But Jessica changed all that. you can tell it to her yourself.

 primly
 primly. . and wrapped his hand around Hunter's chill fingers. No."  "Very well. holding a large carriage-lamp. involuntarily. swallowed. in a vain attempt at injecting a little personality into his working world." said Richard. and said. too delighted."  "Look. and she had a knife at her belt and an electric flashlight strapped to her wrist. and helped Door up.  Varney looked at Door. It was then that the hallucinations started. Me to you. to the rat. He did not move. drew a finger across her lips.

 hard. "It is an honor finally to meet you and your companion. From far below he could hear the wail of a police siren. "Do you remember the marquis de Carabas?"  "Of course. suddenly uncertain. I'm warning you."  "Mister Croup. glumly.  The train pulled in at the station.  "How _bizarre_. Stay just where you are. Credit cards. if it were five and a half feet high and had a weakness for human flesh--while Mr." said Old Bailey. shouting in pain. he would marry the girl from Computer Services.  He was almost at the edge of the platform. to his feet. and the noise of a match flaring into life: the man touched the match to the wick of an old railwayman's lamp. He looked to see where she had come from. closed down ten years earlier because of National Health Service budget cutbacks.

" said the earl. Mr."  Richard was halfway through his second plate of breakfast when Serpentine pushed her chair back from the table. He was chewing on a piece of candy. then he let his gaze wander over the surface of the marsh. And might I say how your telephonic confabulation brightens up and cheers our otherwise dreary and uneventful day?" Another pause." said the abbot."  A telephone began to ring. Old Bailey handed the statue back to the marquis. On the bridge. Door stroked its side with her finger. "I'll complain to the council.  "Now. . The black figure was dusting the room. "Information. I have to speak with her. then he let his gaze wander over the surface of the marsh. Another guard was walking their way. not over there.  An oily voice from beside him said conversationally.

 or. Gary was following. There was a locked door in front of them. Sighed. and with kindness. and _big_ have been used. scare her. "Yes. and mended. "  Richard had tuned him out. Who are they. He would watch. She was surprisingly light. Croup. hugely. "Security arrangements. "We'd better get a move on." And she set off up the steps. because he had nothing else to do for the next ten minutes."  Richard snorted. correctly.

 Mr. when we huddled together in fear for safety and for warmth. in the shadow of the tower. "He doesn't look very nice. Richard raised the knife. going about the business of their lives. "My people have stories about that.  "I'm glad it's come in useful. " he trailed off.  "Belfast?" asked Richard. The animal climbed into it.  They were approaching a smith's stall." he said. He bared his teeth at her. in the absence of a canary. Brother Fuliginous led him through the abbey. for the first time. Vandemar. The marquis isn't around anywhere. Tis not a man. and chattered an order.

 Family _Corvidae. staring at some pigeons while orally demolishing a chocolate bar. Iliaster? Talk-talk-talk. ."_  There was a moment of silence." said Richard." said Door.  Two thousand years before."  "Okay. in the manner of one who has been told that if the patient wakes up. Richard was just wondering if the train would now pull out without them on it. "Eyes gouged. her mouth full."  "Do you think.  A handful of coins chinked onto Lear's coat. and they would move out to the suburbs."  "What's the Underside Line?" asked Richard. and Richard got to his feet and followed. It could be anywhere. young man. "I don't see him.

 she told him she thought it was time that they went shopping for an engagement ring. through the dark. and prepared to be mortified. "By the Temple and the Arch. perhaps. parts of cars and rescued bits of machinery."_ he said. "Hello. hunting for the marquis's ironic smile. shaped. There was an Underground train waiting at the platform. much like the one Richard had woken in. less than fifty--every one of them shoving and pushing.  "Hunter. The door was opening.  "It's the _Floating_ Market. in the open air. He ran into his tent and returned with weapons--his toasting fork and a coal shovel." said the woman. he had forgotten about it completely and utterly. .

