"Greville, isn't it a little late to send flowers?" "I think you should use them, Miss Emma, they'd be very hurt otherwise." "Roses..." "The roses were always so much nicer then." "Never mind the roses, the guests will be arriving shortly." "These have just arrived, sir." "The house was always full of perfect roses." "Oh, please come on, Emma!" "Everything seemed more perfect then, didn't it, dear?" "It should be perfect now, it's cost me enough." " It was your idea, Arthur." " That's right." "Now that I've gone to all this expense we'll go along with it." " Don't make any faux pas, Emma." " No, Arthur." "I'll try not to." " Remember the date and the year." " Yes, such a lovely day." "And such an exciting year." "June the 21st, 1930." " Yes dear." " Good." "Greville, did you?" " Yes, sir." " Hm." "I imagine Wall Street and the Stock Exchange would say it was a little too damn exciting." " The Stock Exchange, damn." " What is it, Arthur?" "I didn't get yesterday's prices on the Tokyo market." "Oh, dear." "I don't care what he says I can actually hear that thing." " Ultrasonics, Miss Emma." " I don't care what they call it," "I can hear it." " Good evening, sir." " Evening, Miss Shaw." " You all right?" " Yes, sir." "That's good." "What did Tokyo close at?" " 2.5 up, my lord." "As you predicted." " Good." "Hong Kong?" "Point six on Mullrine International and point four on Engineering." "Splendid!" "You spoke to Fairfax?" "Yes, he managed to knock Lauderdale down to eight million dollars US." "I won't go to a cent more." " I told him that." " Good." "And what do you think of the outfit, eh?" " Exactly right, sir." " Should be!" "Tailor charged me 400 quid for it!" "Not a single trace of synthetic fibre in the whole suit." " Got him to guarantee that." " Authentic through and through." "If it's worth doing it's worth doing thoroughly." "By the way, you're not to come out of this door under any circumstances." "You understand?" "Any circumstances - it would spoil the whole effect." " Your clothes..." " I understand, sir." "If you want to go out, use this door." "No one must see you." "I intended to work this weekend anyway, sir." "Good." "You don't have to go through to your bedroom in the annexe?" " No, sir." " All right, then, see you Monday." "I hope you have a super party, sir." "It'll be different." "Have to mark our 50th year of operation, don't we?" "Seems as good a way as any." "21st of June." "Summer Solstice." "I remember noting it then." "Ahh, the cocktails." "Good man, Greville." "Splendid chap." "Yes, Arthur, you look very handsome." "Ah, the first guests." "Yes, now it all begins." "How silly of me, I feel quite nervous." "Yes, how silly of you, Emma." "Well, couldn't get back here if he wanted to, silly old devil." "'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. '" " Evening, Greville." " Good evening, Mr Harborough." " Good evening, Greville." " Mrs McDee." "Mrs Harborough." "Good evening, sir." " I like your monkey suit." " 1930s, sir." "Absolutely authentic." "Costumiers must be having a field day." "Specially made by Lord Mullrine's tailor." "Must've cost a fortune." "So will shareholders have reduced dividends?" " God, I hope not." " Bags are in the car, Greville." "Bags are in the car." " Sorry, sir." " How many have been invited?" "I've no idea, sir." "Miss Emma saw to the invitations." "Lord, that spells trouble." "She'll have half the county here." "While the other half tries to get away." "Keep your opinions to yourself, Annabelle." "If Mullrine wants to indulge his fantasies, let him, will you?" "Of course, darling." "I think it's fun." "Honestly." "Mrs Felicity McDee, my lord, and Mr Howard McDee." "Mr and Mrs Felix Harborough." "Oh, how beautiful!" "How lovely you all look!" "Hello, Felicity." "How well you look." "I do so wish George could have been here." "He would have enjoyed it, wouldn't he?" "George would have hated it, Emma." "He always left ostentatious nonsense to you and your brother." "Yes." "Yes, I suppose so." "Annabelle!" "That dress is quite stunning." "Arthur, you've been to a lot of trouble." " Yes, I have." " It's dead right." "Every detail." " Except for..." " Except for what?" "Except for the black mourning crepe over my grandfather's portrait." "Surely on June 21st 1930 he was