancing Coyote nods. "All right, then... Amy's van it is."

Amy's battered white 2021 Ford van is parked in the alley, with the other trash. :)

Dancing Coyote waits for Amy to lock up, then gets in the van.

Amy does so, and gets in the van. Unfortuntely it only comfortable seats two, the back being intended for hauling cargo, though there his a fold-down seat.

Dancing Coyote hardly seems to notice, his experience of vehicles being limited. He squats down in the back gracefully.

A hover-trolley takes up a fair bit of space in the back.

The van starts up with a fitful shudder and Amy drives off toward the address.

Mr Ferguson's house turns out to be a bungalow of moderate size with a flower garden, which he's in when you arrive.

Dancing Coyote steps out of the van, attempting to radiate calm and control. "Mr. Ferguson. I'm Dancing Coyote... we spoke on the phone?"

He nods. "I trust that the other person I spoke to didn't -" he frowns, seeing Eel, "come with you?"

Eel smirks. "Good afternoon."

Amy says, "Oh no, this is Eel, that was someone else entirely!"

He nods again. "Well, you'd better come in. Just don't turn the place upside down."

"The police made more of a mess than the burglars."

Dancing Coyote laughs. "No... actually we passed him about four miles back, jogging. I suspect he'll have come to his senses by the time he arrives, but in any case we'll intercept him on our way back." He enters. "Thank you. We will be discreet."

Amy says, "Ooh, I like your garden, it's very pretty!"

Dancing Coyote wanders around the house, not really looking for anything in particular. Again, clues aren't really his strong suit, so he sorta hopes something will jump out at him.

Amy, luckily perhaps, succeeds in distracting Mr Ferguson with talk of the garden - something he seems proud of. So he's not looking over your shoulders as much as he might.

The house, on the surface at least, looks - well, dull, mostly. Clean, middle-class, unremarkable.

Dancing Coyote finishes wandering around the house and heads into the basement.

Dancing Coyote opens one of the boxes and pulls out a pair of candleholders, if anyone is in the basement with him to see that.

Dancing Coyote looks around in the rest of the box to see what's packed with them.

The box is one of several marked, "Dad's stuff".

Eleven finally makes it all the way to the house. He got cramps after eating a sandwhich and then running and had to take a breather. His anger is someone what gone now as pain hits his side. He jogs up to the house where Amy's van is. "hrmpf."

Eleven decides to rest and leans against the van with the shade.

Much of the contents are mundane - the sort of things one might want to keep when a relative dies: the pretty things, the valualbe things, the personal things. THere are a lot of old photo albums (going back to actual fim photos) and diaries.

Amy is out in the garden talking about daffodils with Mr Ferguson.

Dancing Coyote picks up the box and takes it out front where Mr. F is, hoping he might be able to provide some useful information. "I'd like to talk to you for a moment if you don't mind, sir... there is some potentially interesting information here."

Eleven catches his breath and goes to the front door finally. He wipes off his sweat with a hanky and then checks to see if the door is already opened.

Dancing Coyote pulls out one of the photo albums. "Do you happen to know when your father obtained the chest, or these candlesticks?"

"Hm? Where? What are you doing with that?"

Eleven is a sneaky fellow and goes to the door unseen! Ha!

Dancing Coyote puts the box down. "Oh... my apologies. I'll put everything back where I found it, I assure you... I just was hoping you might have some additional context to share about them."

He shakes his head. "He's had them for as long as I remember - since I was 4 or 5, anyway. That's why I kept them - early memory. I don't suppse they're worth much. Why?"

Eleven looks around the house for clues while the heroes distract Mr. F outside.

Dancing Coyote hesitates, unsure of Mr. F's reaction to references to the occult... people are strange that way here. "They appear to share a... well, call it a maker's mark, with the chest. I was thinking, if we knew where they came from originally, we might work out the motives of your burglars and our arsonists.

Dancing Coyote notices Jack, who no longer seems determined to beat up schoolteachers. He doesn't say anything.

"Hm, no idea. But you may be right... he usually kept them together, in his study...."

"I don't think he ever used them, even in an outage, though."

Dancing Coyote nods. He starts browsing through the photo albums, looking for any pictures that include the candlesticks, the chest, or a couple matching the description from the alleyway in the slightest. "Is there any chronological ordering to these albums or records? If we can work from the records of your early youth backwards, we might find something."

Eleven rummages through rooms and studies and looks for secret things and hidden stuff etc while sneaking around inside.

"Hm, I think they're all labelled inside the front cover - I'm afraid when I cleared the things from his house I just put them in the boxes haphazardly, though, and I haven't had the chance to go through them. I was hoping to do that over the break."

