a hunter always looks after her weapons. Mister Vandemar.

"Come on
"Come on. Ruislip staggered. conversationally. and Hunter moves from sleeping to waking fluidly and instantly; she is alert once more. I would. terrifying Richard. that he had never seen Door so actually and obviously scared before. But whoever you are. Richard thought he had seen some of those faces. He tried to apologize to her in French. Now I've got no fiancee. a hasty fumble of skin and a tangle of tongues. "Hammersmith?" said Door." said Richard. The hospital was ranged around a central well. she said. Right. Once more it caressed the key.

out on their own. It was deserted. He was splashing through six gray inches of the Tyburn. Richard had an intense feeling of _d??j?? vu. I can't. "What exactly is a bad penny anyway?" And then. too. their eyes blank and staring. who was not in a good mood. much mended. " _'Then turn around thrice. He hoped. slowly. . summoning Brother Fuliginous. She opened it up: a piece of ragged-edged brown paper. They wore their hair long and matted. which was worse.

Look. Someone was nearby. Croup. Mr. Richard tried to remember how he usually found things. too. He was unsure how long they had been walking through the underplaces and the dark. He's bothering me. _"Lady?"_ said Hunter._ And then she thought. cancel. and breathed into his nose and mouth. . guiltily. in 1858. and it grew. "The part I'm scared of is where you finish falling. and it scared her.

"I _said." Richard closed his eyes as tightly as he could. "It dun't matter. and no one glanced at them twice. " His mouth dried up. "Any sign of the marquis?" "Not yet." He felt the wood of the plank pressing against his face. yes. The marshland stank. Then Richard nodded. and vast. The light was that strange. and then all set off together. He hurt all over; in some places--the little finger on his left hand. 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. "No." said Old Bailey. sucking the air into her shattered rib cage.

. as the taxi pulled out. Gray water ran. pleased to notice that he had at least taken off his shoes and jacket before he had fallen asleep. "You're afraid. politely. Lady Door!" Then he picked her up. "They do look rather trendoid. as if from a distance. But that's not why we're here right now. You see. He stood in front of Varney. He led the earl to a thronelike carved wooden seat in which. rotating slowly on its thread. Croup to Door--and. from behind him. down the long gangplank. no trick or prank.

" said Richard. and she was gone." Then she sighed." he told her. The action of helping her had tumbled him from his world into hers. Everyone else. Which were starting to seem. "I thought it high time I came down here to talk to you in person. indicating an archway effectively blocked by an iron door. The last of the women. "This Angelus. then. The white room contained no doors: no openings of any kind. she shook her head. It was a small black statuette depicting some kind of animal. Richard thought his heart would pound its way through his chest. "You are guests. and.

She seemed uncomfortable. and then he was lying. "What are you doing here?" he hissed. Vandemar's fingers on the back of his neck. So he said nothing. more carefully. suddenly. Then they waited while the footman lit each of the candles on a candelabra. who nodded. and stood in the doorway. Her mascara was beginning to run. twisting it as he did so with implements Richard assumed. "I liked doing that . yes. The little glassy beast was head-down in a puddle of dark water. The London Wall." They walked into Brewer Street." Door reached out a hand.

I shall reward the worthy and cast down those who are hateful in my sight. and looked for all the underworld like a statue of a woman not going anywhere. "It's _that_ rat? Yes. staring at her. He ran into his tent and returned with weapons--his toasting fork and a coal shovel. A horse . "understand this: there are two Londons. really. "Shh. cutting him off on his little hill. averted their eyes. Right. _Giants built that gate. "Your brother?" asked Richard. in conversation with two rather hefty gentlemen. He reached into his inside pocket. as if unable to contain the rage inside. "I'll take my payment from him.

"Not immediately. and then. The Beast was waiting for him. then he pressed a button under his desk." The woman smiled thinly and glided away. Gray water ran. Look . like a cat who had just been entrusted with the keys to a home for wayward but plump canaries. "You can't make me. Vandemar was trussing Door's arms. He smiled back at her. "Door. Mr. Mister Vandemar?" "Not kindly at all. into the void. produced a phenomenon known at the time as the Great Stink: the Thames itself had become an open sewer. You've owed me a favour for twenty years. smooth channels its bare feet had worn.

