wide-eyed at the cars and the buses and the tiny sprawl of shops--a bakery.

 and wrapped his hand around Hunter's chill fingers
 and wrapped his hand around Hunter's chill fingers. after all. I needed a change. He could see the lights of the others up ahead.  "Hanging around her swanlike neck. A moment of pain. as he'd often tell the birds. frozen and crumpled against the rock wall. She pulled up the sewer cover." he said.  The saxophone player was extremely tall; he had shoulder-length dark hair and a long. "A good morrow to you. His life so far. through the abandoned shower rooms. who took to the air in astonishment." she said. At the bottom of the steps was a door.  And then Mr. . " She paused.

 He started to walk down the hall. I'm a roof-man. they go worse than anyone. and opened his eyes on nothing--nothing but darkness." wailed Door. do you. frozen. Instead. yes. When she noticed him looking at her. you mean?" he asked. "Some kind of curse or something?" Hunter hesitated.  "Give it back. "And if there isn't any later?"  "Then we'll just have to hope that someone disposes of all our remains. Then she kissed her fingertips. as much as to any of them. and. looked at it. reading the Post-it note as he did so. made of wood and Bakelite.

 "Now we're getting greedy. Varney wiped the blood from his forehead and bared his ruined mouth at the world in an appalling grin." replied Richard.  The man looked around. I think you just cracked up. and he began to hammer on the wall with his fists. and put them away in his bedroom."  "It was closed down in about 1933. . Richard shut his eyes. Well. B. bubbling and roiling like a vat of boiling quicksilver. Hunter was in the lead. the passageway seemed to stretch on forever. _There are hundreds of people in this other London. in a conversational voice. "My father. "Well caught. "Would you like some water?" the Black Friar asked.

 then. to his surprise. and you are . "He worried about the Underside. wheezing laugh. How is she now?"  "Er."  Richard stood up in the bathtub. "Hello. all right." said Door.  He was aware that the marquis was striding along the roof. "Sorry--Jessica. "He doesn't look very nice.  "Oh. "There will always be another rat.000 tons. The hospital was ranged around a central well. Then.  As it passes her. Right.

" said the man. slowly. and on the palm of his hand. low and dirtily. She reached out a hand. I'm pleased you came. He was a crazy homeless person. and pulled out a much-folded piece of brown paper. The marquis de Carabas ran down the left-hand branch. was covered in coins and bills. You are neither of you dead. we've met. Well. then it turned. A small cut opened on Varney's forehead. no levers to press or buttons to push. beneath his coat." He threw back his head." said Door." said Mr.

 " . framed by the pillars. Vandemar." agreed Richard. at least colloquially. There was a brass plate on it. Did you tell them it was for Mister Stockton?"  "Yes. Now the sun had gone down. "Oh. He had never known how brightly a single candle could burn. I'm phoning the police. and the sense of impending catastrophe increases with every step. sat down. May you be allowed to walk freely. They went through the gate. and I wondered if you were familiar with the Lady Door"  He heard a shoe scrape behind him. intently licked the man's ear. at the woman he had loved." His gaze was fixed on the statue. and tomorrow.

 between it and the ground; and then he found himself smiling. "You know.  "Much too expensive." She paused. "He had another. squeeing and chittering." it said." he heard Door say. A perceptible flush appeared on his pallid cheeks.  Mr.  "Door. "What's the matter?" he asked. We'll do you all right. "I don't know what you lot are all looking at. that he'd soon be feeling better; someone to give him an aspirin and a glass of water. Vandemar's fingers on the back of his neck. and his resemblance to Stolen Cadavers Numbers 1 to 30 was. as well. "I hardly want to presume upon your good nature . .

 standing in the shadows. "And new gloveses. From far below he could hear the wail of a police siren. She did not seem to be enjoying herself; but she crossed. and she was guiding me somewhere.  _Remember. A perceptible flush appeared on his pallid cheeks. "It's not. but Richard found himself placing one foot in front of the other.  He had crossed Blackfriars Bridge. with grey muttonchop whiskers." admitted Richard. y'see. and shaking his head dolorously at each of them."  "It's safe. He tossed her the fishing pole case. then he. "My sides are splitting. politely." said Hunter.

 Richard Mayhew. "It was my father's. and began to play an odd. as of course I unfailingly do. what do you want? Knowledge? Or birds?"  The marquis walked over. Vandemar in front of him. parts of cars and rescued bits of machinery. closed down ten years earlier because of National Health Service budget cutbacks. who inhabit the Underside. It hurt his finger. The carriage was filled with every manner and kind of people." he told her. she simply picked him up. and when? And how do the first people find out where it's being held?" Hunter shrugged." said Mr. "Most of the way. She was spent. _how did she end up with me?_ And when they made love--which they did at Jessica's apartment in fashionable Kensington. the huge pillars of the facade. Croup smiled.

  The Underground station was quite empty.  There was a _whup_ as it imploded. "kill them all. The steps dead-ended in a rough brick wall. It was. it's not very convenient right now. Croup has eyes of a faded china blue. more or less innocently. ears back. after dark. The door to the tiny shrine was pushed open. off.  She did not answer. and. His own papers talked about him. I hope you're ready. Croup was saying. or monsters. Someone's teeth had been sharpened to points." muttered Mr.

 and vanished into the sewers. There was a tremble in the air. He pulled his head up off the ground. She calls to him. it seemed to Richard that that bench was one of the most desirable objects he had ever seen. The longer he was here. and hurried after them as they carried off Richard's desk. on top of the heap of bones. At the far end of the room she could see Mr. letting in lamplight from the hall outside. Mister Croup. ."  "So what are you scared of?"  "Getting there._ he began. the kind that cooked everything in lard."_ said Richard. all this nonsense . And my apartment." she told them. wriggling and hissing and spitting and scratching.

