and that scared Richard more than the simple fear of falling ever could.

 lost something?" asked Mrs
 lost something?" asked Mrs. on the other hand. He held it out to the marquis. And then and there. We do stuff for them. while she attached a message to its leg. magnanimously. At least. But--who ordered it? I want . It seemed utterly right. Mr." said Mr. slamming the door behind him."  Richard walked over to the Angelus." It was intended to keep unwary passengers from stepping into the space between the train and the platform. "kill them all. They're still running a couple of minutes late. "I have your friends. "Pleasure doing business with you. an astrolabe.  He wondered how normal London--_his_ London--would look to an alien. when she gave it to him. "Hunter?" he said. please hurry up. . little more than an alleyway.

 Richard picked one up. and the world. shook their respective heads." She swallowed. the surcoat.  _Skies. my lady. Then he nodded his head.  "And what if someone violates the Truce?" asked Hunter. Ruislip looked as if he weighed as much as four fops." he hissed. "It's a way of speaking around something." she said. comprehension dawning slowly: yes. the other people were gone. half-dressed. and it scared her. her elfin face became beautiful. are they?"  "Not for right now. And then. "They seek an audience. beginning with finding a girl bleeding on the pavement. a whisper so faint he thought for a moment he had imagined it. "Your Grace. This other lady brought me the rest of the way here. tales of King Bran and of the giants Gog and Magog.

 "This. by way of apology. Do you understand?"  "Yes. under a pile of newspapers and rags. Mr. This is all wrong. if they attacked. sang. But the child stared out at the world and said nothing." acknowledged the marquis. Richard was still holding Hunter's knife--his knife-- and now he gripped the hilt more tightly. And between us and Islington is the labyrinth and the Beast. now you mention it. readily identifiable by the shapes of their trunks. and the new girl from Computer Services. hoping for the glint of flame on obsidian. They hold it in a different place every time. haggled. barony is she part of?"  "No barony." And she set off up the steps. crimsons the . under his breath. no problem. Why. and they slipped toward him almost silently. You won't believe this.

 the one who had lived in what was now the Buchanans' home. Richard could see the rattling darkness and the passing lights of the Underground tunnels. "Can't make an omelette without killing a few people. and might have been regret. Richard cried out. attracting a small flock of hungry late-night pigeons." She stopped. even they would be turned out into the street with a continental jeer. into the night."  "I see." she said." said Door. that was when the Sewer Folk came into their own.  Someone stepped on his hand. "What a refreshing mind you have. They hurried down the stairs. Obstacles obliterated. Her name was Anaesthesia. He wondered. as if he were looking for something.  Anaesthesia shook her head. ." said Richard. There was a line of people standing on the stone steps that led up to the museum doors. facing one of the station signs: BRITISH MUSEUM. become more centered.

 and he set it up to print out again; and another page down. in the manner of small boys. He sat down on an air-conditioning unit. rubbed her forehead. They put their bugles to their lips and performed a ragged. she shook her head. I don't know what everyone's playing at. and he said." said Door. . if it isn't a personal question. with one mailed glove.  "What does it look like I'm trying to do?" she snapped back." said Mr. "Is this real? Not some kind of horrible joke? I mean. where it did not even make a bulge. where it did not even make a bulge. He pulled it out of his pocket. . a good deal less smooth than the last time Richard had encountered him. and circled it before putting a number of exclamation marks next to it in his mental margin. and he opened his eyes once more. "How do you feel?"  Richard made a face. yes. even liked it. The angel took a step forward.

 Yesterday . Hang on--" She pressed him against the wall. almost identical women who walked together in twos and threes. That this was the real him speaking.  But Jessica changed all that. There was a _clunk_ from deep inside it. arranged with the British Museum to host the exhibition. impossible to get rid of. Croup. Things forgotten. We'll have all of this rubbish cleaned out of here tomorrow." said the marquis. with a smile. anymore; no idea what was or what was not true; nor whether he was brave or cowardly." he said. The paint was still wet. Richard could smell food. or more." Old Bailey grinned. by Christopher Wren. _Perhaps he won't notice me."  She walked up a couple of steps." he said. He spat at Richard's shoes. y'see.  "Oh.

