'Has Sam spoken to you yet?' It was a fortnight later and Jonathan and Vivian had got into the habit of meeting one another for lunch. Vivian dug her fork into her shrimp sundae and shook her head. 'He's avoiding me completely. Every time I see him he turns the other way,'

Jonathan sighed. 'If we knew why he was being like this we could do something about it,'

'If you've no idea why you're not half as intelligent as people say you are,'

'So you really think it's because of…well…us?'

'I can't think of any other reason,'

'But that's just silly!'

'You can't help your feelings, Jonathan. You ought to know that,'

Jonathan had the grace to look abashed as he crumbled the remains of his roll on his plate 'What are we going to do then?' he asked 'I can't go on like this; it's driving me mad,'

'Find out what the matter is, I suppose,' replied Vivian, uncertainly, 'There's not much we can do until we find out if he's really hurt, or jealous, or…or just sulking,'

'And how are we going to do that if he's avoiding both of us?'

'Kidnap him,' suggested Vivian, with a faint smile, 'Torture him until he tells us what he wants to know!'

Jonathan smiled at this reminder of how Vivian herself had come to the City but shook his head. 'I can't see that working,'

'Well you think of something better then. Anyway, I'd better go or I'll be late back,'

'Me too,' Jonathan glanced at his time-function as they walked back towards their respective offices and let out a yelp of surprise as he was suddenly flung backwards by nothing and landed in a puddle. There was an answering shriek from Vivian, cut off as if somebody had flicked a switch. Jonathan scrambled to his feet in horror as she suddenly vanished into thin air.