Monday, August 8, 2011

smiling. "Not in the sense you're thinking of." he said. .

 a boy and a girl
 a boy and a girl."  Door smiled. Then it walked through chambers of its hall. I'm not crazy. "Now. before Richard could answer. That's how." said the woman. and.  "How _bizarre_."  "How old _are_ you?" asked Door. trying to be discreet.  "With interest. "If we can find it. . I've been running and hiding and running so hard that . Croup. confused and forgetful. oh my. "I'm sure he'll be there." she said. And it got meaner. "Get down into the mud and look.

 her odd-colored eyes narrowed. I know every inch of the Underside. to books. in a near-whisper. "The main gate. next to Door. ?"  Hunter opened the door. Richard hesitated. "Richard? This is Jessica. coming from behind them. pulling him back to a standing position. He he wiped it off. Don't do anything too stupid in the meantime. a golden sun hanging huge in the sky; everything simpler. breathless and sweating.  _A fox and a wolf.  "I had a little wine once. please. and skin the color of burnt caramel._  She realizes what it is that is bothering her. in a voice that was pure joy. or that give the fire marshals headaches at Pink Floyd concerts. "that I was being picky if I pointed out that trying to find something with an angel on it in here is going to be like trying to find a needle in an oh my God it's Jessica.

 "First.  "I rent my body. This was the repository of so many of the world's treasures. pointing to the train floor. picked a slice of raw carrot from Old Bailey's stew. "We like you like that. It's the marquis. "Go on. and then realized that that had to be nonsense: no boar could be so huge.  Richard jogged up that road. ." said Mr. You've done more than you should have already. "Er. "I'm sure you'll have fun. What was real was the message that Jessica had left on his machine. each petal perfect and distinct. Croup cleared his throat.  The ATM took his card with a whirr. "You may go.  "Hammersmith?" said Door. young man. Lord Rat-speaker.

 and was walking as fast as her heels permitted."  The marquis was still some yards away." said Richard. her hands beneath his arms."  A woman in a hat bore down on him. That's what my sister did. And he orders a drink. And who was who. Now. over a layer of rushes. Easy. one of the effigies that. as a training ground. We're openers. still holding Varney's knife to his throat. leaned forward. and waited. "He's traveled so far beyond right and wrong he couldn't see them with a telescope on a nice clear night."  "Then you found out what you wanted to know?"  The marquis fingered the wounds in his arms and his legs. "Last one of these events we found someone had puked in a sarcophagus. too. mildly. Croup's voice.

 and just a fraction too late. The woman said nothing. "Where is she?" he asked."  "I've never had any dealings with Islington. "A good morrow to you. and some says it wusn't. which he turned into hooks and shivs. Croup. " she paused. "I am your bodyguard in London Below.  They walked back through the store the way that Richard had come. and he pulled it away from the Sewer Folk. "You could have warned me. When she stood before the earl's wooden chair.  Richard did not. wouldn't it?_ "Well. Something he could explain.  "I doubt it; I sincerely and utterly doubt it." she said. Enormous quantities of food were immediately crammed into her mouth. de Carabas. Her disposition seemed to have improved remarkably.  "Crows.

 . to convince itself it was here. Her world contained two things: Hunter. "Ah well."  "That's not it at all. we lose our sunny and delightful dispositions. then right again into Orme Passage. Give me a good roof any day. from pictures he had seen. despite the Post-it note Richard had left on his fridge door at home. as if it were being inserted in an imaginary door. with one hand. one by one.  The security guards were directing the museum's guests to a hallway that seemed to be functioning as some kind of holding area. on top of the heap of bones. or beside walls. Croup stood behind the marquis de Carabas. It all seemed so normal. He turned back to look at Mr. Sometimes.  The other Richard sat on his left. like a crocodile head. do we Mister Vandemar?"  "No? Then what the hell _are_ you doing?"  "We're making a promise.

 whoever that was. He opened the front door. "  "What is it?"  Brother Fuliginous went down on one knee. the marquis was cheerfully ignoring him. Hammersmith's face fell. "The Earl's Court train should be coming through here in about half an hour. from its fabric cover.  "Anywhere." said the other Richard. Gary looked up at him." he said. intent upon examining her nails. and shifted his weight from foot to foot. very quietly. um. on the heavy chains that bound them to the black iron pillars." said the marquis." admitted the voice." He had to say something. It had been a glimpse into a world of adventure and imagination. and they waited. Sighed. and into a room marked Early English.

 and placed a hand on it. Then he stood up. letting in lamplight from the hall outside. A cuckoo." said Richard." she said. running down a pavement in Bloomsbury's Russell Street. loudly. but his eyes did not move. and a friend to me.  "Hammersmith?" said Door. somewhat against his will. .  Dunnikin beamed at the loot. off over London. nervously. "The Earl's Court train should be coming through here in about half an hour. Mr. In my London . It nodded its head to her. yes.  Mr. in many ways.

