One evening, a group of women gather in hiding outside Litefoot’s house. The leader of the group states that they have waited three decades for this moment. They watch on as a surprise delivery arrives at the door of his house…
Inside, Jago is recounting one of his anecdotes to Litefoot and Ellie when the doorbell rings. Litefoot answers and accepts the delivery - a large chest. Litefoot explains that the deliveryman was instructed to deliver it at this precise moment. Strange thing is that Litefoot was not expecting any deliveries. Litefoot finds a sealed letter attached to the chest and a note which reads:
Professor Litefoot and Mr. Jago
Please post the accompanying letter in the Yesterday Box on the night of the 13th
Yours Sincerely
L.
Litefoot is startled to find the address on the letter is to him! Except it is for an address that Litefoot confirms is for a music hall that acted as a temporary hospital 30 years ago, a place where he studied medicine. Remembering the instruction to post the letter on the night of the 13th, Litefoot realises tonight is the date. So without hesitation, he posts the letter into the slot on the Yesterday Box…and nothing happens. Litefoot opens the receiving mail hatch on the box and discovers that the letter he just posted is missing. Suddenly, Litefoot begins to recall a peculiar event from when he was a student in 1867…
In 1867, a much younger Litefoot was leaving the hospital following a lecture when a street urchin rushed in with a letter addressed to him. Litefoot read the letter which instructed him to visit the General Post Office. When he arrived and confirmed his identity, a postal worker led Litefoot down to the basement into a room with a strange chest. The worker states that the ‘Young Doctor’ stated that everything Litefoot needs to know is in the room. The worker passed Litefoot another letter before leaving him alone in the room. Litefoot read the letter which is addressed from a ‘Doctor Walters’ explaining that the chest in question is the Yesterday Box, which has the power to deliver letters 30 years in the past.
In the present, Litefoot mentions that he never found out the identity of the mysterious Doctor Walters, but only found out that he was a part of the Royal Society who simply vanished without trace. Both Jago and Litefoot quickly come to the possible conclusion that Doctor Walters was in fact The Doctor, except he was described as a much younger looking man with a pleasant face (a possible description for the Fifth Doctor). Jago decides to test out the Yesterday Box by sending his younger self a letter with some ‘career advice’.
In 1867, a younger Jago was a nervous wreck auditioning for the part of Romeo in a theatre production of Romeo & Juliet. The director is not impressed by his stuttering and dismissed the aspiring actor off the stage. Later that day, Jago was sweeping the stalls in the theatre when a street urchin rushed in with a letter addressed to him. He opened the letter to find a message written in ghastly handwriting stating:
Never give up. Your future promises great things as manager of the Palace Theatre
J.
In the present, Jago explains that after reading the letter, he resolved to rise to managing the Palace Theatre rather than aspiring to be an actor. Litefoot theorises that Jago only managed to become manager because of the letter Jago sent to himself– thus Jago has just manipulated his own future with a simple letter. They resolve that they must be careful how they use the Yesterday Box as it could have confusing consequences. Litefoot explains that the letter he received from The Doctor explained that street urchins have been going missing from the streets of London and that he would like Litefoot to investigate.
Younger Litefoot began his investigation by interviewing the urchin who delivered his letter. The boy nervously explained that his fellow urchins have been kidnapped off the streets and out of their beds without trace. The police also have not been informed as they don’t seem to care, which Litefoot concluded that there is no knowing how far this kidnapping spree spreads.
In the present, Jago recalls a young boy he knew from the Alambra Theatre called Jack going missing. Litefoot exclaims that Jago could send a letter to his younger self to keep an eye on the young boy to prevent his kidnap or at least gain a lead into the mystery. With this resolve, Jago proceeds to write another letter.
