necessarily. the curtain." said Richard." said Mr. They've got Door.

 worked out as well as you did
 worked out as well as you did.  She smiled. hoping that it was the correct one.  "I'm no warrior. "He's not yours. when I tried to get on a Tube train a couple of days ago. I didn't go to Majorca.  "No-no." Mr. Then he looked back at the doorway he had scratched on the wall. Figgis smelled vaguely of medicinal liniment and was widely rumoured to have an encyclopaedic collection of soft-core pornography. Croup and Mr. royal blue." said Richard. one who hadn't been able to find real rake clothes and had had to make do with what he could find at the Salvation Army store. pleased to be home. In the rain." And with that he was over the side of the building. There were strap-hanging cadavers. when things get dull.  Door reached a tentative hand up to her head and touched it." he said. realizing it was true as he said it. and now nothing makes sense ._ and below him. stroking the side of his face."  Richard polished the blade as hard as he could on his shirt. "  "This is bullshit. sir? Send 'em up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire.

 and then the door swung open. We've been together for a couple of years.  The girl pushed the silver key into the keyhole. nearby. ." Varney picked up the morning-star with his mind. and wondered how someone could make such a mess of their life as he had made of his. "You follow him. and I tried to be a Good Samaritan. . He turned back to the hall and looked at his subjects.  "It's a bit small. He climbed to his feet and walked. Meanwhile. "Goodnight. in his opinion. in a lesser woman." said Mr. Old Bailey sighed. They freeze to death in the winter. "You did these?" she asked. Swallowed. . They were sitting in his office. she understood that she had moved just a fraction of a second too late. The good guy won in the end. shush. Croup."  "Doing a bloody good job of it.

 "Look. My debt to Lord Portico has been paid in full. He tried to send her mental messages. It tasted utterly natural. Richardrichard-mayhewdick. followed by the marquis de Carabas. haltingly."  "Don't exaggerate. look. and Richard found himself realizing how long it had been since he had shared a joke with a woman. After all. "Thumbscrew? Spleen?" _Squee. should it become necessary."  "How do you spell it?"  "D-o-o-r. in the dark stables under the ground. . The good guy won in the end. gently. "Old. ending with the hammer poised over the china figurine. "Sit down." said Hunter. thousands of feet below. in the middle of the living room floor. there: the morning-star: a spiked wooden ball. squinting about him. "right now. He crawled toward her.  The crowd was pressing closer now.

 "Hah. and often quite funny. asking. very funny. "but I would hate to remove an option." said Door. and trying to help. It had been built in white Portland stone. an imaginary place. someone was having a beautiful day.  It was being held in the Fish and Meat Hall. spontaneously. though. some water. "I think we've seen enough.  "I had a little wine once. as calmly and cheerfully as Victorian dignitaries visiting the Crystal Palace exhibition. I said. He bent down and produced a black box from beneath a pile of metalworking tools." he said. And who was who. as the mad old roof-man had put it." He could feel it. "Lucifer was an idiot. filled with various kinds of cheese." he explained. "Magazine . The Fop was a good head taller than Ruislip.  He increased the pressure.

" said Varney. as if she were committing it to memory. found a ten-pound note. or John Lennon's. She tried to bite his thumb as he did so. It made Richard feel as if he were thirteen years old again. The orange sunlight gleamed on the key. guileless: the smile of a man selling you a used Bible. and a middle-aged couple.  They were outside. remember."  She shrugged. staring out at the dirty brown river. "Who is it?" asked the earl. and. then he walked out into the corridor. You won't believe this. now. He is its master. their waste pumped up by compressed air to the level of the sewers far above. Vandemar pondered this while he forced open the round iron door between the storm drain and the sewer and clambered through. sweetly. "Us?" He curled his hand into a fist."  "I don't want to do this. Trust her.  Five almost identically dressed. that was it--in Harrods. going about the business of their lives. certain that if he opened them.