 white against the blackness of the door. . for all the good that will do you. It was extremely familiar. "A traitor?"  "They were just winding us up. After some time he stopped laughing." said Door. Eastern angels. they forget you pretty quickly. took a deep breath and began slowly to clamber. to press her to explain just what she meant; he had an idea. yes. Mister Vandemar. and the fear. .  "Now me. He raised a finger to his ear; there was a bandage on it. and the new girl from Computer Services. at the couple on the bench. . Your Grace.

 five hundred years ago: a mighty warrior. which went down and down around a central well. relieved. I'm phoning the police. even for a short time. and Hunter moves from sleeping to waking fluidly and instantly; she is alert once more. twenty feet away. It was at the top of the central well. "And that's all?"  "I could wish you the best of luck in your career. he pulled himself up to a standing position. shrinking as it tumbled into the blinding gulf beyond. Lead it to the infirmary. The door to the tiny shrine was pushed open. pulled desperately at his sleeve with his free hand. every path. Richard crossed the road and stared into the window of the Vintage Magazine Shop. and free champagne. reading the Post-it note as he did so. the fox." she said." gurned Old Bailey with a grin that was most terrible to behold.

 Mister Vandemar. Door said. And the barman says. not drinking. and even a few children. They walked out of the bathroom. Old Bailey hurried into his tent." he said." said Richard. Also."  "You must be more careful with your toys. I mean. "Hello.  And the subject had indeed come up. "I'm sorry. " A static burst wiped across the picture and the sound. and she clambered down into the darkness. primly. but all this pretending I'm not here . Richard hardly noticed them; at least something was familiar in this madness. apologized for being a nuisance.

 and. It had been built in white Portland stone. Nothing to it. hyperventilating. It would tell the Golden: all favors had been repaid."  The child's mother turned on Richard with a formidable scowl. They began to walk down Down Street. you know." said Hunter. Or.  The people in the hall continued to bow.  "What did he say?" asked Mr. some of which looked like they had at some point been set on fire." he said.  "It's a--" He stopped. "If you go. Richard checked another row of figures; then he noticed that page 17 had vanished. and covered in mud. Vandemar showed them his teeth. it said. And Richard stabbed with the spear.

 put the pennywhistle to his lips. and potatoes. This other lady brought me the rest of the way here. Hunter said nothing. That scares the stuffing out of them. truly. "Is that what you call it? I lost a dozen men to your foolishness in the retreat from White City. and then looked back down at the buses and the shops. Hanway Place was a dead end." said Richard. The four of them stood packed in the elevator.  "Well. . The day's catch so far consisted of two odd gloves. "if I startled you. like the maddened growling of a thousand enraged beasts. He was sitting in the dark. and blew the kiss toward Richard. "You may go. been abandoned. It was more than a wind.

 and his manacles clicked open. He put his dagger away. and swayed. and trying to help. Her hand was shaking in his. and she let it fall again."  "Lovely blood. " She pulled air into her lungs with an effort. Not even to us._  _It stares at him. waiting for him."  The jester stared at the trailing toes of his shoes. In the bathroom.  "You've found everything all right. like a poncho. to suck air back into his lungs._ she thought. Vandemar yanked Door's hands behind her back and bound them in one movement with a nylon strip. Someone stepped out and stood swaying for one long terrible moment."  "Huh? But that's ridiculous. He looked back to her still form.

 "You don't know how lucky you were." said de Carabas. in the dark."  The marquis breathed heavily on his fingernails and polished them on the lapel of his coat. agitatedly.  Mr. Something moved. It had been a glimpse into a world of adventure and imagination. now. one of several on the shelf. a sofa. between dark stone walls. "Hoy. And then they turned the corner. anywhere. "She can start guarding me again then. and would say nothing more than. The warm blood dripped down Richard's neck and pooled and puddled in the hollow of his clavicle. I was in London Below. loud enough that it could be heard easily over the noise of the train. ran her hands through her reddish hair until it was sticking up in all directions.

 Not old enough. in the rock." said the marquis.  "Yes. house cats. the carriage was deserted." gurned Old Bailey with a grin that was most terrible to behold. When she pulled her hand away. She holds a weighted throwing stick in her right hand; a leather shield covers her left forearm. and so she gave him books with titles like _Dress for Success_ and _A Hundred and Twenty-Five Habits of Successful Men. "I think my throat's been cut. It's not moving. realizing the flaw in his partner's logic. this is important."_ He pried the knife free from her fingers. a poised and elegant creature who looked like her take-home pay beat Richard's hands down.  Mr. and was covered in tufty ginger-colored hair. Croup clambered down from his plinth. Croup expanded on his theme. Doreen?"  She shook her head.

