Chapters (45)
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Prologue
- 2046
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- About the Author
‘No, it’s a bloody time machine!’ Safa states, the grin once more stretching wide. ‘Come on, where else can we go?’
‘There isn’t anywhere and . . .’
‘You drugged us,’ she says bluntly. ‘Twice . . .’
‘I am aware of that, Miss Patel, but we took very serious measures just to garner use of that one room. We do not have any other safe periods that we can—’
‘Ah now,’ Ben says with a hand on the back of his neck as he looks up at Roland. Safa’s head snaps to stare at him. Roland, Malcolm and Konrad the same. Ben blinks at the sudden strange attention but holds the thought in his head. ‘Thing is,’ he says with an apologetic smile, ‘that footage you showed us could be faked . . . computer generated.’ He shrugs casually. Safa stares harder, seeing the glimpse of a predator in Ben’s eyes. ‘The dinosaurs were miles away and viewed from a window . . . so they could be faked. That room we just went into was just a room overlooking a street, which could also be faked. We were there for less than two minutes. What you have shown us so far is not evidence enough to convince us that—’
‘Forgive me,’ Roland says, interrupting. ‘We cannot and will not take the risk of popping into random eras to satisfy your curiosity. The risk is too great. Any single infraction or . . . or’ – he waves his hand in the air – ‘interaction could be devastating to the timeline.’
Ben tuts and nods, still holding that casual demeanour. ‘So I was famous for what happened at Holborn?’
‘I do not see the relevance,’ Roland replies stiffly.
‘But you knew where I would be at Holborn? Right?’
‘Well, yes, but . . .’
‘So why come to my work in the morning? What essential need did you have? I mean, the risk to the timeline is too great, isn’t it? You knew where I would be so why take that risk?’
‘Ah. Yes. Indeed,’ Roland sputters, smoothing his hair back as he pouts, frowns and rocks on his heels.
‘Your toy, yeah?’ Ben asks pointedly. ‘Don’t want to share it?’
‘Gosh no. Not at all . . . I merely meant that . . .’
‘Rio de Janeiro,’ Ben says. ‘Nineteen ninety-nine. The carnival ran from the thirteenth to the sixteenth of February. Over two million people on the streets. Lights everywhere. Go for the evening so that blue light doesn’t show out . . .’
‘Good Lord, we cannot do such a thing,’ Roland sputters again.
‘And you were on the other side of the road before I went into the station,’ Ben says, still casually but far more predatorily. ‘What essential need was that? London is covered in CCTV. Smartphones everywhere . . . you chose a date to show us. Now we choose a date. I’m not asking for ancient Rome, the birth of Jesus or the Battle of Hastings, Roland. Think about what you are asking us to do . . .’