In Memphis, the posse spends a while gathering information, trying to learn how to get in to the Hunt-Phelan house - perhaps at the big party at the end of the month - and if they should even bother. In the end, Robert visits the hunting grounds to ask Eagle. Eagle, unfortunately for Robert, gets him in touch with the actual source of the dream - Coyote.
An annoying interrogation process follows, in which Robert learns that Coyote stole the dream on its way from the Big Bad Evil to one of their favorites on the west coast. Possibly Grimme. Had a black hat, anyway. Of course, learning this only happens after Robert steals Coyote's mouth (he having left it behind so he could both talk and sneak up on Eagle to take his tail feathers). After Robert comes back with this information, it seems like a good idea to get the gun, if it is a gun, and it seems quite likely that it's in the house. Attention turns in earnest to getting in to the party.
Spurning the obvious route (spend a lot of money) Cady hatches a plan to hook up with Mina's daughter Caroline, who is around sixteen years old, and get in that way. Scouting reveals that Caroline is shopping for costumes for the ball. Putting two and two together to make pi, Cady devises some clever costume ideas. She also gets Vorpwhistle to draw up plans for a mechanical convertible dress-o-matic, which he does with flair.
Cady then intercepts Caroline the next time she is out shopping with her friends (who turn out to be more bodyguards) and shows her the costumes. To everyone's shock, Caroline is most taken with the mechanical dress. She arranges to have Cady bring Vorpwhistle by for lunch at the house the next day.
Lunch is superb, but boring, since Caroline understands Southern etiquette enough not to talk about business too soon, but doesn't have anything interesting to say. She seems extremely self-absorbed and thus her stories are quite petty and dull. Thankfully they are able to talk business afterwards, and Vorpwhistle tells her all about the dress and its optional features and she ends up wanting them all, which means the metal parts need to be made from ghost steel to be light enough. This pushes the cost of the dress up well over two thousand dollars, but that seems to be part of the appeal to Caroline. Half the money is paid up front.
The next few weeks before the ball mostly consist of working on the dress, occasionally visiting Caroline or being visited by Caroline, and generally staying out of trouble. Tobey does think to ask a question about where the coins will be the night of the party, and receives a vision of a woman taking the pistol and putting in the office safe. The dress is completed a little early, and since Cady and Vorpwhistle both must come with it to the ball to talk about it and impress people, it will clearly be quite easy to get everyone in.