Neverwhere (Unabridged) - Episode 15 🎧 #AudibleJourney #Fantasy #Audiobook | Ep - 15

chapter 15 they walked off the ship Down The Long Gangplank and onto the shore where they went down some steps through a long unlet underpass and up again lamia stroe confidently ahead of them she brought them out in a small cobbled alley gas lights burned and sputtered on the walls third door along she said they stopped in front of the door there was a brass plate on it which said the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to houses and beneath that in smaller letters down street please knock you get to the street through the house asked Richard no said lamia the street is in the house Richard knocked on the door nothing happened they waited and they shivered from the early morning cold Richard knocked again finally he rang the doorbell the door was opened by a sleepy looking footman wearing a powdered crooked wig and Scarlet Livery he looked at the motly rabble on his doorstep with an expression that indicated that they had not been worth getting out of bed for can I help you said the footman Richard had been told to off and die with more warmth than good humor down street said lamia imperiously this way s the footman if you'll wipe your feet they walked through an impressive Lobby then they waited while the footman lit each of the candles on a candleabra of the sort normally only seen on paperback book covers where it is traditionally clutched by a young lady in a flowing night dress who is fleeing from the kind of manor house that only has one light on anywhere burning in an attic window they went down some impressive richly carpeted stairs they went down a flight of less impressive less richly carpeted stairs they went down a flight of entirely unimpressive stairs carpeted in a threadbear brown sacking and finally they went down a flight of drab wooden stairs with no carpet on them at all at the bottom of those stairs was an antique service elevator with a sign on it the sign said out of order the footman ignored the sign and pulled open the wire outter door with a metallic thud lamia thanked him politely and stepped into the elevator the others followed the footman turned his back on them Richard watched him through the wire mesh clutching his candelabra going back up the wooden stairs there was a short row of black buttons on the wall of the the elevator lamia pressed the bottommost button the metal latice door closed automatically with a bang a motor engaged and the elevator began slowly creakily to descend the four of them stood close packed in the elevator Richard realized that he could smell each of the women in the elevator with him door smelled mostly of Curry Hunter smelled not unpleasantly of sweat in a way that made him think of great cats in cages at zoos while lamia smelled intoxicatingly of Honeysuckle and Lily of the Valley and musk the elevator continued to descend Richard was sweating in a clammy cold sweat and digging his fingernails deep into his palms in the most conversational tones he could muster he said now would be a very bad time to discover that one was claustrophobic wouldn't it yes said door then I won't said Richard and they went down finally there was a jerk and a clunk and a ratcheting noise and the elevator stopped Hunter pulled open the door looked about and then stepped out onto a narrow ledge Richard looked out of the open elevator door they were hanging in the the air at the top of something that reminded Richard of a painting he had once seen of the Tower of Babel or rather of how the Tower of Babel in the painting might have looked were it inside out it was an enormous and ornate spiral path carved out of rock which went down and down around a central well lights flickered dimly here and there in the walls beside the paths and Far Far Below them tiny fires were burning it was at the top of the central well a few thousand ft above Solid Ground that the elevator was hanging it swayed a little Richard took a deep breath and followed the others onto the wooden ledge then although he knew it was a bad idea he looked down there was nothing but a wooden board between him and The Rock floor thousands of feet below there was a long plank stretched between the ledge on which they stood on the top of the rocky path 20 ft away and I suppose he said with a great deal less insuance than he imagined this wouldn't be a good time to point out that I'm really crap at Heights it's safe said lamia where it was the last time I was here watch she walked across the board a rustle of Black Velvet she could have balanced a dozen books on her head and never dropped one when she reached the stone path at the side she stopped and turned and smiled at them encouragingly Hunter followed her across then turned and waited beside her on the edge see said door she reached out her hand squeezed Richard's arm it's fine Richard nodded and swallowed fine door walked across she did not seem to be enjoying herself but she crossed nonetheless the three women waited for Richard who stood there Richard noticed after a while that he did not seem to be starting to walk across the wooden plank despite any walk commands he sent to his legs far above them a button was pressed Richard heard the thk and the distant grinding of an elderly electric motor the door of the elevator slammed closed behind him leaving Richard standing precariously on a narrow wooden platform no wider than a plank itself Richard shouted door move the elevator began to ascend Richard stepped off the shaking platform and onto the wooden board then his legs turned to jelly beneath him and he found himself on all fours on the plank holding on for dear life there was a tiny rational part of his mind that wondered about the elevator who had called it back up and why the rest of his mind however was engaged in telling all his limbs to clutch the plank rigidly and in screaming at the top of its mental voice I don't want to die Richard closed his eyes as tightly as he could certain