Something someone says.
Synopsis[]
It's Christmas Eve at St Mary's, And all through the house, Nothing is stirring … Except for Max, Peterson, and Markham, sneaking out at midnight for an assignment that is very definitely off the books. It's ten years ago tonight that Senior Historians Bashford and Grey went missing in twelfth-century Jerusalem. So how did they end up in AD60 Roman Colchester? Max has a theory. Peterson has a plan. Markham has bacon sandwiches. Colchester has Boudicca and her bloodthirsty Iceni hordes. And then there's the giant pig … the enraged giant pig …
Plot Summary[]
Max is awoken by Mrs Partridge - though Kleio, Muse of History might be more appropriate on this occasion - who takes her to see what happened on Christmas Eve ten years ago. Two historians get ready for a jump. They're Tom Bashford and Elspeth Grey, the latter of whom is looking very affectionately at a much younger Major Ian Guthrie. Max knows this jump; it'll be their last because Ronan will ambush them, most likely kill them, and get away with their pod.
After Christmas Past, it's time for Christmas Present. Kleio takes Max to see the annual Christmas lunch at St Mary's, during which Guthrie is alone and about to commit suicide on the tenth anniversary of his lover's disappearance. Max is tasked with preventing this from happening any way she knows how, which is to say, she's going to steal Bashford and Grey's pod in the middle of the night with Markham and Peterson, jump to the set of coordinates used directly after their last jump, and try to rescue them.
Things are dire in AD60 Roman Colchester, with Boudicca's imminent victory over the Romans in a fiery blaze of glory. Max, Markham and Peterson see the troubled historians get thrown out of their pod by Ronan, who promptly jumps away, and after a short wrestle with some looters, a giant pig and Boudicca herself, they get them back to the pod.
Back at St Mary's, Leon is trying by god to keep Guthrie alive, and it's working quite well. Max calls Guthrie for an emergency in Sick Bay, to which he comes running somewhat reluctantly before setting eyes on Grey. All is well at St Mary's once again.