Lin Tan writes back to the film clubs that didn’t answer her favourably, or at all, using a man’s name.

Bessie gets hold of a large carbide lamp, and arranges for prop-makers to put together a large and opaque umbrella.

Audrey leaves Bessie in her flat with a pile of society magazines; Bessie ploughs through them trying to get some sort of geographical breakdown, but all the names are too similar, the descriptions of clothes are too dull, and she doesn’t make anything out of it.

Audrey goes to the British Library to read up on summoning and controlling spirits, in the hope of digging through the superstition and finding some sort of common core material. She sees a man who looks vaguely familiar from recent days (mid thirties, reasonably well-dressed), but she can’t place him. He does seem to be looking at several of the same books as Audrey is studying…

When he takes a break, she joins him and suggests that they might be “working in the same field”; he says that he hopes not, as it’s a bad business he’s dealing with. “There are people who believe this sort of thing.” He’s cagey, and clearly tries to discourage her (or indeed anyone) from reading too much of this rubbish, but her sympathy regarding the sort of people who take spirit-summoning seriously seems to wake a spark of fellow-feeling.

Over tea they talk further. He introduces himself as Mr Jameson, which is the name of the inspector in charge of the case. He winces when Audrey mentions Miss Allen (“a strong personality”), and particularly doesn’t get on with this private police force business; she hints at the idea of specialists in other fields being consulted by the police, and while he is clearly keen to prevent rumours from spreading he’s willing to share a little. His attitude is definitely that someone has read too much of this stuff and come to believe it, and he’s here trying to find out what they might believe.

As for the actual research, there might be some original thing that people have been trying to replicate, or at least something that they believed in… but it’s clearly a long way back. As for dismissal: prayers are usually good, and destroying the thing in which the spirit is manifest also gets mentioned.

Milly considers taking a frame of film with a blank patch and exposing it to the real thing with a pinhole camera; she then takes Lin Tan out shopping for the evening’s festivities.

But first, they head for Westminster together, as do Audrey and Bessie. It’s the latter who hear a female voice ranting in a pub; there is indeed a woman standing on a chair pointing out the injustices in society, and Bessie at least can see that she that she makes good points (more Kropotkin than Karl Marx). There’s definitely shine there, but also… oddly monochrome. Maybe the others were too, and it didn’t register at the time.

Bessie pushes her way forward and can confirm that the rabble-rouser is casting a shadow. She manages, with some effort, to get the barman’s attention, and buys a pint; she passes it up to the “false Maria”, who thanks her, downs it in one, and passes it back. (She drinks like an experienced drinker.)

Audrey observes the crowd; this is a reasonably prosperous bunch. The rabble-rousing is specific and local, talking about current events, rather than just running through the script of the film.

Audrey goes away to call more police, saying that a political meeting is getting a bit over-excited – like the one yesterday. Bessie manages an “accidental” knocking over of a tray of glasses, and asks for a dustpan and brush… everyone acts slightly as if they’ve just woken up, and “false Maria” has completely and instantly vanished.

Milly and Lin Tan hear a (male) scream, and head in that direction. A man runs past them, and behind him is a large figure that they’ve certainly seen before. Milly works out that this one too is monochrome (though again it’s not obvious until you look hard for it). There’s no sign of anyone else in the area; and the golem swivels towards the pair, and walks slowly towards them. (Milly yells “Mene mene tekel upharsin” but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.) It reaches out in a potentially throttling manner, and they back away. They alternate turning to walk quickly with backing away keeping an eye on it, so that it’s always in sight, and soon it fades into another wall, leaving little trace.

The group compares notes, then Milly and Lin Tan head off for dinner and some nightclubs. They find Aubrey at the fourth or fifth place they try; he’s looking a bit pale and feverish. Milly is merry by this point, and drags him onto the dance floor with a murmur of “that shine’s not good for you”.

The shine swirls around him as before, and people seem to get out of his way by happy coincidence. She mentions “golems and vampires and somnambulists, oh my” and he says that “those are my dreams”; if they’re running around that “doesn’t round right”. There’s something about blood, and the Golem wanting to be “left alone to do its job – look after the place”; and that the vampire wants young ladies, which just shows how silly he is (“no taste”). They’re all running around in his head, it seems. The dreams started a couple of weeks ago, and he often sleeps in in the mornings. He’s amused by the idea of a steam bath (possibly a steam bath with Milly but it’s not entirely clear), and she leaves the number of the bookshop, particularly in case he should feel better.