"They didn't," Robert said to Cassidy, reading the message. "This is a very old code that some of us designed when we were at Hogwarts. There weren't many who knew it. Michael and I were two of designers of the code, and its never been broken--not to our knowledge, anyway. These are hieroglyphs from several ancient languages, scrambled into a very difficult code. Michael is actually very good at them. This is from him. I haven't seen this code in years. Its surprising how much one can actually remember, it seems.
"It says: The prodigal sun has been found....Travelling conditions unfavorable...They will be with me....Unsure if the bird will pass the floo. M."
" Prodigal son? Then," Angus said, "Are they at Michael's house?"
"No," Robert said. "Not what you're thinking. S-U-N, not S-O-N. Michael used to call Khaat a little ray of sunshine when she was little. He's referring to her, not to Brian. He's found her. And Brian, so it seems. I don't take this to mean they're in Hogsmeade. Michael would not have hesitated on that short of a hop, even in the storm we had last night. He would have come home or would have said so somehow. Sounds to me like they're some distance away. Apparating would have been relatively safe, but porting is a different spell and energy altogether and certainlycould be exceptionally dangerous, depending on the weather and the distance. And, since my children decided to apparate out in a thunderstorm in their pajamas, they had no clothing or cash with them. It would seem Michael has taken it upon himself to watch out for them and provide for them until they can get home."
"It doesnt' tell us much."
"No, it doesn't. But Michael is more than capable of providing them with anything they could possibly need, and he won't hesistate to. I think he didn't say much because he wasn't sure that the message would not be recovered and perhaps potentially translated. He was deliberately vague. I presume we shall have to wait for further word. But since Brian is a healer, if they needed attention, I presume he could deal with it. If not, Michael will get them help. He has connections in most places that I do not know of, nor do I want to know of them. "
Kate came into the kitchen behind Robert and poured herself a cup of tea and looked over his shoulder at the code.
"Hm," she said. "He gets odder all the time. Dredging that old business up. He's not very imaginative."
"I am presuming, my dear," Robert brushed her cheek affectionately, "that he didn't want us to have to work that hard to figure out the missive."
"How does he know you wouldn't have forgotten it?"
"He didn't. But he knew you wouldn't," he smiled at her. "He counted on it." She snatched the note from his hand, seemed to read it quickly and handed it back to him, taking a sip of her tea.
"So, what can we do to help?" Angus asked.
"Kate?" Robert asked, "Are you feeling anything from Khaat?"
"Upset," Kate said, staring out the kitchen window. "Restless, unsettled. That's about all I know."
"Fear? Pain?"
"No," Kate said. "Not right now. Not physical pain anyway. She feels like she's alright enough. But she's with Michael and Brian. Do you expect less?" She paused a moment and said. "I presume, Angus, that we should get on with our day until the weather clears for him unless Robert can get an idea of where that storm front has moved on to."
"It was moving east during the night," Robert said. "And it was sizeable, given as many hours as it stormed."
"If that's the case," Kate said. "They're on the continent someplace."
"Maybe," Robert said. Angus returned to making his scones, following Kate's request. He put the sheet pan in the oven and began cutting fruit for a fruit salad.
by 