that if he opened them and saw the rock wall below him he would simply let go of the plank and fall and fall and I'm not scared of falling he told himself the bit I'm scared of is the bit where you stop falling and start being dead but he knew he was lying to himself it was the fall he was scared of afraid of flailing and tumbling helplessly through the air down to the Rock floor far below knowing there was nothing he could do to save himself no miracle that would save him he slowly became aware that someone was talking to him just climb along the plank Richard someone was saying I can't he whispered you went through worse than this to get the key Richard someone said it was door talking I'm really not very good at Heights he said obstinately his face pressed against the wooden board his teeth chattering then I want to go home he felt the wood of the plank pressing against his face and then the plank began to shake Hunter's voice said I'm really not sure how much weight the board will bear you two put your weight here the plank vibrated as someone moved along it towards him he clung to it with his eyes closed then Hunter said said quietly confidently in his ear Richard just Edge forward Richard a bit at a Time come on her caramel fingers stroked his white knuckled hand clasping the plank come on he took a deep breath and inched forward and froze again you're doing fine said Hunter that's good come on and inch by inch Creep by crawl she talked Richard along the plank and then at the end of the plank she simply picked him up her hands beneath his arms and placed him on Solid Ground thank you he said he could not think of anything else to say to Hunter that would be big enough to cover what she had just done for him he said it again thank you and then he said to all of them I'm sorry D looked up at him it's okay she said you're safe now Richard looked at the winding spiral Road beneath the world going down and down and he looked at Hunter and door and lamia and he laughed until he wept what door demanded when at length he had stopped laughing is so fun honey safe he said simply door stared at him and then she too smiled so where do we go now Richard asked down said lamia they began to walk down down street Hunter was in the lead with door beside her Richard walked next to lamia breathing in the lily of the valley honeysuckle scent of her and in enjoying her company I really appreciate you coming with us he told her uh being a guide I hope it's not going to be bad luck for you or anything she fixed him with her Fox Glove colored eyes why should it be bad luck and do you know who the rat speakers are of course there was a rat speaker girl named anesthesia she well we got to be sort of friends a bit and she was guiding me somewhere and then she got stolen on night's bridge I keep wondering what happened to her she smiled at him sympathetically my people have stories about that some of them may even be true you'll have to tell me about them he said it was cold his breath was steaming in the chilly air one day she said her breath did not steam it's very good of you taking me with you uh least we could do D and Hunter went around the curve in front of them and were lost to sight H you know said Richard the other two are getting a bit ahead of us we might want to hurry let them go she said gently we'll catch up it was thought Richard peculiarly like going to a movie with a girl as a teenager or rather like walking home afterwards stopping at bus shelters or beside walls to snatch a kiss a hasty fumble of skin and a tangle of tongues then hurrying on to catch up with your mates and her friends lamia ran a cold finger down his cheek you're so warm she said admiringly it must be wonderful to have so much warmth Richard tried to look modest it's not something I think about much really he admitted he heard distantly from above the metallic slam of the elevator door lamia looked up at him pleadingly sweetly would you give me some of your heat Richard she asked I'm so so cold Richard wondered if he should kiss her what I she looked disappointed don't you like me she asked he hoped desperately that he had not hurt her feelings of course I like you he heard his voice saying you're very nice and you aren't using all your heat are you she pointed out reasonably I suppose not and you said you'd pay me for being your guide and it's what I want as my payment warmth can I have some anything she wanted anything the Honeysuckle and the lily of the valley wrapped around him and his eyes saw nothing but her pale skin and her dark Plum Bloom lips and her jet black hair he nodded somewhere inside him something was screaming but whatever it was it could wait she reached up her hands to his face and pulled it gently down towards her and then she kissed him long and languorously there was a moment of initial shock at the chill of her lips and the cold of her tongue and then he succumbed to her kiss entirely after some time she pulled back he could feel the ice on his lips he stumbled Back Against The Wall he tried to Blink but his eyes felt as if they were frozen open she looked up at him and smiled delightedly her skin was flushed and pink and her lips were Scarlet her breath steamed in the cold air she licked her red lips with a warm Crimson tongue his world began to go dark he thought he saw a black shape and the edge of his vision more she said and she reached out to him he watched The Velvet pull Richard to her for the first kiss watched the rhyme and the frost spread over Richard's skin he watched her pull back happily and then he walked up behind her and as she moved into to finish what she had begun he reached out and seized her hard by the neck and lifted her off the ground give it back he rasped in her ear give him back his life The Velvet reacted like a kitten who had just been dropped into a bathtub wriggling and hissing and spitting and scratching it did her no good she was held tight by the throat you can't make me she said in decidedly unmusical tones