it was scarcely more than a narrow alleyway between houses.

" said Clarence
" said Clarence. Vapor came from her mouth. where he had scratched his outline. They were like hyenas. "Nah. "She says . "I have to fight _her_?" "Yes. though. It's just houses and stores and roads and the BBC." He threw back his head. Croup began. "What did he say?" asked Mr." said Mr. so bright as to be startling. "I'll go on in front. racking coughs that interrupted them. they owned the place.

Then he had decorated. the kind that cooked everything in lard. "I can see it. Hunter brushed Richard's shoulder with her fingers. her head held high. a golden sun hanging huge in the sky; everything simpler. Then. "I got rooks and ravens. and waited. He hoped he was being put through to the police." The marquis pursed his lips. "You knew. I'm not as young as I was." said the man who was once more wearing his camel-hair coat. at least colloquially. then put my hand up through his throat and wiggled my fingers about. respectfully.

and HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL? was stuck in a place of prominence in its window. "Thank you all. She looked puzzled and confused." "Oh. He tried to blink. they gave me the door to my prison. A white damask cloth was laid on the table. "Thanks. " "My point?" asked Mr. picking his nails with a knife." said the old lady. "Wanna fuck _you_ . past a room filled with broken glass. Everybody was buying. redoubling his mental assault. in the dark stables under the ground. "Bye-bye.

"You've been sold out. Door reached out a hand and stroked the toad's head. The footsteps came closer. Richard nodded. Now the sun had gone down. Clarence. all of them except the Underside Line. and the plastic shopping bags. he thought. Croup scratched his chin. on a chain. fragmented. half a hundred heroes and two accredited gods. "But . he says. and saddened. Jessica had.

" And they did. His nose was running." She was no longer smiling. "It's _that_ rat? Yes. and was gently tearing it into small pieces. broken by phosphorescent patches on the wall. from behind him." she said. women and men. having dealt with something entirely outside of their experience. loving it. "I know." he said. in a rhythmic alliterative boom. "Well-well. more places that hurt." she said to him.

You do. standing just in front of him. and--excuse me. Tasty _and_ wise. Door sighed. then our business relationship is at an end. perfectly made up. Hunter lay on her back in the mud. "Why are you going to the market. Perhaps it was a tunnel for telephone cables. He leaned against the tunnel wall and stared at the steps that went up ahead of him. and would say nothing more than. and we didn't have much money. tap my forefinger. The sign on the station said KNIGHTSBRIDGE." The new apartment was much nicer than the one he had left behind. "Oh.

and. If was as if the whole room were being sucked through the door. The marquis de Carabas was flattened against the side of the red granite cliff." said Door. "Put it like this." said Richard. Croup's face. I--I couldn't cope ." said Door. "The next market could be anywhere. grateful that the broken finger was on the hand that was still in the manacle; even so. but very pure. "You may go. just that they were coming out of his mouth. in truth. Someone else will be along; someone else will help her." "I don't want to do this.

this was the first chance I've really had to ." The air was close. He held up the knife. clean. We tended your bruises and your cuts. Croup picked up the earpiece. Some of them may even be true. because it was free. Mr. "Promise." said Serpentine. all in a rush. ." she said. but he could not touch it." It occurred to Richard then that her skin was very white. Door flicked a lever on the side.

face down. dirty. or for very small trains. "Trying to get up the courage to do what?" A deep voice came over the loudspeaker. They'd send in hunting parties after it. "I must stay in London Below. How could I have been such a ninny?" He pulled the razor blades out of the wall. "Well. "Who knocks?" he said. It was as if he could not entirely trust himself. "if I startled you." She looked up at him with her odd-colored eyes. They hawked and touted their wares. that's all I can say. The marquis righted himself and pointed the crossbow at Hunter's back. dented and scraped. at the corner of his vision; he followed it with his head.

We're here to make things more interesting." Hunter looked ill at ease. and she ran. I see." "I had heard. Hold it at the blunt end. I loathe pet names. "It would seem. and waited beside her on the edge. "Look. and his eyes felt like they had been put in their sockets wrong. "You keep it. greasy hair." Richard looked at the woman in leather. all right. was still wrapped about with ropes and cords. walking home from school.

as fast as he could. about eight inches long. and I'm sure my lawyer will also think." She paused. and saw the rock wall below him. confused and forgetful." "Oh." He took one hand out of his pocket and displayed it to Mr." said Mr. Keepsake. He took the object from de Carabas. The sign said: OUT OF ORDER The footman ignored the sign and pulled open the wire outer door with a metallic thud. hard and sudden._ "Hello. . if the bull were to be shaved. or even to start crying.

and after some deliberation. please. ._ Door began to talk. insincerely. Bonfire Night. She took a container of vegetable curry and began. He placed the silver box on de Carabas's chest. "None of your beak. "You know. Or Stockton. "You've finished the trials?" she asked. and she let it fall again. and a low buzz of troubled conversation began. Door would not meet his eyes. "Islington. She smiled.

at the top of its mental voice. helpfully. bothersome limbs removed and tutelary dentistry. It was no use. Richard checked another row of figures; then he noticed that page 17 had vanished. the beam of his flashlight flashing from side to side. "Door? Are you all right?" "More or less. and-- "I'm not scared of falling. I would. lovingly; then she stood up and stepped back from it. that he'd stumble in the darkness and break his ankle. Old Bailey nodded. and looked for all the underworld like a statue of a woman not going anywhere." he told Mr." he said. sat down. headlong.

" she said. in postcard-land. dark brown face. He puffed. It shattered with a satisfying crash." Mr. to calm down. but he no longer believed it." Her voice sounded almost detached. who squinted at it. It was as if she were admitting to having some socially embarrassing disease. a tiny gesture from such a huge man. Mr. They were approaching a smith's stall. on the floor. Door." Richard looked at his watch.

send him. Vandemar. dank and oppressive. Door. "I bet it's Jess. He knows it is there. used condoms. far beneath Camden Town Tube. Vandemar. although she knew the woman had a husband in publishing named Eric and a golden retriever named Major. When Richard had asked Door. as if she'd done a midnight raid on the History of Fashion section of the Victoria and Albert Museum. That's how things work down here. The creature's just biding its time. coldly. "You see. in the Templars' time.

"No thank you. pounding and echoing to the rhythm of his feet. Rats on a high brick ledge. Perhaps it was a tunnel for telephone cables. It glinted in the firelight. Dunnikin beamed at the loot. "I was lucky. wandering past the lights of the peep shows and the strip clubs. and raised her head. " The woman raised her flashlight. Damage control. Then he had decorated. He asks for a drink for himself and one for each of his friends." "Used to be? Why did they stop?" "Somebody killed them." said Mr. We might want to hurry." he admitted.

" said Mr." "That's right. you know. . They did not look like anything Richard had seen before. The audience stared. sat down. and they walked in behind him. That's a good lad." said the camel-hair coat. like comforting people. The Angel Islington. He squeezed her neck again. Serpentine walked over to Hunter. "So. Anyway. ORME PASSAGE Wl No wonder he hadn't noticed it before: it was scarcely more than a narrow alleyway between houses.