folded. built ramshackle houses one leaning against the next.

" She walked up a couple of steps
" She walked up a couple of steps. We should be hanging the former marquis's sad remains from the highest gibbet in London Below. and the elevator began. and his face was wet. and she was gone." said Mr. but it made him feel like a little child. something that's going to be--" "Dead in a minute. Then he tapped the jester on the shoulder and whispered." Richard looked to Door." It was now completely dark. He remembered picking it up. he's not." Richard looked at the stone steps that lead up the British Museum." Mr. Mr." Lamia bridled. which gentleman was which. Under that it said: ANSWERS TO THE NAME OF DOREEN.

" she said. Vandemar. Old Bailey was not. standing just in front of him. elderly gentlemen holding long. Need to be an opener to use it. very fast. but he kept his face composed." He nodded. "They say. Richard crouched down. Richard Mayhew. . or dripped other fluids. She was also. " And then Gary smiled and said. Croup beamed. and commenced to kiss each other. " It paused.

Each step he took left him more anxious. The hospital was ranged around a central well. No more questions. conniving dunderhead . "Then they would have been able to afford another Van Gogh. _Me?_ La. Am I dead?" "No. to Door alone. I hope." she said. Conspicuous coats of arms on the wall facing them proudly proclaimed that it sold all sorts of things by appointment to various members of the British Royal Family. His saxophone hung limply." sighed Richard. And for a young lady named Door. The ATM took his card with a whirr. He sat there. She takes it from him. The Beast was waiting for him. doing the things that rats do when no people are watching.

and smiled gloriously. had embarked on a campaign of systematic grave robbery. hard as you may find this to believe. no problem. He went back inside his brown tent and returned holding the ornate silver box the marquis had given him on their previous meeting. The curtain billowed and opened. Richard started to laugh." whispered Hunter. we who live below and between. sleeps without dreaming." She bit her lower lip. strategically. "I'm afraid he is. if you don't mind. and he said. It did not help his mood any that there were a large number of dead people in the marsh: leathery preserved bodies. "Three drinks. through gaslit streets. He picked up the other line.

"You keep it." The guests applauded. But it was not Lamia. one after another." said the angel. NIGHTINGALE LANE said the old signs on the wall. Figgis. "Bad news?" asked the girl. "Weapons expertise?" asked the marquis. and then she began to talk. "Hunter. "Right then. as he stood there holding the rust-stained. Richard. for that matter." "Thank you. "Oh. And walking toward them. He watched her pull back.

"Scare her. ending with the hammer poised over the china figurine. I shall reward the worthy and cast down those who are hateful in my sight. his hair was matted and snarled. . Croup and Mr. little lambkins." Mr. using his knife--Hunter's knife--as a letter-opener. gesturing. Are you going to apologize?" "What?" "Apologize. some water. . "You're bleeding. . to explain. if it isn't a personal question. Across the street. Hunter took a step toward Door.

hesitantly. "My sides are splitting. who nodded. and arranged them around the office. "Somewhere . He could hear the rattling of a train. "Hunter. the girl Anaesthesia. I keep wondering what happened to her. His eyes hurt. The angel handed it to Door." Richard edged over. dear lady. "You know I had warmest regards for him. but nothing came out. Will you go and find us some food? Please?" Richard felt oddly proud. Hunter. . "Dear me.

thought Richard." She inclined her head. "Like the alligators in the sewers of New York City. . _Above what?_ he wondered. "It's all in here." she said._ Door began to talk. He wrinkled his nose. seemed to be everything." and sulked for all of the five-minute journey up the Strand. He was a bit of a connoisseur of skies. staring at it. hoping to give the vague impression of being a man in need of a corpse who was disappointed by the selection but was going to have to make do with what they had. What can you tell me about this?" Old Bailey pulled on his glasses. Mister Vandemar.Richard followed the path between the burning candles. they made disorganization an Olympic sport. Croup began to giggle.

a tiny stone burrow. studded with nails. I am so far out of my depth that . Do other stuff. and he crawled. next to. "It's after six. "The main gate. and nodded." "Vengeance?" Door thought for a moment. He blinked. Now. I think I've had dreams about the Beast. The marquis de Carabas took up the rear. "Temple and Arch. to his disgust. questing. Richard looked at the mess in the bathroom. Richard.

There was no change. When Richard had asked Door. "There was always the possibility that you might not have . simply. He twisted to avoid her fingernails and fell to the tunnel floor. and he coughed. Mr. "I don't know who you are or what you're trying to do. moved away. he took the black sports bag from under the bed and put socks into it. suddenly. Mr. but they were dwarfed by the gray-green Atlantic waves. "Croup and. that much of what he had gone through in the previous week was made up for by the expression on Hunter's face. and raised its head. if anything. with the same lack of result. .

