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Chapters (52)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. About the Book
  4. About the Author
  5. Also By
  6. Contents
  7. Dedication
  8. Roll Call
  9. A Brief History of the Time Wars
  10. Jane
  11. Luke
  12. Matthew
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 3
  16. 4
  17. 5
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 8
  21. 9
  22. 10
  23. 11
  24. 12
  25. 13
  26. 14
  27. 15
  28. 16
  29. 17
  30. 18
  31. 19
  32. 20
  33. 21
  34. 22
  35. 23
  36. 24
  37. 25
  38. 26
  39. 27
  40. 28
  41. 29
  42. 30
  43. 31
  44. 32
  45. 33
  46. 34
  47. 35
  48. 36
  49. 37
  50. Epilogue
  51. Author’s Note
  52. A Note on Recruitment

To her surprise, North laughed. ‘She can try but Major Ellis will never let that happen.’

‘But Major Ellis isn’t here, is he?’

North shook her head. ‘Just hang in there, Lockland. She’ll overreach herself soon enough. She always does. You didn’t hear this from me, but she’s generally known as a bit of a one-week wonder. Ask Truman. Or Talbot. Or any of the others she’s used and then tossed aside. By my reckoning, Parrish is due his any day now. And however it ends, Parrish and Farrell will need you to come back to.’

‘Oh yes,’ she said, even more bitterly. ‘Good old Jane. Weathering the humiliations so she can stick around to pick up the pieces afterwards.’

North shook her head. ‘Someone has to. It’s the price you pay for being more intelligent than those around you. And I’m sorry, Lockland, but I suspect you’ll always be the one paying it.’

Cold comfort there. And then, without any warning, matters came to a head.

22

22

Jane had booked herself a study carrel for that afternoon, intending to open a large number of books as camouflage – a book fort – and then to think very carefully about what to do next.

‘You should get a move on,’ said Wimpy Jane. ‘Put in your notice while you still have a choice.’

‘Jump before I’m pushed, you mean?’

‘Go with dignity is what I meant.’

‘Or I could wait and see what happens. North said Ellis would never allow it to happen. She said not to be too hasty.’

‘Any excuse for not doing anything.’

‘I’m biding my time,’ said Brave Jane with dignity and not even she believed that.

Having no particular reason to hurry, she took her time getting to her study carrel, choosing to stroll around the walkway overlooking the atrium. She leaned on the railing, looking down over the landscaped indoor garden below.

Directly below her, visitors crossed and re-crossed the giant space, being directed to the appropriate departments by members of the Time Police specially selected for their social skills. The ones who could smile and talk at the same time and were definitely known not to eat children.

To her right, the waterfall cascaded spectacularly down into the ornamental pool. Enormous koi carp cruised smoothly, waiting for people to topple in. Rumour had it they could pull down a fully armoured officer and were the first line of Time Police defence.

‘Hey,’ said a familiar voice behind her. ‘I don’t seem to have seen you for ages.’

Luke Parrish was grinning down at her. As if nothing was wrong, she thought angrily. As if they hadn’t spent the last few days alternately sniping at or ignoring each other.

Looking him in the eye, she said, ‘I sat behind you at the briefing this morning.’

‘Oh. Well, you never say anything, so I’m never sure whether you’re there or not.’