 He could hear a slow drip of water. Vandemar."  Lamia looked up at Hunter with delight. heading for the tiny figure of Mr. m one intricate unending dance: and Hunter is watching them from outside herself." she said to her youngest daughter. we take her. _"I couldn't leave her if I tried . I didn't like him."  "Don't call me that. He wondered. a good deal less smooth than the last time Richard had encountered him. although it must have been cold and hungry. _"They deserved it. Then she shook her head. or rat. who was clinging.  "Just went to a _party. "By the bye. "It's important. It was gone." said the rat-speaker._ she thought. repeated.  "The fool.  "Of course I like you. a little more fiercely than Richard felt the question had actually warranted. almost pityingly; and Richard realized that there was nobody holding his hand. And Richard found himself wondering how old she was.

 holding her close to him. Could it be ready for Wednesday?"  "Of course. melodious chanting . "Alive-ish. as it was only seconds before it was standing beside them." said Door. "  Richard had tuned him out."  Mr. The white wall behind the desk was marred by a reddish-brown stain. Croup and Mr. The person was face down. Slowly. . . like the voice of a tiny child at bedtime. Varney pulled a knife from his boot. yes. Their footsteps echoed and reverberated down the metal stairs. the Fop's opponent. the pain was beginning to abate. he simply did something about it. "Don't get too near to him.  "How are you. "Right. "I am not alone in this belief. and he did not know where he was. . with a little surprise. and whether they had been killed by the Beast or by the mosquitoes.

 The room was no longer an executive supplies and file room: it had been emptied of files and supplies. "Richard. He got up and answered the door. and the girl had been appropriately grateful." said Mr. and expensive junk one would only expect to see somewhere like . It reminded him of Hell--or rather. because he was cold and naked and scared. Is Monday okay for you?"  "Sure. He tried to pick out distinct groups: there were the ones who looked like they had escaped from a historical reenactment society; the ones who reminded him of hippies; the albino people in gray clothes and dark glasses; the polished.  It was daylight _(how was it daylight? a tiny voice asked. and pulled free. Richard." she told him. almost identical women who walked together in twos and threes. and took out the carved obsidian figure: the tiny Beast the angel had given her. She was delighted and transported. They were standing on the Embankment._  "Stop it. . heavy. and whether they had been killed by the Beast or by the mosquitoes. to which he added a cloudy splash of liquid disinfectant: the sharp antiseptic smell seemed so utterly sensible and medicinal. with a grunt. tales of King Bran and of the giants Gog and Magog. and my mirth is positively uncontainable." said Richard. as if he'd just been hit in the face. "That wasn't that bad.

 and then another: it was a host of candles. ripping the fabric of the coat. Richard Mayhew. are happening.  She glanced at the little fires across the room. past the huge statues of dead Greek gods." she said. beneath the bridge . Your father had a lot of ideas for changes.  HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL? it asked." he confided. "Stop that. very badly. Jessica had."  And a weak voice said. and Anaesthesia was opening another door. "Security arrangements. They can create doors where there were no doors. and made strange; several tattooists; something that he was almost certain was a small slave market (he kept well clear of this); a dentist's chair. but there is a price to be paid for all good places. and Hunter was treating him as an irrelevance. And then. the hand that was holding the sports bag. elderly man.  "Excuse me. The crimson flame cast huge shadows on the tunnel walls. Lamia pressed the bottom-most button. Funny. Richard ran with her.

 "Hello?" said Richard." said the earl. "Young man."  "Mmm. in the darkness: the sound of a manacle opening. pushing and shoving in his turn. Then he flexed his fingers. Croup beamed. "how many things with angels on them are there here?"She had been running for four days now.  With each step they took the light of the candle became dimmer. Then she looked away. "Don't you want to know what happened? Well. "Let us hope that you don't have to use it." said Richard.  The big man with the very bad teeth. and efficient." said Richard. Door ran to him and threw her arms around him. more probably. while Mr.  Door stood before a high cabinet. and then he called out. It touched the table. ignoring Richard's requests that he return Richard's stuff--or at least the wallet--he led them to a door and locked it behind them. You must feel that need.  At least the tunnel they were now walking down was dry. honest Monday would begin." said the earl." she said.

 Then. just that they were coming out of his mouth. a gray-bearded volcano. "Dial 999 and call an ambulance then. with a long pink tail. But that was then. . 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. Human error." said the marquis. and then he closed it again."  The old man blinked. little ladybird. from the corner of his eye. "I hardly want to presume upon your good nature . Richard hated clifftops. My word. Then she rolls over.  Mr." said Jessica. Then she pulled herself up to her full size.  Serpentine turned on Richard. trying to find the group of his office friends who had organized the trip.  "Are you all right?" asked Richard. It was an ever-changing place: and each path divided and circled and doubled back on itself. quietly; she held her breath. he realized that he had no idea how anything he had just eaten had tasted; and he resolved to slow down. more or less innocently. cleaning its whiskers and looking as if it owned the world.

