"May I offer you the first toast of the evening?" " No speeches!" " Mullrine and McDee." "To the millions they make out of pain and misery." "To our hosts - charlatans and purveyors of blood." " Howard, you are a pest." " Who are you?" "!" "I'm..." "I'm..." "Do you think he's drunk, Arthur?" "A bit squiffy?" "On the contrary, he's a bit dead." "'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. '" "Out of my way." " Don't touch him." " I am the doctor around here!" "Cyanide." " Cyanide, no doubt." " Greville, did you decant the port?" " Of course but..." " Anyone could have tampered with it?" " Yes, sir." " I've warned him about drinking." " What are you going to do?" " Me?" " It's your house!" " What a mess, this tablecloth..." " This is no time for tablecloths!" " Quiet, darling." "Arthur?" "I never did like the fellow, he was a damn nuisance." " He hadn't the brains of a flea." " Vultures!" "The poor boy's not even cold and you're picking over his bones!" "Hardly!" "Though I wonder, what happens to his shares?" " I'll not listen to this." " Oh, no, you stay here!" "Everyone will until we get to the bottom of this." " Miles, lock that door." " I don't think it'll..." " I said lock it!" " You might as well." "Thank you." "Sit down." "Miles, you're going to question us, find out who had the best motive - we all had good ones." "We should move Howard." "He doesn't look comfortable." " Don't touch him!" " What?" "Take your hands off my son." " Your son?" " Never forget, Emma, I know." "Haven't you done enough damage?" "!" "Great God, I'm away back to my laboratory." "You can't..." "I have the key." "Oh, my God!" " I need a drink." " I shouldn't if I were you." "Tell me, there was..." "I didn't imagine it all, did I?" "No, you didn't imagine it." "What's going to happen to me?" "I'm next, aren't I?" "There is danger in this house for all of us." " Very good, Emma!" " How can you be so calm?" "!" "Veronica, then Tony, now Howard!" " When you get to my age..." " How old are you, Arthur?" " What?" " Really, what a question!" "One should never ask anyone's age over 30." "Emma, you're three years younger than I am." " How old is that?" " Greville..." " We're ready for coffee." " Wait, what about Howard?" "!" " Who?" " Howard!" "Howard McDee!" "He was here!" "Greville, sprinkle some salt on the tablecloth," " someone has upset the port." " I hope it wasn't George." " George?" "Where is he?" " In his laboratory." "Why did I ever marry that man?" "He thinks more of his work than he does of me." "Don't complain, remember how lucky you are." "Greville, serve coffee in the lounge." " Yes, Mr Mullrine." " "Mr Mullrine"?" " Miss Emma, excuse us." " How can they?" "!" "Greville, will you leave us, please?" "Yes, madam." " They're under no immediate threat." " And we are?" "Yes." "What year were you born, Mr Harborough?" "Me?" "1931." " And your wife?" " Later." "Much later." " Thank you." " It seems obvious." "What?" "!" "You're talking in riddles!" " You're both in danger." " Of being murdered?" " Something like that." " Do you know who it is?" " More or less." " Well, tell us." "Who?" "!" "No..." "living soul." "Oh, this is preposterous!" "If you really are a detective, isn't it time you did some detecting?" "Particularly if I'm going to be next!" "We're dealing with something far more important." "I'm going to speak to Arthur!" "For once in your life, my darling, a very good idea!" "June 22nd, 1930." "Present that night were Mullrine and Emma, Felicity and George." "And Greville - he went through the door." "Yes." "He's older than he looks." "How will it deal with Felix and Annabelle?" "How else do humans destroy one another?" "Oh... they have so many ways." " Ah, the new record!" " Arthur, could I have a word?" " I adore it, don't you, Felicity?" " No, it's rather vulgar." " Then it'll make money, my dear." " Very probably." "I think I'm going mad!" "It's so up-to-date!" "It's as much a part of 1930 as Amy Johnson, or the R100 airship." "Airship?" "That'll make a packet for someone with enough capital and foresight." "What's that?" " Airships!" " Don't be so silly!" "We're spending hundreds of thousands of pounds to build great ocean liners" " when the real future is up there!" " Arthur!" "Yes, up there in the skies." "Look at the way the R100 can fly all the way to Canada." " I should love to fly an aeroplane." " You couldn't fly a kite." " It's awfully difficult." " Amy Johnson can do it." "I heard a talk she gave about her flight and she was talking all the way from Australia!" " Yes." "Fancy." " Wouldn't you like to fly?" " With wings?" " Silly, an aeroplane." "Arthur says I'm too idiotic, what do you say?" " Well, I..." " Sit down, whoever you are." " Why shouldn't ladies fly?" " Felix!" "They do most other things nowadays." "Drive motorcars." " Motorbikes." " Felix!" "Oh, you are so funny!" "I can't stand any more of this!" "You're