To Say Nothing of the Dog

1998

This book is another in the series of stories by Connie Willis that also includes Doomsday Book and the short story 'Firewatch'.

In this particular story, the historical researchers have all been co-opted by a rich American lady, or even Lady! who has had the brainstorm to rebuild the old mediaeval Coventry Cathedral, destroyed by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Ned Henry, Our Hero, has been delegated to find the Bishop's Bird Stump, the only piece of 'artwork' missing from the Cathedral. In a desperate attempt to find it, he has been sent through time fourteen times in a week - the time gate is proving difficult as it refuses to send the researchers to the correct time, or location. Eventually Ned collapses with a severe case of Time-lag.

Meanwhile a historian by the name of Verity Kindle has been in the Victorian era on another mission for Lady Schrapnelle. When she brings back a cat from the past, Mr Dunworthy the head of the department, is diverted from Ned's problems as he contemplates the End Of Time As We Know It.

Finally, he sees the chance to kill two birds with one stone - Ned can take the cat back then rest up in the past to recover from the time-lag. Of course, when Ned is briefed, he's still suffering from the time-lag and fails to take in all the details of the mission so when he finds himself in the middle of a field in Oxfordshire, he can't remember where he's supposed to be so when he finally makes it to Oxford, an offer of a trip down the river is gratefully accepted and so the action moves downstream.

Can History be put back on the correct tracks? Or will everything fall to pieces? When Ned is sent careening all over history in an attempt to get back to Verity in Victorian Oxfordshire, it seems that the direst predictions are about to come horribly true. And, of course, Lady Schrapnelle is still forcing the historians to track down the information she needs to finish off her reconstruction work.

Chaos ensues!

---