"Just kneel down by the door, just outside the door." "Come along, Rob, kneel down by the door." "It's easy enough to open the door, easy enough to let us out." " How?" " Put your face close to the door." "Come along, Rob, you can do it!" "That's right..." "That's fine." "Now then, all you have to do is to say a rhyme." "A nursery rhyme, an old one." "Any one, providing it's old." "Well, can't you remember one?" "Then just say it, Rob, just say it!" "Say it!" " I can't!" " Say it!" "I'm too old to say nursery rhymes!" "Well then, let's call it history." " You're old enough for history." " Yes." "A lot of nursery rhymes are history, I taught you that, didn't I?" " No!" " So say the one in your head." " Which one?" " The one in your head now." " Think of the soldiers." " Soldiers..." "Climbing the stairs, swords in their hands, searching for people!" " Goosey goosey gander!" " That's the one!" "Where shall I..." "Whither shall I wander?" "Upstairs and downstairs..." "In my..." "'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, Lead," "'Copper," "'Jet, Diamond, Radium," "'Sapphire, Silver and Steel." "'Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. '" "No!" "Sapphire!" "Steel!" "Steel!" " It could not have been your mother." " But it called to me!" " Called your name?" " Yes, it called!" ""Rob!" Like that." "I thought it was my mother, it was her voice." "Just like it - except it got a few things wrong, it made mistakes." "I wasn't fighting her this time, honest!" "The voice called me." "I had to go, didn't I?" " Have they all stopped again?" " Yes." "I did as I was told, I wouldn't have gone up otherwise." "I believe you... this time." " The soldiers came out of the room?" " No, they came up the stairs." "Well, not all the way up, they just kind of appeared on the top staircase." "Something could've been let loose - a visual refraction." "Visual refraction?" "Yes, you'd call them..." "What would he call them?" " Ghosts." " Ghosts?" "!" " Did anything come out of that room?" " No!" "And the door's not nailed up any more." " No?" " No, it's a different door." " Another refraction?" " Probably." "Look, I saw it!" "I mean, you can't have a ghost door as well, can you?" "Yes." "But those soldiers looked solid." "They would." "They kicked the door open." "What is it?" "Something." "I'm not sure, just something." "Is it still going?" "Yes." "But it's lost seven minutes." " Since we came up the stairs?" " Yes." " Dad's had that clock for years." " Has it been reliable?" "I don't really know." "This is where the soldiers first appeared." "Are you sure nothing came out of that room?" "No, I told you!" "Anyway, it'll be open now, the different door." " Look, I'll show you!" " Wait." "You see?" "It's back as it was." "And so is the clock." "So those seven minutes were lost down there on that landing." "Keep still!" "And that's what you saw?" "They didn't seem different?" "The clock's working perfectly, it didn't stop or lose time." "They didn't affect it." "But something did." "When the voice called to you, which rhyme did you say?" "Which one did you choose?" "I didn't exactly choose." "I was more or less told to say it." " Told to say it?" " Yes." " It was kind of put into my head." " Which one?" "Don't say it out loud." "Look at me." "Look at me and remember exactly what you said." "Say it in your mind." "'Goosey goosey gander!" "'Where shall I..." "Whither shall I wander?" "'Upstairs and downstairs. '" "And you only said those three lines out loud?" " Yes." " Then the soldiers appeared?" "Yes." "Upstairs and downstairs, upstairs and downstairs..." " Sapphire?" " Upstairs and downstairs..." "Yes, Steel." "Do it again." "Walk up the stairs again." "Nothing." "So what do we do, blame the clock?" "The first nursery rhyme is from the time of the plague and the second one has historical relevance." "It refers to the Parliamentary wars." "Parliamentary wars?" "Cromwell's troops searched for people who wouldn't pray." " Wouldn't pray?" " Unbelievers." " Ah." " Don't you know your history?" "I know mine, yes." "But you must have heard of Cromwell?" "How many lines of that second rhyme did you say?" "Three." "I wouldn't say it all." "I fought it." "So the danger is still contained in that room." "And the visual refraction, those soldiers, they're harmless." "They're just things let loose." "Does she mean let loose by the breakthrough?" "Yes." "You mean not part of the plan?" "They must be harmless, those soldiers are an anachronism." "They must have lived a hundred years before this house was built." "Most of this is history gone wrong." "We've never had that before." "Then again, maybe it is part of the plan." "What?" "The confusion, it's a way of diverting us." "From what?" "I don't know, but they know it's us." "They won't use tricks we already know, will they?" "'Steel!" "'" "Sapphire?" "Sapphire?" "'Here, Steel. '" "Speak to me." " 'I'm in a room, a tiny room. '" " How are you standing?" " 'Facing a wall. '" " You