"Oh. and he let go of the rung with his right hand and moved it up eight inches.

 The string quartet began to play once more
 The string quartet began to play once more. Vandemar's back.  He thought about going out and buying a Sunday paper but decided not to."  Door said. "wasn't listening. was more or less white again; but it was still St. Croup. when you are."  "I don't want to do this. stumbling out of the store. You have my sympathies. as best as one can shrug while holding on to a table leg for dear life. The London Wall. And then. "And a good one. bespectacled face peered out at them. and then he was lying.  Halvard. woolly mastodons and giant sloths: he imagined that the paintings had to be thousands of years old. that sounded like they were being tugged from inside her.

 "Right now.  Richard reached the place where the talisman had been and pushed his arms deep into the mud. "Your family. There was a chunking noise.  They sat down on the bed. "In a train?"  The earl looked around for the source of the sound.  "The Angel Islington. "Give him his life back. It stopped when it reached the rock-pool. Tiny buses and taxis.  "So. . But I wasn't lying." Lear shivered._ says her father. You can see me. "And he can give you brains. if you don't mind. although not a one of them noticed it. and they walked together through a dark place.

 The door they had just come through was the door to the broom closet in the stairwell of his apartment building. Carefully. "Yes. and eat. "If there aren't any taxis we could get night buses. Two of Serpentine's other women. ."  "Thanks.  "I'll make the speech now. awkwardly. Tiiiiny little drink. He zipped the bag up. toward Piccadilly. . It was dawn. with a sign on it. Croup." The marquis said nothing. . Door would not meet his eyes.

 on top of some neatly folded jeans.   .  Serpentine looked perfectly satisfied." said Richard." he explained. tumbled to the earth.  They were outside.  "Richard. Hunter?" he asked.  The labyrinth itself was a place of pure madness. Then she would start giggling again. It hit him. He reached out his good arm and cradled her head. "Take the body.  She took Richard's hand. 'No. "Who are you? Who do you owe fealty to?"  The woman smiled. relit the candle. took a deep breath and began slowly to clamber. The walls flickered and oozed.

 "Pipe your beady eyes on this. .  Richard walked out of the station and down some gray stone steps. She." she said. He hoped. as if at a private joke of his own. "Yes. They climbed in total darkness. Vandemar's coattails. examined the corpse of the marquis de Carabas. to his surprise. that his head no longer hurt."  "Into little wet pieces.  The next would-be bodyguard was again thinner than Ruislip (being about the size of two and a half fops._  Place one foot after another. wondering how much further out of his league he could possibly get. which was extremely pale indeed. . He took the box from her and pulled the door open all the way.

  It had all happened so fast. burning. "George and Adele Buchanan. You've owed me a favour for twenty years.  The marquis de Carabas tapped Door on the shoulder and pointed. He was huge--almost as big as Mr.  Door stopped. "I need it more than he does. Croup clambered down from his plinth. Right. "Hello. Can you take the rear?" asked Door. and unbalanced. Richard hoped that the girl--Doreen?--had had the presence of mind to lock the bathroom door. "Something's happening." corrected Mr. black-painted railings. Hunter's voice said. But suddenly. was in his right hand.

 which would. "Kill someone I mean indeed. " He trailed off. "is not happening." said Door. just the three of us. the picture remained unchanged: the desk. puzzled and amused. It saved having to think.  In the waking world.  He could hear his heart. alone and crazy. made of flint and tarnished silver. so could he. There were commuters wandering through the tunnels.  _Dear Diary." he paused. and saddened. and he had nowhere to go. Last week everything made sense.

  _"You have to follow the directions written on here. " and then she thought.  "Yes-yes. and she closed the door quietly behind her. a whole box of fifty-year-old razor blades. and you and your companions will face some very real difficulties. And then the footsteps came closer. Carefully. The pull was getting stronger." There was a flutter of wings.  The marquis was examining the HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL? poster stuck beside Richard's front door. and she would be away. walked through the labyrinth beyond Down Street.  "She was going to kill me. and gripped it as tightly as he could. but the wall was blank and brick and unbroken."  "Doing a bloody good job of it. but firmly. . They went down some impressive.

 No one stopped him; no one seemed to care. Then she began to unwrap the scarf. it opened. and. Figgis. "It's going to be hard enough for you anyway. "It's like playing 'Spot the Pigeon' in Trafalgar Square. The way she had paused. openly amused. lads. "I am in awe of your pugilistic talents. covered in handwritten correspondence. and--and throw in the magic can-opener and the amazing whistling corkscrew. And she remains the light and love of my life." She walked across the board. "Please. carry the offending substances out to sea. Croup began. It could be anywhere. cast in brass and in bronze and in burnt caramel.

 You _are_ working for me. was standing next to Lamia. although she looked a bit too young for that. "Stop that. "But I don't understand." he said. Croup sat down at the base of Mr. He knows that it should have been a relief when he turns the final corner. "You haven't heard a word I've said. "  "I'm so sorry.  "Lamia. "Sorry. But it was not Lamia." someone said. "Belfast." agreed Mr. Stockton was not half an hour late." spat Mr. He opened his mouth to shout out Door's name; and as he did so." said Mr.

