January 1916. On the coldest night in memory, Henry Yewbeam's cousin Zeke tricks him into using the Time Twister, a beautiful marble full of shining colours that draws him into the future. And so the adventures begin... January 2002. A month after the excitement of Christmas, on another cold night, Charlie meets Henry reappearing at Bloor's in the twenty-first century, and realises Henry's cousin is none other than old Ezekiel Bloor. He hides Henry from Ezekiel's spies, Billy Raven and Blessed the dog, while he and Fidelio work out how they can help Henry. Using the freezer to create the right temperature doesn't work, but it does bring Cook and the Flames into the secret. Of the other endowed children, Emma is distant, Lysander and Tancred have fallen out, and then Gabriel tries on a mysterious black glove. Charlie's horrible Yewbeam aunts are trying to make him enter a picture of Skarpo, the magician, while his Uncle Paton has found he can avoid exploding light bulbs if he reads as he walks. The friends meet up at the Pets' Cafe, run by Mr and Mrs Onimous, and the town's dogs chase Asa when he tries to slink in as a werewolf.