The time machine was positioned in the king’s chamber. The king’s guard had wheeled the trolley with David Sterling and Dr. Hall on it into the chamber. The vice-chamberlain was standing next to the trolley.

The king was on his throne, and the lord-chamberlain was standing beside the king.

The two tyrannosaurs had become excited, when the humans had been wheeled into the king’s chamber. Sniffing the air and snapping their teeth.

‘I want to speak to one of the animals’ - said the king

‘His grace would like to talk to one of the animals’ - said the lord-chamberlain

‘Get up!’ - said the vice-chamberlain, kicking the trolley

David Sterling climbed off of the trolley and stood.

‘Stand in front of his grace, and bow!’ - said the vice-chamberlain

David moved forward, and bowed to the king.

The tyrannosaurs become more exciting, making barking and hooting noises.

‘I will speak to this animal directly’ - said the king

‘Of course your grace’ - said the lord-chamberlain, bowing and stepping backwards.

‘What are you, animal?’ - sid the king

‘I am a human’ - said David, still under the control of the obedience chain.

‘An where did you humans come from?’ - said the king

‘Humans evolved over millions of years’ - said David

‘You said you are from the future?’ - said the king

‘Yes’ - said David

‘Are there lots of you human animals in the future?’ - said the king

‘Yes’ - said David

‘How many?’ - said the king

‘Nearly 8 billion. The population grows all the time’ - said David

‘How much does this animal weigh?’ - said the king

‘Your grace, the animal weighs 80 kilograms’ - said the lord-chamberlain

‘And what is 8 billion times 80 kilograms?’ - said the king to the lord-chamberlain

‘640 billion kilograms ’ - said David

‘Lord-chamberlain - what is our annual requirement for meat?’ - said the king

‘We require, your grace, an annualized meat production of 1 million tons’ - said the lord-chamberlain

‘8 billion of these animals would provide meat for how long?’ - said the king

‘640 years’ - said David

‘And what is the reproductive cycle of human animals?’ - said the king to David

‘Gestation is 9 months. After birth maturity is achieved after 17 years’ - said David

‘And what is this machine?’ - said the king, referring to the time machine

‘It is a time machine’ - said David

‘And it is functional?’ - said the king

‘Yes’ - said David

‘And you can show my men how to operate it?’ - said the king

‘Yes’ - said David

The king thought for a moment.

‘We have been on this planet for many years, harvesting. We have harvested nearly all of the beasts that live on this planet, and now there is no meat left for us to harvest. We are the Maankaari, and human animal, we are nomads. For an eternity we have roamed this galaxy finding planets we can harvest for meat, and then moving to the next planet. We are preparing to leave this planet, and have been filling out larders with meat for the crossing. The crossings are long, and we endure much hardship, human animal. We have to be certain that there will be meat on the next planet we arrive at, or else my people will starve. I want you, human animal, to teach my people how to use your time machine - and we will investigate you human animals. Your flesh is most agreeable to me, human animal. And it will be most agreeable to my people. If what you tell me is true, and there is such an abundance of meat in the future of this planet we may not need to leave. We will travel to your future human animal, and observe your kind’

‘Yes’ - said David

‘Lord-chamberlain’ - said the king

‘Yes your grace’ - said the lord-chamberlain

‘Have this human animal teach the head of the royal commandos - colonel Hashaar - how to use this time machine’ - said the king - ‘Colonel Hashaar will lead a fact finding missions to this human animal’s future, and Colonel Hashaar will bring back information from this future and we will make plans’

‘Yes your grace’ - said the lord-chamberlain

‘Who is the other human animal?’ - said the king to David

‘A doctor, and a specialist on dinosaurs’ - said David

‘Is she needed for the time machine?’ - said the king

‘No’ - said David

‘Have these human animals placed into the care of our head scientist’ - said the king

‘Yes your grace’ -said the lord-chamberlain

David and Fiona were led away by the guards.