very much alive, wasn't he Grandmama?" "No, Mullrine and McDee, the whizz kids of the Depression." "Hell-bent on making a second Mullrine fortune." " Yes, all right, Howard." " Sorry!" "Greville, whisky and soda for the men folk, please." "The ladies can have champagne or any of those newfangled cocktails." " Splendid!" " What will you have, Annabelle?" "A Green Goddess" " I believe they were the in thing in 1930." "Greville, a Green Goddess, please." "Don't be silly, you weren't even around then." " Does this thing work?" " Everything works." "I was following the Test." "Wanted to see how Boycott was doing." "Be my guest." "Go on, switch it on." " They have to warm up." " Good." "That's very good." "'Here we are, back at the first Test 'as Bradman takes his stance for this fourth ball of the over. '" " Bradman?" " 'Larwood starts his long run." "'Ames, well back." "Larwood bowls fast, a good length, 'and Bradman flicks it sweetly to the off 'but Wally Hammond is there. '" "Bradman, Larwood, Ames, Wally Hammond?" "This is extraordinary!" "'Australia still 123 for one wicket 'as Hammond returns the ball to Larwood. '" "First Test of the 1930 season, England against Australia." "'Incidentally, speaking of Hammond's fielding there's a story about it." "'It seems about a year ago when Larwood was bowling, 'and indeed Bradman batting, just as today, Hammond was in the slips." "'Larwood bowled, Bradman made a stroke, there was a snick 'and Hammond dived full length and threw the ball up in triumph 'only unfortunately it wasn't a ball, 'it was a swallow, which Hammond had caught as it... '" "All done by mirrors." "Or tape recorders." "Clever." "I wish there was a bookie handy, I know who won that game." " It hasn't ended yet!" " Let me see, it was..." "I know every Test score going back to 1918." "England-Australia, first Test..." "That's funny, my memory's normally rather good." "How strange, I can't remember." " Annabelle, are you all right?" " Yes," " I just felt as if someone had..." " Walked over your grave?" "Yes." "This house has that effect on a lot of people." "George loathed it." "On the contrary, as Emma will tell you, my late lamented partner did not loath this house, Felicity." "He did some of his most creative work here." "My sister always made him feel most welcome." "Arthur... please." "He said it was an evil house." "Oh, no, Felicity, surely not?" "Nothing ever changes, George." " Bollinger 1927?" " Of course." " Champagne doesn't mature." "That's..." " Only three years old." " And 1927 was a very good year." " Yes, we had some only last week." "We've never had Bollinger '27." " Haven't we?" "I seem to remember..." " What?" "May I, sir?" "I thought everyone but everyone drank Bollinger '27." " I say, it's quite dark outside." " Impossible, it's not seven." "And the weather's glorious at Trent Bridge." "You heard the wireless." "No!" "No, that's impossible." " What's the matter?" " That green door." " What about it?" " I..." "I could swear it..." " it seemed to disappear." " Come on." "That's only your first glass of champagne!" " It disappeared." " Nonsense!" "Only for a second or two." "Doors don't disappear, Felicity." " This one did." " That's the door to my office." "I know, Arthur." "But it wasn't there in 1930, was it?" "Damn!" "I forgot about that." "I wouldn't have known anyway, I wasn't born then." "You built that office in 1938, Arthur." "I remember thinking how out of place that door looked." "All right, Emma." "That's probably young Tony Purnell and his girlfriend." " Probably." " Oh, what's her name?" " You didn't invite anyone else?" " I don't know, Arthur!" " You made the list of invitations." " Should I, sir?" " No." "You go and receive them." " Very well." "Greville, serve some drinks, will you, please?" "Hello?" "Good evening." "Who is it?" "Miles and Virginia Cavendish." "Who?" "This is Lord Mullrine's party?" "We were invited." "Well... it should be all right, then." "I hope we're not too late." "The invitation was most specific." "Allow me, sir!" "Oh, Greville, thank you." "This way, sir." "Don't be too long!" ""The Honourable Miles and Mrs Cavendish"?" "Yes." "Miles and Virginia." "I didn't send that card." "Cavendish, Cavend..." "Oh, yes, he must be that chap who deals in futures." "Would he