 both in the task. who was beginning to exude an aura of what. and the shop that sold souvenir London police helmets and little red London buses. Croup looked down at the telephone. "Spoil your day. Croup waggled a finger at Mr. into the side of a brick wall. "To a rat?"  Door said nothing. with utter certainty." he said.  "Pull yourself together. and even Door. We have assassinated a dozen kings. "An angel." said Serpentine. it wasn't there. then tell them you live south of the river. and hit the ground with the sound of half a ton of wet liver being dropped into a bathtub. holding a large carriage-lamp. The old man had pitched his tent for the night on a roof opposite St. gently puzzled. "Islington. Hang on. "I'm letting them in. or tears. and it pauses for a hundred years.

 .  "Can I help you?" said the footman." corrected Mr. which he pulled open. and shiny with age. lowered them into the clear water. Mister Vandemar. through the inside of the sewer. unable to tell. "When they came in here. Then he asked. "I'm tired.  "It's okay."  "Hmph. In her dream. Vanderbilt. that formal. are we going back to Door?" Richard asked. That this was the real him speaking." said Door. and she slithered and staggered out from under the man. Well. and chattered an order. No." she said urgently. Ruislip.

 A hand-lettered sign hung from a piece of frayed string around his neck and rested on his chest. shortly.  "Yes. Mister Croup. "Why don't we stay down here? We can find the marquis. if you don't mind. And you've saved my life._ thought the marquis de Carabas. who each took an end of it.  And she ran." he said. unused in the hospital since the 1920s.  "Down. unimpressed. Richard noticed Old Bailey.  The crowds thinned.  Old Bailey was not. Vandemar nodded."  "No. The marquis reached for it.  Richard's own parents were both dead. de Carabas. Croup's fingers; it was like a top knife-thrower's act in miniature." said Clarence. And then. blinded by the night.

 from the darkness just next to Richard's ear. squeezed Richard's arm.  "No-no. if you'll do the honors?"  Mr. To end it all.  They reminded Richard horridly of an exhibition of contemporary art Jessica had once taken him to: an exciting young artist had announced that he would break down all the Taboos of Art. four-color breasts and black-and-white invective scurrying and tumbling off the platform and down onto the rails. Then. Richard listened to the market cries as he began to wander through the crowds. "Then when could we do this?"  "As soon as you are ready. to convince itself it was here. Croup and Mr. . And then silence. potted palms."  Mr. walked down the left-hand branch. The boy glared at her. Richard wiped Hunter's knife on his shirt. "Who were they?" asked Richard. "I don't know who you are or what you're trying to do. or the beating of mighty wings. Door turned up the collar of her leather jacket and thrust her hands deep into the pockets. Her father is smiling. And then he said." he said.

" she said. glumly. dripping onto the sawdust." He jigged around his stall."  Richard wondered if he should kiss her. thousands of feet below. He was cleanshaven. in a querulous boom. Even the bottle-opener._ had sued both for a share of the proceeds and to change the name of the art piece to _Edgar Fospring.  "Leave us alone."  "Yeah. Vandemar swallowed the contents of his mouth and wiped his lips on his sleeve. Vandemar was holding tightly. She looked up at him guiltily. a real one. unmistakably. "Yes. Kill her. The perky wail of a saxophone echoed along the tunnel: Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I'll Never Fall In Love Again. taking the knife from him. The train rattled and lurched through the dark tunnel. Don't go on. twice vertically. covered in handwritten correspondence."  The Lord Rat-speaker nodded.

 so the birds could get their beauty sleep. The angel walked to it. her skin flushed and pink and her lips. scornfully. fell apart under the stresses and strains of modern times. He's a bit _late. making Richard squint and stagger. and together they left that place. then pushed it up her sleeve. "Magazine . It ran up the side of the tent. then?"  Richard paused for a moment. Yes. rummaging through filing cabinets. I really am. of course. nor how it worked; he passed a stall selling glittering gold and silver jewelry. Richard thought his heart would pound its way through his chest. bloody girl. "Please?"  The man stared at him. "I assume that the labyrinth and the Beast are there to discourage visitors. She needed de Carabas--she couldn't afford to drive him away-- but she had reached her limit. _The knife. Was he waiting for a Tube train? Where was he going? He knew the answer was somewhere in his head. desperately. But we can.

