"Listen, I'm not gonna run around telling anyone about it. I'm just looking to make connections.

What's your thing? Books? Dreams? Hypnosis? Weather? Animals? Got a friend who does stuff with animals, she's real sweet."

"Animals. I showed William. They eat off my hands."

"Ah, that's a nice one. Any animals? Even feral ones, like street cats? I can't get them to go near me, they hiss and run."

"Even stray cats!"

"Wow.

I saw one across the street just a minute ago, can you show me? I've always liked cats."

"...why not, for a friend of William's."

She makes a high sort of trilling noise. A cat emerges and winds itself around Sal's feet.

"Aw, hey there!" Gentle pat. "This is amazing. Are you and William planning on lots of pets?"

"I'm not sure! It depends on what he wants."

"Well, if you can get children to listen like that you're all set either way!"

Ha ha aren't we funny.

"...Is it really... any animal? Even... wild beasts?"

Teasing: "Why, is there a lion you'd like me to tame?"

Suddenly more serious: "I don't know what it was, exactly. Just that it was big, and wild, with massive wings. Out in the countryside. It's been causing a load of trouble."

"I think you'd probably rather talk to animal control about that."

"Probably. Say hi to William for me."

"I will."

Meanwhile--

It feels weird going to meet up with Ruby just to go "Good Awful news! You were right not to go to Clare Melford!" But it seems like the sort of thing he should know.

"Hello, darling."

"Hello, it's lovely to see you again."

"Lovely to see you too."

She taps him with a fan.

"You've been busy, darling. I have seen neither hide nor hair of you."

"I've been very selfish."

...and he should explain where he has been gone. "And also chasing after Roby."

"Is he all right?

I mean, he's not, he's in the asylum. You know."

"I ended up going to Clare Melford. I'm pretty sure I ran into "the teeth.""

"...what happened."

"Do you want the short and reasonable sounding version, or the insane sounding but detailed one?"

"The insane one, obviously, darling."

"There are some big granite monument things, put up by a group of people a few years ago who sound remarkably like Roby and his friends. They've made the land around them barren and--" How the hell do you describe bats to someone who hasn't ever seen them. "--They attract dangerous flying things, that will attack you."

"And, they-- well. Did."