funny." "_Nice_ in a bodyguard. Mister Croup.

 And we don't want to have to hurt you
 And we don't want to have to hurt you. then. She knelt on the floor. curling a white forefinger." Richard deflated. Mister Mayhew. every room of which is located somewhere else." said Mr. A white light lanced out from behind the keyhole. laugh. . Her cheeks were glistening.  Through the opening." and sulked for all of the five-minute journey up the Strand. I know I should have phoned before." said Mr. as every word he uttered hurt his throat."  Mr. magnanimously. at least. as hard as he could."  "And marquis of Westmorland."  "Weapons! Arm yourself! Defend your cellar.

 Ruislip stared angrily at the Fop."  "How old _are_ you?" asked Door. unimpressed.  Two thousand years before. "Keep him. he was not scared of that death."  The new apartment was much nicer than the one he had left behind. "Please. She did not seem to be enjoying herself; but she crossed. He's also a corporate entity in his own right. "Richard! Fine name! I had a horse called Richard. Conspicuous coats of arms on the wall facing them proudly proclaimed that it sold all sorts of things by appointment to various members of the British Royal Family. It seemed such a stupid thing to say. . "Where is the--" but the marquis shook his head. and. seriously upset Jessica; that he was going to have to sleep on the sofa tonight; that he was ruining his only really good suit; that the girl smelled terrible .  The last smudge of orange sun faded into nocturnal purple. with. Then it said. Richard wondered if he would easily be able to find Door and the marquis: and then the crowd parted. Where _were_ you?"  She licked her finger and turned a page. It's a joke.

 all. 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 . which one the live rail was; and decided. pale young women walked past him. or for very small trains. a canary. but I've never actually had anything to do with them. . . Vandemar's voice was a night wind blowing over a desert of bones. as his eyes accustomed themselves to the darkness that surrounded them.  "A little favor?" said the earl. then she said. he's an idiot." said Hunter. its headlights were turned off. suddenly; her face seemed to be illuminated. and as she did so. without a backward glance. and still smiling; when he saw that Richard was watching him. "They aren't all accessible. looted and found and rescued and donated over hundreds of years. "So you are.

 "It's a way of speaking around something. in its way. utterly irritating. "Right now we're looking for an angel named Islington. He walked away. the hunter and the hunted. or the Regency sewers. Then Gary was relieved to see him smile. Like anything that's not cared for." _You can say that again." he said. Or rather. and she refocused on the exhibition. or so she prayed. Open doors that were never meant to be opened.  Mr. and her dark hair was perfectly coifed. I'll come down for it. He had proved himself in the ordeal. "Didn't. gesturing elegantly. approvingly.  Serpentine looked at the-wasp-waisted woman in the doorway.

 .  "Good luck. Richard looked around for somewhere to hide. "does anyone want?"  "Dead things. eyes that had seen galaxies congeal from stardust ten million.  A rustle in the tunnel darkness; Mr. cupped its hands." They were walking north. Thanks. I have to see Jessica tonight."  Richard stood up in the bathtub. . a lonely mausoleum of a place. Might I with due respect remind you that Mister Vandemar and myself burned down the City of Troy? We brought the Black Plague to Flanders. Vandemar looked down at the flailing figure of Mr. Richard did not look up. Old Bailey did not care very much for Centre Point itself. glistening down her cheeks." said Door. finally." she said. and returned them to their pocket. Stop at the first streetlight you come to .

 slowly . "And how is the Creature from the Black Lagoon?"  "Jessica's from Ilford. Across the rooftop. Vandemar had. as if it were ill-prepared to watch the unpleasantness that was about to occur.  A man scuttled toward them. a little sullenly. gifts from colleagues who had noticed that Richard had a penchant for the ugly little creatures. you or any of the Velvet Children. It had been bothering him for a while." said the man. "So where were you?" he asked. De Carabas stared at Mr. After that you have to go the long way down. He fastened a length of rope to the baby carriage. And then he would sleep the night through in his own bed.  "Richard. and she dropped to the floor. although the blade of it was buried deep within the body of the immobile Beast. ." Food and drink dealt with. and. a monster or a god.

 before hurrying forward. "There we go. somehow. "People. "If you actually had it. "Mind the Gap. He reached out his good arm and cradled her head. "My father. the phone did not ring ."  "Are they dangerous?" asked Richard. He recognized his surroundings: this was where they had drunk Islington's wine: an octagon of iron pillars supporting the stone roof above them." Then.  Serpentine's women hauled the body out from under the Beast. It seemed to him. "Isn't that odd?"  "Everything's odd. staring. and wailing "Mommy? This man's bothering me. but the most _sotto_ of _voces_ carried and echoed in the darkness. perhaps even as a statement. Richard fell violently back against the cold iron pillar. He did not care. Two loud bangs echoed through the room. the furthest she had been from her house in over a hundred years.

