The Sandman

Don't forget these.

Thanks, buddy.

- You want to put your shoes on for me? - How far is New Jersey from Florida?

About two days in the car, but…

- Are you gonna suddenly become... - He's my son!

He doesn't want us to go.

I know.

You okay?

Yeah.

But, um…

Your dad and I were talking, and, um,

we think maybe it's better if Rose and I get settled first,

and then bring you out to New Brunswick.

What?

We can't leave him.

I'm not going with you?

Not this trip, sweetie.

Dad promised.

He changed his mind.

He said he'd miss you too much.

I'm gonna go talk to him.

Rose.

He's not in a listening mood.

He's just doing this out of spite.

What happened to shared custody?

I can't take Jed without your dad's permission.

Say goodbye to your brother and wait for me in the car, okay?

I love you, Jeddy.

Take me with you.

Okay, let's get you unpacked, baby.

Rose, please.

I'm sorry.

- Rose! Rose! - Jed, it's okay. It's okay, baby.

Are you there, my sister?

Will you talk to me, Queen of Despair?

I'm always ready to listen to you, Desire.

I have news.

Real news?

The Prodigal has returned?

What?

Oh. Him?

No, no, he's still missing.

I speak of Dream.

He's managed to free himself.

You seek to snare him in your machinations again?

Has he not suffered enough these last 100 years?

Well, you would think so.

But he's just as smug and self-important as ever.

Do you think these little games of ours will change him?

This is no game, my twin.

Dream still behaves as if his realm is superior to ours.

It's time that he learned that dreams are merely echoes of desire and despair.

Whatever this new scheme is, it won't work.

It didn't last time or the time before that.

Nada was a mistake.

And Roderick Burgess was a diversion.

But things have changed, my love, my twin.

There is a dream vortex.

The first for a long time and… it is a woman.

- So we wait? - We won't have to wait.

The girl has no idea what she is,

but she is already doing what vortexes do.

Bringing in everything and everyone to her.

Including Morpheus.

Who is she?

The woman who will be Dream's undoing?

Her name is Rose.

Rose Walker.

Rose?

- Lyta. I found a new photo of Jed. - What?

- Well, not new. New to me. - Hello?

Miss Bloom? Hi, it's Rose Walker. Miranda's daughter?

The car's on its way.

Sorry to bother you, but I was going through my mom's stuff...

Carl, what are you doing here?

I asked if I could house-sit while you're gone.

I found a photo of my brother Jed that I've never seen before.

- Uh… - She'll need shoes with that.

From before the divorce, so it's at least seven years old,

but you can see his face really clearly in it.

Can I send it to you?

When… the foster agent wouldn't tell us where she placed Jed,

you said we could hire a private investigator.

Well, I assumed my mom's estate would cover the cost.

Oh.

No, I fully intend to pay your bill. Um…

Just the minute I find a job.

You're not hiring by any chance, are you?

No?

Okay. Thank you for your time.

There's no money left?

She said Mom spent it all on the apartment.

She wanted you to have a home.

She wanted Jed to have a home too.

We have to go.

- I don't think I can. - Rosie.

How can I leave the country when I have no money, no job...

Listen to me. If people are paying you to be somewhere, that is a job.

And this foundation is paying you to fly to London.

They're not paying me.

Your per diem is £250 a day.

In cash. For seven days.

In exchange for one family history interview.

- Business class? - Yeah.

This foundation really wants to meet you.

It's not me they want to meet.

It was my mom.

She was so looking forward to this.

I'm a poor substitute, I know.

No. Thank you for coming with me.

I had no choice. Your mom insisted.

And I'm very glad she did.

It does get easier, right?

You don't still think about Hector every second of every day, do you?

Champagne?

Thank you.

- Thank you. - Here.

Because, as my husband and your mom would tell us,

life is too short not to enjoy business class.

Have you heard about the vortex?

- Everyone's talking about it. - Everyone?

Who's everyone, exactly?

Well, Cain mostly, but...

Abel, if I wanted to hear silly hedge-gossip about… swirling entities,

I would've asked you for it.

But I'm here conducting a census for Lord Morpheus now that he's back.

Now, I'll need a complete list of all entities residing here.

Okay. Let me have a think. Um…

- There's me. - Hmm.

And the House of Secrets itself obviously.

And the Bottle Imp.

And, um… something unspeakably nasty in the basement.

Something nasty in the basement.

I try not to go down there. And…

I seem to have inadvertently omitted my friend.

It's called Goldie.

One new addition. A baby gargoyle called Goldie.

So, does Lord Morpheus know about the…

…vortex?

I can assure you,

Lord Morpheus has better things to do than listen to foolish rumors.

Maybe a trip to England is exactly what she needs.

She's sleeping. So, that's progress.

- She hasn't been sleeping? - No.

She's been dealing with her mom's estate, trying to find her brother.

Doing whatever she has to do

to keep from thinking about the fact that she's all alone now.

She's not though.

No, I know. And friends are great, but, uh…

What?

When you lose your parents, you suddenly realize

it wasn't gravity keeping you on the ground all this time.

It was knowing you were someone's daughter. Or sister.

Or wife, in my case.

I'm sorry. How are you? Are you okay?

Probably not, no.

Why do you say that?

'Cause instead of being back at work, I'm on a plane to London,

talking to my dead husband.

Ma'am? Ma'am?

Sorry to wake you. Would you mind fastening your seat belt?

Thank you.

I have completed the census you requested, Lord Morpheus.

Good. And?

I have accounted for 11,062 of them.

Wow. Someone's been busy.

Yes. Well…

There are a handful of new entities.

That is to be expected.

But… three of the Major Arcana are gone.

Name them.

The first is Gault.

A Nightmare who, I must say, I never trusted.

She is a shape-changer.

It is not in her nature to be trustworthy.

Who else?

The Corinthian.

I assumed as much.

Still feeding on the dreamers he was meant to serve.

- Yes. - The last?

The last is Fiddler's Green.

- Fiddler's Green? - Hmm.

That is passing strange.

He is, after all, vavasor of his own dominion and always so reliable.

I know.

This is my fault. Had I been here, fulfilling my function...

- It was not your fault, my lord. - No?

Then whose?

I'm afraid there is yet more news.

- Gossip, really, but… - Go on.

There are rumors among the dream folk… of a vortex.

Perhaps you might wish to investigate.

The rumors are quite true.

There is a vortex.

A true annulet. The first of this era.

Then you must hunt for it, sir. It must be controlled.

The vortex is a she, Lucienne.

Not an "it."

And the Endless are forbidden from taking action against any mortal

who is not an active threat.