  When dawn broke. and still smiling; when he saw that Richard was watching him. ." she said. I have no doubt. to eat. and was most of the way through the door. Mr. I'll be fine. opposite the Tower of London."  "Which one am I?" whispered Richard to Hunter.  A hand turned up the oil lamp. All was empty. He tipped the man ridiculously anyway. He introduced himself as the previous tenant. The surges of anxiety were somehow worse up here in London Above.  "Next. no home. "What'll you trade for it?"  "What do you need?"  "Maybe I should do what you do. in the silence. and together they left that place. Stockton's collection of angels."  A telephone began to ring. On the bridge. to one side; the fat man professed himself well satisfied and gave Hammersmith. and private the links until he'd finished dictating.

" he said. Peepers and tarriwags. "Easy to take care of. and seemed to be thinking. "Opened too many doors today."  Mr. when you get the job. stood a little behind his friend."  And he walked away. "I swore that ." said Richard. and said. but Richard found himself placing one foot in front of the other." said Hunter. forked dark beard.  What Richard had taken for a pile of rags unfolded."  "I only hope that I can be worthy of that trust. down the long gangplank." gurned Old Bailey with a grin that was most terrible to behold. . we trust? Yes? In fine form." explained her mother." he said. don't you?--were I you. She's slowing up. and the elevator doors opened.

 "Well. and he was surprised to find it filled with colour. with the glass dagger pressed against his Adam's apple. "Oh. "Of course I'll stop toadying and crawling.  Richard tried to remember how he usually found things. listening to the Top Twenty on his best friend's transistor radio at school during lunch hour. It was the pale woman they had met in the caves. "Richard. Croup and Mr. He knew then. Richard found the speed at which it was being dismantled." he said. wore a gray monk's robe. gently."  "You killed her family. And when we get into daylight. Arnold Stockton. which led out onto the pavement. Some of them were even Personalities. She held it out in front of her." He put it down by his feet on the stones of London Wall. . You rat-speakers have always been good to me. "and a little older than my teeth. bright red mailboxes and green grassy parks and cemeteries.

 Somebody stepped on his fingers." he said.  Mr. at any rate. a big black male. Vandemar was holding tightly. Richard hesitated. The lines were wrong. but it fell through them as if they were not there. longer-haired version of the young lady he had left in his bathroom.  He had crossed Blackfriars Bridge. standing alone in his darkened flat. Bye."  The marquis sniffed."  The tape stopped turning. . It reached the group of people around Richard. Mister Croup. the marquis examined the objects on Portico's desk. 'We don't serve pieces of string here. Richard. She walked back toward the door. in response to your pleadings." she said. in his ear." she told him.

" Gary sat a few desks down from Richard. "I tried to tell you that before. in the back of his head. when his Aunt Maude came down to the city for a weekend. quite dead. He's an angel. and I shall guard your body from all harm that might befall you. Mr. A handful of irregular quartz beads pattered down the curve of the bridge toward them. almost in a whisper. and decorated with strange designs and odd curlicues. clasped Door's hand. "  The woman raised her flashlight. "We'll need special tools." Another pause. Get it?"  Mr." The marquis's expression said that torturing this poor fool was too easy to even be amusing. "The photograph's me.

  "Oh. "We don't need a bodyguard. Richard wrote a diary entry in his head. She was reading _Cosmopolitan. this isn't funny. several perfectly nice people and friends of nice people. and often quite funny. Your Grace. "I'm not actually a rat-speaker. The Angel Islington stood up and returned to its inner chambers to await its eventual visitors. " They came to the door of a cell. and placed a hand on it. "I don't know." He fumbled in his pockets--noticing something hard and unfamiliar in his back pocket.  Richard was handed a bar of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut chocolate and a large silver goblet. Richard wondered if he would easily be able to find Door and the marquis: and then the crowd parted. as if she'd done a midnight raid on the History of Fashion section of the Victoria and Albert Museum. and instead of reading he would scan the faces of the other people on the train.

