Return, part two
At Waldren House, JB has Ash busy as a servant, making cups of tea, laying out biscuits and the like. The domestic bliss is interrupted by a knocking on the back door; on investigation, it is Robert - who is on fire. Some frantic dousing later, and all is explained in the usual abbreviated style of the Nocker: he has talked (with his rusty ancient Egyptian) to someone who has barred the way to the place of small dreams to those not of the household of Waldren House. Since he is telling this only to JB and Ash, the level of discomfit usually engendered by such notices is missing; JB quickly goes back to her treasure map and thoughts of waking the Shape.
At Richard's flat, the phone rings and the barely awake Satyr is made more befuddled by a conversation with the formerly dead Genevieve, who was waiting at the airport for him to pick her and their daughter Clémence up. How awkward! After hastily reworked plans, they meet at a tube station and Richard takes the pair to book into the Kingsley Hotel. Quite why Richard chose the home of the long time enemies of Lady Catherine and Waldren House is not at all clear.
Later, Richard comes to Waldren House and there is some discussion on just what is going on. Richard and Robert talk about whether the world has changed or their heads have changed in the place of small dreams. JB, mind on many things at once, devises two rituals: one to detect whether Richard and Robert have had their minds altered, and one to send a message to the Eshu Morag (it being decided that she will know how (to find out how) to reawken the Shape.