Part 6

They all stared at Emily, before Phoebe rushed forward to steer her to a chair.

You look like you're about to faint.' Emily was putting up no resistance and Phoebe felt as though she'd got her into a chair just in time.

Hi Emily,' Susan said. It was looking a like a night of reunions.

Hello Susan,' Emily said with a brave smile. Everyone. Please tell me what's happening.'

We don't know Emily,' Susan said, looking at Phoebe. Does this mean that everyone else has moved?'

Everyone?' Emily asked.

I've been moved too. And Rachel and Ross and your husband. Maybe Carol too,' Susan said, with an unpleasant look at Phoebe.

I'm sorry Emily, Susan, I just thought' Phoebe burst into tears. 'I was just trying to fix things.' Why wasn't it working? Mike embraced her, staring over her shoulder at Susan, whom he vaguely knew, and at Emily whom he'd never seen.

Ow,' Emily said.

Are you okay?' Susan asked.

Not I'm not,' Emily said through the pain, I've started labour, my waters broke half an hour ago,' she said in despair. While Susan and Rachel had been rushing over here. My husband's missing and I'm thousands of miles from home, about to give birth, and Julia is all on her own with people she doesn't know - if she wakes up she'll be so frightened.' Emily started hyperventilating.

Let's call your home and see what's happening there. Then I'll call Cape Verde,' Susan said, giving her a hug. Phoebe broke free of Mike and started making herbal tea. It was the only thing she could think of doing at the moment.

When the contraction was over, Emily dialled and everyone else crowded around the phone.

Hello,' Ross said.

You're still there?' Emily said. Susan pressed the button for the speakerphone that that they could all hear:

Emily? Where are you?'

I'm in New York. Susan is here. And Phoebe and' Emily looked at Mike.

Mike,' Mike said. 'Phoebe's husband,' he told Emily, and not knowing what to do next, shook hands with Emily, 'Please to meet you.'

We're on speakerphone so you can talk to all of us,' Susan added.

Hey Carol, Susan's in New York,' they heard Ross say.

Carol's there?' Susan said anxiously.

Yeah. Emily disappeared and Carol just appeared.'

Geoff's not there?' Emily said.

Is Julia awake?'

Not as far as I know, I haven't been to check,' Ross said. What's happening over there?'

Rachel disappeared and we got Emily,' Mike said.

Rachel's disappeared!' Ross shouted.

Well I guess she's in Cape Verde with Geoff,' Mike said.

Geoff. He would be the guy who appeared in Carol's bedroom?' Ross said. Sensing something wrong, Emily asked,

What's happened to him?' Susan, Phoebe and Mike looked at each other. She wasn't going to like this.

I'll let Carol explain,' Ross said and Carol came on the line.

Hi Emily, er look, I'm afraid they've arrested him.'

Look I'm sorry but I had no idea this crazy thing was happening. He was a strange man in my bedroom in the middle of the night for no reason, he could have been anyone. He was no happier about it than I was of course. I called security and they did the rest.'

Oh no,' Emily said, starting to cry quietly. Susan and Phoebe patted her shoulders.

So what just happened then?' Carol said, after a pause.

It's a bit hard to explain over the phone. I was trying to undo what I did before,' Phoebe said.

'We really need this fixed. Ben's on his own in a foreign country where the people speak either Portuguese or some other language I can't remember. If Rachel's there, that's not so bad, but I'm still not happy about it.' Phoebe bowed her head. 'And Ross wants to know where Emma is.'

'Emma's safe in my bed,' Phoebe said. She quickly ran out to check up on her, just in case she had somehow disappeared with Rachel. But Emma was sound asleep in bed, and Phoebe returned to the main room to find Susan staring at the atlas and the rock.

Let's think this one out. You've got this rock and we think that you moved it clockwise once, and so Ross, Geoff and I each moved one place clockwise. You then moved it once anticlockwise and then Carol, Emily and Rachel moved one place anticlockwise. So moving it anticlockwise affects the exwives – sorry Carol,' Susan said, avoiding Emily's sudden look of dislike, And moving it clockwise moves the partners.'

You mean this is all actually to do with Ross,' Emily said flatly.

It looks like it,' Susan said.

I knew it was his fault,' Emily said.

So to fix it then it seems that you move the rock two places anticlockwise, then two places clockwise,' Susan finished. The others stared at her. There was silence on the phone. Well has anyone else got any ideas?'