"There's a whole world underneath London that I never dreamed existed." "Not just underneath, it's the rooftops." "It's everywhere." "I helped a girl in trouble." "I helped a girl in trouble." "I survived an ordeal, and right now, I'm on my way through a labyrinth with a mad bastard who just came back from the death." "and a bodyguard who turned out to be whatever the opposite of a bodyguard is." "That girl I mentioned is still in trouble." "and I'm still out of my depth." "Hunter." " Can you hear me?" " Yes." "The creature's just biding its time." "It'll be back." "You're going to all right." "Do you keep your life hidden anywhere, Hunter?" "I'm a hunter!" "We don't go in for that kind of thing." "Richard, have you ever used a spear?" "No." "Take it." "Do it!" "Pick it up!" "Hold it the blunt end." " I knew that bit." " I know." "Look, let's all stay... very quiet." "Maybe it will go." "I did a bad thing, Richard Mayhew." "A very bad thing." "Now I make amends." "Stop it." "Hunter, get down!" "Hey!" "Where are you?" " Maybe it' gone away." " I doubt it." " We'll get you some help." " Come on, you bastard!" "Are you scared?" "Now, Richard." "Strike!" "Hunter!" "I am still here, Richard Mayhew." "Hunter!" " Is it dead?" " I think so." " It's not moving." " You killed the Beast." "Now you are the greatest hunter... in London Below." "The Warrior." "I can't feel my hands." "Take my right hand." " Is there still a knife in it?" " Yes." "Now take her." "She's yours." "She's always looked after me." "Clean my blood off her, though." "Mustn't rust the blade." "A good hunter always looks after his weapons." "Now, wipe the beast's blood" " on your eyes and tongue." " What?" "Do it." "That's good." "Now, go." " We can't just leave her here." " Go!" " We can come back for the body later.." " And what if there isn't a later?" "Then we'll just have to hope that someone disposes of all our remains." "And now, the Lady Door must be getting tired of waiting for us." "Come in, Richar Mayhew, come in." "I was rather hoping you would grace us with your presence." "Dear me, you do look a mess." " Where is Hunter?" " She's dead." " Oh, poor dear." " Still, can't make an omelette without..." " Killing a few people." " Door, are you all right?" "So far." "Enough." "The Lady Door was proving a little intransigent." "I was just discussing having Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar..." " Torture her." " She doesn't strike me..." " as someone who will easily change her mind." " Give us enough time..." " we'd break her.." " Into little, wet bits.." "No time." "However, she might well be someone who would change her mind." " to end the pain and suffering of a friend." " But it's wrong!" "Wrong?" "He's travelled so far beyond right and wrong, he couldn't see them with a telescope on a nice, clear night." "Now, Mr Vandemar, if you'll do the honours." "You've got the Key." "What do you need her for?" "When I was sentenced here, they gave me the door to my prison." "And they took the key to the door and they placed it down here, too." "An exquisite form of torture." "The Blackfriars were keeping it safe from you." "A key, a door, an Opener of the door." "There must be the three." "A particularly refined sort of joke." "They told me that when, one day, they'd decide I have earned my freedom, the Key would be sent, together with an Opener." "I have simply taken matters into my own hands and would be leaving a little early." "I spoke first to your father, Door." "He wanted to unite London Below." "I told him I would help him if he would help me." "Then I told him the nature of the help I needed." "and he laughed at me." "He laughed at me." "You killed him because he turned you down." "I didn't kill him." "I had him killed." "There's someone else out there." "Mr Croup." "I already killed you once." "What does it take to teach some people?" " You told me he was dead.." " He is." " He was." " I will not be lied to." "How can you behave like this?" "You're an angel." "What did I tell you, Richard Mayhew?" "You said Lucifer was an angel." "Lucifer?" "Lucifer was an idiot." "It wound up lord and master of nothing at all." "And you wound up lord and master of two thugs and a room full of candles." "They told me it was my punishment for Atlantis." " I told them that it was unfortunate." " Millions of people were killed." "They deserved it!" "Just one of those things." "Chain him up." "My father told me I could trust you." "He told me to come here, on his journal." "He didn't." "He never did." "We took the journal, fixed it, and then returned it." "Trust Islington" "I thought my version would get you here a little faster." "Where does the door lead to?" " Home." " Heaven?" "Sou you figure they won't notice you're back?" "Just "Oh, look, there's another angel, grab a harp and on with the Hosannas"?" "Not for me, the smooth agonies of adulation." "of hymns and halos and self-seeking prayers." " I have my own agenda." " Well, you have got the Key." "And you're the Opener." "Without you, the Key is useless." "She'll never do it, no matter how much you hurt us." "I don't have to hurt any of you." "Serve me." "You're sick." " Ah, me." " Right, back to plan A then." " Cut off his ear." " This is your lucky day." "Stop them!" "I'll open your door." "Remember, I have your friends." " Give me the key." " Door, don't do it." "Don't set it free." "We don't matter." "Actually, I matter very much but I have to agree, don't do it." "When I am gone, kill them all howsoever you wish." "When I have my throne, all the revards your revolting little minds can conceive of will be yours." "And when the vastness of creation is mine and they