Disclaimer: *Checks cover of book* Uh, it says 'Diana Wynne Jones' at the top. I'm not her.
IMPORTANT! A/N: Anywhere in the story where it tells about Unstable Eras; the dates aren't wrong! Remember this is after history goes critical so I'm putting it down as what I think the new order of history could be. Basically, all the Unstable Eras have moved up by about 2 centuries.
Chapter 1: Intruder
The trip into Time City was horrible. "The things I do for Viv and Inga," a man cloaked in shadow muttered, "first I went through hell finding this getup and convincing Time Patrol I'm a 30 Century barbarian, and now I have get into the damned Annuate Palace of all places. It'll be worth it, though, when that little beast gets what's coming to her for ruining all of Viv's plans."
The mysterious man grunted as he snapped the final wire in place and bypassed the palace security. Now then the girl's room should be….here. He thought in triumph as he quietly slunk into Vivian Smith's new bedroom. He grinned maliciously when Vivian rolled over in her sleep murmuring the History Chart. "Demise of Europe… First Unstable Era A.D. 500 to 2399… ugh…"
"Good girl. You might want to remember that one after tonight," the man chuckled. He tiptoed to the closet, and grabbed Vivian's belt off the hook it was hanging on. He pulled off a part on the front and tinkered around the wires inside it, before popping the part back into place. "There, that should stop you alerting that pesky android to your location," He laughed again, and strapped belt around the still sleeping Vivian's waist. "And now it's time to go." He gently pulled Vivian out of the invisible bed and ran for the passage he'd snuck into the palace from. He crept down the hallway, and kicked open the door to the time lock at the back. "Good thing old Faber John hasn't thought about closing this other time lock down here," the man hissed as he tapped the control egg and set it to 21 Century. He glanced down at the unconscious girl in his arms, "bye, bye Vivian girlie." He heaved Vivian out onto the grassy hill shimmering out of the back wall of the time lock.
"Well, that's done. I'd best high tail it out of here before anyone wakes up." With that the man turned and sped out into the bluish glow of the streetlights.