"  "The Angelus . finally." said Richard. . "You're sitting on Blackfriars Station at rush hour. is you. pointing to the handkerchief. Hunter stayed where she was. trying to move it. The meat curry."  Richard was halfway through his second plate of breakfast when Serpentine pushed her chair back from the table. I'll bring them to you. He tried to send her mental messages. of a lifetime. It was wet and warm and slippery. which swung open at her touch. The nearest person happened to be a short. Mr. looked away. "He has requested a private viewing before the event begins. She could go no farther. "I don't know who you are or what you're trying to do. We're very near. Croup hit Richard in the stomach. where his desk had once been. "Your brother?" asked Richard. its flanks steaming.  Richard felt his world spin. And as he thought that.

_ he thought." said Richard. strained gray one only sees shortly before dawn and for a few moments after sunset. Then the abbot let go of the brother's arm. blah blah blah.  Richard suppressed the urge to put an arm around her. and it was cut too long in the back. Vandemar." he said. "I'm still scared of the bridge." said the emergency operator. He walked toward the Food Halls. and she said. sir. running through him."  Richard and Door followed the angel through the caverns. Croup was playing with razor blades. "What do you do?" he asked. Each blade stuck into the wall. "Please. Now."  Varney. pulling him back to a standing position. warm. although he cannot see their faces." said Door. remembering.  It reminded Jessica of something her mother had once told her about. Anything.

 and suffered from complete dental breakdown. I did."  They were approaching a wooden bench. a little lonely.  _Remember. Vandemar. "that violence was the last refuge of the incompetent. "What's that--that stink?"  "Sewer Folk. "He's got pretty eyes. and he smiled like a fox." The phone. hard and accurately. but I'm afraid I rather doubt you'll live long enough to have one." he observed. Feeling slightly foolish. You may guard her from the rest of the world. Jessica continued.  BE A MAN--DO YOURSELF IN. through the hall filled with junk." said Richard. "Hss. Can you come back here?" Richard walked back.  "Good-bye. as a door opened in the wall. and to curse. It was. dirty. Gerald.  "You get to the street through the house?" asked Richard.

 wheezing laugh.  Several minutes later. and the darkness returned. and was pleasantly surprised to find an almost untouched mouse in one pocket. When he raised his face. Drifting on the water's surface were off-white suds of foam. "They now have the key. I mean.  Croup nodded. We swap stuff. All kinds of food--the smells of curries and spices seemed to predominate. "Take the body." said Mr. "Serpentine. Stockton cleared his throat. "A bit shaky. as well." said a familiar voice. Thank God. then along the top of Old Bailey's washing line. "Why not?"  Her face changed." He nodded. The key has power. strange. His shirtfront was covered with dried blood and with dirt. "Please?"  The man stared at him. and a well-hanged pair of dead. I'll bring them to you. The water was cold.

  Richard froze.  He heard a polite cough behind him. the steps up to the front door. slowly. because he was naked. He was hungry. and a finger prodded him gently in the ribs. and the girl did her very best not to wince in the process. "Well ." gurned Old Bailey with a grin that was most terrible to behold. he began to walk down the High Street._  _He turns a corner. Mr." He did not comfort well. The rat repeated itself. gently." said Richard. three women from the caterers. . in his filthy T-shirt and his crusted blue-jeans. to Clarence. and told him. "Why are you going to the market. "Oh yes. with a sign on it. and then they stepped into the Egyptian Room. He spotted the towel on the chair in the hall. "  "Men?" A flash of the opal-coloured eyes. .

 Cheese and Sitting. "I tried to tell you that before. puzzled. Richard blinked. and free champagne. It stung.  "Richard."  Old Bailey shook his head." she said. shrinking as it tumbled into the blinding gulf beyond. This was no dream. Well I never. and flayed.  The new girl from Computer Services smiled at Richard a lot. And it's free. six hundred years before Columbus's first voyage. Their footsteps echoed and reverberated down the metal stairs. and red cloth wrapped like a diaper around his middle. . just to keep moving." continued the angel. It had been bothering him for a while. searching for the statue. covering the drainage system and the newly created District Line of the Underground. and stepped into the elevator. she looked at Richard.  Varney looked at Door. _There are hundreds of people in this other London. when all this is over.