Dancing Coyote nods. "Well, no better time than the present, then." He starts going through the stuff in this box, as above.

"Could you do that inside, I don't want anything getting dirty."

Eleven finds something interesting and tries to investigate this further. . o O (Hrm.. A cutaway book thing.. Let's see what's here..)

Dancing Coyote nods. "Certainly." He takes the box and its contents back into the basement and continues looking through its contents, as above. When he's done he moves on to other boxes marked Dad's Stuff.

Eleven finds what seems to be a diary and some love letters, from 'E.''.

It's not hard to sort out the diaries and photo albums by date. The first box seems to have most of the oldest stuff.

Jack deduces the letters are from a woman, but doesn't get much further. :) The poetry's not bad.

Eleven shrugs and looks for other stuff. This sappy crap is too much for him.

Eleven makes sure to leave it like he found it.

Dancing Coyote works through the oldest papers, photos, etc., looking for any pictures of or references to the chest, the candlesticks, a couple that resembles the description from the alley (allowing for age), or anything occult.

Jack discovers all sorts of dull Physics and Maths texts. And the next test, which he could doubtless sell to the Senior physics class if he felt inclined.

Eleven is an honorable man and decides not to steal tests for selling. Even though he'd probably make a lot off of it.

Eleven grins at Amy's answer and chuckles to himself. . o O (The old dawg.. Ha)

Eleven goes to see if he can help DC.

DC finds some references which to the trained eye are clearly magical in the oldest diaries - going back to Mr F Sr's college days.

Eleven mutters to DC while helping him out. "You punk.. why did leave me back there."

Dancing Coyote makes a note of any specific names, dates, places, events, etc. referenced in the diaries, including obscure references that might make sense later. He replies "Amy was driving. But seriously, after your threats to the man, did you expect us to bring you along?"

Some intials keep coming up in connection with the magical references, in particular.

Eleven tells DC while sorting things out with the papers, diaries etc. "Amy didn't see me. You know how she drives.. she's looking at the birds out there. I -know- you saw me..hrmpf"

Eleven tells DC. "This K and H keeps popping up, but I can't make heads or tails of it."

Dancing Coyote nods. "Hm. Is it possible to get a listing of his college classmates?"

Eleven finds something more in the next diary... there's a sense of anticipation, that the big project is coming to a head....

.. and then annoyingly the diary stops abruptly.

Dancing Coyote hrms, and looks around for a subsequent diary, or something that might be a subsequent diary labelled something innocuous.

In the next diary chronologically afterwards, there's no mention of anything magical at all, and references to K and H are much rarer.

Eleven hrms and informs DC of his deduction.

The diaries go by academic year. There's a gap from the 20th of March to the next September (new diary).

Dancing Coyote hrms, and looks around for anything that might relate to 3/20 to 9/1 of whatever year that was, even if labelled something innocuous.

Eleven says, "Looks like something is missing. I wonder what happened.. Here read this.."

There's no yearbook here, but he attended CBSU, so it shouldn't be too hard to track down classmates.

Dancing Coyote attempts to obtain a list of CBSU students on his PDA from the appropriate year...

.. and fails. "Jack, can you obtain a list of his classmates during that period?"

Eleven says, "Um, I can try I guess."

Eleven asks, What year did he graduate from?

Dancing Coyote indicates the year of the gap in the diaries, which is the important period, then shrugs.

Eleven says, "We'll have to go to the university to check it out."

Eleven says, "We'll do that later."

Eleven searches for a list of alma mater (sp?) from 2008.

Eleven looks through this on his PDA.

Eleven tries to narrow it down with fencing people.

Eleven can get the list of the couple of thousand or so people who graduated that year.

Fencing Society memebership from that long ago doesn't seem to be online.

Eleven shows DC the list of thousands of people. "If we can find the fencing people, that might help. But its a huge list, Coyote."

The photo albums are still sitting there.

Eleven looks for other clubs that might be around that time.Worth a shot. maybe some mystical magical mystery club or something.

Eleven says, "Coyote, "Maybe we can find something from the photo albums."

Dancing Coyote shrugs. He has some vague notion that it's not the year of graduation that matters, but really his understanding of how college works is pretty spotty. "How many match the initials from the diaries, and can we get pictures of them from that thing?" He starts flipping through the photo albums again, looking for pictures of the chest or the candlesticks or anything that looks similar to them or anyone who looks like the couple described in the alleyway, adjusted for age.

Eleven asks Coyote, "Look for college pictures, maybe group photos"

Eleven tries to narrow down initials pics etc. Dang. This PDA stuff is boring.

