I want to tell her it’s not a story, it’s all true, and I’m remembering she’s the Double M big boss pretending to be a centre director and I’m wondering, if Chronophones aren’t guns, why is MC2 still pointing his Chronophone at Le Temps, and appearing, disappearing, appearing all over the room like there’s ten of him? There are so many thoughts in my head I want to say all at once, and I feel angry and sad at the same time so I don’t say anything at all. Millennia turns to MC2.

‘Mr E, please refrain from your body-popping, lower your Chronophone and explain yourself.’

MC2 stays in one place but doesn’t lower his phone. ‘Mr T threatened to silence Elle. He was going to stun her.’

Millennia throws back her head and laughs. It sounds like she’s choking on pepper soup.

‘It seems,’ she says, ‘you Leapers have a penchant for fiction. We only have the girl’s word and we all know how creative she is with words.’

‘Wrong,’ says MC2. ‘I clocked the word and the deed.’

I see a brief outline and GMT appears in the room. Season speaks for the first time. ‘We must follow protocol, Miss M. We must call the—’

‘Nobody is calling anyone.’ Millennia shakes her head like there’s a fly inside it. ‘There has obviously been a mistake. We all know Mr T has an unusual sense of humour. I’m sure he can explain.’

‘Yes. Was hoping I’d be allowed to get a word in,’ says Le Temps in his buttery voice. ‘Sorry for winding you up, Elle. Got a bit carried away with the drama. One porky pie led to another.’

I find my voice again. ‘That’s not true! You were going to kill me like the rabbit that was a hare and you’re going to prison and all your sheap will leap from their pens so they can’t get made into meat.’

Season has taken her phone out of her bag and is tapping the screen. Millennia doesn’t notice because she’s staring at Le Temps like he’s her husband. She’s staring so hard it takes her longer than all of us to see the two black hooded figures suddenly appear either side of Le Temps. They must be at least 7 feet tall. I look at them with what-big-eyes but I can’t see their eyes at all. Maybe they don’t have eyes. Maybe they’re robots, like Mange-Tout. MC2 finally lowers his Chronophone and hands Le Temps’s phone to one of the figures.

‘Tell ’em the truth, Elle,’ he says.