At the back of the building, Darling managed to locate an exterior basement entrance.

Sky Dog paced back out into the grass, pulling up his goggles and hood. He passed his gaze over the spot where the iron bear had fallen, the whisper of vegetation for several moments the loudest thing he could hear. A glance at the pitiless blue heaven and the shaman turned away, intending to make a close circuit of the house and look for traces of anyone who'd crossed the yard before themselves.

Sky Dog's attempt to find tracks in the grass resulted only in an abject failure. Predictably, the Siberian could see the grass but not make out many of the details that might be found there by one more experienced in outdoorsmanship - or at least someone with better eyesight. He did manage to stumble into Dr. Whateley and Randolph Darling, who were standing next to a hatch.

"It's a basement entrance, clearly," Whateley said. "What say you, reporter?"

"Perhaps this is the strongest place, that the people are hiding in," Sky Dog suggested. "Though it does look as though they have gone away for some days. You cannot see another door for this room inside the building."

He knocked on the curious lower room's door, the learnt gesture still awkward from a life lived largely without doors of any sort, much less ones requiring ettiquette.

No response came from the knocking. Whateley reached down to open it, but found that the door didn't give way. "Locked from within, it seems. I'm inclined to agree with your assessment, Siberian."

"It could be that they have taken their raw food there, that was not in the kitchen..." Sky Dog pressed himself into the shade, scrubbing his thumb over his chin in thought, then addressed the door, giving it another few raps for good measure: "Any person here, will you not speak to us?"

In reply to The Marshal (msg # 124):

Randolph notes the cellar door, looking to see whether it has any apparent latch or lock. He keeps a wary eye on it as he continues his circuit of the place. He also scans the ground, looking for any tracks as he goes.

When Dr. Whateley and then Sky Dog join him, he leaves off his inspection to study the cellar hatch with them.

"Do you have any fairy you can call upon to open a door, Doctor?"

Staying crouched above the door, Sky Dog's brows furrowed a little at the reporter's proposition. His knock this time was gentler, his tone concerned. "Any here, it would be well to come out to us, as those with me are not patient...but I am a shamán, and I give you my telling that you will not be scalped or come to other outrages. It is said."