he increased the pressure give him his life back he told her hoarsely and honestly or I'll break your neck she winced he pushed her towards Richard Frozen and crumpled against the rock wall she took Richard's hand and breathed into his nose and mouth vapor came from her mouth and trickled into his the ice on his skin began to thw the rhyme on his hair to vanish he squeezed her neck again all of it lamia she hissed then extremely grudgingly and opened her mouth once more a final puff of steam drifted from her mouth to his and vanished inside him Richard blinked the ice on his eyes had melted to tears and were running down his cheeks what did you do to me he asked she was drinking your life said the Marquee de Carabas in aoar whisper taking your warmth turning you into a cold thing like her lamia's face twisted like a tiny child deprived of a favorite toy her Fox Glove eyes flashed I need it more than he does she wailed I thought you liked me said Richard stupidly the Marquee picked lamia up one-handed and brought her face close to his go near him again you or any of the velvet children and I'll come by day to your Cavern while you sleep and I'll Burn It to the Ground understand she nodded he let go of her and she dropped to the floor then she pulled herself up to her full size which was not terribly tall threw back her head and spat hard into the Mar's face lamia picked up the front of her black velvet dress and ran up the slope and away her footsteps echoing through the winding Rock path of down street while her ice cold spittle ran down the Marquee's cheek he wiped it away with the back of his hand she was going to kill me stammered Richard not immediately said the Marquee dismissively you would have died eventually though when she finished eating your life Richard stared at the Marquee his skin was filthy and he seemed Ashen beneath the dark of his skin his coat was gone instead he wore an old blanket wrapped about his shoulders like a poncho with something bulky Richard could not tell what strapped beneath it he was barefoot and in what Richard took to be some kind of bizarre fashion affectation there was a discolored cloth wrapped all the way around his throat we were looking for you said Richard and now you found me croaked the Marquee dry uh we were expecting to see you at the market yes well some people thought I was dead I was forced to keep a low profile why why did some people think you were dead the Marquee looked at Richard with eyes that had seen too much and gone too far because they killed me he said come on the the others can't be too far ahead Richard looked over the side of the path across the central well he could see door and Hunter across the well on the level below they were looking around for him he assumed he called to them shouted and waved but the sound did not carry the Marquee laid a hand upon Richard's arm look he said he pointed to the a level beneath door and Hunter something moved Richard squinted he could make out two figures standing in the shadows grou and vandemar said the Marquee it's a trap oh what do we do run said the Marque warn them I can't run yet go damn you and Richard ran he ran as fast as he could as hard as he could down the sloping Stone Road under the world he felt a sudden stabbing pain in his chest a stitch and he pushed himself on and still he ran he turned a corner and he saw them all Hunter do he gasped breathless stop watch out door turned Mr K and Mr vandemar stepped out from behind a pillar Mr vandemar yanked door's hands behind her back and bound them in one movement with a nylon strip Mr C was holding something long and thin in a brown cloth cover like the kind Richard's father had used to carry his fishing rods in Hunter stood there her mouth open Richard shouted Hunter quickly she nodded spun around and kicked out one foot in a smooth almost btic motion her foot caught Richard squarely in the stomach he fell to the floor several feet away way winded and breathless and hurt Hunter he gasped I'm afraid so said Hunter and she turned away Richard felt sick and saddened the Betrayal hurt him as much as the blow Mr kup and Mr vandemar ignored Richard and Hunter entirely Mr vandemar was trussing door's arms while Mr K stood and watched down think of us as murderers and Cutthroats miss Mr K was saying conversationally think of us as an escort service only without the bosoms said Mr vandemar he sounded ever so slightly embarrassed Mr kup turned to Mr vandemar escort in the sense of a company Mr vandemar ensure our fair lady gets where she's going in safety I am comparing you neither to a lady of the evening nor to a Common Street Harlot Mr vandemar was unmollified said we were an escort service he muttered know what that is Strike it from the record Mr vemar I misspoke myself let us from henceforth be chaperon guards a companists Mr vandemar scratched his nose with a raven skull ring all right he said Hunter Stood Beside the rock face looking at none of them and Richard lay on the Rock floor and wried and tried somehow to suck air back into his lungs Mr K turned back to door and smiled showing many teeth you see Lady door we are going to make sure you get safely to your destination door ignored him Hunter she called what's Happening Hunter did not move nor did she answer Mr cro beamed proudly before Hunter agreed to work for you she agreed to work for our principal taking care of you we told you you crowed Mr vandemar we told you one of you was a traitor he threw back his head and howled like a wolf I thought you were talking about the marquee said door Mr kup scratched his head of orange hair theatrically talking of the Marquee I wonder where he is he's a bit late isn't he Mr vandemar very late indeed Mr croo as late as he possibly could be Mr K coughed sententiously and delivered his punchline then from now on we'll have to call him the late Marquee de carabus I'm afraid he's ever so slightly dead as a doornail finished Mr vandemar Richard finally managed to get enough air into his