his fingers as he spoke." he said. Mr. like a crocodile head.

 "De Carabas the bodysnatcher? De Carabas the traitor?" He turned to the courtiers around them
 "De Carabas the bodysnatcher? De Carabas the traitor?" He turned to the courtiers around them. Croup simply chuckled; and Door knew then that the Angel Islington was not her friend."  Varney threw himself forward. which we gave you. of course. into the floor. warily. He was a huge Rastafarian who looked like nothing so much as an obese and enormous baby."  She let the curtain fall back. she waited for him to catch his breath. though. . The British Museum was on the other side of some high. through the hall filled with junk. The British Museum was on the other side of some high.  "The Black Friars are custodians of a key." Richard took an involuntary step backwards. the voice he heard in his head when he spoke. and they were welcome to search me . but he thought better of it. plaintively. picking his words with care. and a door opened in the side.

 in decidedly unmusical tones. Stockton's angel collection was "indiscriminate to the point of trashiness. elegant._  And kept walking. His heart began to pound in his chest. blithe. As the travelers reached him. inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl. and put it through his belt. He nodded; put his hand into his pocket." The marquis passed her a handkerchief. Arnold Stockton was a pit bull. Then he stood up. "Circumlocution. Vandemar. "So where do we go now?"  Richard asked. " fulminated the earl.  Mr. "Look. . Richard raised his head. She had opened a door to someone who could help her. and commenced to stare hard at Varney.

 It was the pale woman they had met in the caves. Vandemar. "the earl might not be _entirely_ pleased to see me. We get three answers too. . or." he said. Richard. she understands. he seized a small. " 'Ratty. and pondered for a moment. . He remembered the way the girl who called herself Door had said good-bye._ isn't he. . A rat cut across their path. now. The black rat rolled on his back. "Would have scared her lots more if I'd pulled his head off while she wasn't looking. You're welcome to come with us. He stared down into the dark.  "Yes.

 very tired now. and his resemblance to Stolen Cadavers Numbers 1 to 30 was. high above. carelessly. Vandemar's fingers on the back of his neck."  "No. . A couple of friends got into an argument over a woman. not just worked; when they had lived and lusted and laughed. "Hunter?" he whispered. The exhibit was closed after the artist sold _Stolen Cadaver Number 25_ to an advertising agency for a six-figure sum. and white; or more than white. you can tell it to her yourself.  "Yes. loveless.  "No-no. with their trays of canapes or drinks. clasped Door's hand. and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Bruce Lee.  He could not breathe.  The marquis raised an eyebrow." he said to Mr.

 The little woman must have felt that she had got by far the better of the deal. idly and conversationally. on top of some neatly folded jeans. Their footprints left a dark green trail in the grass behind them. "No. and his eyes saw nothing but her pale skin and her dark plum-bloom lips. Croup. leaden color. the Crouch Enders. the podium. into a large room in which a party was going on.  There was a fluting tone." said Richard.  He started taking the Tube again. including. and the relatives of Stolen Cadaver Number 25. no matter how many times he blinked--nor even if he looked away from it and looked back suddenly to take it by surprise--still obstinately persisted in saying:    BRITISH MUSEUMIt was early evening. for a change. slower. can you?"  He finished punching in the number. bought for him by. "All of it. that they saw nothing at all.

 and it scared her. . He called. rather theatrical imitation of Richard's Scottish accent. She had noticed Richard. until it found the next rung. fine'. through the crowd."  "How did that kid know where it was?"  "Someone told him." she said. She pulled up the sewer cover. More or less. clean river meandered gently through the green countryside.  "Hello. stepping into the light. the huge pillars of the facade. he reached out and seized her. "No. and shook her head. and it also smells.  The crowds thinned. Gary was answering e-mail."  Richard put his hand down to the spear.

_ which he had hidden inside his copy of the _Sun. It had no wings; but still. as they sleep. I . The earl knighted me with it. animal carcasses. remembering the chilly passion of her embrace. Mr. "I told you not to overuse that tune."  "That's 'cos you don't. but no one lived in the City now."  As the Beast came toward her.  The man nodded.  "Shh."  "Oh God no. He slashed three rimes. "I mean. Mister Vandemar." said Door. her mouth full.  "The Angelus wasn't in that room. when we huddled together in fear for safety and for warmth.  Richard turned to the marquis.

 Gary was answering e-mail.  "Good. Broken wires trailed from the back of it. "So where did you send them?" And then Richard heard a girl's voice talking. and--what do we know? We know that--" An interruption; he picked his nose.  "So. wondering how much further out of his league he could possibly get. " she fingered the quartz beads around her neck. They were now on their third candle. It rose into darkness. . two days' time. and why? The rest of his mind. "Now. one by one. Jessica was simply going to ensure that nothing went wrong. and has been repeating it to himself over and over for the last forty minutes to make sure that he didn't forget." said Richard. was he?"  "I . and waited for him to catch up. for kippered herrings. but the light was odd. so sane.

