Darla listened quietly to the phone ringing on the other end of the line. The transform on the pack's first grotesque protector would likely determine both how the game affected reality, and likely, whether or not they could stay at the estate in the long term.
She was quiet when an older voice answered on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Yes, this is Officer Sasha Hii with the police department," Darla began, using the name of one of the station's female officers, so that way if he reported anything, he would only run into confusion, "I'm calling in response to a call about your son. Something about him going missing."
"My son?" the voice asked, clearly male.
"Yes, sir," Darla answered, "we've been receiving complaints about him going missing."
"Officer, my wife and I do not have a son," the voice responded, "we have a daughter, but she lives out in San Fransisco. Whoever has been calling you with these reports is lying."
"You're sure, sir?" Darla asked, "the people who called seemed rather nervous."
"I'm sure," the voice answered again and then hung up.
Darla swore she could hear the man grumbling something before he hung up, but her mission had been done. The "transform" that Alice had used on their "gargoyle" worked perfectly. Now all that was left to do was find Fran, so that they could make their report to the master together.
She found her twin waiting patiently near the office where Bartholomew an Jennifer I became Bart and Jenny. In a nearby hallway, Darla could hear Jack and Marcine talking, presumably to their parents.
"How is it going?" Darla asked.
"Fairly good," Fran commented, "both have said that they've "met someone" and are running off with them."
"Technically they have," Darla told her twin.
Fran only nodded, "the parents don't sound to thrilled, but it also sounds like they're VERY trusting. How did it go with the family of our gargoyle?"
"I only got the father," Darla answered, "he didn't remember. So, that much works."
"The Master will like that," Fran smiled.
Darla nodded and smiled back.
"Maybe that would help with Julie and the kids," Darla wondered after a few moments, "word it so that they've always been she-wolves. Then they couldn't be considered missing."
"Maybe, sister," Fran nodded, looking hopeful, "but it will be up to the Master to decide whether or not I can use my turn for that."
"Of course," Darla agreed.
++++++
Martha stopped only once as she lead the pups back to the study upstairs, and that was to leave Alice in a from that had a small window in it, which she could use as a look out post.
"I will bring you something to read while you're keeping watch," Martha spoke, "remember to alert me if you see anyone coming."
"If you could leave a mirror, I could warn everybody," Alice commented as she looked around the room.
"Just come and warn me," Martha spoke in a firmer voice.
"Yes Miss Martha," Alice curtsied.
Martha then returned to the study to keep an eye on the other four pups. Bart was finally settled down with his copy of "Moby Dick" while Marcy and Kevin were still trying to wrestle with "Alice in Wonderland". Martha knew she would have to help them get around some of the words in the story, but her attention for the moment was drawn to Jenny. The black furred female was trying to reach for a book that was on a shelf that she couldn't reach.
"This is where I don't like being small," Jenny groaned and then jumped up, but missed the book she was trying to get at.
"You'll be big enough in time," Martha spoke as she approached, "is there something you need?"
"That book," Jenny said pointing, "on gardening."
Martha glanced and nodded. She remembered that her older female charge did have a great interest in gardening and flowers, and during the summer, she spent a lot of time instructing the grounds crew on how to place or plant them.
"You're still going through that?" Bart asked as he looked up, "the grounds are gonna go wild anyway and populated by a herd of deer. We won't know the specific species until Marcine and Jack finish changing, and the real deer arrive, but still... they'ed eat the flowers."
"Doesn't mean I can't try," Jenny shot back, as any sister would, "flowers are pretty."
"Yeah, and they smell pretty two," Marcy added.
"And we can chase the deer," Kevin commented.
"You're taking their side?" Bart gasped.
"I was a girl once," Kevin answered, the fur on his shoulders starting to raise in agitation.
"Now now, children," Martha spoke as she handed Jenny the book, "I expect you to behave."
"Yes, Nana," was the response from all of them.
"I'll be back to help you two in a moment," Martha spoke to Marcy and Kevin, as she picked up a copy of "Gulliver's Travels" to take back to Alice.