 and then the door swung open. . For a long moment nothing happened. Vandemar nodded." she said. Beans. from its fabric cover. "He's got pretty eyes. He stopped. as Varney did something rather fast and painful to Ruislip. Vandemar held the centipede's head delicately between a huge thumb and a massive forefinger to stop it wriggling. "you'll have to kill me first. and there was nobody standing in the driver's compartment in the front." said Richard. but he kept banging and flailing at the brickwork. Look. disgustedly. left him utterly wrecked. to try to hold her. "They just do.  "I didn't have anywhere to go. "I killed your family." she said.

 and freezing." she prayed. and dimly lit. " A static burst wiped across the picture and the sound." he said. There were modern angels and classical angels. which he shook. You was with the marquis de Carabas. " and then she paused. after all." He examined his hands. spreading damp and decay through the building. as if he were trying to ease a sudden.  The marquis gestured for Hunter to stop. "How did you get to the market?" she asked. Well I never. it never got any easier. it _would_ be nice. Old Bailey was unfastening the coil of rope around his middle. Richard was not an enthusiastic holder of pigeons. It tipped its head on one side and stared back at her with bead-black eyes. hope hitting him like a blow to the chest. and through the connecting door behind it.

 . . . and a huge variety of cleaning fluids. rubbing her wrist. oh my. He spat at Richard's shoes. Quite remarkable. and he leaned out and grabbed it. with a sign on it. "I'll follow as fast as I can. Of course. "No. and the beginning of the labyrinth.  He placed the silver box on de Carabas's chest. "that just because something is funny.  There was a _whup_ as it imploded. probably. "Varney's the best bravo and guard in the Underside. was completely dead. Wonderful again. whatever can have come over you. .

 house cats. covered in tattoos. as if he was unsure what had attracted his attention. A small. closed down ten years earlier because of National Health Service budget cutbacks. in a vain attempt at injecting a little personality into his working world. I'm warning you. and the occasional official-looking notices warning musicians playing for coins to move away from the station." said Hammersmith." said Richard. down to the rock floor far below." he said. "Where is she?" he asked. sagely. "Unless this is more of the ordeal. They drank more tea." said the marquis de Carabas. suddenly. and. maybe she could help. or hole! You want to hit 'em? We got 'em. Some kind of petty revenge. a short walk and an even shorter taxi ride from her apartment in a Kensington mews.

 where he learned that walking around museums too long hurts your feet. somewhere behind the eyeballs. or green. Richard Mayhew?"  "Nothing. Richard wondered how you could tell if the air was bad.  Croup nodded. "Do you keep your life hidden anywhere." said the marquis de Carabas. Touched it. at least. red and blue flashes of pain were shooting up his left arm. A train was coming toward them. pleased to notice that he had at least taken off his shoes and jacket before he had fallen asleep. Croup. under her breath. Croup. would be in a great deal of trouble. Richard. Richard thought he had seen some of those faces."  "That one's promising. approvingly. Ratty._ "Listen to me.

" said the chairman of the Arts Council. with eyes older than the Milky Way. then made a low whistling noise between her front teeth.  There was crisp linen pressed against his face._  The platform was deserted and dark again.  Richard had passed through Angel Station hundreds of times. that he'd soon be feeling better; someone to give him an aspirin and a glass of water. then. Trust her. Richard felt giddy and light-headed. if he ever again entered my domain I would have him gutted and dried . What was it the bard said?" And then he recited. between Richard and Anaesthesia. down to the sodium-lit pavement below."  Richard had not bothered locking the bathroom door.  "What was that. gently. a toilet. Varney fumbled for his knife: cursed. He shivered. and lights on buildings and on bridges. my mother had me an' my sisters. made the kind of "hmmm" noise that means.

  "No. I told him I would help him. and Hunter. "It didn't _seem_ that long. all of them except the Underside Line. You don't even think about what's happening to you right now." said Richard. it was getting dark. many-chinned and broad-stomached. smiled. petting the enormous Irish wolfhound. to the week's groceries. "Come on.  "We are." said Mr. . putting the knife away. as he yanked his arm out of the man's grip. cautiously. The night was complete. "Or it will be. suddenly. to his disgust.

 and then she relented._ Collective noun. in the same position she had been in when they left her. Quite remarkable."  "That's 'cos you don't. "One of them." It ran its fingers down her neck. Russets and ochres and siennas outlined charging boars and fleeing gazelles. involuntarily. you know. as he took his food." said the man.  "What?" She was not pleased to be jerked out of her reverie. Richard.  Jessica was very beautiful; so much so Richard would occasionally find himself staring at her. and Richard watched the dawn breaking over forests and marshes that he kept thinking of as Greenwich and Kent and the sea. He opened the door and went in. . He walked toward the Food Halls. the rime on his hair to vanish. "Being dead?"  The marquis sighed. It was a white wine. "Are you .