all mad!" "All of you!" "Quite mad!" "It could be any one of you!" "Poor Annabelle, it's not right!" " She isn't dead." " No one has been murdered." " You'll have to suspend disbelief." " I know this is hard to accept." "Mr Harborough, you're a shrewd man, can you give me a rational explanation for what's happened?" "There has been a time change, this house has been moved back in time." "Back to 1930." "And to be consistent, everyone who wasn't born then has had to be eliminated." " Hence these murders." " But they never happened." "Time has simply been suspended." "You call that a rational explanation?" "I call it lunacy." "You should be locked up, the pair of you!" "I wouldn't be surprised to find you were at the bottom of this whole damn business!" "I am not Miles Cavendish." "And I am not Virginia Cavendish." "Thank you, Greville." "They played this at the Kit Kat..." "So no one has been killed." "You won't die." "You're a kind of interplanetary police force?" " Yes." " Aliens of some sort?" " In an extraterrestrial sense." " You've been sent here?" " To keep order." " Capricious elements are at work." "You might consider my feelings at a time like this." "Time is not as rigid as you believe." " With respect..." " No more words, Sapphire." "Show him." "You ought to listen to them, Felix." "Do what they say." "They really are who they say they are." "It's quite extraordinary, and fun." "Fun?" "But... you're dead." "You died there." "Not really." "Halfway, if you like." "It's marvellous!" "I've learned more up here than down there." " Where are you?" " Haven't the faintest." "Sort of floating." "Waiting." "I can look at anything I want." "As a matter of fact I was just watching my first day at school." " Fascinating." " It's a trick." "No, it's not a trick, Felix." "All right." "If you can see anything you want, what is the..." "What's the... colour..." "What's the colour of the lining paper in my shirt drawer?" "That's a bit of a teaser, Felix!" "Hang on a moment." "Good lord!" "Someone's used old wallpaper!" "Regency stripe - gold on white." "We don't have time for any more questions." "Who are you?" "I am known as Steel." "Sapphire." "Sapphire... and Steel." " Are there more of you?" " Oh, yes." " Bronze, Lead..." " Silver." "I see." " Code names." " We need your help." "Very well." "Who shall I be?" "Platinum?" "Diamond?" "Tin?" "How about Brass?" "That will do fine." "What do you want me to do?" "Find out if Greville could have been in this house in 1930." " Right." " Before you go... you'll need this." "'Can you hear me?" "'" " Of course I can." " 'Don't speak, just think. '" "'She has got very pretty eyes. '" " 'Thank you. ' - 'Don't mention it. '" "Good lord!" "Ah, Greville." " Sir!" " What were you doing?" "I found these wires leading from the fuse box, sir, it looked dangerous." "Do you recognise the wire?" "Do you keep any more like it?" "No, sir." "It looked the sort of thing" "Mr McDee might have in his laboratory." "Who could have done such a terrible thing?" "Who indeed?" "Any one of us might have opened that door." "I think not." "I think it was meant only for your wife." " Show me where it goes." " It's under the back stairs." "You know this house well, Greville." "Have you lived here long?" "He can't handle communication." "I only gave him the first level." " Anyway, how can he help us?" " I was getting him out of the way." "It'll take his mind off it." "It'll come as a surprise." "How very considerate of you." "Speaking of death, what about George McDee?" " He died on the 22nd." " It's twenty-five to twelve now." "Mullrine has an office through the living room." "McDee was an eminent scientist." "His death would have been reported." " There'll be a record in the office." " Yes but that's in 1980." "You could never do it." "'Now?" "' 'Not yet. '" "There it is but how do we open it?" "It has no lock, no handle, remember?" "How does Mullrine open it?" "Electronically." "He generates a signal." " What frequency?" " 30 kilohertz." "Higher." "Ah, Virginia, here's our fourth." "Two clubs or forcing two?" " Culbertson." "I always play one club." " Smashing!" " Arthur always plays with Greville." " I taught him everything he knows." " Good evening." " Oh!" "How did you get in here?" " Through the door." " But you can't, it isn't working." "You're not a ghost, are you?" " Ghost?" " Well, there was..." "I'm sorry." " Can I help you?" " No." "Thank you." "I can manage." "Excuse me." "Do you mind?" "What operates the door?" "Just one moment, I don't care if you are a guest, you can't walk in..." "You're looking tired, Felicity, dear." "Isn't it time for bed?" "Let me finish my cocoa first." " How can you drink it so hot?" " Take it up with you." "Don't be in such a hurry, Emma." "Arthur will play cards all night and I never know when George comes to bed." "We can sleep late in the morning." "Very well, if that's the way