There are no photos with the candlesticks or the box in that you can see,.

There are, however, pictures of Mr F Sr with two obviously close friends. One year they're all over the place. The next, there are only a couple with one and none with the other.

Eleven tries to take a look at the back of the pictures to see if there are descriptions and labels.

There's a big graduation day photo too. In that, one friend is also graduating, but the other's not to be seen.

THere are on some picture, but not on those.

Eleven tells DC, "You should go back out an ask about these people. Maybe He knows who they are."

Mr F Sr has acquird a scar on his cheek between those two years.

Dancing Coyote tries to match up the times of the various photographs of the two once-close-but-then-not-so-much friends with the references in the diaries, trying to confirm his speculation that these are K and H. "I'll ask him. Is there any way to get that thing to match up images? Perhaps we can get a name from the picture."

Eleven points something out for DC on the picture. "Look at that. Intersting huh? He must have gotten into a scufffle."

Eleven says, "I don't have police stuff to do that DC. YOu might need someone else with better computer stuff than me."

Dancing Coyote nods. "Or a fencing match."

Another thing - he looks a lot more serious in the later photos than the earlier ones. A lot more like Mr F Jr, indeed. :)

Eleven says, "They wear masks for fencing.. Unless it was something else."

Dancing Coyote says, "Oh.""

Eleven nods to DC. "Good point though."

Eleven says, "Something happened... That's for sure."

Dancing Coyote walks back out with one of the photo albums and asks Mr. F Jr. if the friends look familiar.

Eleven sits back there looking for more oddities.

Mr F Sr is never dressed in shorts or swimming trunks or anything in the later photoes, though he is in the earlier ones. Might be coincidence....

Eleven notes this in his mind and waits for Coyote's return.

Dancing Coyote walks back out with one of the photo albums and asks Mr. F Jr. if the friends look familiar.

His immediate reaction is to shake his head, but then he looks at one again. "Wait... maybe this one...."

Dancing Coyote looks to see where MFJ is looking.

He's look at the blonder friend. "I'm not sure... I think he might have visited one Christmas..."

"If so, he was balder."

Dancing Coyote says, "Any idea how old you were when he visited?"

"Ten, maybe?"

Dancing Coyote nods. "Would there be pictures of your Christmas visitors from that year?"

"In the boxes, if so."

"Dad was an oldfashioned sort - liked his pictures on paper."

Dancing Coyote nods and goes back inside, does the math to work out what year he's looking for, tries to find family photos and diary entries from that year, looks for matches. If that fails he tries the two or three years on either side.

Eleven hrms. "Emma?"

Dancing Coyote nods. "Karl -- K. Jack, how many Karls are there in that list of yours?"

Eleven asks DC. "So find anything interesting?"

Eleven goes back to the list to check it out.

To judge by the pictures, Emma must be Karl's wife. Karl is clearly the blonde friend, rapidly balding.

There are only 3 Karls with a K, it turns out.

Eleven shows DC the list.

Dancing Coyote notes the three names. He attempts to look them up to get pictures and background information, not thinking much of his chances.

Eleven says, "Coyote, Look we go to the university and check it out, ok?"

Dancing Coyote nods. "Sure."

"Are you done now?" asks Mr F.

Dancing Coyote finally turns to something he actually understands something about... the candlesticks. Trying to pull together the snippets from the diary and his own knowledge of magic and his perceptions of the artifacts themselves, he tries to establish anything he can about their intended use.

Mr F asks. "I used to a bit, but that was years ago, why?"

DC has no clue about the candles. Must be from some different magical tradition entirely.

Mr F says he doesn't think so.

"Janice will be home any minute, so if you could leave us in peace now - she doesn't appreciate surprises after a day at work."

Dancing Coyote nods, feeling a bit discouraged but ready to continue tracking this down at the university. "All right then. Thank you for your help, sir." He starts putting everything back where he found it.

Eleven glares at DC a little bit but doesn't say anything.

Amy bids Mr F goodbye and gets into the van.

Eleven sneaks out and tries to sneak into the Van.

Eleven sneaks into the van, and Amy drives off. Presumbly with DC and Eel too.

Dancing Coyote turns to Jack shortly after the van drives off. "So, next stop university? I'm afraid this sort of records research is not a great strength of mine."

Eleven nods to DC. "Not really my forte either. What about you, Eel?"

Eel says, "Yeah. This is where Ellbeth would bail us out."

[The heroes Karl quite easily from photos - there are only a few after all. His name is Karl Sonneborn - he's the one who graduated in 2008 too. The fencing society proves to have lapsed and been refounded, with loss of records.]