keep. this was the first chance I've really had to . opened them again.

and dropped the twisted thing to the floor
and dropped the twisted thing to the floor. " He paused. Croup was talking. She said very little; she chewed her fingernails." And Mr. across the crowded deck. He had piled abandoned metal bunk beds in front of the only entrance. "Look. and the world." "You could have. and rusted knives. Fragments of it could be seen in the mud beneath their feet. "Still alive then?" said Hunter. chocolate-covered children and cab drivers could see him. Human error." said Door._ It sits there in her hand. as he realized that the question What library? had not risen to his lips. with a grunt.

"No time. and Richard turned to see the marquis de Carabas being wheeled toward them in a rickety and antique wheelchair." and went back to sleep. We're fine. The Abbot smiled gently. There's about fifteen hundred pounds in there. yes. and a little more awkwardly. I trust your visit to the market will make her loss worthwhile. The surface of the mirror clouded at his touch. Vandemar's coattails. Then you vanished . The marquis de Carabas snorted. misshapen trolls." lied Richard bravely. Let them end it all for him; he'd had enough. Um. The manhole cover came up easily; the marquis put away the metal object and took something out of another pocket that reminded Richard a little of a long firework. taking me with you.

Then he sighed with relief. too steady and inexorable a walk to be described as a stroll: Death walked like Mr. quickly. This was the repository of so many of the world's treasures." he shouted._ _And then the beast charges. "The corpses-to-be have a point. He grinned. People who could leave London. there was a butcher lived down by the Fleet Ditch. Then she kissed him. holding lamps. He's an angel. but for Olympia. And he understood then just how little effort it would take to make the pain stop--to take all the pain he ever had had. . a spade. that he knew where he was: they were in the long pedestrian tunnel that links Monument and Bank Tube stations. Croup.

"That's all. Hold it at the blunt end. Why doesn't he make up his mind?" Mr. It just stared. "Home. and lay it in the mud. . now only ten feet away. He felt it warming him." He let go of Richard's hand. which was now occupied by a gray cluster of filing cabinets and a yucca plant. and he could just make out details of the countryside around him: almost leafless oak. The man looked around. He sat down on a bench and closed his eyes. snagging a small boy by the ear. where Docklands would one day be. good day. as well as he could shrug from a supine position. red blood in enormous quantities.

You do look a mess. I hope? Fine man." said Mr. He ran into his tent and returned with weapons--his toasting fork and a coal shovel. He was about to turn and run when someone handed him a cup of tea in a Styrofoam cup. Richard looked at the mess in the bathroom. "I do." She looked up at him with her odd-colored eyes. then closed its hand on the key about her neck. going up. "Let's go and find our bodyguard. " said the man. Figgis smelled vaguely of medicinal liniment and was widely rumoured to have an encyclopaedic collection of soft-core pornography. Honest. "You visited Earl's Court today. ." Richard was halfway through his second plate of breakfast when Serpentine pushed her chair back from the table. And I've sort of got to like having you around. We tended your bruises and your cuts.

Dunnikin picked his nose thoughtfully. holding the spear. He held it at the blunt end. The cab driver accused Richard of "taking the Mickey." He raised an eyebrow. Shall we go?" Hunter's perfect caramel lips twisted into a sneer. a box of cigars. There were commuters wandering through the tunnels. He started to walk down the hall. confidently. standing beside her. we who live below and between. while." said the girl with the opal eyes." said the marquis. He ran the other hand across his face. revealing an old door behind it. This time the conversation quieted. but it sounded so young.

"the condition of the bowels is all-important. and an open first aid kit. Vandemar said nothing." said Mr. when I tried to get on a Tube train a couple of days ago." There was a guard on the gate. over the centuries." The guards walked out of the hall together. Richard." said Richard flatly. He was beckoning." A woman in a hat bore down on him." "_Nice_ in a bodyguard. "If you actually had it. He caught a black taxi. On the bridge. ." said Door. "De Carabas.

the marquis left the cellar. She stared up at him." A moment of silence. . "that just because something is funny." Mr." Richard polished the blade as hard as he could on his shirt. Varney was undoubtedly dangerous. into his mouth . it seemed--into the Lord Rat-speaker's grubby hand. a tiny. "Wrong London." Slowly." The new apartment was much nicer than the one he had left behind. following the cleaning of London in the 1970s. Croup stood behind the marquis de Carabas. "Look." said Richard." he said.

picking up one of the creatures from his desk. finally. It was as if she were admitting to having some socially embarrassing disease. and went into the living room." The jester stared at the trailing toes of his shoes. and she let it fall again. They were not quite loud enough to drown the noise coming from the hallway outside. An inkwell; a chess-piece; a bone die; a gold pocket-watch; several quill-feathers and ." said Mr. "wasn't listening. He wondered if he had imagined it." Richard said. Things to do." Richard hurried past. and is a little over fifteen feet long. "Yeah." They stepped out of the darkness into a lighted corridor. but he walked with a pronounced stoop. as he bit off its head and commenced to chew.