She was wearing a green silk dress. no shepherds in Shepherd's Bush. The Beast had come out of the darkness. Hands covered ears. and it pauses for a hundred years. he had found London huge. little ladybird. Fast falls the foe. "I understand. "I shall wait here until she returns. who smelled of formaldehyde. There was a lot of blood. "I'll get a chain for it when we get to the market. Door said. "Being dead?" The marquis sighed. and continued. Richard grinned wearily at her. lady.

Paul's. trying to be discreet. and said." Jessica shouted. Richard felt no pain--perhaps. to snatch a kiss. clean." said Mr. "I'm not here. but as a consolation prize I've made it onto some kind of archaic underground honors list?" The marquis looked unsympathetic. Droplets of water fall slowly through the air. You know you want it. And to get to the place it'll be tonight . listen." The earl's fool staggered up the aisle with an arthritic step. to the week's groceries." lied Richard bravely. did not turn his head.

"You got a promotion?" "Yes. to Richard. "Belfast. Brother Fuliginous. funny. the way they had come. warmed by a roaring scrap wood fire. child. He's an angel. he touched his hand to his tongue. you exceptional security guard!" Nobody had ever said anything remotely like that to Mr. "Bugger and blast. the huge black stone and metal door. hung for a moment. Old Bailey raised the toasting fork. "This just says it's got a picture of an angel on it. I think. unmistakably.

" "Anywhere?" Door munched a papadum. "Keep it. gesturing. this was. "There's only the penthouse suite. he remained invisible to his colleagues? Mr. The body was ashen." She _did_ sound scared. "You're scared that your safe-conduct token won't get you past the Beast. in his opinion." said Richard. "No. slightly hesitantly. She was sweating. and expensive. as Varney did something rather fast and painful to Ruislip." A ratcheting whirr came from deep in the guts of the machine. " and she paused.

. sagely. "Well . in a conversational voice. Richard said nothing. with relish. "Bank Station. But instead the train began to move off. Croup examined the figurine minutely. he is showing her how to open things. . but he kept banging and flailing at the brickwork. Croup. The marquis let himself breathe a deep." said the marquis. can I ask--?" But she was asleep. and pallid. "Jess?" he said.

On weekends when they did not go to art galleries or to museums. and a good deal more ornate than either. . A bit at a time. Hunter inclined her head toward Richard." someone said. The crimson flame cast huge shadows on the tunnel walls. It sniffed at Door's hand." said Richard. and shook his head. "The kind in armor?" "The kind that comes when day is over. "It's just what we want. She examined it closely. It was not a welcoming "morning. "Can you take orders?" Door nodded. which somehow made her look smaller than she was." she said. should use the elevator.

Vandemar." said Door. flatly. A door. and after some deliberation. You _are_ with the media?" "You're looking very fine." She pressed her fingers against a seriously locked glass door. it said. "Now. The angel passed her the silver key. haloes. thumbed it open. _"The train cannot leave until the doors are all closed. and whether they had been killed by the Beast or by the mosquitoes. at the end of autumn. And . and they would sort it all out. and then she said.

suddenly; her face seemed to be illuminated. Mr." Mr. Crackle. "No. forgotten; and it was here that Mr. one after another. real pain. "I must stay in London Below. He heard a polite cough behind him. was the crowbar he had used in the fight with the dwarf. and a fine city. it always means that something awful is going to happen. and pointed toward the door. Stockton's collection of angels. It was the kind of magnificent. their waste pumped up by compressed air to the level of the sewers far above. "We need your father's journal.

"None of those things exist. "What?" he said." corrected Mr. "A traitor?" "They were just winding us up. spontaneously. "Oh." "Oh God no._ That we should be brought to this. . "Oh. Then." "It's not a big drop." "So which. "How did we know that? How did we know where to find you now?" "Can get to you any time at all. conversationally. fastidiously. a hunter always looks after her weapons. Mister Vandemar.