The Sandman

Cain!

Cain! We have visitors!

Welcome to the House of Secrets and the House of Mystery.

I'm Abel.

We know who you are, Abel, son of Eve.

Abel, brother of Cain.

Today you will die for the last time.

But... you mustn't kill me!

You don't love me! You don't even know me!

Retrieve the sword, Hippolyta Hall.

Go on.

You'll need it, my love.

Now, pick up the sword.

That's it.

On to the next, my posset.

I can't see anything in this fog.

Let's get back to the castle, Merv. It's not safe out here.

You think it's safe inside the castle?

We're at war here, birdie.

Hey! We can see you!

Throw down your weapon.

Just surrender peacefully, and no one will get hurt.

You. What are you?

Ladies, I'm your worst nightmare.

I'm a pumpkin with a gun.

Merv!

Look, sister-selves.

It's Dream's raven.

Dream won't like us killing him.

No, he won't.

Come in, quickly. The Kindly Ones are inside the gates.

The guardians just told me.

- Is the child all right? - He's fine.

Yeah, but not for long.

They killed Abel and Gilbert.

I'm bolting the doors!

Matthew!

Are you all right?

They got Merv.

Merv's dead, and now they're after me. They'll be here any second.

I thought they couldn't set foot inside the Dreaming.

That was only as long as Morpheus remained here.

He's left?

Apparently.

Um... where is he?

I don't know.

I'm sorry, Dream.

I only brought you here because I thought you'd be safe.

Intent and outcome are rarely coincident.

And now the Furies are in my realm.

Well, then you must stay here, my lord.

I cannot.

But I owe you a boon, Lady Nuala.

I ask only that you leave here to defend the Dreaming,

so that we may all be together again one day.

That is one wish I cannot grant you.

If anyone can do the impossible, sire, it is you.

Now go, please. That is my wish.

Ladies, leave this place.

We are the guardians of the palace.

And we shall fulfill our function.

Will you not leave?

Griffin, you are old.

Your bones are dry and brittle within you now.

Surrender to time and to the grave.

Enough.

You may come in.

Leave us to talk.

You will be safe in the throne room.

I will come to you there once they have left.

We will not be leaving this place.

You left your realm, Dream King.

This castle is ours now, to do with what we will.

You and yours are no longer safe here.

Hello, Lyta Hall.

We are not Lyta Hall.

We are more than Lyta Hall.

You hurt my gatekeeper.

You killed my son.

You have been deceived...

by those that would use you to achieve their own ends.

Daniel?

That is not Daniel.

Not anymore.

Let me go. Please.

Our work is not yet done, my dear.

That's my baby.

That's Daniel.

Partly, yes.

He isn't dead.

No, he is not.

But he is no longer alive.

I don't understand.

That is because you are dreaming.

Time to open your eyes, Lyta Hall.

You can't retreat now.

You have to go back.

Mustn't let him distract you.

Mustn't forget why you are here.

You must finish what you started.

But my son, he is alive.

He is with Dream.

We have to rescue him.

We don't rescue, young one.

Your son belongs to the Dream King now.

He always did.

Didn't Dream tell you that?

That one day, he would come for Daniel?

He killed his own son

and then took yours.

You'll never get him back, you know.

The only thing you can get now is vengeance.

But...

We told you once. We won't tell you again.

We don't rescue.

We revenge.

Have the Kindly Ones gone?

I momentarily freed Lyta Hall from their influence.

They have withdrawn for now.

But they will return.

Where are you going?

To attend to Hippolyta Hall.

How do you mean?

You saw it.

She powers this aspect of the Kindly Ones.

Without her, they will cease their attacks

until someone else petitions for my death.

Excuse me, sire,

but when you say, "Attend to her..."

For the realm to survive,

for each one of you to survive...

any threat to the Dreaming must be destroyed.

I had a feeling you'd turn up here.

I'll make you tea if you'd like some.

I have come to end the matter of Hippolyta Hall.

To kill her, you mean?

She has already caused my realm much damage.

I have little choice.

You have less choice than you think.

I see.

Your handiwork, I presume.

I have to do these things properly.

Why have you done this, Henrietta?

Oh, it's nothing personal, Lord.

I made a deal with the Three long ago.

I do a bit of work for them on the side.

They keep me around a while longer.

How do you think I got to be 281 years old?

It's good for them. It's good for me.

It's not so good for you.

I could still kill her.

There are many ways to take a human life.

I could do it without breaking the circle.

Maybe.

But it wasn't her that put you in this mess, was it?

You did this to yourself.

It's a funny one, innit?

We're all here right now,

at the exact same time, for the exact same reason.

And what is that?

We've all lost a child, haven't we?

Well,

you took hers, didn't you?

You could kill her, I suppose.

But then,

you've never been one for killing.

Not since I've known you, anyway.

And the boy won't be much use to you, will he?

Once he finds out you murdered his mum.

Are you sure you don't want tea?

The kettle's gone cold.

Won't take long to hot it up again.

Cluracan, are you alone?

I am, sadly.

So you and I will be the ones to enjoy the last of Shaper's wine.

- I'm going. - Nuala...

I'll thank you to remove this glamour and give me back my face.

I won't.

Cluracan.

If you go to the Dreaming, you will die there.

You understand that, don't you?

And if you die, then what will happen to me?

What are you talking about? You'll be fine.

Do you think anyone in Faerie gives a fuck about me?

Think they care if I drink too much or sleep too late

or I fuck the wrong person at the worst possible time? No.

Because they want me to do that. They want to hear the stories.

I'm nothing if not entertaining.

But that's all I am to them.

To you, I am family.

And you are mine.

If you leave, I will be alone.

You know I can't be alone.

You could come with me.

I could.

I could.

I suppose.

But then we'd both die in the Dreaming, and then...

then there would be no one left in Faerie to remember how wonderful you were.

Even without your glamour.