was anyone helping him at that moment. "Thank you. .

 no matter how much noise he made
 no matter how much noise he made. You--you had some kind of nervous breakdown. that he really did. hurting you . and it was gone. "I never paid off my debt to him."  Mr. "You ought to put that thing away. Something is bothering her. Now."  "Don't exaggerate. what it could do." The courtiers tittered uneasily. it wouldn't let me. He was still laughing. almost fearfully. The girl stared out at the rather ordinary view from Richard's window. I mean.

  "Well I never either.  Huge waves were rising and crashing over the city; the night sky was rent with forks of white lightning from horizon to horizon; the rain fell in sheets. he thought he heard the rat-girl say. who had watched all this with interest. It was wet and warm and slippery. She was trapped beneath the Beast." said Hunter. and she is admiring the elaborate movements they make as they move. Put it away. It's where. No one's going to touch me here. Are there a lot of you?"  "A few. newspapers. please hurry up. . "He's our boss. Richard had encountered a rat in a ditch by the side of the road. hopefully.

 He was learning. which gentleman was which. He climbed to his feet and walked. Things. .  It was being held in the Fish and Meat Hall. " She paused. Strands of mist hung like livid ghosts on the air. my father's death. making all of his bruises complain violently." said Richard. mildly. side by side. Vandemar. When Mr. "Look." said Door."  He looked at Jessica.

 His left arm went numb."  Gary smiled. almost lovingly." Clarence kept saying to the guards." she asked. Come in. For a little while. which tasted of thyme and peppermint and winter mornings. it never got any easier.  The last smudge of orange sun faded into nocturnal purple. her mother. "In full. "Now . He said nothing as they walked on for another five minutes and eleven mosquito bites.  Richard chuckled. and cut her white throat from ear to ear. encountering the woman at a party. "We have no intention of violating their market truce.

 Well. long time ago. guileless: the smile of a man selling you a used Bible. "And that's all?"  "I could wish you the best of luck in your career." They were walking through a maze of caves. He walked out onto the roof. Richard wondered if he was deaf. too. from time to time. on Tube trains. and was certainly going somewhere. "And sparkling mineral water?" Another nod. We're here to make things more interesting. "I swore . heading for the light. abandoned and lonely. . "Do you know what this is?"  "I wish I didn't.

_  "No. . "If I have to. "And you wound up lord and master of two thugs and a roomful of candles?"  The angel licked its lips. who had cut Richard's phone line at the first mention of calling the police. Dunnikin looked at it suspiciously." he said. and in waking he found that he was Richard Mayhew." Richard said. stopped hitting the molten metal. of what point he was trying to make.  "Who was that?" asked Richard.  The marquis de Carabas raised an eyebrow. No more questions. "My point exactly. Croup picked up his old coat. three times. bespectacled face peered out at them.

 bewildered. Things to see." It scampered down onto the couch. _"You. perhaps.  He was fond of St."  Richard did not doubt it. with a great deal less insouciance than he imagined. She looked puzzled and confused. Vandemar nodded. he weighed twice as much as he ever had before. sadly. "That's nice. Mr. who commenced to go through the pockets. Vandemar were through it. It's all there is. in a large pool of scarlet gore.

 in 1858. Then. broken by phosphorescent patches on the wall. you don't take particularly kindly to disappointment. by Christopher Wren. with copper and bronze highlights. . He held it at the blunt end.  He changed his tack. "You know."  The tape stopped turning.  The old roof-man covered the body with a cloth. "You can't just go running off like that. Vandemar said. sarcastically. The throbbing noise became much louder. . looking at him compassionately.

  "And you?" Richard asked the marquis de Carabas. then he'd take Vandemar_ . in what Richard suspected he fondly imagined were light and conversational tones." said a guard to Richard. Richard knew immediately that he had seen her before."  He began walking down a small hill. . barefoot. I don't _believe_ it. He understood that now. her foot knocked the purple-haired troll down into the darkness. there: the morning-star: a spiked wooden ball. She had nowhere to go. ." and she moved in an atmosphere of crisp efficiency.  "One day. even for a short time." said Richard.

 as confidently as she could.  "I'm really not very good at heights. "Yes?"  "Well. "Us?" He curled his hand into a fist. if. hoping for the glint of flame on obsidian."  She looked up at him. People who could leave London. Croup hesitated. you're right. agreed. copper-colored bugles stepped off the train and onto the platform. "Well. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it. "I was hoping it would be diamonds and pearls. dark brown face. "The MD's waiting.  Gary scratched his head.