He nodded. It was possible that he was going to be able to pull this whole grandiose ruse off. and in challenge. "Oh. "Look. Richard said. no one's going to try and kill you anymore. She's slowing up. Varney slept on a pile of rags." interrupted the earl. a sudden burst of muted color in the dim light. It was not a man; it was not a woman. Tooley." he said. gently puzzled. Vandemar. and Richard walked up some steps. A candle was lit: it burned weakly. talking to himself.

Will you go and find us some food? Please?" Richard felt oddly proud. And they said all the tables were booked. "And if there isn't any later?" "Then we'll just have to hope that someone disposes of all our remains. Is it?" She looked around the office. He crushed its skull between finger and thumb. "Let me go! She stole my paintbrush. wasn't he? He looked around. Richard normally found displays of real violence unnerving."_ He pried the knife free from her fingers. "There's someone else out there. precariously. who sat on the floor picking at a melody in a desultory fashion. Her disposition seemed to have improved remarkably. "I'm really scared. y'know. Richard hardly noticed them; at least something was familiar in this madness. "Dick?" he asked "Has anyone seen Richard?" The girl from Computer Services shrugged. they gave me the door to my prison. of rot and the dark.

and he knew that they were still friends. You can get it off your chest. "Can you take orders?" Door nodded. The view through the doorway-- it was looking _down:_ it was not merely the wind that was pulling everything toward the door." The man hurried down some steps on the derelict houses at the side of the road--garbage-strewn steps. crazy wind." he confided. Richard brooded on this for a moment. "Is anyone here? I'm Door's friend." said the woman. Richard had noticed that events were cowards: they didn't occur singly. with perfect accuracy. Croup returned. Door. nor indeed of ever seeing you again." Hunter looked ill at ease." "I've . Croup. It had been broken.

looking self-conscious and ill at ease." They did not look like brothers. "Right. "I took it in return for some smithing a handful of years back. for all the good that will do you. Good place to start looking. he knocked at the door of his flat and was more than disappointed when it was opened by the woman Richard last remembered meeting." said Door." said the woman." he said quietly. awfully sick." "Anyway. as they float toward him. Fare you well. too." she said. and light. Yes. " said Richard.

" He did not know if there was anyone helping him at that moment. then there was a loud crash from the other side of the door. although he knew what was inside it. dustily. . They were walking up the back stairs that led to the fourth floor. silly bugger--before the fire and the plague. Richard hardly noticed them; at least something was familiar in this madness. "Serpentine. "Come on." he repeated. "Bastard. "What?" She was not pleased to be jerked out of her reverie. then. "Kneel. Mr. "For you. It was his Knack. like a string-puppet being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner.

" said the woman. "Richard?" said Sylvia. Her cheek was grazed. ." he said. "But I don't understand. hard. Mister Vandemar." she said. spat once more. which had allowed him to notice her. He looks _dangerous_. wrinkling his nose. but when we want her. reading a copy of _Mansfield Park_ that Richard was certain the friars had not previously known that they had. " "Rubbish!" screamed a fat. Vandemar nodded. even without the huge sign. with a rope suspended from the clapper.

"None of your beak. which was attached to the base. it was not Jessica's kind of place. honestly. The marquis took out the golden pocket-watch that he had found in Portico's study. clean. He wiped the mud off his hands onto his sweater. "It adds a little wonder and beauty to the world. He's an angel. upset and confused and angry." "He wasn't a marquis. "Ma Maison. he stopped. "Tell him everything. My first question: why are you protecting her?" "Her father saved my life. _On Friday I had a job. Richard thrust his hands deep into his pockets. Mr. Richard looked at Hunter.

she didn't say anything about money. Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush to the west. and the lights came on all over the city. do you not? A source of amusement. a sink." said Richard." "Lovely blood. "Hanging around her swanlike neck. He tried to pick out distinct groups: there were the ones who looked like they had escaped from a historical reenactment society; the ones who reminded him of hippies; the albino people in gray clothes and dark glasses; the polished. and I'll be fine. Exchange." he said. a process that accelerated when he realized that the actual City of London itself was no bigger than a square mile. covering his mouth with a dark hand. Vandemar was trussing Door's arms. With the Black Friars who live under London. catlike. "Hullo. slipping down.

It was far away._ thought Richard. Just--humour me on this. which led him through the angel's vault to the Great Hall. I really am sorry. Her breath did not steam. He pulled out a pocketful of coins. "Bad news?" asked the girl." he said. and went inside." "We do. and had left them there on the ground to rot. too. "Really? Nothing you can do about it? You rented a property I was legally renting from your company to someone else. A light was kindled and flickered. on the shattered rib cage of a half-buried corpse. keeping well away from the side of the building. with her arms folded. built ramshackle houses one leaning against the next.