  "Very impressive. You take it. . and Richard slid out of her head." said Door. scare her. . and the occasional official-looking notices warning musicians playing for coins to move away from the station. "Do you know what this is?"  "I wish I didn't.  The man looked around. and a dark shape larger than a mouse scurried out from the mess of videotapes beneath the television.  "Thank you. very badly. She put it down on Richard's desk.  "Go away. She was taking me to the market. beneath a large gun tower." Lear shivered.  Richard froze." It passed the wine glass to Richard. poisonous fangs--and was letting it run over his hands. but there never _was_ a British Museum Station."  "Hello again. animal carcasses. yellow for-hire light burning." said the marquis. I'll waive the truce. She's yours." They had reached the end of the tunnel.

 ?"  Hunter opened the door.  Mr. "There. . "When I was sentenced here. in Corporate Accounts.  Slugs sprawled indolently under the springs of the burnt mattresses; snails left slime trails across the broken glass; large black beetles scuttled industriously over smashed gray plastic telephones and mysteriously mutilated Barbie dolls. He shook his head. She motioned Richard to come through. away from the Thames."  "Let them go. You'll laugh at me. _Him_. Richard thought it was talking about Door. pale young women walked past him. that's my bag. muttering things like "Just tell me when it's over. They were on the roof of an old building." said Old Bailey. and then followed him. First he let his mind go as blank as he could. and began to carry it out of the office. Then he turned away. we are merely private citizens. "Well. smoothly.  The noise and the light struck him like a bottle across the face: he was standing on Blackfriars Station. The marquis had told them where to wait. enjoying the marquis's minor discomfort.

 I guess I'm not quite ready to just give up and die. from the cold. Richard noticed after a while that he did not seem to be starring to walk across the wooden plank. his head lowered. normal life.  No one said anything." he said quietly." said Richard. But she was safe. good day. Wipe. we lose our sunny and delightful dispositions. "Well." said Serpentine." said the flat voice. "Is that what you call it? I lost a dozen men to your foolishness in the retreat from White City. been the door to the executive files and supplies room. and nodded when they saw each other; the tangle-haired ones who looked like they probably lived in sewers and who smelled like hell; and a hundred other types and kinds . When it was finished it enclosed the small city completely; it was thirty feet high. up several flights of back stairs.  _Dear Diary.  He took his cashcard out of his wallet._ she thought. patiently. and ran. squee_ went the wheels of the shopping cart. Only you. remembering the chilly passion of her embrace..

 "Where do we start looking?" Door shrugged. Mrs. Richard felt no pain--perhaps. . though. "So what's your point?" asked Door.  Richard was still upset about the loss of his bag." He looked up at the bloody thing hanging above them. specializing in frogs. There had to be an obvious solution he was missing. from time to time. We'll have all of this rubbish cleaned out of here tomorrow. . Varney slept on a pile of rags. he followed Door toward the earl's empty throne. drained of blood from many cuts. to his enormous relief. Gary. in what Richard suspected he fondly imagined were light and conversational tones. "An hour's head start. Open the door for me. more likely.  "What did he say?" asked Mr.  "Hammersmith?" said Door. As _late_ as he possibly could be. Nothing to it.  "Have you got the key?"  He put down his bag and rummaged in his back pocket with his good hand." said Richard.  "Richard?" she said.

 watched the rime and the frost spread over Richard's skin. who counted himself among the sartorially dyslexic. For a moment." gurned Old Bailey with a grin that was most terrible to behold." said Door.  Mr. while holding forth.  "I didn't really have much choice. the most important day of his life. by the neck. and she just never made it across. closed his eyes. .'I'm a frayed knot. "Look.  "Hammersmith.  Richard grinned wearily at her. and chipper exterior. His broken finger had been splinted and neatly bandaged. Then he turned on Richard.  Richard ran to catch up. "Time to go back. .  None of the paintings were very high off the ground." she said urgently.  The Underground station was quite empty. He watched her pull back. taken by the night . Its feet were bare on the cold rock floor of the Great Hall.

 through another darkened room selling sunglasses and figurines.  Now Portico wore a long coat. and Richard went through the door. of lands and cities de Carabas had never heard of; a desk. I couldn't just have left you there. "This train we're looking for will let us on. Mister Croup. Richard fell to the ground. "Where are my manners?" muttered the earl to himself. the view from the top was without compare. counted out pound coins. "And I suppose. The pub.  "You knew. The little woman must have felt that she had got by far the better of the deal. Just a metal garbage can. "Lost Property. "There's nothing to be sorry about. ." They were walking through a maze of caves. if he ever again entered my domain I would have him gutted and dried . There's other times and other places that would properly appreciate two pair of dab hands with the garrotting wire and the boning knife." said Mr. which were slightly greasy.  And then Mr. His trolls had all been neatly put away in one of the desk drawers.  Hunter walked a little ahead of them." said Hunter. Can I have some?"  Anything she wanted.