haven't moved?" " 'No, I'm as I was with you. '" " You're in the house, remember that, and don't move, don't make yourself a part of that room." "'No." "We walked right into it, didn't we?" "'I walked right into it. '" "Don't think that, you're still in this house with us, right?" "Sapphire?" "'Yes, I heard that. '" "Good." "Now, describe the room to me." "'It's part of a cottage." "'Probably the scullery in an old cottage. '" "Day or night?" "'Day. '" "But it's night." "Keep remembering that it's night and you're here with us." "Think of that room as a picture, nothing else," " you're seeing a picture." " It was a picture." " Yes?" " 'The one at the top of the stairs. '" "Yes, I can see it." "'It was waiting for us in the picture." "'It wants me to think I'm in that cottage. '" " Well, you're not." " No." "It's cold here." "'You're not in that room, Sapphire. '" "It's very cold here." " Something happened in here once." " 'That room?" "'" "'Something terrible." "'It knows that." "It wants me to know it." "'It wants me to sense it. '" "It wants me... to be a part of this room." "To be a part of what happened." "'Sapphire?" "'Sapphire!" "'" "It's all right, I'm in control of it." "I won't think what it wants me to think." "'Now, when I tell you, I want you to do something for me." "'I want you to look over your right shoulder." "'Do it very quickly and then back." "'Uh..." "Can you hear me?" "'" "Yes." "'I want to know if you can still see the picture." "'Very quickly, then back." "'Now!" "'Sapphire?" "'" "It's all right." "The picture's not there but..." " 'No!" "Are you facing the same way?" "'" " Yes." "Good, then stay like that." "Don't move." "Can't we get the picture?" "Wouldn't that stop it?" "'If you tried, you'd end up in this room with me. '" "'What was that?" "'" "Couldn't we smash the picture?" "It wouldn't smash what's hiding inside it." "'Apart from which, you might smash me. '" "Sapphire... could you try to take time back?" "I could try, yes." " Even ten minutes would do it." " 'I'll try." "Will you help me?" "'" "Yes." "Now, concentrate." " Rob?" " Shh." "Go to sleep, Helen." "No, I want Sapphire." "Where is she?" " Keep her down there." " Is she upstairs?" " Sapphire, take it back!" " 'Yes, Steel. '" "I can hear her!" "But I can't see her, where is she?" " Be quiet!" " Where are you, Sapphire?" " 'Just do as Rob says. '" " Yes, Sapphire." "You've got to do it now, Sapphire, before it's too late!" "That's it!" "Don't you know your history?" "I know mine, yes." " You must have heard of Cromwell?" " That's me!" "Have many lines of the rhyme did you say?" "Three, I wouldn't say it all." "I fought them." "Don't lose it." "Don't lose it!" "So the danger is still contained in that room." "And the visual refraction, those soldiers, they're harmless." "The room's swarming with them." "They're just things let loose." "Let loose by the breakthrough?" "Yes." "They're not in the plan?" "They must be harmless." "Those soldiers are an anachronism." "They must have lived a hundred years before this house was even built." "Most of this is history gone wrong." "We've never had that before." "Keep it going." "Keep it going..." " You can do it, Sapphire." " I can't." " 'You can!" "'" " I can't!" " You can!" " Please, Steel, it's no good!" "It's in here with me." "'Sapphire!" "'" "'It's fighting and it's winning." "'I'm not strong enough!" "I can't win!" "'" "You don't have to win, Sapphire, can you hold it for... two minutes?" "Can you give me two minutes?" "'Yes." "'Steel, be careful. '" "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to your father's workshop." "Till I come back, you keep Helen here." " Try to keep Sapphire talking." " Right." " Sapphire, Steel said..." " Yes, I heard." " Is this like the ship?" " 'The what?" "'" "The job you had to do on a ship." "Um, yes, only this is slightly more difficult." "Sorry." "Only, I'm supposed to keep you talking." "'You're doing fine, Rob. '" " Sapphire..." " 'Hello, Helen. '" " I want to see you, Sapphire." " Soon, Helen, soon." " Just be patient, hm?" " 'Yes. '" " I'll tell you one thing, Rob..." " Yes?" " 'I'm glad of the rhyme you chose. '" " What?" "You could've settled for Oranges And Lemons." "Then, if roundhead soldiers belong anywhere it's in this hellhole." "Rob, do you hear that?" "Hear what?" "Rob, will you fetch Steel?" "Rob, quickly, please!" "'Something terrible happened here!" "'Oh, please!" "Help me!" "'" "Steel!" " Don't come in!" " Please, help me." "Quickly, please!" "Open the door and stand clear." " Don't touch me." "Don't come near me." " You're freezing." "Get the child." "Quickly!" " Come on, Helen." " But Sapphire's upstairs..." "Come on!" " Get her away from me." " It's cold!" "Come on!" "Someone was killed in this room - a young girl." "It wants me to be her!" "It wants it to happen again." "Steel, don't!" "The girl's killers are here!" "They've broken down the door!" "Steel!" " Sapphire!" " It's gone, the room's gone!" "But they haven't!"