"Indeed," said the Duke of Queens with some dignity, "it is not! I hope you have no intention of selecting me for this — this drifting menagerie!"

"The selection will be arranged justly. I shall not be the arbiter. We must draw lots, I suppose."

"This is your plan, Lord Mongrove?" asked Jherek.

"Well, mine and Yusharisp's."

"It appeals to you?"

"It is not a question of what appeals, Jherek Carnelian. It is a question of realities. There are no more options. Will you not understand that? There are no more options !" Mongrove became almost kindly. "Jherek, your childhood is over. Now it is time for you to become an adult, to understand that the world is no longer your cockle."

"Don't you mean oyster?" Inspector Springer asked.

"I think he does," agreed Mrs. Underwood, with some distaste. The thought of sea-food was still inclined to make her feel queasy.

"It would help," said Mongrove sternly, "if I were not interrupted. I speak of the most serious matters. We may be moments away from total obliteration!" He looked up. "Ah, here are our saviours."

With a sort of wheezing noise the familiar asymmetrical mound that was Yusharisp's spaceship started to descend, to land near to Mongrove's egg. Almost immediately a tiny squeaking began and a mould-covered door opened in the side of the ship. From the door issued Yusharisp (at least, it was probably Yusharisp) followed by his colleagues.

"So(skree) many sur(skree)vivors!" exclaimed Yusharisp. "I suppose (skree) that we (roar) should be grateful! We, the survivors of (skree) Pweeli, greet (roar) you, and are glad to kreee yelp mawk…" Yusharisp lifted one of his feet and began to fiddle with something at the side of his body.

Another Pweelian (probably CPS Shashurup) said: "I take it (skree) that Lord Mongrove (roar) has informed you that the end (skree) is with us and that (roar) you must now (skree) place yourselves under our discipline (skree) if you wish to (roar) extend your chances of living (skree) (roar)…"

"A most distasteful idea," said the Duke of Queens.

The Pweelian said, with a note of satisfaction in his voice: "It is not (skree) long since, Duke (roar) of Queens, that we were (roar) forced to subject ourselves to your will without (skree) any justification whatso(skree)ever!"

"That was entirely different."

"Indeed(skree) it was!"

The Duke of Queens subsided into a sulk.

"As far (skree) as we can ascertain (skree)," continued Yusharisp, "your cities are still continuing to (roar) function, though they have been hard-pressed. Indeed, surprisingly, there is (skree) every evidence that (yelp) they will remain functional long enough (roar) to (skree) allow us good time in which to prepare evacuation (yelp). If a means of harnessing their energies can be found…"

Helpfully, Jherek lifted a hand on which power-rings gleamed. "These harness the energies of the city, Yusharisp. We have used them for a good many millions of years, I believe."

"Those toys (yelp) are not (skree) what we need now, Jherek Car(roar)nelian."

"This encounter becomes boring," said Jherek in Amelia's ear. "Shall we seek privacy? I have much to say."

"Mr. Carnelian — the Pweelians hope to help us!"

"But in such a dull way, Amelia. Would you belong to yet another menagerie?"

"It is not quite the same thing. As they say, we have no choice."

"But we have. If the cities live, so may we live in them, at least for a while. We shall be free. We shall be alone."

"You do not fear annihilation, still? For all that you have seen that wasteland — out there?"

"I am still not entirely sure what 'fear' is. Come, we'll walk a little way and you can try to explain to me."

"Well — a little way…" Her hand was still in his. They began to leave.

"Where (skree) are you going?" shrieked Yusharisp in astonishment.

"Perhaps we'll rejoin you later," Jherek told him. "We have something we wish to discuss."

"There is no time! (Roar). There is no (yelp) time left!"

But Jherek ignored him. They headed for the city, where Harold Underwood and Sergeant Sherwood had already disappeared, not long since.

"This is (skree) insane!" cried Yusharisp. "Do you reject our (roar) help, after all our efforts? After all we have (yelp) forgiven you!"

"We are still a little confused," Jherek said, remembering his manners, "as to the exact nature of the catastrophe. So —"

"Confused! Isn't it (skree) obvious?"

"You seem a trifle insistent that there is only one answer."

"I warned you, Jherek," said Mongrove. "There are no more options!"

"Aha." Jherek continued to draw Amelia towards the city.

"It is the very End of Time. The End of Matter!" Mongrove had gone a very odd colour. "There may be only a few seconds left!"

"Then I think we should like to spend them as peacefully as possible," Jherek told him. He put his arm round his Amelia's shoulders. She moved closer to him. She smiled up into his face. He bent to kiss her, as they turned a corner of a ruined building.

"Oh, there you are, at last," said an amiable voice. "I'm not too late, after all."

This time, Jherek did not respond to the newcomer until he had kissed Amelia Underwood warmly upon her welcoming lips.

A burst of red, flickering light threw the figure of the time-traveller (for it was he) into silhouette. The city gibbered for a moment, as if, in its senility, it had just become aware of danger. Voices began to sound from a variety of places as memory banks were activated, one by another. The near querulous babble became quite disturbing before it subsided. Amelia's kiss at length betrayed awareness of her surroundings, of an observer. Their lips withdrew, they smiled and shared a glance, and then they moved their heads to acknowledge the time-traveller, who waited, nonchalantly studying some detail of a lichen-covered structure, until they had finished.

"Forgive us," said Jherek, "but with the uncertainty of our future…"

"Of course, of course." The time-traveller had not heard Jherek's words. He waved an airy hand. "I must admit I did not know if — phew — you'll never believe the devil of a job I had to get those passengers back before coming on here. It couldn't be more than a couple of hours, eh? A pretty fine balance. Has everyone else turned up?"

Jherek could tell by Amelia's expression that she disapproved of the time-traveller's insouciance. "The world ends, did you know, sir? In a matter of minutes, we gather."

"Um." He nodded an acknowledgement but did not judge the statement interesting.

"The Duke of Queens is here." Jherek wondered at a sudden fresh breeze bearing the scent of hyacinths. He sought the source, but the breeze subsided. "And Yusharisp, from space, and Inspector Springer, and Lord Mongrove, and Captain Mubbers and the rest."

Almost blankly, the time-traveller frowned. "No, no — Society people I mean."

"Society?" enquired Mrs. Underwood, for the moment back in Bromley. Then she realized his meaning. "The Guild! They are due here? They hope to save something of the world?"

"We arranged a meeting. This seemed the most convenient spot. On an ordinary course one can, after all, go no further!" The time-traveller walked the few yards to where his large and somewhat battered machine rested, its crystalline parts smouldering with dark, shifting colours, its brass reflecting the red light from the city. "Heaven knows what damage this jockeying about has done to my machine. It was never properly tested, you see. My main reason for being here is to get information from some Guild member, both as regards the obtaining of spare parts and so that I may, with luck, get back into my own universe." He tapped the ebony framework. "There's a crack there that will last no more than another couple of long journeys."