We’re all quiet at dinner. The afternoon’s worn us out. One good thing: Big Ben’s talking to me again! He’s sitting next to me wearing the red hat. Ama’s on the other side and GMT opposite. Everything feels normal. Except Kwesi and Noon are still missing, Season’s off and Le Temps is King of the Kitchen.

Tonight, he’s kept to Season’s colour-coded menu. Mange-Tout is nowhere to be seen. But when I go up to the counter, Le Temps winks at me.

‘You could have mashed potato and tofu. Or fish pepper soup with yam. Your choice.’

I narrow my eyes. Why is he being nice to me when I was nasty to him?

‘There aren’t any fish in 2048. That’s an Anachronism!’

He smiles. ‘Still feisty as ever. You’re perfect, Elle. Quite perfect. But, swear on my father’s life, I found mackerel in the freezer labelled 2022. 26 years old! Not smuggled. Neglected. A little frost-bitten but . . .’ He shrugs his shoulders. ‘Up to you.’

I wish it didn’t smell so good. My mouth is already full of saliva. Mackerel is oily rather than white fish but I could eat with my eyes closed. Le Temps may be a bad man but he’s a good cook. Season said no meat was allowed in her kitchen. She didn’t mention fish. Le Temps pushes the bowl towards me and the aroma is too tempting. He puts another bowl on the tray with three small pieces of yam and some coconut oil. How did he know that was my favourite dish? Even though it’s dinner, not breakfast, I walk back to our table and put down the bowl. Ama’s eyes go bigger than Jupiter.

‘Fish! How on earth . . .’

‘Le Temps found mackerel in the freezer,’ I say.

‘And you believed him?’

‘He might be telling the truth. He didn’t lock Season in a cupboard.’

‘Doesn’t mean he’s innocent.’ Ama shakes her head. I can see she wants to eat the fish pepper soup. Pepper soup is popular in Ghana too. Even Big Ben’s interested. He loves spicy food. He leans over it, breathes in, breathes out.

‘Elle, he isn’t Pete LMS’s dad. The maths is wrong. Pete LMS’s dad is old now.’

‘What?’

‘He’s old in 2020. My mum knows him. Why did you say—’

‘When Pete LMS was bullying me, he said his DAD said, “Nature does what she likes. Nothing to do with man.”’

Ama laughs.

‘Elle, lots of people say the same things. Doesn’t make them the same PERSON.’ Then she turns to my soup again. ‘You’re not going to eat it, are you?’