| January 4 |
| January 7 |
She takes it back, and people start having a serious look at it. They use the reverse phone book and find an address. Infinite Paths troops out to the address in Lilydale and check the place out at about 10pm. They find 1 guy (presumably Andy) in the lounge, watching tv. They find one girl, about 11, in bed, reading under the covers. Sensing Wyrm reveals a faint trace of an unusual Wyrm sense. They find a school bag for Ringwood Secondary College. A storm starts to build. Things turn nasty. Miranda is run over about 4 times by diprodons that turn up out of nowhere. A lot of treeclimbing is done. The pack strategically withdraw. Some discussion with Moodai about the girl (what girl?) and why the Bunyip hate them.
Some investigation is done. Andrew and Polanna Garret are the people. Andy (the Amazing) has a webpage on vicnet. The pack decide to stake out a school and harass a 12 year old. They spread out to cover the various stations and bus terminals that she might go to to get home. Mika, dressed unsuspiciously in a lumpy leather jacket and jeans, is closest to the school and he sees Polly leaving and heading for Ringwood east, where Miranda and Dominique are waiting. After a while, Polly walks past, with a bunch of other kids. They seem to be teasing her, and she is hit in the head with an orange. Mathias, who has got on the train at Ringwood, slowly moves up carriage by carriage towards Polly. The pack follow in their cars, or on the train.
Polly doesn't go home, but instead goes to Lilydale. They follow her from the station and into the strip of shops, Mathias first, then Mikal and Miranda. Dom waits at the car. The first clue that something might be up is when a furniture man trips, stumbles and falls on Mathias, cabinet and all. Polly ducks into a shop when all the confusion is resolved. Mikal walks past her and up to the fast food joints at the end of the strip. Polly waits for a while, but eventually leaves the shop after being hassled by the shop assistant (something to do with being spattered in orange). She runs towards Mikal, but swerves out onto the road, narrowly missed by several cars. Miranda follows her as she goes into a park. The others regroup near the car and follow that way. Polly goes and sits on a park bench near a playground. Miranda ducks into the Umbra and observes Polly from afar. She sees strange disturbances about where Polly was. The others spot Polly in the park and pull over. Mathias and Dom confront her and she tells them to go away. In the Umbra, the disturbances go away suddenly. Mathias hands her a card. She seems to burn it up, but Mathias notices no smoke. She might have palmed it.
Mikal goes back to Polly's house with Miranda to do some housebreaking. They are noticed by a neighbour. Mikal goes next door and says he was a geneologist, chasing up the family because they may inherit. He gives his name as Mathias. The old lady seems to mishear it as Matthew. He asks after Andy and is told that he is working in a servo in Mitcham. Mikal and Miranda go there, and speak to Andy about a possible inheritance. Much boggling on the behalf on Andy. They retreat. Mikal goes to meditate.
Late Tuesday the pack follow Polly around as she tries to lose them. Mikal eventually tries to talk to her, but she threatens to scream if he takes a step towards her. He gives up in disgust and heads to the pub. Mathias and Dominique go to Polly's house and sit nearby in their car. They wait until Andy has come home and all the lights have gone off before creeping closer. They are rewarded by seeing Polly ran out the back of her house and into the fields. The night unfolds.