They crossed the wide thoroughfare, dodging a tram clanging its way through the bustle of pedestrian traffic and sidestepping several more steaming hillocks of horse manure. They stood in the mouth of the narrow road, only two carts wide and relatively quiet.

‘And that’s the building we want,’ she said, pointing to a formal-looking frontage of brick and granite. ‘Union Commercial Savings Company,’ she added. ‘According to Foster’s “how to” manual, this is the bank’s only premises. After the earthquake, the fire destroys this building and everything inside it. The company was no more. As if it never existed.’ She looked at him. ‘You see? Perfect.’

‘And all our Baby Bobs are in some sort of safe down in its basement?’

‘That’s what Foster says.’

Liam frowned. ‘So, I’m being dumb again… but if there’s a whole load of those little foetus things down there in a safe somewhere, what’s keeping them alive? Would they not die and sort of go off? Is there a refrigerating device down there?’

‘You’ll see.’

CHAPTER 6

1906, San Francisco

Maddy strode down Minna Street towards the bank. ‘Come on.’

Liam was struggling to keep up with her. ‘So, who put them in this bank? And when did they do it?’

She reached the front step of the Union Commercial Savings Company and stopped. ‘OK, Liam, just a second…’ She pulled her glasses and a scrap of paper covered with scribbled notes in her handwriting out of her handbag.

‘Oh Jay-zus… you brought notes back with you? Isn’t that not allowed? You know? Contamination of time an’ all?’

Maddy looked around the quiet street guiltily. ‘I know, I know… but there was way too much to remember. I was worried I’d forget something.’

‘Foster would throw a fit if he knew you’d brought notes back here,’ said Liam.

‘Well, he won’t, will he?’ she muttered impatiently. ‘Because he bailed out and left us to cope on our own.’