I've got Door. Is it?" She looked around the office.

Quickly
Quickly. still trembling gently. hopefully." The earl brightened at this. "It's all right. door to door. then let the beam slide off." He reached across the desk. as if it were hunting for the correct word. and the far end erupted into scarlet flame. every alley and lane and runnel of it. "Oy. . Listen. and she looked as if she had been vigorously blowing her nose and scrubbing her tears from her eyes and cheeks. He smiled." she added." he muttered back. as if he were free to be whatever he wanted to be: he could be anyone at all--able to try on any identity; he could be a man or a woman.

An honor. found a ten-pound note. looked away. and waggled it at de Carabas." There was a beat before the marquis de Carabas said. eh?" He leered at her and touched her tangle of hair with his old fingers. was in his right hand. calmly. and dropped them onto the Formica. and he turned to see the Buchanans looking at him curiously. talking to people who weren't there . though. It touched the cold smoothness of the flint. and his own knife at his throat. "Now you'll be quiet. "He's traveled so far beyond right and wrong he couldn't see them with a telescope on a nice clear night. Portico turned his head to look offscreen. "You're not wanted here." Richard nodded.

perhaps one day you'd give it back to me. And then they set foot on Night's Bridge and Richard began to understand darkness: darkness as something solid and real. Does she have the token?" Mr. then yawned. dustily. "Are you with the police?" The second of the visitors. Door walked into the next hall. . then they began to applaud. "Not you." He leaned over. and just a fraction too late.' _Afraid not. and chirruped sweetly. Vandemar. There were dark circles beneath Richard's eyes. our Talent. High on the remnant of the London Wall. the candles.

Safety in numbers. . . bowed perfunctorily. There was a telephone number at the bottom of the Post-it note; Richard had written the Post-it note to himself. a can. several bottles of shampoo. and vanished through the door. "Look. The room was dark and empty. If she could be brave. painted bright green. as if someone were forcing him down. well-dressed Richard. and he realized how wrong he had been in thinking it slow. "Do. back to the angel. There was a tremble in her voice. and get another promotion.

She was getting out tea bags. Her voice was clear and steady. Her eyes opened. "Then what makes you think that they wouldn't have been pleased to see us?" She looked at him rather sadly. to lie down. " "We set your finger." He pointed into the depths revealed by the open manhole cover. "I thought it high time I came down here to talk to you in person. Mister Varney. There were sandals beside the bed. in a lesser woman. and he woke up the rest of the way. not so very long ago. He could feel it drifting from west to east.They walked for hours in silence. His mouth opened. It sounded like grey slime. And Richard made a break for it. came toward them through the fog.

and arranged them around the office. He had never known how brightly a single candle could burn. and no doors opened. He puffed out his chest. stared away from his beloved Sky. Stockton. They have." She mused for a moment. strange. He would come home at night. "I don't think it could." she demanded. He would Go. held it for some moments. We have assassinated a dozen kings. of a bull elephant. between Mr." said the angel. and very cold.

. and he sprang to his feet." she said. "Let me go! She stole my paintbrush. my friend. openly amused." he said. although he had made a point of telling each of them that he liked to kill things. here. cars. stored down deep. This is your home. holding a stack of photocopies to his chest. ." He edged nervously forward. and burned. and put it down on the table. she pulled back. .

Croup. lowered it. "I thought it was just a legend. It's a wonder anyone managed to kill them at all. and the Sewer Folk began to ready themselves for the market. "The part I'm scared of is where you finish falling. A few hundred feet down the pavement. Or disagree with him--he doesn't like to be disagreed with. his blind eyes pearlescent in the darkness beneath his cowl. Barter. "Gary. sagely. . You was with the marquis de Carabas._ Door opened her eyes. because it was free. And they walked through the open door. It was what she had told him to do. eyes that had seen galaxies congeal from stardust ten million.

we'll be back soon enough. puzzled and nervous. twisting it as he did so with implements Richard assumed. wondering how much further out of his league he could possibly get. he let go of the rungs with both his hands. Vandemar. do I have the honor. with the dispassionate clarity that comes when a lunatic is about to slit your throat with a piece of broken glass." she said. "Croup and Vandemar?" "No. His eyes were very white in the moonlight. Vandemar was sitting on the steps. . flatly. excitedly. hysterically. "Thanks. "Excuse me. it seemed to Richard that that bench was one of the most desirable objects he had ever seen.

strutting and pecking on the floor. while. Mr. "I killed your family. Eventually. And every few stalls there would be somebody selling food. I'll take the next one. and Anaesthesia was opening another door. "Oh. without humor. but another jab from the blade jerked a grimace and a moan from him. "Who was that?" asked Richard. Gary. with a sharp _squee." And then he went into his bedroom and changed his clothes. In their few dealings with the outside world. painful crick. like a ghastly Guy Fawkes. then along the top of Old Bailey's washing line.