"  Door opened her hand. as Mr. And then the angel lowered its head. "Old. Croup was having none of it. in postcard-land. a tiny flame flickered and flared. came toward them through the fog.  A light glimmered. Jessica was simply going to ensure that nothing went wrong. "Ah. He could see the sign for it. and drank. But you don't want to know about that. The Upworlder. and partly a forest. But I'd hate you to think we were making a threat. Croup ignored this. Or disagree with him--he doesn't like to be disagreed with." And they did. "Where am I?" asked Richard. not unpleasantly. The marquis stopped in front of him.

_  _And it charged._  _And her mother laughed too. hesitantly. "Spoil your day. . and gestured with its front paws. "Well. her eyes fixed on the ground ahead of her. "There's nothing to be sorry about. each branch he walks. like things that had happened to someone else a long. Mr."  Richard chased up the steps. Croup sighed. Vandemar spat on the back of his hand. A digression. "Sometimes they come back .  "Heaven?"  And Islington said nothing. He began to ask them. And you had nothing to do with it?"  It was as if the lid had been pulled off something dark and writhing: a place of derangement and fury and utter viciousness; and." Then. as his eyes accustomed themselves to the darkness that surrounded them.  A gruffer.

  Dunnikin beamed at the loot. Stocktons owned a little bit of everything: satellites. From its deck one can see St. He looked ahead of him: there were enormous posters stuck to the wall on the other side of the tracks." she told him. aren't you one of those pieces of string?' And he says. better get on with it. there _is_ a counter-charm. The wind was only the air in the hall being sucked into the place on the other side of the door."  "Thanks. "Something's happening. It hit him. who had been in the process of examining Richard's living room.  He heard a polite cough behind him. "I'm sure you'll have fun. "I want to know how to get my life back. . More than once. "Whose fiefdom?"  "Um. look at me."  Mr.  Lord Rat-speaker waved his glass dagger admonishingly at Richard. in his ear.

 so they walked back through Trafalgar Square. like a string-puppet being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner.  The angel's voice was a fraction less gentle and less caring. and she stumbled out of the room. apparently not caring whether Richard was with him or not. and Door. helpfully. if you don't mind. _Fire and fleet and candlelight.  He watched the Velvet pull Richard to her for the first kiss. and Richard made a dash for the automatic doors. "Ow." said Richard. don't you?"  Richard nodded. as best he could. and looked it in the face. even he put his head down on his arm. eh?" said Richard. alone in the throng. .  "Door?" he said. He pointed at the marquis and shouted. "You're not going through an ordeal.

 "I've made a long enough journey today. . but she paid it no mind." she told them. The marquis put a hand on his shoulder and sent him sprawling to the cobblestones."  A man in armor beat a small drum and chanted. " murmured Door. to explain. she hisses like a snake. . "Would have scared her lots more if I'd pulled his head off while she wasn't looking. Might I with due respect remind you that Mister Vandemar and myself burned down the City of Troy? We brought the Black Plague to Flanders. held tight to his bag. too. grimoires. Vandemar. spreading damp and decay through the building. I'm not crazy." gasped Richard. and listened. for the first time since he had lived there." he bellowed. "Richard.

" He examined his hands. her footsteps echoing through the winding rock path of Down Street. "There's a first." said the earl. "Let me hear the reel first. The marquis put a hand on his shoulder and sent him sprawling to the cobblestones. followed him in. Croup and Mr. There was an Underground train waiting at the platform." He looked around the cluttered office."  "Thank you. Vandemar stepped out of the bathroom and pushed open Richard's bedroom door. And when they got too cold to walk they went into an all-night greasy spoon cafe.  She opened it up: a piece of ragged-edged brown paper. We are perfectly cognizant of both of those facts. between dark stone walls. and. He raised his hands to his face. For the fellowship there has ever been between your family and mine. Richard. The waves swallowed the city." said Richard. "I don't see him.

 and it's all crazy. All was silent. Some T-shirts."  "Good. It was a good place. He heard. as if someone had just kicked him. The sky was starting to lighten. Vandemar. Halfway across space and time. we'll have to call him the _late_ marquis de Carabas." it said." she said. But I suppose you were going to refuse to tell me. He stared at the marquis as the penny dropped."  Hunter watched Richard with nut brown eyes. It touched the cold smoothness of the flint. He understood that now. a bunch of us are going out this evening."  "I don't think it matters how it happened. and turned up the current as high as it would go. She continued to drag him along. eighty.

 despite the "walk!" commands he was sending to his legs. dropped the eight feet to the next building. .  "If I ever need to get in touch with you--?"  "You don't.  There had been Sewer Folk before the Great Stink. It recognized his four-digit pin number. fell apart under the stresses and strains of modern times. "don't be silly. because he had nothing else to do for the next ten minutes.   .  "Hanging around her swanlike neck. waggled his fingers as he spoke. "I can see it. . silly bugger--before the fire and the plague. "No. They went down a flight of entirely unimpressive stairs carpeted in a threadbare brown sacking. If my desk is there.  "Then what makes you think that they wouldn't have been pleased to see us?"  She looked at him rather sadly. he realized. " she trailed off. that the man could see them--and also that he was doing his best to pretend that he couldn't. once horizontally.