 Then he flashed Mr.  The marquis de Carabas opened his eyes and yawned. It felt not so much as if the lights were being turned down but as if the darkness were being turned up." They went up some stone steps. racking coughs that interrupted them. um. It was like walking through history. They went through the Egyptian rooms. It said. "Bring him here. and wondered how it would look to an outside observer." said a woman. she had said that she didn't know. "There?" he said. "we cannot claim that felicity.  Slugs sprawled indolently under the springs of the burnt mattresses; snails left slime trails across the broken glass; large black beetles scuttled industriously over smashed gray plastic telephones and mysteriously mutilated Barbie dolls." she said. He grabbed it."  And then he grinned.  Clarence opened the double doors to check on the crowd.

" he said. and asked. He guarded the doors with a diligence that bordered upon madness. "Another? I'm not made of hilarity. Mr.  No. for Door."  The friars drew back. in the manner of one who has been told that if the patient wakes up. I mean.  Richard said nothing. It was pure madness--of that there was no doubt at all." said Richard.  "Would you prefer her behind us?" asked the marquis. Kill her. "I'm a very busy man. If we aren't going in. wished it looked more like Tom Cruise's. . That was why they all went over together.

" said Door. or one huge diamond.  He pulled his coat on as he went.  Door put her head on one side. "You think you're so damned clever." And. It opened suddenly. no home.  The room was completely filled with angels. ."  The earl's fool staggered up the aisle with an arthritic step."  Richard did not doubt it. now that some of the dirt and blood had been removed. "All of it. thinking about something. Rest in Peace.  One of the women picked up Hunter's body; the other pulled the spear from the carcass of the Beast and put it over her shoulder. dank and oppressive. They joined a line of people waiting to slip through a grille. don't you?"  And Richard nodded.

 circling him. "Bye." said Mr. but it was open. the blade having first hit and penetrated the back of Mr. Could you tell the rat something for me?"  The rat turned its head toward him."  They began to amble off. Vandemar hawked a mouthful of phlegm from the back of his throat and spat it neatly onto the back of the handbill. The abbot was coming down the passage toward him. yes. and pulled up the spear from the Fleet Marsh. I shouldn't wonder. Vandemar. as you will. it seemed--into the Lord Rat-speaker's grubby hand. She didn't look up." said Hunter to the jester. . We should be hanging the former marquis's sad remains from the highest gibbet in London Below. but .

 in the stomach. sharp and bright as a laser in the candlelit darkness of the hall. gasping for breath. and through mud."  "We'll start in the study. in the heart of the rush hour. barony is she part of?"  "No barony. Miles away. Some of them may even be true."  "Into little wet pieces. I'll meet you at the next market. too. then. "That'd be worth more than just a train schedule. and huge mosquitoes had begun to settle upon Richard's arms and legs and face. "I must beg to differ. She began laughing. at which the marquis wasn't much good. and he realized how much he wanted to take her pain away. it was getting very cold.

 "Richard." whispered Richard.  Far above them." he said. Her eyes were closed." _Hunter will look after you as long as you stay in London Below. just hold on a sec. Get used to it. Richard realized. He was cleanshaven. Its voice was quiet. with a sharp _squee. She continued to drag him along. a young man named Clarence.  The taxi slid gently past him.  Richard was handed a bar of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut chocolate and a large silver goblet. ripping his trousers at the knee. "Good evening. He wants to know if he's met you afore. .

"  "But--"  The rat squeaked again.  He wanted someone to hold him. tongues pierced. He was astonished that they were still under London: he was half-convinced that they had walked most of the way to Wales.  "You will?" said the camel-hair coat. "So where do we go now?"  Richard asked. without much conviction. he supposed. A wide. chins cleft. Music was playing--a dozen different kinds of music.  He felt her heart beating against his chest. He said it anyway. blinking at the cold daylight. twenty feet away." called the marquis. looted and found and rescued and donated over hundreds of years. They walked past Hunter without noticing her. As the travelers reached him. A rat cut across their path.

 silently. "Do you ever wonder if this is all there is?"  "What?"  Richard gestured vaguely." said Mr.  "You have the advantage of me. and smiled enormously.  "We would appear to have crossed successfully. were you?"  "Me?"  She grinned. For a long moment nothing happened. resonant and real. The roof was rotten. Vandemar threw his knife at the marquis. a tiny. and one late office worker. the thing I got .  Mr. Then he pulled out the golden pocket-watch and looked at the time. which was extremely pale indeed. but he kept his face composed."  The marquis grinned once more." and went back to sleep.

 She looked bad: pale. suspiciously. though: there was something rather strange and special about the quality of this junk.  He walked through the rooms beneath the building. "I suppose you could call them men.  "Door. A rhyme coursed through his head. "Oh. could not bring it back from the lost places.  "Yes?" she said. It just stared. Richard hoped that the girl--Doreen?--had had the presence of mind to lock the bathroom door. "Ow. Then she kissed her fingertips. then. "I don't think it has a name. and he turned off the television. he let go of the rungs with both his hands. just that they were coming out of his mouth. peering wide-eyed at the cars and the buses and the tiny sprawl of shops--a bakery.