gather around my throne to sing hosannas to my name," "I shall reward the worthy and cast down those who are hateful in my sight!" "That is not Heaven!" "You murderous witch, what have you done?" "That wasn't the real key." "It was just a copy" "I had Hammersmith make in the market." " It opened the door!" " No." "I opened the door within the door." "I opened it to somewhere as far and as hard away as I could." "I will kill you!" "Liked you kill my family?" "I don't think you're going to be killing anybody anymore." "Close the door!" "I'll tell you where your sister is." "She's still alive..." "I killed your family, not him." "Now I'm finally going to..." " Well, where did you send them?" " I don't know." "A long way away." "I am very tired now." " May your family at last rest in peace." " Thank you." " So what happens now?" " In what way?" "Weel, you wanted to avenge your family, and you have," "and you're no longer in any danger, are you?" " Not for right now." "And you?" " Have you got what you wanted?" " I believe so." "The Lady Door owes me a significanr favour." "So, what about me?" "What about getting me back home?" "Who do you think she is, the Wizard of Oz?" "You can't send you back home." "This is your home." "There has to be a way!" " Where is the key?" " Door." "Not me." "I slipped into your pocket after the Market yesterday." "You mean, when I told Croup and Vandemar that I had it, and they were welcome to search me" "I had it?" "Crumbs." "Warrior, give me the key." " You killed the Beast, you are the Warrior." " Oh I see." "I don't get to go home, but as a consolation prize." "I've made it on to some archaic underground honours list." "Look at the good you've done." "You've survived the ordeal." " You won the key." " So what?" "You forged a new one." "We didn't have to..." "We couldn't have had Hammersmith make it without the original." "You're all very stupid people and you do not know anything." "Richard is the master of the key." "I don't need the key to the Heaven." "It's the key to all reality." "If Richard wishes to return to London Above," " then the key will take him." " It's that simple?" " Who is it?" " It's him, sire." " Richard Mayhew." " The Warrior, eh?" "Bring him here." " I thought you'd be taller." " Sorry." "Well, better get on with it." "You killed the Great Beast of London." "You are the Warrior." " Halvard, the Warrior's possessions." " They're here, your Grace." "The Lord Rat-speaker sent them for the Warrior." "He said no hard feelings." "It's all there." "I checked." "What did the bard say?" "Crimson the cuts of the carcass, fast falls the foe." "dauntless, devout defender, bravest of boys," "Give me your sward, boy." " Will this do?" " Yes, yes, yes." "Arise, Sir Richard of Mayberry, Warrior." "With this knife, I give you the freedom of the Underside." "May you be allowed to walk freely and without let or hindrance." "And so on and so forth, etcetera." "Blah de blah de blah." "Thank you." "It's Mayhew, actually." "This is where you get off." "Hello." "Hello." "Look... with the Angel gone, there's a lot of sorting out to do in London Below, and there's only me to do it." "It's my duty." "And there's my sister, she could still be alive." "You've been a really good friend to me, Richard, and I've sort of got to quite like having you around." "Please, don't go." "Well..." "I've got to, sort of, quite like having you around, too." "But I don't belong here." "Then we won't ever see each other again." "I suppose we won't." "Have you got the key?" "Okay." "Just walk." "Don't look back." "Taxi!" "Little Compton Street, please." " Morning, Mr Mayhew." " Fergus!" "Good morning to you, Mr Fergus, you marvellous security guard!" "All right." "Yeah, okay, bye." "The return of the prodigal, eh?" "Come on, this way." "How was Majorca?" "Where is my desk?" "Majorca?" " Don't you always go to Majorca?" " Not this time." " I needed a change." " You've certainly got one now." "Congratulations." "The Wandworth report." "Somebody must have been impressed." "You found everything all right, then?" "Yes." "Fine." " Thank you, Sylvia." " What happened to your finger?" " Oh, I broke it." " You weren't in a fight, were you?" " Me?" " Just teasing." "I suppose you got stuck in a door." "That's what my sister did." "Ni, I was in a..." "Door..." "I am the greatest warrior in London Below." "Prepare to die." "Ah." "But first, you shall drink a nice cup of tea." "Come in." " Hello, Richard." " Hello, Jess." "Sorry..." "Jessica." "Jess is fine." "Jessica, Jess." "Nobody's called me Jess for ages." "I rather miss it." "So what brings..." "Do I have the favour..." "I just wanted to see you, really." "That's nice." "I thought I could give it back to you, and then, if things worked out, one day, maybe you could give it back to me again." "Here, you keep it, Jessica." "I'm sorry." "Did you meet someone?" "No." "No one." "I've just changed." "That's all." "What's this?" " Keep it." " What d'you want?" "Nothing." "I really don't want anything." "Nothing at all." "Have you ever got everything that you ever wanted and then realized that it wasn't what you wanted at all?" " I can't say that I have." " I thought I wanted all this." "I thought I wanted a nice, normal life." "See this knife?" "Don't hurt me." "I haven't done nothing." "Oh no." "It's all right." "It's okay." "Hunter gave this to me as she died." "I wiped her blood from the blade." "The Earl knighted me with it." " It gave me the freedom of the Underside." " I don't know nothing about it." "Please!" "Hey!" "Is anyone in there?" "Can you hear me?" "Door!" "..." "It' me!" "It's Richard..." "Door!" "Someone." "Sorry." "Oh, shit!" "Coming?"