"Unless he has something else in mind, Felicity will do," chuckles Elspeth. "Okay. Jake, we're all right?"

He sighs. "If he does go off on you and it's bad, can we call over - I don't know, who's really impossible to ruffle? Carlisle or Esme. Didyme maybe. Call over a babysitter and go off for a while."

"Yes," says Elspeth. "I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa will be happy to help."

"Then I'm fine."

"Okay." She's still holding his hand; she kisses it, and he pops back to Aurum. "Jane, I'm ready."

And then Elspeth is in world number twelve, and then she is invisible, and then she is where the local Joker is.