Meredith continues. ‘Well, Tulsi’s travelled here from a parallel universe, looking for her mum, who’s me, but me in another universe. My life must have split into two parallel streams when I decided to come to London. Tulsi’s mum decided to stay with the circus instead, and strip Sylvie of her powers. So Tulsi’s mother is living the life I would’ve had if I’d stayed in Australia.’

Pete’s grinning. ‘You can’t be serious?’

We both stare back at him. ‘Well, yes. I am,’ says Meredith.

‘There’s another Peter Potts back in my universe, you know,’ I say.

He laughs. ‘So what am I like? And am I a juggler? Or a woodworker?’ He doesn’t believe us.

‘No. You’re not a juggler,’ I say, in as serious a voice as I can muster. ‘You’re an accountant. And actually, you want to close the circus down.’

His smile fades as he looks from me to Meredith. He swallows loudly. ‘You’re not joking, are you?’

Meredith’s face is solemn. ‘I’m completely serious. Don’t you remember me mentioning big magic, and going to get Mum when I was a kid?’

‘You used to talk about it, but … I didn’t think it was real ...’ He pushes his bowl away and looks at me, his face pale and eyes wide. ‘You’re really from a parallel universe? Oh boy.’

I nod.

‘So, you’re saying that Meredith and your mum were one person until Meredith came to London and then there were two of them, continuing in two different lives in parallel universes?’

‘Yes,’ I say.

He’s silent for a long moment. ‘It’s quite hard to get my head around.’

Meredith smiles. ‘I know.’

He turns to me. ‘And … the version of me who didn’t come to London is trying to close the circus down?’

When I finish telling him about Peter Potts’s threat to close the circus, Pete looks down at his hands. In a quiet voice, he says, ‘My dad died three months ago in this universe, as well.’ He sighs. ‘I’m really sorry. I don’t understand why I turned out like that just because I stayed in Australia.’ He glances at me. ‘I’m guessing that the Pete in your universe is not a very happy guy. Thank goodness I came here.’ He clears his throat. ‘So, you’re looking for your mum?’

‘I have about twenty hours to find her or I’ll have to go back and leave her behind.’ My chest tightens and tears rush up behind my eyes.

‘Didn’t you and she arrange that she’d meet you at the landing place?’ says Meredith. ‘That’s what my –’

‘Mum didn’t mean to stay! She was meant to land and bounce back home straight away. But something must have gone wrong, because she never came back.’

‘What date did she arrive?’ asks Meredith.