  Jessica was very beautiful; so much so Richard would occasionally find himself staring at her." said Mr." The angel sipped its wine. and his breath was coming shallow and fast._ Richard had stared at the glass-bound corpses in their stained suits and damaged dresses with horror: he hated himself for looking. "I think you're making a bit of a mistake here. potted palms."  "I'm sorry. barefoot. It was his office.  He went to the building he had once lived in by taxi. in an awkward sort of way. "I opened a door. please? A man just threatened to kill me. "It's a literal translation. "So now you can add the Underside Line to the list of those things. melon slices. while Mr.

 cursed and walked away." He reached across the desk.  "If'n I give ye your information. . A gray gull swooped past. Croup to Door--and. clutching his candelabra. It licked its lips. Yes-yes."  Gary looked at his watch. "You're afraid. And they went down." Richard told the man. "Psst. again. Richard was surprised at how quickly his eyes became used to the near darkness. he was certain that his experiences of the last day paled into something small and insignificant when placed beside whatever the marquis had experienced." said Hunter.

 he persisted in trying. His tie was half-undone and askew."  Just at that moment. Croup fumbled in Door's pockets. that Sunday. There were footsteps on the platform." said the angel. "We can get to the place it's in. It's just houses and stores and roads and the BBC." said Door. Her fingers explored the surface of the box. .  It was a city in which the very old and the awkwardly new jostled each other. "we had wine." he said. some water.  "I've got the key.  He could not breathe.

 someone--a normal. or a day later. and prepared to be mortified. "  A pennywhistle piping began softly. and a middle-aged couple. look. I see. It was a handkerchief on a stick. Richard. She's . Then he turned to Door and said. Her name was Anaesthesia. In the rain. Then she stood beside Door. "Do you ever wonder if this is all there is?"  "What?"  Richard gestured vaguely. his wallet. "you might even make it through a whole month."  "I've got Door.

  Mr. relishing the sound of the word. Croup tumbled. a process that accelerated when he realized that the actual City of London itself was no bigger than a square mile." and. "And who might you be?" he asked."  There was a movement in the shadows at the edge of the platform. I'll bring them to you. She was sweating. watching it as it twined between his fingers. gasping almost-groan of wonderment that people make when they watch fireworks: the sound of awe." said Jessica. "No more silly threats." It was a statement of fact. Funny old fellow. Vandemar. . "Now Mister Vandemar.

 All dead. We're fine. You haven't forgotten. Her disposition seemed to have improved remarkably."  They were in a huge white room. Things forgotten."  "No. She let go of his hand. dropped the eight feet to the next building. They were on the other side of the wall. The expression on Jessica's face morphed from one of horror to one of charmed delight. neither. Mister Vandemar. and this was going too far." Richard told the couple. "It'll come back to me.  "I do. I'd gone off exploring for a few days .

 and a book of matches he had forgotten he had. To the right of them was a door. . I'll . Gray water ran. It touched the table. Old Bailey slowly lowered the baby carriage wheels to the ground below them. It was. that this had happened before. watching him. Vandemar hawked a mouthful of phlegm from the back of his throat and spat it neatly onto the back of the handbill. and I tried to be a Good Samaritan. going up for what seemed like thousands of feet. "He's got to be taken to the market. loveless. not about what I did. He called. Richard looked around.

 The small silver box was sitting on the top of Old Bailey's treasures. "Who were they?" asked Richard. full of ideas . That looks rather elegant. reddish purple bruise appeared on his cheek. with a smudge of fire orange and lime green over Paddington. to divulge to you what vexes me. At last. Well.  Near his hand."  "Ah.  BE A MAN--DO YOURSELF IN. I can prove who I am. The key has power. I was enquiring as to the whereabouts of a certain young lady." He did not know if there was anyone helping him at that moment.  "Thank you. .