‘No.’
‘Oh. Well. Nice to meet you, Mrs … Partridge.’
‘And you too, Dr Murphy.’
I opened my mouth, but Dr Bairstow had disappeared back into his office and Peterson pushed me in after him. Mrs Partridge followed us in and shut the door behind her.
We seated ourselves at his briefing table. Major Guthrie, Professor Rapson and Dr Dowson, Dieter, and Dr Foster were already present.
No Barclay.
Just for a moment, I wondered …
‘Miss Barclay is not attending this afternoon’s meeting?’
‘Miss Barclay has been called away today, but she is already fully integrated into all my plans for the future.’
We sat down.
‘Dr Peterson, how are you now?’
‘Refreshingly plague-free, sir.’
‘Remain so.’
‘Yes, sir.’
He regarded me.
‘The 14th century having proved inadequate for our purposes, Dr Maxwell, I propose to keep you here for the foreseeable future.’
‘For how long will that be, sir?’
His face set grimly.
‘Not for very long, I fear. However …’ he sat up straighter and rearranged his papers, ‘we are not finished yet. According to information received from a reliable source,’ (he meant Leon), ‘the situation is not good. St Mary’s is under attack. Every version – every incarnation. We must defend ourselves, too. Possibly to the death. I know we have expected this. That we have been preparing for it for some time, but now the moment has arrived. An armed force will attempt to take control of St Mary’s in the very near future.’
‘But they’re a police force,’ I said, sounding stupid even to myself. ‘Aren’t there guidelines they have to adhere to?’
‘Once, yes, but this is a fight to the finish. Only one organisation will survive. They’re being attacked up and down the timeline. They will defend themselves. If they’re not stopped – sooner or later, they will get to us.’
I said, ‘Surely they can’t kill us, sir. To them, we’re contemporaries.’
He smiled sadly. ‘It might already be written that we were all killed in the famous Battle of St Mary’s and therefore they would have no choice.’
‘Sir, I think I should give myself up.’
‘Oh, I don’t think I can allow that, Dr Maxwell. Of everyone here, you’re the only person who didn’t actually connive at removing a contemporary from his own time. Besides, surrendering you, or any of us, will not serve our long-term purpose, which is to dismantle the Time Police. Colonel Albay is an unpleasant and ruthless man who lets nothing stand in his way when executing his duties and those who come after him will certainly be even more ruthless and unpleasant. It is the duty of all of us to prevent that ever being allowed to happen.’
‘But, sir …’ I said. When had I started calling him ‘sir’?
‘At various moments in the future, St Mary’s is fighting to throw off Time Police control. Fighting for its independence. Fighting for its existence. The least this unit can do is put up a good show. For Leon.’
I caught my breath suddenly, remembering what he had said. If the Time Police came back, then Leon was dead.
‘Yes, this is about more than us, Max. If they do turn up then we don’t stand a chance. But we’ll go down fighting.’ He sighed. ‘They’ll have to rename the unit, of course, because it won’t be St Mary’s any longer.’
We sat silently around the table. He roused himself.
‘We all have important roles in this. After our people and our pods, knowledge is our most important asset. Professor, please work with Doctor Dowson. Start packing everything up. Absolutely everything. If this goes south, I’m not leaving anything behind for these people and we can’t send anything to Thirsk. That’s the first place they’ll look. Therefore, everything is to be stored in the pods and the pods themselves will be sent to our remote site with two or three caretakers. I want this place cleared in a week.
‘All non-essential personnel will be evacuated. I have a high regard for every member of this unit. I will not risk them unnecessarily. They are to be removed to a place of safety.
‘The building is to be fortified and made defendable. Major Guthrie, you have plans for just such a contingency, I believe. Please let me see them after this meeting. Doctor Foster, I imagine I don’t have to tell you what arrangements to make. Requisition whatever you need. Mrs Partridge, there will be an all-staff briefing tomorrow at eleven. Everyone is to attend. Any questions, anyone?’