"Steel..." "They're like us, Steel." "But they're like us!" " The same as us?" " Well, almost." "How do they differ?" "I think they answer to a higher authority." "'All irregularities will be handled 'by the forces controlling each dimension." "'Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life." "'Medium atomic weights are available." "'Gold, Mercury," "'Copper," "'Jet, Diamond, Radium," "'Sapphire, Silver and Steel." "'Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. '" " How many?" " Three." "The three men." "They asked me to work for them once." "I chose not to." "Did they ever ask you?" "Yes." "And you chose not to, too, didn't you?" "Perhaps that's why we work so well together." "Maybe too well." "What made you say that?" " A feeling." " Be more specific." "We're resented." "They resent us." "I mean..." "they resent our achievements." "More than that..." "They resent our independence." "We need the truth." "The truth about your friend." "You wanted to tell us, so tell us." "He's..." "Well, he's been sent here to kill you." "As simple as that." "To kill all three of you." "Sent from where?" "Well, from what I can make out, he's been..." "He's been based in my time." "In 1948?" " Yes." " Is that where you met him?" "Yes, that's right." "Sent from the past into the future, into this time?" "Yes." "To trap you, to trick you." "So, if I were you..." "You'd better leave here, try to escape." "We can't." "There's a barrier." "It completely encircles this place." " Can't you break through it?" " No." "'They're sent from the past. '" "'They always were better organised. '" "Who do you think they represent?" " Those three?" " Mm." "I don't know." "The only people with similar powers are the transient beings." "But they're locked in the past where they belong." "So far, yes." "They can change shape and move anywhere but only in the past." "They cannot move forward in time." "Maybe they've learned." "Been taught, perhaps." "If someone wanted to use the right people, recruit them, send them forward in time to find us, what better choice?" "Than transient beings with an access to time." " Yes." " A way of moving into the future." "Yeah, well, they need some sort of a device to get here." "Oh, yes." " When he brought you here..." " Yes?" "...how did he do it?" " How should I know?" "You travelled with him, didn't you?" " Of course I did." " Then explain the journey." "Well... we just drove here." "I told you before, it... happened without any kind of warning." "But you neglected to tell us before that you knew it was going to happen." "But that was the plan - his plan." "'Why should she help us?" "Why is she telling us this?" "'" "'I've been wondering that. '" " Anyway, it wasn't a garage." " What wasn't?" "This place." "Well, not so far in my time anyway." "What was it?" "A café." "Just a small café." "Three different buildings, three separate time periods... but he chose the café in my time." "He chose to meet me." "It's romantic, don't you think?" "Ready?" "Yes." "All three of them trying to trap you." "And you?" " Me?" " What sort of trick are you playing?" "I just want to help you." "All right, I care about the man." "And..." "I realise that he's different." "I mean, he can probably live forever but..." "I don't mind that." "I mean, who wants to grow old?" "But..." "I just don't want anyone to be hurt in this godforsaken place." "L" " I don't want anything to happen to any of you." "That's why I've decided to warn you." "That's why I decided to... tell you the truth about him and the others." "All right, I love the man." "I'd probably do anything for him." "For him... for him... for him..." "Get her out of here." "Now... you can tell us the truth." "How did he bring you here?" "What did he use to cross time?" "He has a case." "A tiny box." "You think it's a game at first but... not if you stare into it." "It's weird." "He let me look at it once." "It's how you imagine a fortune-teller's crystal to be." "You can see the future in it?" "Yes." "And the past." "Everything." " You lost it?" "You lost the box?" " Yes." "How can we do what we came to do without it?" " We can't even return without it." " Then help me look for it." "Here comes I, little Johnny Jack, with me wife and me family on me back." "Me family's large and me wife is small and I'm the father of them all." "Oi." "Would you be looking for this?" " Er, useful piece of apparatus." " It's our ticket." " And yours." " What?" "To the future?" "Oh." "Well, the past, then?" "How far back?" "Oh... a couple of hundred million years." " Yeah, that ought to do nicely." " Er, I'm very bad at dates..." "That's the Triassic Period." "There was nothing here, I wouldn't survive." "He's quick, isn't he?" "40 minutes this time." "Ten, then 20, then 40." "Doubling up each time." "It seems that way." " It is that way." " Tell me." " We have to leave here now." " You said there was a barrier." " There is" " A barrier that we can't break." " We have to break it." "Come on." " Tell me." " I'll tell you on the way." " No." "You'll tell me now." "All right." "They have a device, some kind of a time-box." " We know that." " But the device isn't perfect." "No device can be, no matter who tries to use it." "When time's been tampered with like this, it tries to counteract things." " With the time shifts." " Yes." "On each occasion they've been doubling up." "When they move again, it will have quadrupled." "Four times 40 minutes, then four times that..." "What do you mean, "quadrupled"?" "You did get it." "No." "There are now two time-boxes, I'm afraid." "This is another instant reproduction job." "And that can get us out of here?" " I hope so." " Can I see it?" ""Like a fortune-teller's crystal. " That's how she described it." " You really want to see the future?" " Yes." "It's best not to know." "Silver, it's my job to know." "All right." "Space." "Hours will become days and months and years will become thousands of years." "There is nothing but space." "Yes." "Come on." "Steel?" "Steel?" "I've just explained, this thing is not stable." " We have a job to do, too." " No." "Not in this place." "This place is a trap for us." "Transient beings have been sent to hunt us." "Can you deal with them?" " You know I can't." " Then you have no moral duty." " She's been brought here." " And by her own choice." "They're using her." "We have to help her, it's our duty." "Thank you." "Thank you for helping me." "'Don't go that way." "The two men are waiting by the entrance. '" "'We'll go through the yard. '" "This is private here." "Private property." "If you want service, it's in the front of the building." "This part of the building's private." "You don't belong here." "Silver." "That box in your pocket." "Give it to me, please." " Sorry." " I can help you, Silver." "I can't help him but I can help you." "It's his time, and Sapphire's, but necessarily yours." "So, just give me the box." "That's fine, thanks." "I promise we can help you." "We can't help the others but we can help you." "Are you going to believe that?" " No." " That's it, that's the way." "Silver..." "You don't know how to work this thing... but I think I do." "Both a weapon..." "And a means of travelling through time." "No one should have access to that kind of power." "A jug or two of ale will make our voices ring, money in our pocket's a very good... thing." " One of those?" " One of those." "The Triassic Period, wasn't it?" "Have a good time there." "There's no need to worry..." "as long as we have this." "Our friend crossed time to hunt us down, now it's our turn to be the hunters." "That's it, nearly there." "Hello, Sapphire." ""What would happen if I tried to get away from here?" You remember that?" " Yes." " And you said it wasn't possible." " Yes, I remember." " Then why are you trying to leave?" "So, where is he?" " 'Steel. ' - 'Yes?" "'" "'We're near the road." "Please come here quickly. '" " We did it." " Yes." "We did it." "Well, no one running this place today?" "Not since I came in." "A fine place to meet." "Yes." "What..." "What year is this?" "Excuse me..." "could you tell me what year this is?" "Do you mean you don't know?" "We don't know." "It's 1948." "Well, then..." "we must be in the wrong time." "Yes, you must." "How did you get here?" "That device that you have, could I have it, please?" " Please?" " You'd better." "All right." "On the table facing you." "Well..." "We don't really need this now, do we?" "No." "Steel..." "I don't understand it." "Don't trust him and don't believe her." "Actually, you can for once." "Because... this is the trap." "This place, you see... this place is nowhere." "And it's forever." "'Nowhere..." "Nowhere... '" "We should have known." "I'll get us out of here." "I saw the future... and it was our future."