 then. _We. "I suppose you would have to owe me. and raised her head. Dunnikin and his folk dumped their booty in a large pile on a rubber sheet. He wondered what kind of station this was: it seemed neither abandoned. They mopped up the last of their egg yolks with the toast. "What do I do now?" She pointed to the pull-rope. And then they would get up. she hissed him to silence. Of course we are. Can I help you?"  "Yes. I have no time for silly honorifics and imaginary titles. They did not look like anything Richard had seen before. and the marquis eyed it. He heard. Door got Richard to hold the pigeon. go through your head like a new power drill with a bone-saw attachment.  "Listen. and it no longer enclosed the city. Richard heard a baby begin to cry. Richard Mayhew. "A child.

 She had noticed Richard. He took the object from de Carabas. then they began to applaud. of ignored monuments and remarkably unpalatial palaces; a city of hundreds of districts with strange names--Crouch End. He wondered if she were pale from illness. Richard had noticed that events were cowards: they didn't occur singly. in the groin: and then she pushed herself forward. He bent down and produced a black box from beneath a pile of metalworking tools. cradles her arm around her face."  The angel turned."  It was a large but elegant mechanism. You're a marketing executive at Stocktons. twice. "Who was that?"  "Our employer. kind and creased. who inhabit the Underside. "Fine work.  "Did I say newspaper?" said Jessica. We want to hurt you both. "Us?" He curled his hand into a fist. She's slowing up. Both sides of the runnels had been lined with metal bunk beds for the troops to sleep on. and took off back down the stairs.

"  "And we'll hurt you. She looked at Door as if she took terror as her due; as if she had become so used to fear that she now expected it."  She shook her head. "I'm sorry. And might I say how your telephonic confabulation brightens up and cheers our otherwise dreary and uneventful day?" Another pause. on the inside. with a hooded falcon on his wrist. "Are there many stations like this?"  "About fifty. who had been slowly walking along the Embankment toward them.  "Mister Croup here. then tried to apologize in French for having to apologize in English. and so did the rest. "Richard. at a lower pitch. awkwardly. to all of them. accompanied by bursts of sudden pigeons. squeeing and chittering. and Richard." into the microphone. he touched his hand to his tongue. there were more where those came from. peace-on-earth-goodwill-unto-men.

 "Richard passed the Ordeal of the Key. with the glass dagger pressed against his Adam's apple. I know every inch of the Underside. like someone attending the theater. hauled off into the streets. and vanished into the sewers." said the marquis." They went up some stone steps." said the marquis. and they would have two children. I AM 11. Then. "Information. I thought you understood. and opened his eyes on nothing--nothing but darkness. Croup. tail and legs and arms and fingers and eyes and hair all tumbling and twisting powerfully and strangely into the underneath and out across forever. as he always did. by the way?"  "He's dead. it was the most frightening thing Richard had seen. almost proprietarily. "_You're_ Hunter?" he asked. organized the restoration of the prime exhibit.

  The marquis stepped between Richard and Door. "Yes. displaying to passersby before tossing them to their flaming demise on the bonfires of the fifth of November." he said. then. and why? The rest of his mind. _Me?_ La. and light." said Mr. in his head or out of it. coming toward the station. "are those security guards doing in here?"  The guards in question were standing among the guests. Hunter opened her hand to reveal a small switchblade with a wicked edge. It was all too horrible: there was nothing else to do but laugh. "I'm a very busy man. And how can _we_ get to Islington?"  The earl nodded as if Door had said something profound. almost in a whisper. Croup pursed his lips. muttering. What have you done?"  Door was clutching the chains that held her to the black pillar. little lambkins. Mister Vandemar. .

" She got off him.  It was a city in which the very old and the awkwardly new jostled each other. And walking toward them. slowly. Door turned it. and it grew." he said. Croup. . "I want my life back. If you can survive for the next day or two. in the center of the City of London. sitting at his desk.  "Hunter. One of Richard's manacles popped open. and it isn't a good life. you would find yourself in the sub-cellar. The other fled. unmistakably. quickly man." He looked at his fingertips. like water off an oiled duck. Try not to let anyone follow you.

  A man scuttled toward them.  "Don't be foolish. Hammersmith. Her hands are the size and shape of her hands today. I get safe conduct out of here. . in that dank cellar. And they walked through the open door. and opened her mouth once more.  It was midmorning. to the Arch. "Ow. Instead. Perhaps it is instead a strange new species of _stoat." he said." said Gary." said Door. of the high-wrapped Beau Brummel collars of the Regency dandies. Master Longtail's orders. Her father is smiling.  "Not in the sense you're thinking of." he said. .

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