“Don’t underestimate greed, Miss Next—it’s commerce’s greatest motivating force. In this context it was probably due to our plans to use the BookWorld to dump nuclear waste and sell our extremely high-quality goods and services to characters in fiction. You were then imprisoned in our most inaccessible vault, from where you escaped, methodology unknown.”

He closed the file.

“What this means, Miss Next, is that we kidnapped you, tried to kill you, and then had you on our shoot-on-sight list for over a year. You may be in line for a generous cash settlement.”

“I don’t want cash, Jack. You had someone go back in time to kill Landen. Now you can just get someone to go back again and unkill him!”

Jack Schitt paused and drummed his fingers on the table for a moment.

“That’s not how it works,” replied Schitt testily. “The apology and restitution rules are very clear—for us to repent, we must agree as to what we have done wrong, and there’s no mention of any Goliath-led illegal-time-related jiggery-pokery in our report. Since Goliath’s records are time-audited on a regular basis, I think that proves conclusively that if there was any timefoolery, it was instigated by the ChronoGuard—Goliath’s chronological record is above reproach.”

I thumped the table with my fist, and Jack jumped. Without his henchmen around him, he was a coward, and every time he flinched, I grew stronger.

“This is complete and utter sh—” I looked at Friday again. “Rubbish, Jack. Goliath and the ChronoGuard eradicated my husband. You had the power to remove him—you can be the ones that put him back.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Give me back my husband!”

The anger in Jack returned. He also rose and pointed an accusing finger at me. “Have you even the slightest idea how much it costs to bribe the ChronoGuard? More money than we care to spend on the sort of miserable, halfhearted forgiveness you can offer us. And another thing, I—Excuse me.”

The phone had rung, and he picked it up, his eyes flicking instantly to me as he listened.

“Yes, it is. . . . Yes, she is. . . . Yes, we do. . . . Yes, I will.”

His eyes opened wide, and he stood up.

“This is indeed an honor, sir. . . . No, that would not be a problem at all, sir. . . . Yes, I’m sure I can persuade her about that, sir. . . . No, it’s what we all want. . . . And a very good day to you, sir. Thank you.”

He put down the phone and fetched an empty cardboard box from the cupboard with a renewed spring in his step.

“Good news!” he exclaimed, taking some junk out of his desk and placing it in the box. “The CEO of New Goliath has taken a special interest in your case and will personally guarantee the return of your husband.”

“I thought you said that timefoolery had nothing to do with you?”