‘It means several things,’ said North, gathering up her files and preparing to depart. ‘Firstly, and quite importantly, that you weren’t listening to the series of lectures entitled History of the Time Police, which, I think, will come as no surprise to anyone. And secondly, and more importantly, that your presence will be required on that day at 1100 hours in the atrium.’

‘What for?’

‘It’s not my job to provide study notes for the memo, Parrish. Read the damn thing yourself.’

Jane looked up from her scratchpad. ‘Are we able to attend this? It says full officers only.’

‘You may observe but not participate.’

‘Because we’re not yet qualified.’

‘Correct.’

‘Do we have to go?’ asked Parrish. ‘I mean, if we’re not yet qualified, then surely . . .’

‘We’re all aware you consider the Time Police to be a waste of space, Parrish, but some of us think that what we do here is quite important and that the sacrifices made by those in the Time Wars should never be forgotten. The ceremony is to honour those who did their duty. Not something you’d know anything about. Go or don’t go. I don’t think anyone will care either way.’

The door slammed behind her.

‘So I don’t have to go then?’ said Parrish, hopefully.

‘Only if you don’t mind becoming one of the fallen yourself,’ said Matthew darkly, and followed Officer North out of the door.

It rather looked as if Luke Parrish had taken them at their word. The overhead walkway was lined with trainees and the few civilian support staff who worked at TPHQ and Jane couldn’t see him anywhere.

Fully qualified officers formed neat ranks in the atrium below. Serving officers lined up on the left-hand side and former officers on the right. These were the heavily decorated veterans of the Time Wars. There weren’t many of them. Jane guessed there would be fewer and fewer every year. One day, inevitably, there would be none at all, and the Time Wars would slip from memory into history, and then from history into legend, until, finally, they passed from knowledge into nothingness.

She knew the Time Police kept an Archive where veteran officers were encouraged to share their memories of the conflict for future generations to learn from.

That’s me, she thought. I’m a future generation. I should learn from this.

There was a disturbance beside her. Luke Parrish had turned up. He elbowed his way between Jane and Matthew. Like them, he’d taken some trouble with his appearance. His uniform was wrinkle-free, his boots buffed and his hair combed.

Jane smiled at him. ‘You made it, then?’

He shifted his feet. ‘Yes . . . well . . .’

Below them, the big, old-fashioned clock began the preliminary chimes. It was almost eleven o’clock.

Silence fell.