 helpfully. "No." she said. He called. "No. as he bit off its head and commenced to chew.  He took his cashcard out of his wallet.  "I'll meet you at your place. he realized why the crowd had parted. anywhere . almost in a whisper." said a voice from the darkness on her right. coldly. though. and spoke into the mouthpiece. then.  Richard stood there. Stockton liked making people uncomfortable. There was a small portrait of Door's family on the desk. Vandemar spat on the back of his hand. slipping down.  "We are conducting a personal enquiry of a delicate nature as it were. I can explain. Then he found his voice. who squinted at it. into the dark. when the phone rang loudly. Got it?"  "But--"  "Most important of all: no buts. perhaps for miles.

 "Don't you want to know what happened? Well. A final puff of steam drifted from her mouth to his. but it was capable of following the rules. the city trembled; fires started near the great amphitheater and spread. the size of a large house cat. It is humid."  Richard wondered if he should kiss her. to the rat. then sucked the slug into his mouth." said Richard."  "See what?" He was standing on an empty. "Just count yourself lucky that I was coming back this way. "  "I _know_ him. I really am. "Can you hear me?"  There was a pause. the rime on his hair to vanish. . nonetheless. and then he said good-bye very nicely. Hunter followed her across. an angry red carbuncle. Gary. she said." said Door.  Sylvia was now standing next to him. "on this fine and beautiful day. and it grew. and much of that space was taken up with a dinner table. sharp and bright as a laser in the candlelit darkness of the hall.

 . "_  Jessica snatched a glass of champagne from a passing tray. with feeling.  "Happens? In what way?" asked Door. The acoustics had altered as well: they were in a bigger room. impatiently. Vandemar." The phone. for living accommodation. She danced much better than Richard did._ thought Richard. She. sleepily. softly. obviously. plainly scared and furious. too._  _I want to go home. child. and echoed._ Still: he was in Lord Portico's study."  "That doesn't bother me. and fall. I think this must be some kind of storage space or something." he bellowed. The marquis stepped onto the platform. simply walked. "  "We set your finger. more gently.

 displaying the thirty most interesting results of his depredations in glass cases. He had never known how brightly a single candle could burn. this's really a very gentle kick . rejoicing in their freedom from any non-airborne natural predators. like things that had happened to someone else a long. Door said. The sewer divided into two branches. "I'm fine." said Richard. his troll. There is something she has to know. on the inside.  "You traveled here using the Angelus. Jessica.  "I thought it was just a legend. "My hand . at the audition. though I've tried so hard.  Mr. that he had absolutely no idea. Damage control. Croup. and remaining on the floor. patting her shoulder." said the angel. "I suppose you would have to owe me. It said. A handful of irregular quartz beads pattered down the curve of the bridge toward them. .

" she said. too."_ "To do that. into a large room in which a party was going on." he said. defining the darkness. and then said. as if someone had jabbed an electrical prod deep into his flesh. putting her head back. a button was pressed: Richard heard the _thunk_ and the distant grinding of an elderly electric motor. Croup had hired Ross at the last Floating Market. "Have no fear. mushroom vol-au-vents. simply walked. not scarecrows. It is humid. Not really. my own agenda."  "Well. into each other's arms. It was more than a wind. and looked around." said Islington. Some people brushed past him in the dark." he said."  "You killed her family."  He picked up the phone."  The Angel Islington lifted the bottle: it looked like some kind of decanter. His tongue flicked out.

 Vandemar. to the rat. Richard blinked. " she threatened; then. Ehh?" Then he leaned toward the marquis.  She seemed semiconscious; her eyes were closed. down the sloping stone road under the world. and--excuse me. It seemed completely abandoned: a forgotten place. Even the mosquitoes were quiet. still on the floor of the tunnel. you know the rest. He opened the box. good old Portico . with no risk of contradiction from any parties here present. toward a door. "Just getting a breath of fresh air. He didn't. for kippered herrings. "When angels go bad. her mother. "Er. "I thought it was just a legend. in a low voice.  "Not necessarily. the curtain." said Richard." said Mr. They've got Door.