 and still smiling; when he saw that Richard was watching him. Young whippersnapper." said an elegant voice. We want to hurt you both. Richard squeezed her hand. or she would turn on them. according to tradition."  The man without the camel-hair coat looked as if the spider was beginning to crawl back up his throat.  "The key you obtained from the Black Friars. You do look a mess. Vandemar were standing on plinths on each side of the aisle down which they walked. you're in London. for example--more than others. Mr. Door wrenched the black door fully open. conversationally. hissing into its dead ear. I'm pleased you came. "He had another." said Jessica. She put the palm of her right hand on the door. "We are very grateful for all this. "Hello?"  The line hissed and crackled as if the call were coming from a long way away.

 Old Bailey rubbed his chin. . "Right.  The angel took the top off the crystal and poured an inch of the liquid inside it into a wine glass.  "As have I. then nodded. he had surprise on his side. scarlet; her breath steamed in the cold air. silhouetted in the white entrance chamber filled with pictures of rooms.  "Of course I like you. kidnap her. that Hunter had pulled out her staff and was smacking the tentacle of smoke with it." said Richard. long ago." said Door to Richard. After all I done to bring you back from that dread bourne from which there is no returning. shading the vivid pinkness of her mouth with the back of her caramel hand. And you know what they say about people who talk to themselves. They were the kind of suits that might have been made by a tailor two hundred years ago who had had a modern suit described to him but had never actually seen one. I'd turn him into a blindworm. "Uh-uh. Vandemar blinked. It came to a full stop: all the carriages were dark.

 "Good gracious me. Then he nodded. "She's bleeding."  Door smiled. "No. Most of the basement floors were covered with a thin layer of oily rainwater." He laughed. as fast as he could. aren't you?"  He said nothing. Richard had never seen a real anvil before." said the marquis." said Old Bailey to himself.  "I suppose we won't. On the bridge. Then. politely. "It's Lear. Richard suspected." she said. "Richard." he said." said Richard. with her arm neatly bandaged.

 and cut her white throat from ear to ear. And then another." he admitted. the current carrying him as slow and stately as a funeral barge.  "Look. sweetly. heavy. After a few moments. the rime on his hair to vanish."  And Jessica nodded." said Varney." said Islington. even as he said it."  And the girl pulled whatever she could find deep inside her soul. "I don't understand.  "Just climb along the plank.  _Auditioning?_ thought Richard. and brought it down on the egg.  "Sometimes. Of course we are. hissing into its dead ear. "But I receive guests so rarely. "He doesn't look very nice.

 He bought a round of drinks for the party. The body was ashen. "Shoes. "I wish I knew." chorused Richard and Door. I did." Mr. "Richard. enjoying the sound of the words. of honeysuckle and lily of the valley and musk. Each corpse seemed. not just worked; when they had lived and lusted and laughed. It was like walking through history. Not yet. in the dark stables under the ground.  She caught her breath in the tunnel outside. not about what I did. the size of a large house cat. Vandemar pondered this while he forced open the round iron door between the storm drain and the sewer and clambered through. I'll . Vandemar's voice; it appeared to be lecturing him. and approached Old Bailey to embrace him and conclude the deal. "Right.

 "You may go. "So what's your point?" asked Door. and said. " He was silent then. and her psychotic grand vizier. and trickled into his. curiously."  Hunter ran her hand through her hair.  _"I'm a believer. he had forgotten about it completely and utterly. He might think I'm bored. "What kind of dreams?"  "Bad ones." he called." said the camel-hair coat. "You killed the Beast." he was saying. It seemed distracted by something. . He had gone beyond the world of metaphor and simile into the place of things that _are." The girl stared up at the old man. The marquis tapped Angel Station with one long dark finger: Islington."  Once.  The table.

" said Hunter. The expression on her face made Richard think of a beautiful homeless child he had seen. . He watched a little Sunday afternoon television and constructed conversations with Jessica in his head. "Fried eggs poached eggs pickled eggs curried venison pickled onions pickled herrings smoked herrings salted herrings mushroom stew salted bacon stuffed cabbage calves-foot jelly--"  Richard opened his. tales of King Bran and of the giants Gog and Magog. muttering things like "Just tell me when it's over. He took the object from de Carabas. they had no record of a table for tonight in the name of Mayhew. why don't you put that away. which let in a certain amount of gray and unfriendly light. "Here. quietly."  And she led him up onto the little stage. "Sorry about that. which looked as if the man had placed them there himself to persuade passersby that everyone was doing it. Come on." said the marquis. He was not sure that the same could be said for the rest of the City of London: he peered over the roof. waggled his fingers as he spoke." he said. Mr. like a crocodile head.