lungs to gasp you traitorous Hunter glanced at the ground no hard feelings she whispered the key you obtained from the black friers said Mr kro to Door who has it I do gasped Richard uh you can search me if you like look he fumbled in his pocket noticing something hard and unfamiliar in his back pocket but there was no time to investigate that now and he pulled out the front door key of his old flat he dragged himself to his feet and staggered over to Mr K and Mr vandemar here Mr K reached over and took the key from him good gracious me he said scarcely glancing at it I find myself utterly taken in by his cunning Ploy Mr vandemar he passed the key to Mr vandemar who held it up between finger and thumb and crushed it like brass foil Fooled Again Mr croo he said hurt him Mr vandemar said Mr kro with pleasure Mr C said Mr vandemar and he kicked Richard in the kneecap Richard fell to the ground in Agony as if from a long way away he could hear Mr vandemark voice it appeared to be lecturing him people think it's how hard you kick that hurts Mr vandemark voice was saying but it's not how hard you kick it's where I mean this is really a very gentle kick something slammed into Richard's left shoulder his left arm went numb and a purple white blossom of pain opened up in his shoulder it felt like his whole arm was on fire and freezing as if someone had jabbed an electrical prod deep into his flesh and turned up the current as high as it would go he whimpered and Mr vanmar was saying but it hurts just as much as this which is much harder and the boot rammed into Richard's side like a cannonball he could hear himself screaming and sobbing and he wished that he knew how to make himself stop I've got the key he heard door say if only you had a Swiss army knife Mr vandemar told Richard helpfully I could show you what I do with all the bits even the bottle opener and the thing forg getting stones out of horse's Hooves leave him Mr vandemar ah there will be time enough for Swiss Army knives does she have the token Mr K fumbled in door's pockets and took out the carved obsidian figure the tiny Beast the angel had given her Hunter's voice was low and resonant what about me where's my payment Mr kro sniffed he tossed her the fishing rod case she caught it one-handed a good hunting said Mr croo then he and Mr vandemar turned and walked off down the twisting slope of down street with door between them Richard lay on the floor and watched them go with a terrible feeling of Despair spreading outward from his heart hter knelt on the ground and began to undo the straps on the case her eyes were wide and Shining Richard achd what is it he asked 30 pieces of silver she pulled it slowly from its fabric cover her fingers caressing it stroking it loving it a spear she said simply it was made of bronze colored metal the blade was long and it curved like a Cris sharp on one side serrated on the other there were faces carved into the side of the half which was green with verdigre and decorated with strange designs and odd curly cues it was about 5 ft long from the tip of the blade to the end of the half Hunter touched it almost fearfully as if it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen you sold door out for a spear said Richard Hunter said nothing she wetted a fingertip with her pink tongue then gently ran it across the side of the head of the spear testing the edge on the blade and then she smiled as if she was satisfied with what she felt are you going to kill me Richard asked he was surprised to find himself no longer scared of death or at least he realized he was not scared of that death she turned her head then and looked at him she looked looked More Alive than he had ever seen her more beautiful and more dangerous and what kind of challenge would I have hunting you Richard Mayu she asked with a vivid smile I have bigger game to kill this is your great Beast of London hunting spear isn't it he said she looked at the spear in a way that no woman had ever looked at Richard they say that nothing can stand against it but D trusted you I trusted you she was no longer smiling enough slowly the pain was beginning to Abate dwindling to a dull ache in his shoulder and his side and his knees so who are you working for where are they taking her who's behind all this tell him Hunter grasped the Marquee de carabus he was holding a crossbow pointed at Hunter his bare feet were planted on the ground his face was implacable I wondered whether you were As Dead As kup and vandemar claimed you were said Hunter barely turning her head you struck me as a hard man to kill he inclined his head in an ironic bow but his eyes did not move and His Hands remained steady and you strike me that way too dear lady but a crossbow bolt to the throat and a fall of several thousand feet may prove me wrong eh put the spear down and step back she placed the spear on the floor gently lovingly then she stood up and stepped back from it you may as well tell him Hunter said the Marquee I know I found out the hard way tell him who's behind all this Islington she said Richard shook his head as if he were trying to brush away a fly it can't be he said I mean I've met Islington he's an angel and then almost desperately he asked why the Marquee's eyes had not left Hunter nor had the point of the crossbow wavered I wish I knew but Islington is at the bottom of down street and at the bottom of this mess and between us and Islington is the Labyrinth and the Beast Richard take the spear Hunter walk in front of me please Richard picked up the spear and then awkwardly using the spear to lean on he pulled himself up to a standing position you want her to come with us he asked puzzled would you prefer her behind us asked the Marquee dry you could kill her said Richard I will if there are no other Alternatives said the Marquee but I would hate to remove an option before it was entirely necessary anyway death is so final isn't it is it asked Richard sometimes said the Marquee de carabus and they went down