Jago recalls sitting in Leicester Square by the site of Wyld’s Great Globe when he received a letter from the same street urchin as before. Jago identifies it as the same handwriting as the previous letter. The letter informs him of Jack’s impending kidnapping. Jago quickly rushed back to the theatre and discovers Jack being attacked by a woman dressed as a nanny. Jago tried to rescue Jack only for the woman to shove Jago to the ground with inhuman strength. The nanny bundled Jack into a huge pram and wheeled him out into the streets. Jago gave chase into the streets only to discover a large gathering of nannies and prams in the square. Jago dashed between prams to check for Jack, only to come up empty. Unable to prevent Jack’s kidnapping, Jago returned to the theatre dejected, but noticed a business card on the floor – Lilith Lovett’s Domestic and Nanny Agency. Realising the address was not far from the theatre, Jago set off to investigate.
Jago arrives at the agency and met with the manager, Lilith Lovett. He inquired about the kidnapping and the woman who did the deed. Lovett was not the least phased by the disturbing act and reveals that it is the job of her nannies to kidnap the dispossessed children of London. She further explained that should any of the nannies be witnessed in the act, they leave behind a calling card to ensnare any witnesses…Jago has fallen into a trap. Lovett called for her girls to restrain Jago while she prepares some Chloroform to knock him out. As Jago passed out, Lovett assures him that they did not plan to kill him…yet.
Hours later that night, Jago awakened in the Bell Tower of the Old Bailey. He discovered Jack and a bunch of other children huddled together in the corners of the tower. Jago tried to rally the children to call out to the streets below, but Jack dissuaded him as he will wake them up. He pointed to the bell and Jago saw several nannies hanging upside down around the bell like bats. But huddled amongst the nannies was a huge bat-like creature. Jack told Jago that they are to be fed to the creature. Moments later, another nanny arrived at the bell tower levitating in via parasol with another child asleep under her arm. She placed the child at the bell tower with the other children and flew up to the huge bat creature and began to suck on its teat.
In the present, Jago becomes uncertain about what events transpired after. He even believes that he did not escape from the bat creature. Litefoot assumes that his lack of memory is significant to the case. In any case, Litefoot decides to send another letter to his younger self.
Litefoot recalls returning to his apartment when he heard a knock on the door. The same urchin who delivered his first letter greeted him and handed him another letter, this one with a specific time of delivery. Litefoot opened the letter which had a message written in block capitals:
THIS LETTER CONCERNS THE MISSING CHILDREN YOU SEEK. I HAVE STRONG EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THEY ARE BEING HELD IN THE BELL TOWER OF THE OLD BAILEY HAVING BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A BAND OF NEFARIOUS NANNIES.
YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING HOW I COULD POSSIBLY KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING CHILDREN. THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. THIS LETTER COMES TO YOU FROM THE FUTURE. THE FUTURE WHERE THE WELFARE OF THOSE CHILDREN IS OF GREAT CONCERN. NOW GO TO THE OLD BAILEY! THERE IS AN OLD FRIEND WHOSE ASSISTANCE YOU MAY CALL ON. HIS DETAILS ARE GIVEN BELOW. NOW GO!
YOURS SINCERELY
L.
The letter was enough to convince the younger Litefoot to act, and so he set off to the rescue.
The address provided led Litefoot to Sergeant Quick Senior – the father of Inspector Quick. Quick Snr was sceptical of Litefoot’s claim, but Litefoot was insistent on at least looking. Eventually, Quick Snr came around and he and Litefoot decided to investigate next morning.
The next morning, Litefoot and Quick Snr spotted a man and several children waving down at them from the bell tower. Quick Snr blew on his police whistle to summon several officers to assist him in the rescue.
Jago recalls waving down to some people he spotted below. Jack nervously informed him that the nannies and the bat creature were beginning to wake up…and it was hungry. Lilith called for two of her nannies to restrain Jago to be fed to the creature when suddenly the door to the bell tower burst open with Quick Snr and several officers converging in the tower. Lilith and the nannies were not phased in the slightest and they simply flew off into the morning sky, much to the bewilderment of the police. Before Jago could explain the situation, the huge bat creature let out an almighty screech and dived down at Jago, knocking him out before flying off into the sky.