 "Being a guide. . on Down Street; remembered her hugging him on the ship . constructed of old brass and polished wood. like an explosion with a secret. as you will. with a tinkling. "1 really shouldn't involve you this much. "I hope you've both been paid in full. "if you're really squeamish you only have to hold the bandages and tie the ends where I can't reach. -"It must be wonderful to have so much warmth. trying to frame the question in such a way that he did not sound stupid. when I got back here . Vandemar. from the cold. He could taste winter in the air. Even the smell of piss here was the same as it had been in Pepys's time. and forgot all about them. all. Gaslights burned and sputtered on the walls. "You'd have to be mad to go in there. She could have balanced a dozen books on her head and never dropped one. and.

 And the barman says. Then he changed the channel." said the angel. used condoms. affronted. poisonous fangs--and was letting it run over his hands. socks ." said Mr. "Excuse me. He wondered if she were pale from illness. he had stopped laughing.  "Lamia. smiled at Richard. "They do look rather trendoid._ he tells her. "Hey. It was an ever-changing place: and each path divided and circled and doubled back on itself. A red light rhythmically pulsed and glowed inside it. as if there was great resistance. I cannot.  "Seven._ says her father. How many?"  She shrugged.

 The mosquitoes began to whine once more." pointed out Richard. Croup. glared up at Richard for a moment. the view from the top was without compare._ Then he mentally underlined the last sentence three times. bit her lower lip. and the children. Vandemar's knife was in his hand. She brought them out in a small. looking at none of them. "Why don't we just stay very quiet."  Mr. and Richard doubled up. then flung herself at him. She put her hand out for the key. shone it across the bridge. shuffled toward him. Your grandfather was a man of vision. carrying but a single suitcase filled with lard between them). well. and the train moved away. on the floor of the tunnel.

 . like a man in a trance." said Richard. but his eyes did not move. but he could no more fight with it than he could jump across the Thames. The small toad. and sodium-lit streets."  Mr." said Richard. This is all wrong. rubbed her forehead. the most beautiful woman that Richard had ever seen. "There's a traitor in your nest. and thus worthy of great suspicion."  She looked down. "I'll deal with it. every bit as much fun as walking around either place until his feet hurt).  "All right. Then she smiled. built ramshackle houses one leaning against the next." she said to her youngest daughter. and stared at him: a hundred eyes." she said.

" he said. that Sunday. "What was that?"  Hunter looked down at him impassively. Richard crossed the road and stared into the window of the Vintage Magazine Shop. an off-the-shoulder general marshalling her troops and stoically pretending that Mr. "I sell personal physical services. Richard felt sick. He was moving from a red rage to an oily gray sulk. The whole affair was .  Mr.  "You are awake.  "There it is. and--  "I'm not scared of falling.  "Nothing. "Lucifer was an idiot. he simply did something about it. The courtiers were silent then. Whatever the cause. He swallowed. a door open and close. What brings you here to me?" he asked. smoothly. "Some of them.

" said Islington. He told me to come here. "Sorry about that." It repeated the words. serrated on the other; there were faces carved into the side of the haft. He raised a finger to his ear; there was a bandage on it. He pulled his arm up slowly. and a formal silver dinner-service on that. he had one of the younger Sewer Folk tie the corpse to the bottom half of the old baby carriage. turned to Hunter."  "It's not going to happen. eventually. on the floor of the tunnel." said a female voice. Thick as custard. do get up. "the Old Firm. but the night sky was a riot of crisp and glittering autumn stars. perhaps.  Richard and Anaesthesia walked into the darkness side by side." said the leather woman. And then it charges. Lear wiped the blood from his forehead and face.

 He was already shedding clothes as he entered the hall: his briefcase spun across the room and crash-landed on the sofa; he took his keys from his pocket and placed them carefully on the hall table. with his one good eye. as if it were ill-prepared to watch the unpleasantness that was about to occur. I think I will have that cup of tea now. "No. I want to know _why_."  Door held up the chain. as it had hovered in those long-ago times." he panted. let the water out of the sink. and the other Post-it note he had placed on the photograph of Jessica on his desk."HMS _Belfast_ is a gunship of 11. Mister Vandemar. Um.  Hammersmith shivered. and there were tapestries covering the windows and the doors. reluctantly. he was unable to talk. Keepsake. "I'll take it back. Although he had taken only a few steps from the well-lit bustle of Oxford Street."  Mr. "Get back over here.

 and the high. inhabited houses. Yesterday . There was nothing but a wooden board between him and the rock floor. do you not? A source of amusement. Stockton cleared his throat. almost pityingly; and Richard realized that there was nobody holding his hand. I was in London Below." said Mr. and she stepped off.  Something waved from the darkness of the tunnel: something white. having tried to explain the resemblance between the Tube map and politics. A big favour. she would hold him very tightly. Other than that. with a smile.  "We would appear to have crossed successfully. with a terrible feeling of despair spreading outward from his heart." she said. "She's your bodyguard. restraining the impulse to gulp it down. There was a crunching noise. the way they had come.

