So tonight, the dinner party continued with a nice game of Categories after Whist.

So tonight, the dinner party continued with a nice game of Categories after Whist. Alexander and then Burley took their leave, Alexander off to sweet talk a copyist into making some copies and then off to dancing, and Burley caught a cab home before night fell.  On his way back to the dorm, Burley saw two men capturing a gargoyle with hooks and net. Burley, rolling magnificently on IQ (17) was positive he recognised it from the Library and purchased the creature and had it transported to the College. Then there ensued an unsatisfactory interrogation which led to Burley deserting the tied up gargoyle, who was soon set upon by gleeful undergrads, who decided the place needed some decoration. Burley suggested bathing the creature, and screams soon emitted from the ablutions. Freshly pressed, rinsed and dried the creature was then fastened to the bannister as a jape.

Meanwhile at Sondra's the kedegree was just being served, when a thump and a groan was heard and then two people tried to bust in the front door simultaneously, to comic effect. Sykes discommoded one, and the other was laid out by a judicious ladelling by William.

They were tied up and put in the drawing room.

The gateman was revived and warned of three others going around the back,  Brutus and William went to try and stop them as they were breaking in the rear window.

Brutus found three nasties one of whom tried to blind him with flashpowder, but failed.  Brutus was urged to retreat and fell back to the others.

Sykes meanwhile dispatched a messenger to fetch the police and started activating some of the house protections, which took some concentration.

In the drawing room the characters listened as the intruders ran through the house, ransacking as they went. One by one thumps or various...other noises were heard, and Sykes looked satisfied at each noise.

The police arrived just after William was apparently quite overcome with the excitement and shock of it all and put his blade to the throat of one of the miscreants, he was urged by both Brutus and Susan to put it away and let the police deal with things.

The exhausted Sykes suggested that they let him deal with the police, and come back later to interrogate the intruder the police had not found. He also explained the intruder who had turned to stone in the kitchen after upsetting the cook would return to normal after a time.

Susan, Brutus and William take the advice, and a picnic basket supplied by the cook back to college where they encounter the gargoyle ornament and go up to Burley's room. William goes back down to free the gargoyle and then all four may contemplate the contents of the food basket amidst Burley's collection of exotic plant toxins.