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Four
Sheshrugged."Itdun’tmatter,"shesaid.
"Thenwhatmakesyouthinkthattheywouldn’thavebeenpleasedtoseeus?"
Shelookedathimrathersadly,likeamothertryingtoexplaintoaninfantthat,yesthisflamewashot,too.Allflameswerehot.Trusther,please."Comeon,"shesaid."Iknowashortcut.WecannipthroughLondonAboveforabit."Theywentupsomestonesteps,andthegirlpushedopenadoor.Theysteppedthrough,andthedoorshutbehindthem.
Richardlookedaround,puzzled.TheywerestandingontheEmbankment,themiles-longwalkwaythattheVictorianshadbuiltalongthenorthshoreoftheThames,coveringthedrainagesystemandthenewlycreatedDistrictLineoftheUnderground,andreplacingthestinkingmudflatsthathadfesteredalongthebanksoftheThamesforthepreviousfivehundredyears.Itwasstillnight—orperhapsitwasnightoncemore.Hewasunsurehowlongtheyhadbeenwalkingthroughtheunderplacesandthedark.
Therewasnomoon,butthenightskywasariotofcrispandglitteringautumnstars.Therewerestreetlightstoo,andlightsonbuildingsandonbridges,whichlookedlikeearthboundstars,andtheyglimmered,repeated,astheywerereflectedwiththecityinthenightwateroftheThames.It’sfairyland,thoughtRichard.
Anaesthesiablewouthercandle.AndRichardsaid,"Areyousurethisistherightway?"
"Yes,"shesaid."Prettysure."