In the present, Litefoot remembers that he saw the huge bat creature flying in the sky. Quick Snr had rescued the children and instructed Litefoot to take them to the nearest ragged school for safety.
Jago continues his story. Not long after he was attacked by the bat creature, he woke up in a pub called The Red Tavern. The barman handed him a pint of ale to help him recuperate. Having never drunk alcohol before, Jago was overcome by the drink and thus began his love for ale and declared that the Red Tavern would become his local haunt.
In the present, Jago, Litefoot and Ellie suddenly receive an unwelcome interruption from a familiar band of sinister nannies at the window! Lilith Lovett appears declaring revenge for their defeat at the hands of the Infernal Investigators 30 years ago. Litefoot orders everyone to retreat upstairs and orders Jago to grab the Yesterday Box as he hurries up. Just as they get away, the windows shatter as Lilith and the nannies burst through the window into the house…
The Infernal Investigators and Ellie retreat into the attic storeroom and barricade the door. They realise that the return of these nannies and them wanting revenge means there is more to this mystery than they can remember. Litefoot suddenly recalls interviewing the children he had rescued.
In the past, younger Litefoot interviewed Jack regarding his abduction. Litefoot deduced that a lot of the kidnappings had taken place in Leicester Square and the nannies must have another lair nearby should their belltower be compromised. Somewhere they could not be disturbed…
In the present, Jago deduces that the only place they could possibly hide is inside Wyld’s Great Globe as it was closed to the public and within easy access of the surroundings of Leicester Square. Jago hurriedly begins writing another letter instructing his younger self to investigate the Globe. Litefoot tries to dissuade Jago from sending the letter as he could be sending his younger self into danger, danger that he may not survive. Jago throws caution to the wind as he believes he will survive as he is currently still alive right now. Litefoot is not so certain and thus writes his own letter telling his own younger self to investigate the Globe as well. Ellie however points out one rather glaring flaw in the plan, they would meet for the first-time years before they were meant to during the events with the Fourth Doctor and Weng-Chiang. This could drastically change their history!
Jago recalls forcibly entering the Great Globe and discovering no light inside but only darkness. Litefoot recalls showing up to the Globe and discovering the side door had been forced open. He cautiously entered the globe and found nothing but darkness as well. Both men bumped into one another but could not make each other out in the darkness. Both men explain to each other that they are on the trail of a large bat creature. Before they could introduce themselves to each other, Lovett appeared to the duo and revealed that they have stumbled into the Queen Bat’s lair! She ordered her nannies to attack, but Jago violently fought back, knocking down Lovett in the process. Seething with fury, Lovett ordered her nannies to restrain Jago. Jago cried out to his new acquaintance to escape while he still can…and Litefoot overcome with fear did so…except he could not as it was so dark inside. The nannies hoisted Jago up into the upper area of the Globe.
In the present, Jago and Litefoot fail to recall any further details. To get more information on the situation. Ellie takes a pen and paper and begins to write a letter all the while hoping she has the right address. As she finishes and posts the letter in the Yesterday Box, Litefoot suddenly begins to recall the next sequence of events.
In the past, the door to the Globe burst open and Litefoot was met by Quick Snr. Once outside the Globe, Quick Snr explained he received a letter from an E.H. explaining the situation. Litefoot is confused as he had not informed anyone of his plan.
Inside the Globe, Lovett prepared Jago to be fed to the Queen Bat. She rooted through his pockets and discovered several letters. One letter caught her interest:
Dear Young Jago
This missive is to notify you that the nefarious nannies are likely to be ensconced in Wyld’s Globe
Yours
J.
With her interest piqued, Lovett demanded to know who J is, but Jago could not provide an answer. Realising that Jago would not answer concisely, she decided to read through his other correspondences.
Outside the Globe, Quick Snr prepared to rally some men to apprehend the nannies. Litefoot pondered why the nannies allowed him to escape rather than pursue him. He deduced that the nannies were sensitive to water, hence why they flew around with parasols and abducted their victims during the day. Litefoot ordered Quick Snr to rally as many men as possible to destroy the Globe’s outside support beams.