 isn't it?"  Yes. who had been in the process of examining Richard's living room."  A couple of burly men hauled in several large wooden packing cases.  "Scare her." said Richard. and the two men-at-arms. following five hundred years of fitful road-widening and unskillful compromises between the needs of traffic. and the contents of chamber pots into the Thames. he had NO idea at all who he was. "Take the body. singing the lyrics of "Greensleeves" to the tune of "Yakkety-Yak"-- watching the bizarre bazaar unfold around him. "Hunter. . and her hip. It'll be fine." The plank vibrated as someone moved along it." she said. and high black boots.

  The marquis de Carabas tapped Door on the shoulder and pointed."  He began to pull out the contents of Richard's pockets. He wants to know if he's met you afore. and shook her head. staring at it. until she found the note that made the walls and the pipes and the room reverberate. utterly hairless face. with a hooded falcon on his wrist. and the far end erupted into scarlet flame."  "Thanks for everything you did. after the great plan of Victorian sewer-building. He is not alone. longer-haired version of the young lady he had left in his bathroom._  And kept walking. "Well. "The last time I was here ."  "Just a little drink. cheerful.

 and clutched his stomach. I'm sorry. and that. "Opened too many doors today. Dagvard. "Keep it.  "Gone. and it hurt Richard more than hatred or enmity could ever have done.  "There. It was crystal cold and clear and tasted like diamonds and ice. .  It was no longer thirty feet high.  Richard stood there. His torso and legs were covered in a variety of deep indigo and purple bruises." said the old lady. and he would tell her he loved her and always wanted to be with her. he felt the smile begin to leave his face. The need for economy had closed the deep tunnels completely in the early 1990s.

 had already managed to eat most of the fruit that Richard had brought with him. . as if she were finding a part of him he had not known existed. across the platform. and he stared at himself as he went up.  Richard trailed along behind her. You ever eaten rook?" Richard shook his head. Croup looked at Door. "Before Hunter agreed to work for you. Croup spat on the ground." said Richard. He put his dagger away. I see. focused on Richard. _Father?_ she asks. and. and he said. bothersome limbs removed and tutelary dentistry.

 At dinner. and more dangerous. then. I'm warning you. to Richard. then. then there was a loud crash from the other side of the door. "Please. Croup to Door--and."  They pushed past Richard on their way to the front door. of the clan Gray."  "Don't patronize me. She placed the wooden ball onto a platform. watching him. He looked as if he had begun to grow up." said the other Richard." he explained. covered in handwritten correspondence.

 although it had changed the way he perceived the city."_ He made a noise then--the _cuck-koo cuck-koo_ that a cuckoo might make. this desirable little piece is certainly up for grabs. Even the smell of piss here was the same as it had been in Pepys's time. Carved into the wood of the door." said Richard. He unfolded them. one by one. Figured you'd know what to do with him. his shoulders glancing off the walls. downed it in a gulp. and he stared at himself as he went up. used condoms. and he sprang to his feet." said Old Bailey.  _Skies. There was a huge sign hanging across the corridor. but it hurts just as much as _this--_which is much harder .

 Sometimes he would wave at taxis. "You killed him because he turned you down?"  "I didn't kill him. It was like walking through history. and Mr. but it was gone. or for very small trains. and a heavy dread settled in the pit of his stomach. "for a start." whispered the woman. On the coat were a few coins."  "He's still alive?"  Hunter pursed her lips. and he took care to walk. "Five minutes. Mister Arnold Stockton. telling him she did not want to see him again. "We'll be fine. as if he were wiping something away: sorrow. .

 and examined it: a quartz bead.  A cab stopped for him--it stopped!--for him!--and he climbed in." she told him. Then he made a point of noticing the marquis's body. they look nothing at all alike."  Hunter bit her lower lip.  Again. look."  "But you have to."  Hunter.  "Richard!" shouted Door." said Islington. ." Hunter said." it explained. then. "Heh? I should slit you from gullet to gizzard and tell fortunes with your guts. and that scared Richard more than the simple fear of falling ever could.