‘I’ve brung you something,’ said Bigmac. He took a square, flat shape from his pocket. It was rather battered, but it was nevertheless the only styrofoam box currently existing on the planet.

It was a BigWob … One with Everything.

‘Did you nick that?’ said Yo-less.

‘Well, the old bloke said he wasn’t going to eat it,’ said Bigmac. ‘So it’d only get chucked away, all right? It’s not stealing if it’d only get chucked away. Anyway, it is his, isn’t it, because—’

‘You’re not going to eat that, are you?’ said Kirsty quickly. ‘It’s cold and greasy and it’s been in Bigmac’s pocket, for heaven’s sake.’

Wobbler lifted out the bun.

‘I could eat it even if a giraffe’d licked it,’ he said, and bit into the cold bread. ‘Hey, this isn’t bad! Whose is it?’ He looked at the face printed on the box. ‘Who’s the old fart with the beard?’

‘Just some old fart,’ said Johnny.

‘Yeah, we don’t know anything about him at all,’ said Bigmac.

Wobbler gave them a suspicious look.

‘What’s going on here?’ he said.

‘Look, I can’t explain now,’ said Johnny. ‘You’re … stuck here. Er. Apparently, er, something’s gone wrong. Er. There’s been a snag.’

‘What kind of snag?’

‘Er. Quite a big one.’

Wobbler stopped eating. It was that serious.

‘How big?’ he said.

‘Er. You’re not going to be born … er.’

Wobbler stared at him. Then he stared at the half-eaten burger.

‘Am I eating this burger? Are these my teeth marks?’ he demanded.

‘Look, it’s perfectly simple,’ said Kirsty. ‘You’re alive here, yes, but when we first came back, something must have happened which changed history. Everything anyone does changes history. So there’s two histories. You were born in one, but things have been changed and when we got back it was into a different history where you weren’t. All we have to do is put things back the way they should be, and then everything will be all right.’

‘Hah! You haven’t got a shelf of Star Trek videos as well, have you?’ said Wobbler.

Kirsty looked as though someone had hit her.

‘Well, er, I don’t, er, what?’ she said. ‘Er … one or two … a few … not many … so what, anyway? I hardly ever look at them!’

‘Hey,’ said Yo-less, brightening up, ‘have you got that one where a mysterious force—’

‘Just shut up! Just shut up right now! Just because the programme happens to be an accurate reflection of late 20th century social concerns, actually, it doesn’t mean you can go around winding people up just because they’ve been taking an academic interest!’

‘Have you got a Star Trek uniform?’ said Yo-less.

Kirsty started to go red.

‘If any of you tell anybody else there’ll be big trouble,’ said Kirsty. ‘I mean it!’

Johnny opened the door of the church. Outside, Wednesday afternoon was turning into Wednesday evening. It was raining gently. He took a deep breath of 1941 air. It smelled of coal and pickles and jam, with a hint of hot rubber. People were making things. All those chimneys …