Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next 2)

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden

I yelled. 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden

I yelled: 'No!', pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man who held Billden.

The next thing I knew I was disarmed, sitting on the ground and feeling shocked and disorientated after my brief enloopment. It was how I imagine a stuck record might feel. Two SO-12 operatives stared at me while my father and Lavoisier talked close by. Billden was breathing heavily and sobbing into the damp earth.

'Bastards!' I spat. 'My husband's in there!'

'So much to learn,' muttered Lavoisier. 'The infant Parke-Laine is not your husband, he is an accident statistic – or not. It rather depends on your father.'

'A lackey for the Goliath Corporation, Lavoisier?' said my father. 'You disappoint me.'

'Greater need prevails, Colonel. If you'd handed yourself in I wouldn't have had to take these extreme measures, besides, the ChronoGuard can't function without corporate sponsorship.'

'And in return you do a few favours?'

'As I said, greater needs prevail. And before you start waving charges of corruption at me, this combined Goliath/ChronoGuard operation has been fully sanctioned by the Chamber. Now, it's so simple even you can understand it. Give yourself up and your daughter can have her husband back – whether or not she decides to help Goliath. As you can see, I am in a very generous mood.'

I looked at Dad and saw him bite his lip. He rubbed his temples and sighed.

'No.'

'What?' exclaimed Lavoisier.

'No,' I repeated. 'Dad, don't do it. I'll get Jack Schitt out or just live on my own – or something!'

He smiled and rested his hand on my shoulder.

'Bah!' went Lavoisier. 'As hideously self-righteous as each other!'

He nodded to his men, who raised their weapons. But Dad was quick. I felt him grasp my shoulder tightly and we were off. The sun rose quickly as we leapt forward, leaving

Lavoisier and the others several hours away before they realised what had happened.

'Let's see if we can lose him!' muttered my father. 'As for that Chamber stuff – bullshit. Landen's eradication was murder, pure and simple. In fact, it's just the sort of information I need to bring Lavoisier down!'

Days amounted to no more than brief flashes of alternate dark and light as we hurtled into the future.

'We're not at full speed,' Dad explained. 'He might overtake me without thinking. Keep an eye out for—'

Lavoisier and his cronies appeared for no more than the briefest glimpse as they moved past us into the future. Dad stopped abruptly and I staggered slightly as we returned to real time. We moved off the road as a fifties-style truck drove past, horn blaring.

'What now?'