“The city still has working phone booths?’ ‘It would appear so. Unless this is the Tardis, in which case I’m in serious trouble.”

“Gerry?' Laurel had to strain to hear thought the noise on the other end of the line. 'Gerry? Where are you?''London. A phone booth on Fleet Street.''The city still has working phone booths?''It would appear so. Unless this is the Tardis, in which case I'm in serious trouble.”

“But it was not so complicated really. Such things rarely are. It was a simple case of stars aligning; those that didn't being nudged into place.”

“I probably coughed self-pityingly in response, little aware that I was about to cross a tremendous threshold beyond which there would be no return, that in my hands I held an object whose simple appearance belied its profound power. All true readers have a book, a moment, like the one I describe, and when Mum offered me that much-read library copy mine was upon me.”

“A plot that had filled her with glee when she began, was now revealed as flimsy and transparent. Eliza scratched out what she'd written. It would not do. And yet, whichever way she twisted the plot, she couldn't make it work. For which fairy tale princess ever chose her maid over her prince?”

“He had the vague sense of standing on a threshold, the crossing of which would change everything.”

“How can a person expect to escape their destiny, Merry? That is the question."A silence, then a small, practical voice. "There's always the train, I guess."Juniper thought at first she'd misheard; she glanced at Meredith and realized that the child was completely serious."I mean, there are buses, too, but I think the train would be faster. A smoother ride, as well.”