In the present, the nannies have found the door to the attic and begin trying to force their way in. Litefoot remains calm and explains that the only way to defeat them is to continue recalling the events from the past.
Jago recalls being trapped inside the Globe with the nannies and the Queen Bat. Suddenly, a loud banging noise emanated from outside. The Queen Bat was too weak to escape and the nannies began to bicker about whether they should abandon her or not. Before they could reach a decision, the globe began to roll…
Litefoot watched on as the Globe began to roll through Leicester Square and towards a gradient with horse carriages and pedestrians desperately dashing out of its way. Jago held on for dear life inside the rolling globe as the nannies and the Queen Bat screamed in terror. The Globe rolled towards Trafalgar Square with Litefoot and Quick Snr in hot pursuit. It eventually crashed and stopped at the gates of Charing Cross. Jago was still alive inside the Globe disorientated after his ordeal and noticed the doorway he used just above him. Lovett and her nannies saw this as an opportunity to escape and they flew out through the door, leaving Jago with the weakened Queen Bat inside. Before the police could roll the Globe towards the Thames, Jago leapt out the door to freedom. He noticed Lovett and her nannies staring down at him from the roof of Charing Cross. As he cried out to warn the officers, he looked back and realised they had all disappeared…
Meanwhile, Litefoot and the police began to roll the Globe towards the Thames to finish off the Queen Bat. Once it landed in the water, a mighty explosion rocked from within the Globe, obliterating it. While Litefoot was glad to have saved the children and London from a monstrous creature, he is regretful that he was unable to save the man he met briefly, whom he believed had perished inside.
In the present, both Infernal Investigators conclude their story and summarise that Lovett and her nannies want revenge for the death of their Queen. But they have no way of fighting back against the creatures from inside their room. Ellie comes up with an idea. She tells Litefoot to write one more message to his younger self to instruct him to keep a water-based hand fire pump in a box in the attic. Litefoot hurriedly begins to write a letter, but before he can post it, the door crashes off its hinges and Lovett and her nannies enter the room. Litefoot is curious as to why they waited so long to find and kill them. Lovett explains that they had to wait until the Infernal Investigators had possession of the Yesterday Box, the box they learned from reading Jago’s correspondences from his future self. They want to use the Yesterday Box to warn their own younger selves to be aware of Jago and Litefoot’s interference and kill them at the first opportunity. Ellie distracts the nannies and shouts for Litefoot to post the letter, to which he does so.
Moments after sinking the Queen Bat and the Globe, Litefoot is met by the same urchin as before with another letter from the future…
In the present, Jago opens a specific chest in the attic and finds a fully loaded water pump. Jago aims the pump at the nannies and douses them in water. The nannies screech in agony as they begin to melt before them.
In the past, Young Jago is sitting at the Red Tavern learning to improve his vocabulary, which would become the secret behind his famous alliterative dialogue. He is greeted by Quick Snr. Before they could get talking, the same young street urchin from before arrived with another letter for Jago:
The Master of Ceremonies at the Regency Theatre suffered a sprained ankle this afternoon due to a runaway sphere in Trafalgar Square.
As a result, there is now a position urgently needed to be filled.
Excited at the prospect of running a theatre, Jago eagerly left the pub to apply for the job, leaving behind his letter, which Quick Snr noted was addressed from a Doctor Walters. Quick Snr met with Litefoot at the bar and the two shared a pint of ale to their victory.
At the Red Tavern in the present, Jago, Litefoot and Ellie mull over how their chance meeting was several years prior to their actual meeting, but they just never realised. Litefoot explains that he has placed the Yesterday Box in storage away from temptation. He explains that he had sent one more letter to his younger self to tie up one loose end.
In the past, younger Litefoot is met by the young urchin with another letter. Litefoot is astounded by the message. He explains to Quick Snr that the letter tells him to take the Yesterday Box from the Post Office, have it placed in storage at a top secret location and have it delivered to a certain address in 30 years’ time along with a precise time and note…
