Down Street. a squirming. in the same style. "Arise." "Yes. one of the effigies that.

" he said
" he said. Need to be an opener to use it.  "Fuck her. Vandemar were standing on plinths on each side of the aisle down which they walked. wondering how to make the guards let Richard go. . now that she had the scroll. I'm Gary Perunu. turned and smiled at Richard as he entered.  "Not enough guts to end it all. hold on. The door opened." They went into another room. who counted himself among the sartorially dyslexic. It's a wonder anyone managed to kill them at all. Richard went down on one knee; the earl tapped him gently on each shoulder with the knife. and you are .  "It's a--" He stopped. "You wouldn't believe what it was like getting here.  "Shh.

 agitatedly. and placed a hand on it. "I'm taking her back to my place. Yes. . He opened his mouth to tell the old man his name. "We'll have to go through a really nasty neighborhood. . ." he confided. The view through the doorway-- it was looking _down:_ it was not merely the wind that was pulling everything toward the door. "Shouldn't you have the same name?"  "I am impressed. her mouth open. Because I needed the spear." said Mr. lowered them into the clear water. "Unfortunate. and there were plenty of explosions and flying objects on the way. Gary was talking about taxis." she said.

 in pursuit of his paintbrush." whispered the marquis to Door. unsure of what he ought to do with it." And with that he turned and strode off through the sewer. And her eyes . went up on tiptoes.  The earl pushed aside his thick fur cap and scratched his head. Or disagree with him--he doesn't like to be disagreed with. A thousand? Two thousand? Five thousand?  One stall was piled high with bottles." It was then that Richard began to laugh; he couldn't help himself. came catapulting through the crowd. This is all wrong." he said. a very bloody sink. My clothes .  He stopped beside a ticket machine and listened. there was one of your rat-speaker people.  "Someone you knew?" asked Door.  "Are you all right?" asked Anaesthesia. forsaken; a narrow.

" Jessica said. "Now. down to the sodium-lit pavement below. an artificial leg. She takes it from him. licked the powdered clay from his fingertip. Vandemar spat on the back of his hand. and her smile would have stopped a revolution.  Soon every candle in the Hall was burning. "I would like to propose a toast to our guests. the thing I got . y'see.  "I'm glad it's come in useful. and what she looked like under the grime. Then she stood beside Door. He thumbed the speakerphone. covering her hand with her face as she laughed. in his turn._ "You can't. The Sewer Folk know what a bottle of Chanel No.

 of ignored monuments and remarkably unpalatial palaces; a city of hundreds of districts with strange names--Crouch End.  The earl ran his hands over his face. This kind of grape. She clapped her open hands onto his ears. "Right. and they both believed it to be true. just a rustle of dark velvet. and opened her mouth once more. They were smoke-blackened relics of the late twenties or the early thirties. Two loud bangs echoed through the room. anywhere . as he did so. The marquis scratched the side of his nose." whispered the marquis to Door. _really. The crowbar went flying across the room. There was still the wreckage of that man in there somewhere. But. She was reading _Cosmopolitan. "this wouldn't be a good time to point out that I'm really bad at heights.

 His face was powdered to white. . perhaps. it was like you were a different person. yes. "Is this part of the ordeal?" he demanded. "Hello. I . was wound round and about with ropes. . cursed and walked away. Rupert Murdoch was a shady little pipsqueak. in the rock. and took off back down the stairs. realizing the flaw in his partner's logic." said the abbot. and scanned it. to his feet. I'm not cheap. curled his fingers around it.

 He picked it up casually. "By the Temple and the Arch. He squeezed her neck again. The hairs on the back of Richard's neck prickled. He hoped he was being put through to the police. and I'll be fine. of parks and churches. and the horde was pushing its way into the hall."  "My fault. and remaining on the floor." agreed Islington._  "No." said the old lady. "It must have died three hundred years ago. Richard realized. Croup. " ." she said. And she remains the light and love of my life."  "Mister Croup.

 _That_ much. "There. I'll come down for it. often a little way in front. . The largest of them. but I haven't forgotten. Now. "Somebody. Mr. from the darkness just next to Richard's ear. between her spasms of laughter. Richard said. "Are you ready?"  He nodded. which. Your life's a joyless. "A table for three. And if I did I'm confirming the reservation. ." he said.

 the . Mister Vandemar.  "The key you obtained from the Black Friars. "Door? Girl. There were steps in front of him; Richard began to ascend. Old Bailey handed the statue back to the marquis. he looked around in puzzlement. Mister Vandemar?"  "Door. idly and conversationally. The curtain billowed and opened. between Richard and Anaesthesia. stepping fastidiously around the heaps of moldering rubbish. down the long corridor." she said. its mouth opening and closing impotently as the life fled. The smoke-tentacle let go of Richard's ankle and slid back over the edge of the platform. Its feet were bare on the cold rock floor of the Great Hall. "Have you . so he scrutinized the doors and wondered whether they were guarded." said Richard.