mean all our futures?" "Anybody mind if we have some music?" "You'll only get that test match." "It's a tape, remember?" "Oh, how nice!" "Jack Payne and his orchestra." " What's that?" " Dance music, darling." "Jack Payne's all the rage at the moment." " Good heavens!" " What's the matter?" " What's happened to the tape?" " What tape, Felix?" "The place seems very odd to me." "Which side of the bed would you prefer?" " There's no other way?" " Not now, no." "Miles Cavendish!" "Who chose that?" " You did." " I didn't." "Yes, you did." "The host must have started this as a game." "Well, now it's become reality." "I think I'd rather be nearer the door." "It's funny, since I arrived I haven't seen anything made later than 1930." "Nothing." "What about the materials?" "No synthetic fibres, no plastics, no nylon." "As though we've stepped back 50 years." "I wonder if the people downstairs realise?" "How long will it take you to get ready?" "It really is getting awfully dark." "Longest day of summer." "What do you expect?" "I hope it's not going to rain." "Put some lights on, draw the curtains." "Never had summers like this in the '30s." "I was looking forward to a lovely sunny weekend." "Tea on the lawn tomorrow, with strawberries." "It started out all right." " I'd never noticed that before." " What?" "You can see the church tower, almost as though there were a path to it." " You're mistaken, Howard." " Oh?" "Why?" "Must be a trick of the light." "The tower was V2'd - or was it "doodle bombed"?" " One or the other." "In, er, 1944 or 1945." " You sure, Emma?" " Positive." "Terribly sad." "It did look like a church tower." "And it would have been there in 1930, wouldn't it?" "This is just a game, it isn't for real." "This is 19... 19 what, Annabelle?" "19..." " 1930." "June the 21st, 1930." " Come on, Arthur." "King George V is on the throne, MacDonald's prime minister and eight months ago the American stock market collapsed." "And we are in the midst of a depression." "But McDee and I form Mullrine International here in this house." "We built it and we believed in it." " It was a massive achievement!" " Right." "Yes." "Therefore you can see that church tower from that window." "You can't possibly know who won that test match!" "The champagne we've been drinking is definitely 1927 vintage and only three years old." "And that damn green door shouldn't be there!" " It's a paradox." " What?" "!" "You can't make it 1930, you can only pretend." "If it was 1930 only you, Emma and Mrs McDee could be here, the rest of us wouldn't have been born." "You're amazing." "Powerful." "Rich beyond most people's dreams and very very clever - bit of a genius." "But even you can't turn back the clock." "If you could, Arthur, would you bring George back to life?" "There's still a draught in here, even with the curtains drawn." "Would you?" "Yes." " That's interesting." " What's interesting?" " I was wondering." " Wondering what?" "I was wondering why the black mourning crepe has gone." "Someone's playing some clownish trick!" "They couldn't have done - we haven't left the room." "We couldn't miss seeing someone reach up for that crepe." "You're right about that chill, Annabelle." "It cuts right through the centre of this room." "Why did it choose this house?" " It's definitely here?" " Yes." "But where?" "Maybe it's taken over someone downstairs." "We have to find out which one." "That won't be easy, it could be any one of them." " Or all of them." " No." "That wouldn't make sense." "No, of course it wouldn't." "There has to be a victim." "Or victims." "Anything you say, Virginia." "Shall we go down?" "Haven't you forgotten something..." "Miles?" "Yes, very frustrating for you, Felix." "Must be." "Old dodderer like me refusing to retire." "You'll have to sooner or later." "I can wait." "The only way you'll head Mullrine International is by burying me." "Don't tempt me." "Yes, I used to love going to the flower show." "Do you know Queen Mary's opening it this year?" "But I never get to London these days." " Queen Mary?" " Formidable lady, but so regal!" " I want to go, I hate them all." " Yes, all right." "In the morning." "Felix and Annabelle will have to get another lift..." "Wow!" " All well, sir?" " Good evening, Greville." "'52 years old." "A totally