Pud follows along with Ben, but he hangs back a bit. It spots the bugbear paying close attention. He waves at the bugbear with a flourish of his hands as casts message. 

Message: “Hey there, friend. Pay us no mind.”

Pud proceeds to follown Ben into the fancy wagon. 

"No, sir" comes the whispered reply to Pud, "I'm watching your every move."

Ben senses the two men are nervous, but excited.

Mister Witch sits uncomfortably at the edge of his bunk. He takes off his hat to reveal a completely bald, grey-skinned pate. 

"Come in, come in," intones Mister Light with a theatrical bow. “I'll make us a quick tea."

Pud gives Rizzo an order telepathically.

”Hey Riz, perch on top of the tent and be on the look out.”

Little Rizzo flutters off and does as shes told. 

Horatio stands just inside the door and to whichever side makes the best blindspot for someone entering in a hurry. He prepares to smash anyone part of a could-be ambush. (( Held Action - each 'turn' ))

Titaani directs Tiny to stay outside and gives the carnival owners a smile. "So, what did you want to tell us?"

Matilda hovers at the back, glowering.....

"Is it true?" begins Mister Light with an unnerving grin. "The hags are defeated? Zybilna has returned to power? That's wonderful! But how do you know? Do you have proof?"

"If you are wrong, we will be punished for our impudence if we breathe a word of this," adds Mister Witch. "You see, we were, well, forced to let the coven steal from anyone who sneaks into the carnival without a ticket, you see. But we tried to neutralize this situation by diligently checking all visitors for tickets, we did, but some unfortunates inevitably slip through, you understand, making them targets for the hags’ thieves. What they do with their ill-acquired loot is beyond our knowledge, I'm afraid."

Ben:

     "Well, the fact that I knew all three hag's names and details about Prismeer should be good proof that we were there.  I suppose you could ask us questions about our travels and we could respond with what we experienced--and we could give you details about the Palace of Heart's Desire and the cauldron the hags used to stop time," suggests Ben, heartened by the idea that masters Witch and Light were unwilling participants in the thievery.

"You're cowards and liars. You just admitted that you allowed children to be targeted by those Hags. Knew all about it. Could have closed this whole damned thing down, invited local law to investigate the kidnappings and thefts, any number of right things. Chose saving your own butts instead. We ought to kill both of you, like we did the Hags." Horatio says without a trace of emotion. "Even better, should turn you in to the local law or some holy order, as you've chosen to violate both Prismeer's Queen's laws and those of all the lands you traveled in our world."

"Oh, now," responds Mister Light with a huge grin, "don't go all sour on us. I assure you we keep the interests of all our carnival guests – especially our youngest ones – as our utmost priority!" He gestures over your shoulders to the pumpkin-headed bugbear, who begins to stroll over.

A thin beam of bright light suddenly pierces the tent – the first rays of sunrise, something none of you have seen in quite a long time, it feels like. "We appreciate the excellent news you've brought us," says Mister Witch, checking his pocket watch and standing up. "Thank you. I'm afraid we must get back to work. We're a little behind schedule."

The pumpkin-headed bugbear stands outside the doorway. "Burly, can you show these excellent folks the way out?" asks Mister Witch of the bugbear.

"Would you like a balloon animal?" asks Mister Light, cheerily, to you.

Ben:

”Why not,” says Ben, asking for  a balloon animal unicorn, if one is available—he has fond memories of Lamorna’s tranquil demesne.

Matilda turned to Titaani, "Is your Faerie Queen more useful than the last one?  Could she bring my brother back?"

"All the children..." Horatio replies coldly. He looks at Matilda, then at the carnival bosses. "Unless you two and that strange creature are more powerful than those Hags, I suggest you sit back down and make yourself very useful. Some here may be too good natured to hold you to account, but whatever good nature I ever had is all spent. Now, if you are so damned attentive, tell my friend here exactly what the hell happened to her brother and how to get him back. Do it quickly... and call off that thing waddling up or I will rip his head clean off his body, I swear it." He looks to Ben. "The law, we need to send word that children have been abducted and the carnival is responsible before they try to flee. I believe that is why these two suddenly have no time for us, they know the jig is up. We're going to get our answers or these idiots and anyone here that helped them are going to be hung dead. Are you going to help hold them to account, or pretend our work is done and go play with balloons?"

Ben:

Insight on Witch and Light to see if they truly intend to make things right:  14

"Going to the authorities will be useless.  The carnival severs its tether with the mortal realm at sunrise," responds Ben, looking to the imminent event.  "Perhaps a show of good faith, though, Masters Witch and Light, showing Matilda how to use her compass to find her brother?  And what this key may open?" he adds, asking about some of the items they returned to the carnival with.

"I'll have a balloon bunny, if you can make me one!" Titaani asks Light cheerily. 

"Oh, for sure! Titania is wise and kind!" She responds to Matilda. "But I don't...I don't really know how to speak with her. The last time I tried to speak to her directly, I lost a part of myself to those hags. She is so mysterious, but still a good person, I think. She may help us eventually, but it will be on her own terms, and in her own time." 

"If you're going to explain items," Titaani adds after Ben is finished speaking, "I have a wand here that I've been puzzling over myself."

Pud was about to take up the offer for a balloon animal before voices were raised again. Instead, he strolls over to Matilda. 

“Can I see your brother? I promise, I’ll be careful.”

Mister Witch looks concernedly at his pocket watch. "The time, the time..." he mutters to himself.

Mister Light speaks to the bugbear. "Burly, have Thaco make these fine folks a unicorn as you show them out. And a bunny, too."

Ben finds Witch and Light to appear genuinely happy about the hags' defeat and Zybilna's return, genuinely concerned about the welfare of their guests and their intent to put things right, but nevertheless a little preoccupied and a little evasive.

"We are not subject to local laws, you understand," Mister Witch begins to Horatio. "Not that we have crossed any that I'm aware of. And I'm afraid I cannot pretend to know anything about the fate of your young friend's brother. The forces at work here have been entirely beyond our control. The wheel of time turns ever on… sometimes, what’s lost is lost, what’s gone is gone. I'm so sorry.”

"But it's past time we pack up," Mister Witch adds, pressing a button on the side of his watch. The wagon vanishes from around you. You watch as the entire carnival begins to levitate around you and magically whisk itself about; everything starts to unassemble and pack itself up.

"Closing time!" shouts Mister Witch.

Horatio watches in quiet annoyance, then looks to the others of his group. "That it then? Nothing more to be done?"

Ben:

”I’m sorry, Horatio, I don’t know what else we can do.  I do get the sense that Master Witch and Light are earnest in wishing to correct the issues here,” responds Ben.  

“Let us try and help each other, starting with finding Matilda’s brother.” adds the stonemason as he allows himself to be guided out of the carnival.

Matilda walks along with them, morose and sullen.