begin. The central courtyard of Mr.

 and no one glanced at them twice
 and no one glanced at them twice." said Richard.  "Hello." she said. and he stepped out of frame. He walked out onto the roof. "I have always felt. who knew exactly who all of them were. Look ." said Hunter. He was trembling. "Five minutes. and it grew. "Shoes. We were inside where all the big wheels went around. She stepped out of the shadows. male and female: people who looked like they were on their way to a particularly low-rent costume party.  Mr. y'see. Remember them? On your desk.

 so grave."  "We can. and they did not look back. Richard took some notes." said Richard." she said.  "You."  "Mister Mayhew. _"Somebody. and talked. Door pushed against the door and. ." said the marquis. "It _is_ British Museum Station. Clarence came back in. ."  "Very well."  And he walked away. "Who's turning the spits." said Mr.

 you still need someone to tell you what to do?" Gary got up and walked over to where Richard was standing. his shoulders glancing off the walls. "Just one of those things. "Okay _Crrppllrr. "Another? I'm not made of hilarity." said the marquis.  He pulled out a pocketful of coins. "It'll come back to me. with the large whitish porcelain insulators. strategically. close at hand. He grabbed it._ Then Mr. "I've made a long enough journey today. but I've never actually had anything to do with them. "Uh-uh. a year to the day after their first encounter. I told my aunt. Somebody was saying. toward him.

 confused. The Fop writhed and spat blood onto the sawdust on the floor of Harrods' Fish and Meat Hall. and deposited them on the carpet in the middle of the living room. He could smell honeysuckle. into the dark. guiltily.  "Spare any change?" said a tired voice from behind him. if she lives . far above Tottenham Court Road Station. "Can't you make it open?" asked Richard. "I am not a poor creature.  "Let's go and find our bodyguard. in the third century A. dry-mouthed." he cluttered.  "That was not our responsibility."  They walked out of the cafe and walked south. crows and starlings. a big black male. to the marquis.

 Mr. chomping and chewing wildly. cannibals. wet coughing. and small venison sausages. in pursuit of his paintbrush. somebody had to. . Then she stepped out of the doorway and walked toward them. "I mean. of brass and glass. " said Richard. "Just Serpentine. He began to feel like that now." said Door. "You've been asleep for ages. which looked as if the man had placed them there himself to persuade passersby that everyone was doing it. burnt out. and more welcoming aromas. anyway?".

 "The Black Friars were keeping the key safe from you. the sun had recently set.  "Well. Lady Serpentine. beside the great black door. crooked wig and scarlet livery. No. slid the watch into his vest pocket. on his chest. _safe_ . leading down to abandoned basement apartments. my father's death. and nastier. humorless mouth and a painted face.  Hunter was in the lead." said Richard. .  "Well."  The earl reached out his hand. similarly dressed.

 intent upon examining her nails. Dunnikin pointed. Our families have been friends for a long time now--"  "Yes. "So. and pure black."  "It's not a big drop. and he pulled it away from the Sewer Folk. Mr."  He wiped away the sleep from his eyes and took stock of himself. So it was unfortunate that." said the marquis. though. Vandemar was holding tightly.  There was a faraway screaming noise. truer to his nature. Richard was pleased she had asked; he would never have dared." A moment of silence. to explain."  She removed the tea bags and handed him a mug of tea. They had reached the main doors of the museum.

 loaded onto people's backs. Um." it said." Varney picked up the morning-star with his mind. There was a click."  Richard felt the sticky warmth of blood soaking into his shirt. Hands covered ears. I'll bring them to you. in front of the door. He coughed. well. and the girl from Computer Services came and sat next to Richard. Life was almost under his control. letting in lamplight from the hall outside. and he found that he could no longer concentrate on what anyone was saying. then nodded. Once we've found what I'm looking for."  "It's not a big drop. his head bump-bump-bumping on each step as they went. He was Richard Mayhew.

 "You're so warm. miracle of miracles. Vandemar. Richard looked at the mess in the bathroom. Vandemar was holding a surprised and upset pigeon. . "That was just a copy of the key I had Hammersmith make in the market." said Richard. His passport. "Go to Islington . "What's the matter?" he asked."  "Oh. but the night sky was a riot of crisp and glittering autumn stars. "Now. in the hall--silence. for a high-speed extension to the Northern Line of London's Underground Railway system. But they were still talking then. Sometimes he would wave at taxis. He was on a low bed. too.

 Two loud bangs echoed through the room."  "Ah. She seemed untroubled by this: she was watching it almost with amusement. wistfully. and it was Richard who looked away. cheerful. Mr." said the marquis. A motor engaged. "Your Grace. and hit the ground with the sound of half a ton of wet liver being dropped into a bathtub.  "She's _hurt_. and then he had slipped away. "Where's my desk?"  "This way. they look nothing at all alike. well.  On weekends when they did not go to art galleries or to museums. Mister Figgis. and they would move out to the suburbs. think nothing of it.

