I asked at the reception desk for Linda. That caused some confusion, but eventually they decided that I wanted Professor Ilyes – and when she came to find me that was the name on her badge; I assume it is Hungarian, or Eastern-European anyway; although she told me to call her Linda, I feel more comfortable calling her Professor Ilyes – she is, after all, about twenty years older than me.

I told her straight away that I recognised Kiln House - because it is the same building that is called Mercury House in my Earth. This has got to be more than a coincidence.

Professor Ilyes is, it seems, carrying out research into the breaking-down of objects into their constituent atoms, and attempting to re-assembling them (I think I got that much right – I really can’t grasp advanced physics). I cannot believe that it is purely chance that work on such similar areas is being carried out in the same building on two different worlds.

The tests she wanted to do on me were medical, and basically involved a swab, and standing under some form of radiation counter. We met again after lunch, when she’d got the results, which seemed to convince her that there is some element of truth in my story. Apparently my background radiation, and other trace chemicals in my body, suggest I come from somewhere totally different to Norfolk at least.

She didn’t have time to tell me much more then, because she was too busy, but we’ve arranged to meet for lunch on Saturday.

I explained my perilous financial state, and she charged my card with enough to see me through the next week – she says it’s possible she could employ me as a research assistant. Apparently money in the department has been tight for many years, but recently they’ve had a big grant, following the last election, now that Tony is Prime Minister, and is making a big push to get more people into universities.

I told her that Blair had become PM years earlier in my world, when New Labour came into power – she looked blank at me, and asked who he was, and what was New Labour. After a confused conversation, I discovered that the PM here is a chap called Tony Benn. That wasn’t a name I recognised – but I’ve never been that interested in politics.

I was 23 when I was sent first (which means, I think, that I’m now 25) so of course I haven’t had the chance to vote yet, which means I’ve only ever been interested in the bits of politics that directly affect me – like when the Liberal party said they’d abolish conscription. I suspect that is a shame, because things do seem very different here, and I might have been able to get a better feel for things if I could see the differences, and understand the nuances. I guess, for a start, that if Labour have been in power for decades, then there was no need to re-invent themselves as New Labour.

Anyway, with a bit of money, and someone who is at least interested in my story, and possibly can do something about it, I do feel just a little more hopeful than I have done for a long time.