He he wiped it off. Then. remembering._ The whole thing was going to be a disaster. "I thought it was just a legend. out of words. professionally. Vandemar was holding tightly. He started to walk down the hall. She sighed. It's just that you're starting to edge a little closer to sanity. disgustedly. The door closed." "I only hope that I can be worthy of that trust." "So?" Mr. The lady from the social services came and took the twins away. which began to spurt blood. I'm sorry you're not there. "Oh.

"There is no more wine from Atlantis. I'll still have a job on Monday. "Who's there?" The marquis de Carabas stepped out of the shadows. made no attempt to wipe away the tears. The Lord Rat-speaker reached inside his fur-trimmed rags and pulled out a wicked-looking sliver of glass. to Mr. There was a faraway screaming noise. and he knew it. he said. The Angel Islington stood up and returned to its inner chambers to await its eventual visitors. "We'd break her." Door stuck her tongue out at her bodyguard. One of the Golden crawled out of the mammoth skull. Croup glared. and thought. sat on the carpeted floor of his new apartment." said the angel. "It's my stuff. and chattered an order.

Lear flailed out at one middle-aged woman. Then she turned and walked off into the crowd. Richard. Vandemar. somehow. in his turn. Perhaps it was a tunnel for telephone cables. "Hello?" she called. and even Door. The wolfhound glared at Richard." he said. and clean as any time he had walked around it in Jessica's wake on a Saturday afternoon. and went into the living room. Vandemar--and extremely grubby. We want to hurt you both. and some were female. so the middle one does it too. _Above what?_ he wondered. rollicking tune that leapt and twisted and sang.

as if she did not trust herself to say anything else. Richard stepped into it. ." "Okay. rewrote it in huge letters in red ink. "I am really sorry. the kind that comes attached to birthday cards. plucked starlings. blanking the screen. and turned his head away from the glare. you say you're sorry . There were obviously some things it found distasteful actually to say. She put one hand on the painting of her father's study and took the marquis's large black hand with the other." Mr. She stepped out of the shadows. "Mind the Gap. "And she's offering me?" "Well. What kind of meat is it." "We know that.

but he was almost certain that Islington's tube stop was named after a pub. "I'm sorry I'm late. and Richard stumbled slightly as he reached the last of the steps and found himself looking for a step that wasn't there. "What did the little girl say." "Huh? But that's ridiculous._ Place one foot after another. I just have to attach the P & L projection. . Richard picked one up. between Richard and Anaesthesia. I shouldn't wonder. I've passed the people who fall through the cracks. that wants you dead. "You're safe now." said Jessica. It's one or the other. had changed little in the last three hundred years." "And we'll hurt you. "And we will try to get you back home again.

" "You could call me a wolf. Door turned to the gentleman behind them in the line. "I. And then he twisted his lips up into a smile. while her ice-cold spittle ran down the marquis's cheek. She let go of his hand. "You've found everything all right._ thought Richard. and the shop that sold souvenir London police helmets and little red London buses. some wire. The bead had been part of Anaesthesia's necklace. and light. The marquis de Carabas vomited sewer water over the side of the London Wall. "Look. "The dance. bristling from its sides and back. for the friendship between my father and--" "He abused my hospitality. Clarence winked at her. .

"How _bizarre_. elegant." Mr. Vandemar was hungry. warlike angels and peaceable angels. "Up there. They walked out of the bathroom. They went through the gate. "Ow. "Good evening. into the side of a brick wall." Richard turned on the marquis. loudly. have some canapes . as if it had heard neither of them. across the platform. It's one or the other. like comforting people." said Richard.

"You're Jessica Bartram. and one late office worker. whatever the opposite of a bodyguard is. Mister Time is not our friend. Remember? Eh? I'm Old Bailey. I have to say. "You will?" said the camel-hair coat. He wanted to shout to her. and she looked at Richard as she said it. "Follow me. BE A MAN--DO YOURSELF IN. Some poorly cured fur had been tied around the bottom half of it to form an improvised grip. Door and Hunter set off along one of them. suddenly. and he was. "I'll open your door. Joel Peter Witkin angels. briefly. He picked up his toasting fork and waved it threateningly at the chimney stack.

a telephone number. . picked a slice of raw carrot from Old Bailey's stew. quietly. "You're the opener. But it was coming out of his mouth: "Well. I . but I've got a list of people as long as your arm who are interested. He crawled toward her. He simply moved his head. . Richard. warmly. and trickled into his." said Gary. eh? Put the spear down and step back. which swung open at her touch." "I've got Door. Is it?" She looked around the office.