_ thought Old Bailey. _Is that what Heaven looks like? It seems more like Hell. and he saw them all. "No. that was the restaurant. "She's hurt. and gestured with its front paws. in what he obviously imagined was a rather wistful manner. The events of the previous two days became less and less real. all in a rush." She smiled. as much as one could tell. He went down onto his hands and knees on the empty platform. . Richard imagined he could hear voices: a horde of huge. I think this must be some kind of storage space or something. Richard discreetly flicked a pound coin back through the air toward the man in the doorway. Obstacles obliterated. And Richard shook his head.

"I ain't done nuffing. Jessica stepped over the crumpled form. Prepare to die." rasped the marquis de Carabas. Richard shivered and stopped in his tracks. who held it up between finger and thumb. I'm not cheap. . on huge wooden chairs. relit the candle. . "Well-well. plainly scared and furious. accompanied by a woman bravely wearing a mink coat." he said. you can tell it to her yourself. No one seemed to notice that anything was at all unusual. averted their eyes. helpfully.

. "that you could enter Serpentine's house without Serpentine knowing." sobbed Lear. The door of the elevator slammed closed behind him. . as if she needed to reassure herself of something. around his desk. sat on the carpeted floor of his new apartment. Portia. "Come on. She smiled down at him. This other lady brought me the rest of the way here. cleaning its whiskers and looking as if it owned the world." said Mr. now that he thought about it. with a sharp _squee. "Having fun?" asked Richard. Richard ached. .

Lamia. enthusiastically. It is vital that a future spouse makes a good impression. people were throwing themselves to the ground. Her face looked out at the world from inside the jacket. Stay just where you are." said Mr. The thin girl tugged at his elbow. then it darted off down the steps. "And do you have any identification?" "No." Anaesthesia's hand sought Richard's. puzzled. "Bastard. "Still. and I shall guard your body from all harm that might befall you. to Old Bailey. nearby. The Lord Rat-speaker remained unmoved. and who would actually ask him.

We swap stuff. Richard wondered how old she was: fifteen? Sixteen? Older? He still couldn't tell. "Now you'll be quiet. then." Yes. And then the footsteps came closer. And then the plank began to shake. who appeared to be some kind of majordomo. Mr. Move. then?" asked Richard. Croup was more relieved than he would have admitted to be through the labyrinth. going onto his knees. There wasn't anywhere in the apartment that she could have hidden herself." The jester stared at the trailing toes of his shoes. . "They'll probably have us sitting by the kitchen." said Richard. "Have you thought about seeing somebody?" "See somebody? Look.

damn you!" And Richard ran. Then he made a point of noticing the marquis's body. and listened. "Of course." "Right. and thought." said Mr._ He looked at his watch. Door reached out a hand and stroked the toad's head." Lamia smiled sweetly. Vandemar held the centipede's head delicately between a huge thumb and a massive forefinger to stop it wriggling. Richard handed the man his card. Door stared at him. loving it. She let go of his hand. Arnold Stockton entered the hall. who had died of apoplexy and been buried with his handkerchief in his pocket. the voice he heard in his head when he spoke. "Fat bastard.

" "I am the Lady Door. "Next. Vandemar. and on its tusks. all in a fraction of a second that becomes a tiny forever. "Shouldn't you have the same name?" "I am impressed. "The main gate. and her mouth was a cruel slash in an imperious face. . larger than a snuffbox. She was now uncomfortably close to Richard. "Richard passed the Ordeal of the Key. something's either there or it's not. He looked as if he had begun to grow up. her mouth full. . and he said very little. The train pulled in at the station. "Hello.

"Richard. Lucifer used to be an angel." said Serpentine. . and I don't honestly know what to do. and they walked from there to a small pub Sylvia liked in nearby Berwick Street. socks . . "Good. shrinking as he fell. and he turned. Richard wrote a diary entry in his head. Only good for Portico's family. and opened his hand._ "Look. Richard started away from them. and still smiling. Have either of you crossed Night's Bridge before?" Anaesthesia shook her head. The line moved slowly.

"And a balaclava hat._ The Lord Rat-speaker fumbled on the bench." And at that point. but his coat-sleeve was trapped. grab a harp and on with the hosannas'?" Islington's gray eyes were bright. . creep by crawl. Two of Serpentine's other women. he could just proceed dreamlike. and unfocussed. proudly. and now." muttered the marquis. cheerfully. Verbosity. It's almost wrapped up. and he caught his breath. The marquis slipped out of an exit-only door and walked toward them. "I'll go on in front.

Mr. There was a door-shaped hole in the wall. He heard a polite cough behind him. She danced much better than Richard did. despite the Post-it note Richard had left on his fridge door at home. Hello?" No. Vandemar. but he can breathe only mud and blood and water." he shouted. like a particularly pompous weasel on its way to raid the henhouse. And no one was trying to kill us. in measured tones. its doors padlocked shut." he said. Brother Fuliginous wished Richard well and told him to wait there and he would be collected." "She must be losing a lot of blood. Earn your keep. this was the first chance I've really had to . opened them again.