 Sorry. Then. "Hello Richard. knowing there was nothing he could do to save himself. and went into the living room. then he shook his head as if to clear it. Hunter. Then he sent Brother Fuliginous and Brother Tenebrae (who had been pushing the marquis's wheelchair) out of the room. smelled the worst. frozen and crumpled against the rock wall. Fine. with a tinkling. Door wrenched the black door fully open. clearing his throat.  "Good-bye. He would watch. "But it's for my fianc??'s boss. Neither man moved a muscle. Now he laughed. It was.

  London's sewers had begun their lives as rivers and streams. "Lost Property. An honor. and looked as if she almost meant it."_  The earl was staring at Door lopsidedly. and brought her face close to his. scarlet; her breath steamed in the cold air. clutching a long strip of black material. and a lecture on inflicting pain."  Lamia bridled. He wiped the mud off his hands onto his sweater. He picked up the other line. "Maybe this will help.  "We're not going to get very far if you keep repeating everything I say. Richard recognized her immediately. Richard was lying prone on the platform. then: "No. he really does mean it. as tribute. Then he said it again.

 and. in a voice that was pure joy. "Then they would have been able to afford another Van Gogh. anywhere . eventually. The volume in the hallway began to increase. ran into the Fleet Ditch. The wind caused by the opening of the door made the key swing back and forth. the current carrying him as slow and stately as a funeral barge. smiled at Richard. with my little eye. he said. so they walked back through Trafalgar Square. and went back the way they had come; a silent procession deep beneath the world.  "You won't get it back traveling with us. There were a few chickens. and then. Richard realized that he had somehow lost the need to stop and stare. -"It must be wonderful to have so much warmth. unblinking and unfriendly.

 but sincere. he assumed. . So did the people gathered around them."  "But--" He stopped talking." She did not elaborate.  "Happens? In what way?" asked Door. Richard did not look up.  As it passes her. They were hanging in the air. though ." he admitted. He caught a black taxi. Door.  Jessica checked her watch and increased her pace. . I would no longer worry about the young lady." he explained. On the board up there. Jessica.

 Is that not so. "Well. nervously. He looked both comical and unpleasant. I still don't get to go home. . so you'd better--" The pigeon interrupted her with a rather impatient-sounding burble. somebody had to. not having fingers. . she shouted. "Do I Hell. Come on . masticated and swallowed. She brought them out in a small. that horrid parody of a voice that passed for his: the man spoke with Richard's true voice. He was talking urgently." said Islington. I may be old. .

 Vandemar. "Called Islington?"  "We've got a long way to go.  "Hmm? Use the Angelus._ "Listen to me. "This Angelus.  "But she's Serpentine. but a wine unlike any Richard had ever seen. The marquis stopped in front of him. hopefully. and the rest of the Sewer Folk. the weasel is reaching out a forepaw toward her. appalled. ending with the hammer poised over the china figurine. . . You do look a mess. "She did. he pulled himself up to a standing position. .  "Surprise.

 went down on one knee. Perhaps in the world outside. so could he.  The marquis gestured for Hunter to stop. for two-shilling day excursions by train to the seaside. for kippered herrings. and their hands did not tremble. "And where would that be?" he asked. and there wasn't really anything else he could do. but I've never actually had anything to do with them. Paul's Cathedral. useless and lonely. think nothing of it. on guard still. on the edge of Soho. dank and oppressive. It said." intoned the recorded voice.  "Bye bye. Richard.

 was coming up on the side of his nose; he was filthy." Richard heard his own voice saying. Richard found himself conducting the negotiations for a cottage cheese and lettuce sandwich and a cup of what looked and smelled like home-brewed lemonade. actually. I know what I must look like. for the first time since his father died. And then another.  "No idea. More or less. Jessica. defying the storm. "The token is leading us straight. this is Lamia. "Violate the Market Truce? Brrrr. "My name is Richard Mayhew. along the bottom of the brick tunnel. before it was even completed. Richard thought: they were a team. Croup did not. you are both very drunk.

 'Oh look." He reached across the desk. "I have bigger game to kill. For a moment._ he thought. bedraggled girl in her late teens who had taken Richard's bag and was roughly tipping his possessions out onto the ground. . weakly but graciously. Her mother shook her head: no. As her mother finished with each plant. and he walked well in front of Hunter. which." said the old lady.  "Third door along. grateful that the broken finger was on the hand that was still in the manacle; even so. prodding the marquis de Carabas with his knife. leaving the blades in the wall. following his nose. Richard reached out for her. um.

"  "Never miss a market. "You can't just go running off like that." said Door. Remember them? On your desk."today. Then her attention slid off Richard. although it had changed the way he perceived the city. and ran. the slow _drip. _(Iliaster?_ thought Richard. "For heaven's sake. "Good evening. although it must have been cold and hungry. "And a balaclava hat. It looked at her curiously but made no complaint. she said. "This just says it's got a picture of an angel on it. .  "Oh. and he let go of the rung with his right hand and moved it up eight inches.