‘Don’t count on that, sis,’ she says, giving me her gap-toothed grin. ‘I can’t leap but you can. Track me down through MC2 or Kwesi.’

I think about Annuals not being able to leap. ‘Will Le Temps get ad infinitum?’ I say.

Kwesi looks at me and signs: ‘The sentence will equal the crime.’ He pauses until everyone is looking at him, then moves his hands like he’s conducting an orchestra. MC2 translates.

‘Not ad infinitum cos he didn’t kill no one. But he’ll be locked up at least a decade. Course, if he reforms in 2020, he might not turn criminal in ’48. The future needs the past to become itself.’

‘Kwesi’s right,’ says GMT. ‘Only you and Big Ben can reverse this. Save Pete LMS, no missing Leaps, no stolen DNA, no sheap!’

‘I can’t be nice to Pete LMS,’ I say. ‘He’s a monster. Anyway, Big Ben will fight him!’

‘No, I won’t,’ says Big Ben immediately.

‘I could stop calling him Pete LMS, I suppose.’

I think it through. If he’s not called Pete LMS, he can’t become Le Temps because he can’t make the anagram and think he’s so special. If he doesn’t become Le Temps, he won’t be able to buy the land for the centre and put Leapling DNA into sheep and sell sheap to those who can afford it.

‘What WILL you call him?’ says Big Ben. ‘And will you call me B from now on?’

‘No,’ I say. ‘I’ll call you Ben. Or Big Ben. BB for short, I guess.’

‘Elle.’ There’s a long pause. His face is bright pink and his voice sounds deeper than usual, like a man’s. ‘Sorry I said boys are stronger than girls. I’m scared you’d be sick in 2100. I didn’t like you to leap on your own.’

‘That’s OK. I forgive you!’

‘Am I your boyfriend?’

‘No. You’re my boy friend. My best friend.’

I hold out my hand and he takes it. I squeeze it and smile.

Big Ben smiles back.

Chapter 23:00: 3-Leap

Chapter 23:00

3-LEAP

Grandma’s waiting outside the front door when Mrs C Eckler drops me off at 10:30 a.m. There are two bags of shopping at her feet, bulging with food. While I was away, she managed to go shopping on her own! She looks like she’s aged 20 years; she can hardly lift her hand to put the key in the door.

‘Elle Bíbi-Imbelé. Welcome back! God has given you safe journey.’

She hugs me very tight and sings her welcome song. I’m happy to see Grandma again and glad she didn’t stay at the bottom of the stairs for hours.