#rivervale_lodge

And the kids come out.

Layne sees Frank being eyeballed by the lady, and the girl seems to pick up that the lady is assuming the worst about Frank "Uncle Frank!" She calls out

Frank's beard moves and he lifts a hand to welcome Layne. He doesn't stir, though; he waits for her to come to him.

The woman mmmphs and drives off

Layne joins him "Hello, Mister King" She says in a lower voice "Is everything okay? You don't have any kids my age"

"Everything' fine, needed to talk to you though. Can I walk with you?"

"well I'm supposed to take the bus" She says "But I don't like to as it gets too..crowded"

Frank frowns. "Better to keep to the rules, though, Layne. I know it's hard on the bus but we don't want to raise suspicions. I'll walk you over, can you meet me at the Lodge after you get off?"

"I want to talk to you about a postcard."

"A Post card? Oh sure" A nod "I got the neatest one "

"I'd like to trade you for it, if you would allow me. I can explain more at the Lodge. Will you meet me there?"

They're at the door of the bus.

"Sure" she says and gives him a hug before clambering into the bus.

And Frank? Frank walks home

(End scene)

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(Immediately following the previous)
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Frank enters the Lodge to the woof'd greeting of Oak.

In the meantime, Brekke has returned and is currently pondering the new addition of a grandfather clock.

"Brekke." he greets her.

She turns to look at him. "Frank." Then her attention is back on the clock. "This is it, then. What have you learned?"

He gets the notes he took, and hands them to her. Also, the list.

She looks these over quietly.

Furrowed brow. "The Last Unicorn?"

"The clock came from an estate sale, or at least that's what the shopkeeper was told by the seller. It was Hagsgate Estate."

"But we now know that it was ... Bunni. She hauled the clock there and sold it."

"That is a determined young woman." Her tone is that of one puzzling through mismatched pieces. "I recall the book, though it has been some time." She looks again at the clock.

"There is a movie as well. A cartoon."

"Yes. The childlings watch it." Furrowed brow. "The clock is a...passage, correct? I am remembering that right?"

"I think we might both need to re-watch the movie." dry.

"I do not recall."

"Hm. I suppose so."

"Although I do suspect the clock is a passage of sorts, yes."

More review of Frank's notes brings deeper furrows to her brow. "Pushed her through...to protect her..." A sigh. "That sounds dire."

"It does."

"I skimmed the book. The heir of Haggard was Lir; not a villain, really."

"No..." She looks at him. "You see a connection there?"

"There's a connection, but I cannot make sense of it."

"Mm." A pause. "We grow closer to a point where we must inform the Thomases."

A long pause. "It will hurt them."

"More than they have already been hurt?" she says with some bitterness.

"Perhaps." quietly.

A nod. "Not yet, though. Not just yet. I wish to visit her again, to see if anything else has appeared in the cloak."

Frank nods. "Should I contact my brother at EarthRunes?" he speaks of the bannerhouse Baron there.

"I think so, yes. Perhaps he can find out more from their seer."

Frank nods. "I will do so."

(pause)