wondering how bizarre it was that his train should go out of its way to avoid his original destination and drop him here, mere feet away from the man he was after. Was Sophie helping them somehow?
  "My being here isn't a complete coincidence," Ashe admitted. "In fact I'm engaged in business on Carruthers' behalf."
  "Really?" Walsingham replied. "I had no idea he had interests in Tibet."
  Neither does he, thought Ashe, not yet anyway.
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2.
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His discussion with Carruthers before leaving for the past had been unsurprisingly detailed. After all, if there was one thing Carruthers enjoyed it was discussing himself.
  "Walsingham's a fine chap," Carruthers had said, "as far as any man that can get excited over moss can be described as such. His heart's in the right place though he can kill a dinner party stone dead with his interminable waffle about flora. It was him that told me about the box."
  Which had marked Walsingham out as the man Ashe needed to meet.
  "He wrote to me," Carruthers had continued, "claiming to have met a man by the name of Mark Spencer. Apparently this fellow had traced the artifact to a Buddhist temple in one of the corners of Tibet less marked by the British interest."
  "By which you mean invasion force?"
  "Well, yes, I suppose so, though I will say that that was never the intention of many of the men involved. We were just eager to see what the hitherto unexplored country could offer. I suppose many indecencies have been committed in the name of curiosity. Anyway, I had no knowledge of the gentleman mentioned which made the matter all the more intriguing. Walsingham had me endorsed by his fellows at the British Museum and I made my way out there as fast as a boat could carry me."
  "Well," Ashe had noted, "at least one mystery is now solved for you."
  "Really?"
  "The identity of this unknown acquaintance." Ashe held up the box. "It must have been me."
  "Hmm." Carruthers had nodded. "Rum business time travel."
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3.
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"Once the snow has settled a little," said Walsingham, "I'll lead you down to the monastery and introduce you to the rest of my party. At the very least we can make sure you have a bed and some warm provisions. The monks bend over backwards to ensure we're comfortable. Though I can't say I take to the tea much, oily stuff, like drinking paraffin. They swear it's good for you."
  "Are they not opposed to your presence then?" asked Ashe.
  "Opposed? Oh, being Westerners you mean? No, the Abbot's a friendly sort, head in the clouds of course, but the perfect host. The soldiers we've encountered on our travels have been a bit more trigger happy but everyone's accommodating enough for the most part, Younghusband was sensible enough to release most of his Tibetan prisoners once our interests here were endorsed by the Dalai Lama so everyone's on the same side."
  "We'll see how long it lasts," Ashe replied, only too aware that it wouldn't. Time travel turned one into such a know-it-all.
  "Our military companion shares your doubt," said Walsingham. "Major Kilworth, he's somewhat uneasy about the whole affair."
  "I thought there was nothing a military man liked more than occupation."
  "He was stationed in India for years and, unlike many of his fellows, came to sympathise with the locals."
  "A military man who has lost his taste for colonisation⦠I bet that attitude has helped his career no end."
  Walsingham smiled. "He's stuck nursemaiding a botanist and his party, make of that what you will."
  "What's the purpose of the expedition?" asked Ashe.
  "We're exploring the pharmacological value of the Tibetan medicine. These chaps swear by their brews and the medical profession is always eager to add new munitions to its armoury. I'm the botanist of course, and Lawrence Rhodes is the chemist. We also have Doctor
  "My being here isn't a complete coincidence," Ashe admitted. "In fact I'm engaged in business on Carruthers' behalf."
  "Really?" Walsingham replied. "I had no idea he had interests in Tibet."
  Neither does he, thought Ashe, not yet anyway.
Â
2.
Â
His discussion with Carruthers before leaving for the past had been unsurprisingly detailed. After all, if there was one thing Carruthers enjoyed it was discussing himself.
  "Walsingham's a fine chap," Carruthers had said, "as far as any man that can get excited over moss can be described as such. His heart's in the right place though he can kill a dinner party stone dead with his interminable waffle about flora. It was him that told me about the box."
  Which had marked Walsingham out as the man Ashe needed to meet.
  "He wrote to me," Carruthers had continued, "claiming to have met a man by the name of Mark Spencer. Apparently this fellow had traced the artifact to a Buddhist temple in one of the corners of Tibet less marked by the British interest."
  "By which you mean invasion force?"
  "Well, yes, I suppose so, though I will say that that was never the intention of many of the men involved. We were just eager to see what the hitherto unexplored country could offer. I suppose many indecencies have been committed in the name of curiosity. Anyway, I had no knowledge of the gentleman mentioned which made the matter all the more intriguing. Walsingham had me endorsed by his fellows at the British Museum and I made my way out there as fast as a boat could carry me."
  "Well," Ashe had noted, "at least one mystery is now solved for you."
  "Really?"
  "The identity of this unknown acquaintance." Ashe held up the box. "It must have been me."
  "Hmm." Carruthers had nodded. "Rum business time travel."
Â
3.
Â
"Once the snow has settled a little," said Walsingham, "I'll lead you down to the monastery and introduce you to the rest of my party. At the very least we can make sure you have a bed and some warm provisions. The monks bend over backwards to ensure we're comfortable. Though I can't say I take to the tea much, oily stuff, like drinking paraffin. They swear it's good for you."
  "Are they not opposed to your presence then?" asked Ashe.
  "Opposed? Oh, being Westerners you mean? No, the Abbot's a friendly sort, head in the clouds of course, but the perfect host. The soldiers we've encountered on our travels have been a bit more trigger happy but everyone's accommodating enough for the most part, Younghusband was sensible enough to release most of his Tibetan prisoners once our interests here were endorsed by the Dalai Lama so everyone's on the same side."
  "We'll see how long it lasts," Ashe replied, only too aware that it wouldn't. Time travel turned one into such a know-it-all.
  "Our military companion shares your doubt," said Walsingham. "Major Kilworth, he's somewhat uneasy about the whole affair."
  "I thought there was nothing a military man liked more than occupation."
  "He was stationed in India for years and, unlike many of his fellows, came to sympathise with the locals."
  "A military man who has lost his taste for colonisation⦠I bet that attitude has helped his career no end."
  Walsingham smiled. "He's stuck nursemaiding a botanist and his party, make of that what you will."
  "What's the purpose of the expedition?" asked Ashe.
  "We're exploring the pharmacological value of the Tibetan medicine. These chaps swear by their brews and the medical profession is always eager to add new munitions to its armoury. I'm the botanist of course, and Lawrence Rhodes is the chemist. We also have Doctor
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