‘He said he jumped to next Sunday. To check the winning numbers. Which means that when next Sunday arrives, Henry Plimpton will already be there. We can’t leave him here, ­otherwise there’ll be two of him here at the same time.’

‘Well reasoned, Mr Parrish. Your recommended course of action?’

‘We inform Henry Plimpton of our – your – decision to take him into custody. For seven days at least. For interrogation. After which we will return him to his loving family and monitor the situation.’

‘Excellent plan, Parrish. And your next move?’

‘I round up the team and we make our way back to the pod before the 20th century kills us all.’

‘The clean-up crew is waiting outside the gate. You don’t need me here. Carry on.’

‘But what happens when we return him to his family?’ said Lockland anxiously, as Parrish issued his instructions. ‘They’ll just go back to making his life a living hell.’

‘It’s not our job to fix his life, Lockland. He should count himself lucky he’s only getting seven days’ incarceration. If it wasn’t for the faint possibility he might be contacted again, he would have got life. Or worse.’

‘But think what he’ll be coming back to.’

‘And lucky to have it.’

She said nothing.

‘Stop that.’

‘Stop what?’

‘That.’

‘I’m not doing anything.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Please, Luke.’

He said in exasperation, ‘What the hell do you expect me to do?’

‘Persuade him to be more assertive,’ she said, and then blushed at the irony.

Henry Plimpton had been offered the opportunity to bid farewell to his family, who were taking the opportunity to make their views known to him. And to their neighbours through the party walls. And possibly even to those on the other side of the street. The air was full of raised Plimpton voices. Mrs Plimpton hung around his neck, wailing. Jane’s attempts to reassure her he would almost certainly be returned to them in a week’s time were just a light breeze in the wind tunnel of her lamentations. The unfortunate Henry Plimpton was barely visible behind his family. They broke off at Luke’s re-entrance.

Luke placed himself in front of their hapless prisoner.

‘Henry Norman Plimpton.’ His voice rang around the room.

‘Oh God.’ Henry Plimpton closed his eyes.

‘Henry Norman Plimpton, you will accompany us to Time Police HQ to give a full statement. You will be required to answer all questions fully and completely. Failure to comply will lead to a period of incarceration, the length to be decided by a court convened for that purpose. The extent of your cooperation will be taken into account when determining the length of your detention.’

‘Doesn’t he go on?’ whispered Farrell to Lockland.

Both Mrs and Miss Plimpton burst into tears again. A second later, Mr and Master Plimpton followed suit. Even the dogs began to howl.

‘Do something,’ said Lockland to Parrish over the cacophony.