repressed personality. '" " I hope the room is to your liking." " Marvellous." "'Devoted to the Mullrines. '" " 'The family or the house?" "' - 'Lord Mullrine. '" " Thank you, Greville." " This way, madam, sir." "The honourable Miles and Mrs Cavendish." "Oh, there you are!" "We were beginning to think you'd deserted us." " We were just changing." " What a delightful dress." "I wish I was still young enough to wear fashionable things." " They're back in fashion?" " At 60 it's too late." " 'She's 74.'" " Thank you." "'Carrying a torch for a lost love." "For 50 years. '" " Mr Cavendish, you look grand." " How nice of you to say so." "Greville, our guests have no drinks." "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't drink." "Oh." "What a good idea, so sensible." "Come and meet everybody." "This is Mrs McDee." " And Howard McDee." " How do you do?" " Delighted." " Champagne's awfully good." "And this is..." "Oh, dear." "Poor Annabelle isn't well, I hope she hasn't caught a chill." " Is there anything I can do?" " I don't know." "Annabelle, are you still cold?" " Yes, don't you feel it?" " I don't believe I do." "Virginia Cavendish, Annabelle Harborough." "How do you do?" "'Has she a temperature loss?" "She could be affected by time. '" " 'It's possible. '" " How do you do?" " You haven't been here before." " I'm sorry?" " To this house." " No, have you?" "Oh, yes, my husband's Arthur Mullrine's deputy." "They're in the library." "Perhaps Greville could bring you something." " I think it's passing." " Good." " Something wrong?" " Ah, Howard." " No, not really." " You're here." "Annabelle was just complaining of the cold." "On Midsummer's Day?" "Oh, my dear." " 'Steel. ' - 'Yes?" "'" "'They're rather more than friends. '" "Howard's very attentive, isn't he?" "He's always been a considerate boy." "I wonder if Felix has noticed how considerate he is." "Felix doesn't notice anything that isn't to do with business." "Let's not argue, Felix." "Look at him now." " If that's what you want." " I won't discuss it now." "You're letting sentiment interfere with business!" " Are you losing your grip?" " Hmph!" "That'll be the day." "You know your trouble, Felix?" "You don't enjoy business enough." "That'll keep me going when men like you have packed it in." "Have a cigar." "Lord Mullrine, nice of you to invite us." " Grosvenor." " Cavendish." "Of course." "Glad you could come." " I'm Felix Harborough." " Deputy of Mullrine International." " You're in the futures market?" " In a way." "I'm a futurologist." " Sounds like a fortune-teller!" " Fortunes." "Yes, I like that!" "My predictions are based on logical projections using the advanced physical sciences." " Speculative cybernetics?" " You're not here to talk shop!" "You told me just now you enjoyed..." "You old ruffian, what are you trying to hide?" " Me?" "Hide?" " You're up to something!" " He using you to make a killing?" " Felix... if I were you I'd watch your wife." "Young McDee takes after his grandfather, in more ways than one." "I'd better talk to my husband, if you'll excuse me." "Feli, dear." " My dear, you have no drink." " That's perfectly..." "No." "Leave it to me." "There is a time-break and someone in this house is causing it." " What about this room?" " It's the same as the bedroom." " Nothing later than 1930?" " Except that door." " And that's..." " Out of place?" "It is, rather." "Thank you." " Champagne?" " No, thank you." " Chin-chin." " 'What's he mean?" "'" "'Say "chin-chin"." "He can't drink until you do. '" " Chin-chin!" " 'See?" "'" "It has no lock and no handle." "What's the point of a door if you can't open it?" "Exactly." "You've got it." "'There's a barrier. '" " 'Barrier?" "'" " Of course!" "A certain man thinks that door is the door to end all doors." "'It's a blue light. '" " Ask him." " 'Temperature?" "'" "'Much lower." "'Possibly a ley line." "There should be evidence. '" "You have guessed, haven't you?" "What?" "The door, whose idea it was." "No, you tell me." "Well, our host, His Lordship, of course." "'What's behind it?" "'" "He's got a special device." "He's the only person who knows how to use it." "'Something moving. ' 'Tell me. '" "'It's twisting, turning..." "and writhing." " 'It's... '" " More champagne?" "'Come back, Sapphire." "Sapphire!" "'"