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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

The description of the damage to Tutankhamun’s tomb was as accurate as I could make it. A number of golden rings, loosely knotted in a piece of linen, were found – presumably dropped during the thieves’ hasty exit. When Howard Carter entered the tomb, there were actually the outlines of dusty footprints on a wooden chest where someone had stood on it, thousands of years before. And on opening the sarcophagus, there was evidence that the mummy had smouldered in its wrappings.

The character Sarah Smith was named after the winner of the CLIC Sargent auction – a wonderful charity which raises money to help young people with cancer. The auction was to name a character in my forthcoming book. The entry form included a short bio for the real Sarah Smith which made it very apparent she was a lovely person and I was quite concerned people would think she resembled the man-eating harpy prowling the pages of my book. Only the name, people – not the person herself.

All thanks to my editor, Frankie Edwards, and everyone else at Headline whose lives have taken a sudden downward turn since I arrived.

Thanks to everyone who had to live with me while I worked on this one – I know it wasn’t easy.

Thanks to Phillip Dawson who told me about liquid string and so forth. All mistakes are his and nothing to do with me.

And thanks to my Chanel-bedecked agent, adrift on a sea of Prosecco and caviar, currently buying her third holiday home in the Bahamas, who promised me jam on my crust if I got this finished before April.

A Note on Recruitment

A Note on Recruitment

Following a government report highlighting the lack of diversity within the ranks of the Time Police, a major recruitment drive was mounted, focusing on the need to tempt more women into the organisation. Their first attempt was hugely popular but for all the wrong reasons.

First attempt

Question: What’s the difference between a male Time Police officer and a female Time Police Officer?

Answer: About four inches

The advert was withdrawn after twenty-four hours when it became apparent that the reference to the difference in the minimum height requirement had been widely misunderstood.

Second attempt

Recruitment poster featuring a pretty blonde and bearing the following legend:

She serves the Time Police

This advert was withdrawn after the inadvertent omission of the word ‘in’ was noticed and male recruitment had inexplicably increased by 300%.

At this point, the decision was taken to abandon attempts to emphasise the Time Police diversity initiative – to international disappointment – in favour of highlighting the many benefits offered instead.

Join the Time Police today

Travel the timeline . . . Legally!

Excitement and adventure.

Adequate pay rates.

Generous death in service benefits – we guarantee your loved ones will not suffer after you’re gone.

Contracts for two, seven and, for the survivors, ten years.