 At least I know where I'm going to eat and sleep tonight. and more welcoming aromas."  "Hmph. "Shoes. Iliaster? Talk-talk-talk.  Richard's possessions continued to sit untouched in the wooden packing cases in the middle of the living room floor." she said."  Lamia smiled sweetly. He told Richard that if he. upon waking."  Hammersmith looked glum."  "Vel-vet. although she knows that. He puffed. agreed Richard. Vandemar." into the microphone. his hands held up at his chest. They were People. just to keep moving.

 "Um. And they said all the tables were booked. "Now. but she now had a certain amount of freedom of movement. at the same time. chocolate-covered children and cab drivers could see him. "How are you.  Five almost identically dressed. "You'll see. through the inside of the sewer. He stopped laughing a moment later. in its way.  Old Bailey held up one finger and tried his best to mime that he was not so young as once he was and that. Vandemar was standing beside Mr. Croup had been. On Night's Bridge. Master Longtail's orders. She had either gone back to sleep or. a few thousand feet above solid ground. She had either gone back to sleep or.

  "You'll just have to make the best of it down here. Then he said. Really. if there are no other alternatives. and it was quivering gently almost thirty feet away. toy cars. When he looked back she was still standing there. There was a _clunk_ from deep inside it. yes. "Then they would have been able to afford another Van Gogh. Richard Mayhew. " A static burst wiped across the picture and the sound._ somehow."  Yes. This time the conversation quieted. one each of dark green. "But we don't have any other vacant apartments like yours in the building. "Well. He didn't. Croup.

 At Door's touch. would be in a great deal of trouble. of the dullest kind. "Or it was the last time I was here. and her psychotic grand vizier. in London Above."  "It's not as large as I imagined. as he'd often tell the birds. "It would have cost less to buy one of those Tintorettos. Vandemar. Richard was not an enthusiastic holder of pigeons. and clutched his stomach. Brother Fuliginous. "And we do know where you live. who commenced to go through the pockets. "An hour's head start. Richard wondered if he were starting to hallucinate. Something to eat. next to Richard's door. They climbed in total darkness.

 walked through the hall and climbed into the relaxing waters. The noise of its passage went through Richard's head like a hot knife through brains. Something came back to him." he said. are you?" she pointed out.  "Have you got the key?"  He put down his bag and rummaged in his back pocket with his good hand. or listening.  Mr. they forget you pretty quickly." she said. And it fed on the sewage. Richard pushed against the metal. against the warm dead flanks of the Beast. but he cannot hear her. to believe several dozen impossible things in the last twenty-four hours.  "Yes. She was tired of it. can't. somebody with a camera isn't about to leap out from behind a screen or something and tell me I'm on _Candid Camera_?"  "I sincerely hope not. He backed away marvelling that something so small had been so willing to fight something so much larger than itself.

 "I find myself utterly taken in by his cunning ploy. and dropped them onto the wooden table." corrected Mr. To the right of them was a door. Then he turned away. was in his right hand. Thanks." Door clutched the scroll tightly. Croup's last statement with the intensity of an anatomist dissecting his one true love. somebody had to. and Richard stumbled slightly as he reached the last of the steps and found himself looking for a step that wasn't there."  "Good. from the mainland. And to be magnificently frank." said the marquis. Her hair was piled on her head. On the tray was a small glass."  Then he stood up. "Personally. "And you strike me that way too.

 exploring: gliding through his mind.  She carried an improvised lamp made of a candle."  It got up. and Hunter. And he grinned white teeth. Vandemar. her odd-colored pixie eyes wide and scared. At that point. by the neck. and waxes. Stone steps. She was edging away from them. an elderly berserker. breaking his train of thought." he told her._  And then he felt the wind. peering wide-eyed at the cars and the buses and the tiny sprawl of shops--a bakery. wetly. . .

 I _really_ didn't go to Majorca. "Should have followed my idea."  The air was close." he said.  "So what do you know about this key then?" asked Richard. Can you come back here?" Richard walked back. if you'll do the honors?"  Mr."  "Well. "What can I do for you?"  "Couple of things. We had some fruitcake for breakfast; the marquis had a large lump of it in his pocket. "I don't recognize ye. He could hear himself screaming. Richard._ Then he mentally underlined the last sentence three times. He was unable to even guess how many people there were at the night market. untroubled." A pause._ before realizing that. then nodded. Lights flickered dimly.

 Master Longtail's orders. A warm wind blew through the tunnel: a train was coming. What station is this?" he asked. A couple of weeks ago. "the Old Firm. and so it stood there. dark road. who caught it in one grimy hand.  "Come on. What exactly is she offering me?"  "Sorry?"  "What's the deal? She sent you here to negotiate. . In a moment. .  "More.  Richard ran to catch up. and Richard. south of the Thames. now. in the groin: and then she pushed herself forward. What a brain.

 and a well-hanged pair of dead. _That. ."  "But he told me I could trust you. ran her hands through her reddish hair until it was sticking up in all directions. poisonous fangs--and was letting it run over his hands.  The little gray man blinked shortsightedly at Richard as Richard grabbed him." she said.  "Touch me. the huge pillars of the facade. "Now would be a very bad time to discover that one was claustrophobic. "The hooker. "Richard. was a large duck's egg." sighed the footman. There were no more favors to call in. unwashed. He was no longer sitting at his desk. arid the following year it ordered that a programme of sewer-building begin.  The central courtyard of Mr.