The Sandman

It has many names.

Avernus, Tartarus, Hades,

the infernal region you call Hell.

So, Hell does exist?

It does. For some.

Does that mean it doesn't exist if you don't believe in it?

Did you believe in it? When you were a man?

Yeah.

I just didn't expect Hell to be cold.

So, which way do we go?

I suggest we follow the damned.

They make you bring your own fire to Hell?

Are you all right?

I-I think so.

- Here, let me help you. - Thank you.

I'm so sorry.

It's my fault entirely.

I…

I lost my slippers somewhere.

Oh. Here you go.

Oh. You're very kind.

I suppose I'm rather under dressed.

Listen, if it were up to me, I'd never get out of my pajamas.

You live nearby? Or…

No, I, uh…

I've no idea where I am, actually.

Can I… Do you need a ride somewhere?

I'd be happy to take you.

I'd hate to impose.

You're not imposing at all. Honestly.

Where are we headed?

Do you where Mayhew is?

It's on my way. I live in Cumberland. I'm Rosemary.

Hello, Rosemary. I'm John.

Good to meet you, John.

Come on, I'll introduce you to Susie.

- Who's Susie? - My Rottweiler.

We're not sneaking in with them?

A king may not enter another monarch's realm uninvited.

There are rules, protocols which must be followed.

There's one at the door.

At the gate of damnation.

Is it thief, thug or whore?

There's one at the door.

And there's room for one more.

Till the end of creation.

Greetings, Squatterbloat.

I seek an audience with your sovereign.

And who might you be?

I am the King of Dreams.

Ruler of the Nightmare Realms.

Mm. Yes, my clown.

So, where's your crown?

Guard your tongue, demon.

The Ruler of Hell will not be kind to one who insults an honored guest.

And I am a guest in this realm as I am monarch of my own.

So where's your ruby?

Shall I use it to haunt your dreams?

And your waking hours, too?

Or will you open the gates of Hell and let us through?

Now, take us to the palace.

There's one at the door.

There's one at the door.

There's one at the door.

So, you live in Mayhew?

Not anymore.

My, uh… things are there.

So you used to live in Mayhew?

Uh…

Yes. Few years ago.

My mother's work forced us to move around quite a bit.

Mm. What does she do?

Actually, she passed away quite recently.

Oh, John…

It's only just happened, so I'm, I'm, I'm still a little bit...

Of course.

I'm so sorry, John.

She wasn't a very good person, I'm afraid.

That's an awful thing to say, isn't it? Even if it's true.

No. I have a mother like that, too.

Really? What does she do?

She watches cable news. All day.

That's what she does.

What about yours? When she was alive?

When she was alive,

my mother was a very successful thief.

- Really? - Yes, I'm afraid so.

What did she steal?

Is that rude? To ask? I'm sorry.

No, not at all.

Uh, she stole anything and everything.

She stole art. She stole jewelry. Other people's identities.

Which is why we had to keep moving all the time.

It's why she lied about everything.

Even to me.

Well, maybe she was trying to protect you.

Spoken like a woman with children of her own.

Two girls. Samantha, Sarah.

Mm.

Rosemary, may I ask you something?

Of course.

Do you lie?

To Samantha and Sarah?

Their dad was the liar in the family.

We were married ten years

before I found out he had another wife and another kid in another town.

- Oh, my goodness. - Yeah.

I think lying is maybe the worst thing you can do to another person.

I'm living proof of that.

I'm sure your mom loved you and was proud of you.

She did forgive me in the end.

- For what? - Stealing from her.

- What did you steal? - A ruby.

Unlike no other. Like nothing you've ever seen.

She had me arrested, of course. And thrown in prison.

- For stealing the ruby? - And arson.

And murder.

General mayhem. Among other things.

You see, the problem with having this ruby

was that everyone was always trying to take it from me.

And so, I just did what I had to do.

You murdered people?

They weren't good people.

Not like you and Susie.

Isn't that right, Susie?

Isn't that right, my sweet girl?

Any idea where we are?

The landscape is subject to the whims of the Morning star.

The morning star?

We have to spend the night in this literally godforsaken...

Lucifer Morning star.

As in the Devil?

The Ruler of Hell is no mere devil.

So, you two know each other?

We've known each other for a very long time.

When we first met, Lucifer was the angel Samael.

I forgot the Devil used to be an angel.

Not just any angel.

The most beautiful, wisest, and most powerful of all angels.

Saving only the Creator, Lucifer is, perhaps, the most powerful being there is.

More powerful than you?

By far. Especially now.

Why now?

The last time I was here, I was an honored guest.

An envoy from my own kingdom.

This time, I have invited myself,

and I lack my symbols of office.

But you're still Dream of The Endless, right?

You got your sand.

What's wrong?

Squatterbloat. He's gone.

All right, don't panic.

I'm just gonna fly up and see where we are.

Nope, nope. Not doing that.

This way.

Does this seem like the way to the palace to you?

A demon has a hundred motives for anything he does.

All of them malevolent.

Demon.

This is not the way.

Kai'ckul?

Dream Lord?

It is you.

I greet you, Nada.

Kai'ckul.

How I have prayed for this day.

I knew you would come.

It pains me to see you like this.

Then, free me, Lord.

Only your forgiveness can free me.

Do you not still love me?

It has been 10,000 years, Nada.

Yes. I still love you.

But I have not yet forgiven you.

Come, Matthew.

Kai'ckul, I will not give up hope.

I will never give up.

Yes. I admit that in the past I may have done some things

that are morally… ambiguous.

But it taught me about human nature

and the secret of real understanding and compassion.

Do you want to know what it is?

I do.

This is going to sound rather odd,

but the secret to having compassion for people

is knowing that they are fundamentally selfish.

And I say this without judgement.

It's how human beings are built. It's how we're made.

But if you know that going in,

if you understand that we are operating

out of the biological congenital selfishness,

then life begins to make a lot more sense.

Are you all right?

Uh, sorry. The phone slipped.

You were saying?

I… I was saying,

knowing that people are selfish

sets you free from having to take their actions, their lies, personally.

People lie because they're selfish.

They lie because they are human.