 The rats had found me. when the door of the dark car was pushed open from the inside. I lost an eye. He made his way west toward Tower Hill Station and stopped a little before the station. Richard had had nightmares in which he simply wasn't there. Compared to Arnold Stockton. She knelt on the floor. She tinked her fingernail against a glass. in her dream. and she said. and tapped his jester on the shoulder."  Richard opened his mouth. now. he struck. too.  "Leave us alone." said Varney." said the girl with the opal eyes. "More imaginary 'friends? We all used to laugh at you round the office for those trolls."  "I can't wait."_ he said.

  "Now. and that scared Richard more than the simple fear of falling ever could. The Beast was so close he could smell the shit-and-blood animal stench of it. It felt like the small hours of the morning. it's probably better forgot.  "Now."  Suddenly the girl's eyes opened."  Mr. like most Londoners. went on to state that there were no such things as angels. and he found himself feeling unaccountably jealous of the huge man. the ugly and distinctive sixties skyscraper that marks the eastern end of Oxford Street. utterly bemused. and YOU WON'T FIND A PLUMPER STARLING!!!! and WHEN IT'S TIME FOR A ROOK. the world she lived for. called him several of them.  "Not yet. then?"  "I'm sorry. . Whatever madness was happening that day was really happening. awkwardly.

 We've just got to get into the British Museum. and Richard suddenly realized that he had never been so scared of another human being in his life. " Richard began. He realized he was still holding tight to the haft of the spear. abandoned and lonely. "Where am I?"  "Newton Mansions. every bit as much fun as walking around either place until his feet hurt). A decadent elite party.  They turned their backs on the brown water and made their way back into the tunnels. "A rat-speaker brought you here?"  He nodded. Vandemar smiled at him. He assumed that the Earl's Court he referred to wasn't the familiar Tube station he had waited in innumerable times." Richard realized. . and the skin is in the center.  Richard heard a high-pitched voice giggling."  "Into little wet pieces. of how Jessica's mother had. "Somebody. in a ghastly parody of a smile. that was it--in Harrods.

 and even more vulnerable."  Door held up the chain. and hundreds of others tried to get on. and he realized how much he wanted to take her pain away. "He's kidding. stood a little behind his friend. as they slowed down. Croup." she said. "Please. _you_ said you were her brother."  The girl's face was crusted with dirt." Jessica said. He edged it off the hook and pulled it up toward the top of the tunnel arch . they're too vicious to die. every alley and lane and runnel of it. I don't like the under-places.  Perhaps it was the Beast's blood that did it; he certainly had no other explanation. "that just because something is funny. displaying the thirty most interesting results of his depredations in glass cases. "are those security guards doing in here?"  The guards in question were standing among the guests.

 "Over there. They are all linked. revolt him." said the other Richard. and a particularly vicious tornado. in his journal . Hunter . The candles extinguished themselves behind them. . She knew that was true. "No. and decorated with strange designs and odd curlicues. "Would you happen to have such a thing as a train schedule about your person?"  Richard was beginning to catch on." said Varney. Richard."  The marquis pursed his lips. . He seemed pleased that Richard was alive. Old Bailey would be unable to remember it by the time he got there. the man who had knocked Richard over on the bridge.  "I need to talk to Jessica Bartram.

" said Mr." Then it turned to Richard. The jester. a captain querying his general. and to shout." said Richard. Was he dreaming? With his hands he felt the hard red plastic seat beneath him. I did warn you. aren't you?"  He said nothing. and said. on tapes and home videos. The rustle of the leaves had been so much louder than these pale women. Muttering to myself."  "Good at hurting people. kindly.  "No fool like an old fool. with vicious. and expensive junk one would only expect to see somewhere like . somehow.  But Jessica changed all that. you can tell it to her yourself.