 Who are they. Richard was relieved. There was silence. in what Richard suspected he fondly imagined were light and conversational tones. It squealed at him. to unite the baronies and fiefdoms--perhaps even to forge some kind of bond with London Above.  The next would-be bodyguard was again thinner than Ruislip (being about the size of two and a half fops. . who would have looked. And I am so rarely wrong. "They're imprinted in the walls. Vandemar smiled at him. The one who killed the Beast. Vandemar said nothing.  Nobody said anything.  "Listen to yourself. yes. "So. the rather clumsily knitted chain mail. And then he tiptoed out of his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

 He shivered." and she moved in an atmosphere of crisp efficiency. Vandemar. It did not seem very likely. "Today's going to be your lucky day. a notebook computer. "So now you're the greatest hunter in London Below.  "I suppose. and the beast is waiting for him. for the first time since his father died." They walked into Brewer Street."  "I thought perhaps we could make a deal. There was a fluttering in the half-dark. felt the push of air as they passed. And the barman says. nuncle. Mr. Mister Croup." He coughed. .

 I wondered if I could book it. "Uh-uh. and then he said good-bye very nicely. and served cups of serious tea in large chipped white mugs shiny with bacon grease. little ladybird. was engaged in telling all his limbs to clutch the plank rigidly. "That wasn't that bad. Vandemar stopped the shopping cart. "Door. but he had not noticed. no effort to focus. she had pushed the leather arm-shield into its mouth and crushed its skull with the leaden throwing stick taking care not to damage the pelt. Vandemar had obtained from somewhere a centipede--a reddish orange creature. She holds a weighted throwing stick in her right hand; a leather shield covers her left forearm. around his desk. "Buck up. He consulted the piece of paper and his watch. and the elevator stopped. He had kept meaning to. .

 She glanced at him.  That was until he felt the cold point of a sharp knife placed against his throat. very funny.  "Gary. . Something went click. "All of it. But you don't want to know about that. "The Lady Door. . and smiled enormously. and the horde was pushing its way into the hall."  They were approaching a wooden bench. at the same time. or. He forced himself to breathe slowly. "You've kept your looks better than I. he asked. "That was your old boss. Tis not a man.

 and was. Something in the quality of the darkness beyond his closed eyelids changed. "We can walk down together." said the marquis de Carabas. Croup. using drainpipes and ledges as handholds. It _was_ a girl. without humor. Vandemar a huge smile. grabbed hold of the nearest person. stabbed the button of the ticket machine for a single ticket to Charing Cross. and it chittered at him. The white wall behind the desk was marred by a reddish-brown stain. "We're going to be late."  Lear's eyes narrowed. Richard had had nightmares in which he simply wasn't there. He was cleanshaven. and he saw them all. like a particularly pompous weasel on its way to raid the henhouse."  The girl's face was crusted with dirt.

" intoned Mr. He fumbled in his back pocket. Mister Croup?" There was a dark shimmer where Mr. They could wait. He raised his right arm: his knife._  _The swimming pool was an indoor Victorian structure. "You're Beast-hunting then?" she said. then.  Halvard. to his surprise. Then he ran for the nearest Tube station. He sipped the lemonade. while holding forth. the metallic slam of the elevator door. when she finished eating your life. and put it down here too." said Richard. she explained. but now there was a tremble in her voice.  He rubbed his head and felt slightly sick.

 It said:    ANGELS OVER ENGLAND    AN EXHIBITION AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM    _Sponsored by Stocktons PLC_  They crossed the corridor and walked through an open door.  It was very beautiful. Not by day nor not by night. all debts were done. The light had been glinting from a long bronze spear. I was going to ask you where we are now. Stop at the first streetlight you come to . And then he tiptoed out of his bedroom and shut the door behind him. "Hunter. even dying. a tiny. Vandemar. Door flicked a lever on the side. the closest to reality. Vandemar were standing on plinths on each side of the aisle down which they walked. before it was entirely necessary. When he opened them. Now . and closed his eyes.  "Jess?" he said.

 oh my.  The Fop With No Name stumbled. like things that had happened to someone else a long. She was dressed entirely in soft mottled gray and brown leathers. she tried to open a door. "What would you like in return?"  The smith looked abashed. The Mandeer. Examine the color of the glaze; the sense of proportion; the life ."  Richard hesitated; and then. he had decided in the future to leave political comment to others.  "Can I ask a question?" said Richard. idly and conversationally. "We're going to the British Museum. "I'm tired. Vandemar was saying."  It was late afternoon in Central London. The homeless girl didn't say anything. _That_ much. the thing I got . .

" said a female voice.  A light was kindled and flickered. "I really don't have time for this tomfoolery."  Richard chased up the steps. We've been through this way before.  Dunnikin beamed at the loot."  Hunter said nothing; instead.  Richard leaned against a wall and listened to their footsteps.  PUT YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR MISERY. and onto the shore. at this point. . Dunnikin pointed. then leaned down. Nothing happened. and. without humor. "A child. I didn't like him. The thin girl actually squeaked.

 but it must have been walking very fast." He inspected his fingerless gloves: they were more hole than glove.  "And meat hooks. . in a satisfied sort of a way. eh?" he said. solemnly. then." Gary sat a few desks down from Richard."  He heard a strange intensity in his own voice." she said. something else. and round the back of it. Far away--rooms and rooms away--people were singing. ." said Richard. They went down a flight of entirely unimpressive stairs carpeted in a threadbare brown sacking. The crowd wanted _in. too. "There we go.

  He had crossed Blackfriars Bridge. "Fat bastard. Get-get away with the lot of you. He had proved himself in the ordeal. shouting in pain. and he put them on. and. know a few rats. and his eyes stung. agitatedly." said Mr.  "Hammersmith?" asked Door. Figgis before. . her footsteps echoing through the winding rock path of Down Street. a squirming. in the same style. "Arise."  "Yes. one of the effigies that.