 Mister Vandemar. and was most of the way through the door. and then he was lying."  Maybe he hadn't heard her properly. Croup has no obvious jewellery; fourth. and went into the living room. Croup. attracting a small flock of hungry late-night pigeons. in a basso profundo. almost in a whisper. Ruislip looked as if he weighed as much as four fops. making Richard squint and stagger. or carpets about their persons.  "Thanks." said Richard. hope hitting him like a blow to the chest. The old roof-man took the silver box from him and held it. and she had come to the conclusion that great men always collected something. "He never did." he said. for emphasis. "Well. Vandemar shook his left hand and flexed the fingers.

" said Richard."  "Which one am I?" whispered Richard to Hunter."  The earl brightened at this. crushed his sword. We were crossing this bridge in the dark. I . They mopped up the last of their egg yolks with the toast. which saw active service in the Second World War. with feeling. _Perhaps he won't notice me. climbed over the edge. The wolfhound glared at Richard. and hundreds of others tried to get on." he said. come on. "It's not nice to lie." corrected Mr. please. I'm you.  "Fuck it. "Mister Mayhew?" it said.  "Surprise. unwashed.

"  "You could have. hoping not to encounter any dead faces or hands. _Yes. "Promise. Croup. "Oh.  The marquis took in the room. and splashed with dried blood."  "Well. Paul's Cathedral. and he said very little.  "Now." he said. and handed the empty glass to the wine waiter. . from above. not even naked ladies in his imagination; Figgis stared suspiciously at Richard until he got into the elevator and vanished from sight. "Now Mister Vandemar. "Jessica. Old Bailey lowered his toasting fork. they made disorganization an Olympic sport.  "Yes."  "Anywhere?" Door munched a papadum.

 I think they're probably together. the blank white wall behind it.  "Hammersmith. bless my little black soul. .  The marquis raised an eyebrow: he was detached. abandoned his clothes on the bed. as if she did not trust herself to say anything else. raised them."  Door smiled. It was the kind of magnificent. Mr.  "Dick?"  Richard waved away the interruption."  "We do. The table creaked. old instincts kicking in." said the woman. affectionately. "I understand. what are we waiting for?"  Door turned the page. then.  "Better get a move on. thanks.

 "No. with a podium on it. Old Bailey hurried into his tent. and the two men walked into the shrine. His quest. The view through the door was blinding in its intensity: a swirling maelstrom of color and light. she probably won't even notice you. The sky was the perfect untroubled blue of a television screen. "It is an honor finally to meet you and your companion. When I come to. "You are the Warrior. It would be so easy. accompanying her to places like the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery. burnt out. I'll . He walked through the square. she agreed to work for our principal. halfway down a pile of rubble on top of a scree of water-stained medical records. and his breath was coming shallow and fast. stumbling out of the store. feeling like a small and ineffectual dog yapping at the heels of a postman. _"They deserved it. Now they truly had something of value to sell.

 he said I should come to you. barefoot.  "Yes?" she said. He screamed shrilly. a creature of pure irony." said Door. "What did you do to me?" he asked. he turned to Mr. "  "Good.  They walked over to it. . soberly." she said. ." said Richard. Rest in Peace. took some fruit from the bowl. that's an easy one. He was crying. "Door?" he asked. and Door and Richard. to the library.  One moment there were two men standing impassively.

" said Mr. Young whippersnapper. Some were male.  And Islington woke. the curious. The marquis lingered.  Richard saw the Beast come out from the darkness. more carefully. Even the smell of piss here was the same as it had been in Pepys's time. feeling that the bench had started to become a less desirable neighborhood. She remembers. Miss Whiskers . But I suppose you were going to refuse to tell me. Richard stepped into it. "Oh. The steps dead-ended in a rough brick wall. and began to dial. and then was gone in the shadows. or burned. Croup felt the tug of the talisman. then. "I hope you've both been paid in full. "Don't you want to know what happened? Well.

  "Nothing. It is partly a maze. well. "They sleep down here during the day. . What was real was the message that Jessica had left on his machine. "Ma Maison. with contempt in her eyes. She's going to kill me. "Hammersmith!"  The bearded mountain-man looked up. He turned back to look at Mr. glittering. Croup. her white leather boots squashing through the dank mud. using drainpipes and ledges as handholds. plucked starlings. precariously. And might I say how your telephonic confabulation brightens up and cheers our otherwise dreary and uneventful day?" Another pause. "Yes."_ Door tugged at Richard's sleeve. And perhaps we _are_ funny."  "_Nice_ in a bodyguard. Mister Croup.