CHAPTER THREE

Challanger glances at his watch for the fifth time in twenty minutes, Malone runs over to him.

MALONE: The hotel said she left last night, they don't know where she went.

Veronica crosses the road and stands before them, her hair is up and she's wearing a long red dress. Malone turns to her and smiles when he see's her, obviously taken by her new appearance.

MALONE: Wow! You look amazing.

She blushes slightly.

VERONICA: Well when Marguerite didn't show up this morning I had to borrow one of Glady's dresses.

She looks at Challanger and notices his disturbed expression.

VERONICA: Where is Marguerite? And Roxton?

CHALLANGER: Roxton is inside and we don't know where Marguerie is.

VERONICA: But she was with Roxton just last night.

MALONE: There was trouble at the hotel where they were staying...

CHALLANGER: We should go inside, you can never be sure whose watching.

* * * * * *

Marguerite pries the hand off her mouth and struggle to escape her captors firm grip, she kicks him in the knee and runs forward. He grabs her and she's thrown back against the wall, the hand moves over her mouth again and her captor puts a finger to his lips signalling for her to be quiet.

"Don't make a sound".

Her eyes widen as she see's whose in front of her.

MARGUERITE: I thought you were still in Shanghai.

JAMES: What are you talking about? You left Shanghai with me years ago.

MARGUERITE: ...Of course, how could I forget?

He walks to the end of the alley and looks around.

JAMES: Were you followed?

MARGUERITE: No.

JAMES: Who are those people you were with last night?

MARGUERITE: Friends.

He turns to her.

JAMES: How can you be sure? We promised we'd only trust each other.

MARGUERITE: When did we say that?

JAMES: In Morrocco...Why are you asking questions to which you all ready know the answer?

She shrugs and walks over to him.

MARGUERITE: Just reminising.

JAMES: Who are you?

MARGUERITE: It's me, Marguerite.

He takes a gun from his coat pocket and aims at her.

JAMES: Your not Marguerite.

MARGUERITE: I am, just not the Marguerite that you know.

He lowers the gun slightly.

JAMES: What's that supposed to mean?

MARGUERITE: When was the last time we spoke?

JAMES: A month ago. Before you ran from Pedro's gang.

She shakes her head.

MARGUERITE: A month ago, I was still on a plateau in the Amazon.

JAMES: That's impossible! I helped you escape...We were married a week earlier!

MARGUERITE: It happened, it just wasn't me.

* * * * * *

Roxton paces up and down in Challanger's study not even trying to disguise his worry for Marguerite, Malone and Veronica are sat on leather chairs in the corner of the room and Challanger is sat at his desk, he looks up at Roxton.

CHALLANGER: That isn't helping matters.

He turns and glares at Challanger.

ROXTON: No, but it makes me feel better. I shouldn't have left her!

MALONE: You had no choice, she left you no choice.

CHALLANGER: If you'd have been caught, you would be even less help to her.

ROXTON: At least if I was in a cell I'd have a reason for why I'm not out there searching for her!

CHALLANGER: You do have a reason.

VERONICA: What's going on here? This obviously isn't London.

CHALLANGER: But it is London, just not the London that we know.

MALONE: So what is it? A parrallel univesre or something?

CHALLANGER: As fantastic as it sounds, it may well be.

VERONICA: Which begs the question if this is another London, where are you're alter ego's?

* * * * * *

15HRS EARLIER

THE PLATEAU

Tribune dismounts his horse and examines the tracks on the ground, he ties the reins to a tree branch and follows them. He stops and listens, hearing voices ahead of him.

"How the hell would I know what's going on?"

Tribune smiles to himself.

TRIBUNE: Marguerite.

He follows the voices until he comes to the opening of a cave, the grass in front of it burnt out.

TRIBUNE: How is it that whenever you humans explore the plateau you end up in a murky cave?

The parrallel universe explorers turn and face him, Roxton aims his gun at Tribune a fiery glare in his usually warm eyes.

ROXTON: I didn't know it was halloween.

Tribune looks at the clothes the explorers are wearing, London clothes, not their usual attire.

TRIBUNE: (Amused) what are you wearing?

Malone steps forward, Marguerite pulls him back.

MARGUERITE: Not too close it might be dangerous.

TRIBUNE: You didn't think that the first time we met.

MARGUERITE: First time?

MALONE: You speak as if you know us.

CHALLANGER: What is this place?

ROXTON: Who cares? we need to get out of here!

MALONE: (To Tribune) who are you?

TRIBUNE: ...Tribune.

MARGUERITE: And how do we supposedly know each other?

TRIBUNE: You were captured by my men and to cut a long story short you escaped.

MALONE: Prove it.

He points to each of them in turn.

TRIBUNE: Marguerite Krux, Ned Malone, Professor George Challanger and Lord John Roxton.

MALONE: How is it that you know us but we don't know you?

TRIBUNE: Ever the reporter...

MALONE: No, I'm an editor now.

CHALLANGER: That would be your first mistake.

ROXTON: And I was stripped of my title a few years ago.

Marguerite looks at Roxton with a disgusted look.

MARGUERITE: You sound proud of that...What did you do for that to happen anyway?

ROXTON: Well the law seems to frown upon murder.

Tribune looks at him suprised.

TRIBUNE: My mistake, you're the not so honourable John Roxton.

ROXTON: That sounds much better.

Marguerite rolls her eyes and turns away, Roxton watches her out of the corner of his eye.

ROXTON: From what I've heard Miss Krux you're not so honourable yourself.

TRIBUNE: Some things never change.

CHALLANGER: What do you mean buy that?

TRIBUNE: Those two are still bickering.

Roxton and Marguerite ignore the others.

MARGUERITE: What have you heard about me?

ROXTON: You run an underground business...

MARGUERITE: That's a lie! My business is completely legitimate.

ROXTON: You married Lord Bradly for his money...

MARGUERITE: Trust me any money that, that man has isn't his own.

ROXTON: You escaped the country...

MARGUERITE: There's only a small amount of truth to that.

MALONE: Professor Challanger, do you have any scientific explanation for what's happened?

CHALLANGER: Well Tribune claims there are more people like us, out 'doubles' say. We seem to have switched places.

MALONE: It sounds like science fiction.

ROXTON: That's ridiculous.

MARGUERITE: (To Roxton) do you have a better explanation?

Roxton stays quiet, Marguerite smirks at him.

MARGUERITE: No of course you don't.

TRIBUNE: The prints of the true explorers lead to the back of this cave.

ROXTON: Then what are we waiting for?

He marches off towards the back of the cave.

* * * * * *

ROXTON: There's an opening here!

The others join Roxton near the hole.

MARGUERITE: Well what are we waiting for?

She climbs through the hole followed by Malone and Challanger.

ROXTON: (To Tribune) After you?

TRIBUNE: I'm not going to London.

ROXTON: You don't have a choice...

He aims the gun at Tribune.

ROXTON: You are going to earn me a lot of money...Move.

* * * * * *

Tribune hides in the shadows at the side of a large building, a man walks past and bumps into Roxton. He takes a knife from inside his boot, Marguerite grabs hold of his arm.

MARGUERITE: What do you think you're doing!

The man turns to them.

MAN: You're back! The expedition...You're all alive!

He runs off down the street.

MARGUERITE: We're not in London, are we?

TO BE CONTINUED...

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