you feel about it." "But remember, one minute's sleep before midnight..." " All right..." "... is worth one hour after." " If it means so much to you." "Oh!" " Careful." "You're spilling it." "No trumps." "No bid." "Ah, Miles, thought we'd lost you." "Your bid, partner." "Could you help me a moment, Virginia?" "Darling, not now, I'm busy." "We are vulnerable, aren't we?" " Yes, madam." " And 30 below the line." "30 below?" "What time do you make it, Felix?" "Quarter past eleven." " 'Sapphire. '" " Four diamonds." " Double." " Four diamonds?" "Interesting." "'Sapphire?" "Sapphire, answer me. '" "'Brass here." "Where were you?" "'" " 'Back into the future. '" " What?" "!" " What?" " Felix?" "I'm so sorry." "'Sorry. '" "'I was in Mullrine's office. '" " 'You were away for two hours. '" " Felix!" "Four, no trumps." "'It is playing with time, isn't it?" "'" "'That's not all. ' No bid." " 'What?" "'" " Five spades." "'It's playing about with us too. '" "No bid, damn it." "'It's a mischievous force. '" "Five, no trumps." "'One with a warped sense of humour. '" "No bid." "Six hearts." "'It's no joke. ' A contest of wits." " What?" "!" " Yes, it is." "Come along, let us off the hook." "What's it going to be?" "Oh." "Seven diamonds." " No bid." " Pass." " Double." " Redouble." " What?" "Greville?" " Content." "Content." "Spades... hearts... diamonds and..." "Oh, no." "Ah..." " A club." " Thank you, partner!" " Why didn't you answer me?" " We bid seven diamonds!" " What of it?" " What do you want me to do?" "I need some feminine guile." "You don't play bridge, do you?" "Sorry, this is a private office." "I've come to apologise for my husband." "Darling?" "Sorry." "Lord Mullrine has been very generous." "He's a wonderful host." "Yes, he is." "Does he know you're in here?" " That's a lovely blouse." " What?" "Oh, thank you." " Where did you get it?" " Nowhere very chic." "You are clever." "I wish I could find things like that." " How sweet of you." " Can you help us settle an argument?" "It has nothing to do with Lord Mullrine's affairs." " It's something from the past." "What is it?" "A newspaper cutting about the death of George McDee." "Wasn't it a tragedy?" " Oh, yes, it was." " He was Mullrine's partner?" "He's been out of the picture since the '30s." "Was it June 22nd 1930?" "It's the date we're arguing about." " Do you have a record of it?" " All our files are computerised now." "So it could be in the computer?" " It is possible." " Oh, could you look for us?" "Look, I would love to help you but I have very specific instructions." " Why don't you ask Lord Mullrine?" " What a good idea!" " Come along, Miles." "We'll be back." " All right." " Oh, would you mind?" " There's a handle on this side." "Bye-bye." "That bitch!" "George McDee's body was found in the ashes." "Who else?" "Was anyone else injured?" "It didn't say." "Where did the fire start?" "It completely destroyed the library." "700 for the rubber." "1,500 for the grand slam." "Redoubled. 100 honours and 50 for the insult." "Pound a hundred." " Pound a hundred?" " It's all right, Greville." "L31." " L31?" "!" " Thank you, sir!" "Shall I?" " No, leave it." " Very good, sir." "L31!" "'Say you're tired and go to bed. '" " I'm so tired, I'll go to bed." " 'Take Mullrine. '" "What about you, Arthur?" "Yes." "Ha!" "I didn't realise it was so late." "'What shall I do?" "'" "'Get the details of McDee's death. '" " How about a nightcap, Arthur?" " Yes, good idea." "Thank you." " A fire?" " Yes, but where?" "If you're thinking of investing that sort of money, shouldn't you put it to the shareholders?" "What, Emma and Felicity?" " Emma and Felicity." " What do they know?" "They said I was mad when I took George on as a partner." ""You've got the ideas and the capital." "What do you need him for?"" "Little did they know." "Wasn't George?" "George is a very clever fellow, isn't he?" "You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" "No, that's between George and me." "I'll let you know when I'm ready." "Always kept your cards close to your chest." "Is his, um... work... dangerous?" "Dangerous?" "Dangerous right off my living room and me standing here?" "What exactly has he got in there?" "Why don't you see for yourself?" "But surely..." "We can't go in there - he hates to be disturbed while he's working." "Not by me." "Come and take a look." "Go on, take a look." "George?" " Good evening." " Get out!" " He's from the bank, George." " Not now!" "Leave!" "I'm sorry you've been disturbed." " Aren't these cultures?" " Get out of here!" "You shouldn't have done that, George!" "He was only asking a question!" "I've nearly solved it!" "Your temper will give the company a bad name." " It's impossible." " There's no doubt." "There never was a fire here?" " Steel?" " None." " Steel?" " The room was destroyed." "Not now, Felix!" " Not even a trace?" " Steel!" "Steel..." "June the 22nd." "1930."