The Sandman

Tomorrow you will make your announcement and give me the key.

Then I will quit this place and leave you with Nada.

Agreed?

I will take the matter under consideration.

-Under consideration? -Yes.

You want the woman, don't you?

You went to Hell for her.

Surely you'll trade her for a key.

Cost you nothing. You don't even want...

You will hear my decision tomorrow.

Now go.

May I just say a thing?

You may.

Without your getting angry.

I fear it is too late for that.

No, I mean angry at me .

Why not give it to Azazel?

Just for argument's sake.

Hell was his home.

He and the other demons have no place to go.

So, if giving them the key would free you

and Nada,

then why not?

-I'm sure you have a million reasons. -No.

Just one.

Azazel will never be content to rule Hell.

He will use it as a foundation to conquer every realm, including ours.

He cannot be trusted.

Was Lucifer particularly trustworthy?

I will not be extorted.

No.

But where does that leave Nada?

And since you know you can't trust Azazel,

which of our guests can you trust with this?

Oh, yeah!

Oh, God!

Oh, yeah!

Cluracan!

Oh yeah!

Is your bedchamber not to your satisfaction?

No. No, it is. It's... it's beautiful.

I just...

...I couldn't sleep.

I shall send word to Titania that you have been an exemplary envoy.

Have you made your choice?

Should I not have asked?

I shouldn't have asked.

It is an impossible choice.

Well, if... anyone can do the impossible, Sire, it is you.

I've seen you do it before.

Do you remember King Auberon and Queen Titania's

last visit to the mortal realm?

You were there?

-Forgive me, I... -There is nothing to forgive.

We were nearly introduced,

but you had more pressing matters to attend to.

-It was but an evening's entertainment. -It was far more than that.

You see, I... I was told you were once a frequent visitor to Faerie.

For a time.

The two realms were extensions of each other.

But then your friendship with Queen Titania... changed.

Relations became strained.

So much so that the citizens of Faerie

were forbidden to even speak of Lord Morpheus.

And you were banned from our realm.

Until you did what I thought was impossible.

And healed the rift between our worlds.

You came, then, Will Shakespeare?

At your command, Lord.

Midsummer's Eve... by the Long Man at Wilmington.

It is an odd place for us to perform.

Odd?

Wendel's Mount was a theater long before your race came to this island.

From before the Normans?

Before the humans.

Is it ready?

It is the best I've ever written.

I am sure of it.

The stage is set,

and the players are ready, my lord.

Then let us not delay.

What of our audience?

They await beyond a portal on the other side of the hill.

A... portal?

I will call them.

Go tell your fellow players to make ready to begin.

Thank you, Lord.

Wendel.

Open your door.

Welcome to you, Auberon of Dom-Daniel.

And to you, Lady Titania.

Greetings, Shaper.

Your invitation has provoked much speculation amongst our people.

I must admit,

I thought we were quit of this plane forever.

Nothing lasts forever.

They say the seven Endless are forever, mighty Dream.

Until the death of time itself.

What say you to that, King of the Riddle-Realm?

Robin Goodfellow, mind your manners.

We are my Lord Shaper's guests.

I will not have him insulted by a hobgoblin.

Nay, good Auberon.

It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else dares speak.

A fool?

Well met, Lord Morpheus.

And you, Lord Cluracan.

Please, take your seats.

The diversion I have arranged begins forthwith.

You have not said, Lord Shaper, why you have invited us here.

To witness what is to come.

Yes, but we are curious as to why.

Telling would spoil the play.

Now, fair Hippolyta,

our nuptial hour draws on apace.

Four happy days bring in another moon.

But, O, methinks how slow this old moon wanes.

She lingers my desires like to a stepdame or a dowager,

long withering out a young man's revenue.

Either I mistake your shape and making quite,

or else you are that shrewd

and knavish sprite called Robin Goodfellow.

That's you, Puck. That actor person, it's you.

Skim milk and sometimes labor in the quern.

Bootless make the breathless housewife churn.

And sweet Puck, you do their work, and they shall have good luck.

Are not you he?

Thou speakest aright.

I am that merry wanderer of the night.

I jest to Oberon, and make him smile.

But room, fairy. Here comes Oberon.

And here my mistress. Would that he were gone.

Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.

What, jealous Oberon?

Fairies, skip hence. I have forsworn his bed and company.

Tarry, rash wanton. Am I not thy lord?

I must be thy lady.

I'd forgotten me what strange creatures mortals can be.

Oh, how I ache to make a sport of them.

No.

Do you behave, my servant.

...you come to give their bed joy and prosperity?

Gentles, there will now be an interval

for you to freshen, or to stretch your legs.

Our tale begins again ten minutes hence.

So you are the author of this... amusement?

I... I am, Your Majesty.

I... I hope it pleases you.

It strikes strange music. Methinks I should be displeased.

But I am not. It is most worthy work, sir.

Good.

It is unlike you, Dream, to have such waking commerce with mortal kind.

I came to an arrangement some years ago.

The great stories will live for an age of man through his words.

Such was his dream.

His heart's desire.

But I fear he did not understand the price.

There is no price too dear to obtain one's heart's desire.

And once you have it,

the price of getting what you want is getting what once you wanted.

My dear.

You must meet the author. Come.

Of course.

"Do best please me that befall prepost..."

You played me well, mortal.

But I have played me

for a time out of mind.

And I do Robin Goodfellow better than anyone.

How now, mad spirit.

What night-rule now about this haunted grove?

My mistress with a monster is in love.

Near to her close and consecrated bower,

while she was in her dull and sleeping hour,

a crew of patches,

rude mechanicals who work for bread upon Athenian stalls,

were met together to rehearse a play

intended for great Theseus's nuptial day.

The shallowest thick-skin...

You asked me why I invited you back to this plane.

During your time here, Faerie afforded me

much entertainment.

And enchantment.

And now you have left for your own haunts.

I would repay you.

They will never forget you.

King Auberon and Queen Titania will be remembered by mortals

till this age is gone.

We thank you, Shaper, but this diversion is not true.

Things never happened thus.

No, but it is true.

Things need not have happened to be true.

Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths

that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes

and forgot.

We are honored, Shaper.

And you will always be welcome in our land.

If we shadows have offended, think but this,

and all is mended.

That you have but slumbered here

while these visions did appear,