They were playing poker: Morpheus, Athen, Spider beside Athen making bad moves because he was drinking, Steven and Shade across the table from each other, a cast on Steven's arm, Shade filling the kitchen with sweet smoke, and Dolores sitting in on Julien's hand because he had gotten up to cook.  Athen wanted to know whom Julien was cooking for.  And Julien smiled as he turned.  "I saw Psyche about yesterday...she was sitting in that pink and white satin room of hers brushing all that long blonde Barbie Doll hair...." He pushed his fingers through his own gold-blond hair.

Morpheus sighed, knowing what was coming.

"Cooking for Morpheus then?" Athen asked.  "Does the boy know you're using him?" 

"Faye already made that joke," Morpheus murmured. He didn't like when they got catty. There was hardly as much cheating going on as some pretended.

Athen glared across the table at Morpheus. He didn't even want to hear Faye's name! "So, where are we...oh, I remember.  I'm raising Spider's bet..."

"Too rich for me?" said Steven.

"What's this too rich shit?" Athen asked. "You've loads of money."

"Because I don't budget it all on gambling."  

Dolores puckered up her lips and made strange humming noises.  "I'm in." she tossed in two of the fifty-dollar chips.

"Go on," said River's small voice.  Morpheus tossed in two chips. 

"I am rather hungry...Julien." Steven said.

Troy padded into the room and sat behind Shade.  The Vampyre reached back to scratch the wolf's head.

Julien came to the table.  He stepped around Troy and snatched the clove from Shade's hand and took a drag.  He licked his lips.  "I'll make you a pasta dish, OK, pay you back for all the ones you made me when I was...Human." He looked over to Morpheus, raised his hand and drew the fingers in a couple times: go up, C'mon.

"Julien, I'll cut off your hand," Athen said.

"Then I won't be able to play this tiny violin for you."

Shade mimed playing the violin. 

"Tragic," said Steven.

Athen raised again.

Morpheus raised that, he didn't care, and he never came by money with great difficulty.

Athen called. 

Morpheus lay his cards down, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of spades.  He smiled.

Athen had three aces and two kings.  He sneered as Morpheus took up the chips.  "The boy's mother is a veritable Queen of Swords herself," Athen said, "I suspect there's some kind of rouse going on here."

"Can I help if the cards like coming to me?" Morpheus asked. 

"What ya gonna do with the money?" asked Dolores.

Morpheus shrugged.  "Go shopping for shoes," he said in a cute voice.

"Fetch me a beer, Julien," Shade said.

Julien fetched him a beer.  Athen said he was going out with Spider.  Dolores asked for a ride.  They left.

Shade counted his chips then cleaned up the table.  "I owe someone money probably," he said.

"Julien maybe," said Morpheus, "I only won a lot the last round, mostly Athen's money."

"I think I owe you though, Dolores betting so much and all," Julien said.  He told Shade to give Morpheus some money. 

Shade promised he'd pay Morpheus later.

As soon as the table was clear, Julien brought a plate to Morpheus. It was fragile looking china, fork balanced at one side, and a fluffy omelet center.  He set a second plate in front of Steven, with cheese ravioli in marinara sauce. 

Morpheus picked up the fork and cautiously cut away a bit of the omelet.  He took some into his mouth, tasted fluffy eggs, yolk and white swirled together. There was something very sweet, sugary, and crispy, like bits of candy inside the egg. Finally, something faintly bitter and soft against his tongue.  He tore it between tongue and teeth, swallowed.  A flower petal?

He tried another bite.  The omelet was light, as were the petals, which slid strangely down his throat.  But in between, there was candy that melted on his tongue.

"What's it taste like?" Julien asked.  Morpheus glanced up and saw him sitting across the table, so serious.  "Even Human I'd given up sugar...."

"It tastes good," Morpheus said, "bitter and sweet. Like a special dessert omelet." 

Julien looked at Shade then, sort of leaned across the table.  "Thené fed me rose petals the night I married him the first time."  Julien actually wore two gold bands on his left ringfinger.  The first marriage hadn't included exchanging rings, but he did have a gold locket that he always wore, alongside his cross.

"At'en treating you all right?" Shade asked. "I'll talk to him if he's not."

Julien raised one shoulder slightly.  "It's just he's got lots of people around that I know are lovers, and if I even have one friend he gets jealous."  Julien looked across the table at Morpheus.  "I don't even understand. It's not like Thené hasn't seen me make out with, like, everyone!" Morpheus didn't know, but he suspected "everyone" really meant "pretty guys Athen and I are about to kill".

"He likes being dramatic and obtuse," Morpheus said, "It doesn't bother me."  He took another bite of the omelet into his mouth.

Julien laughed.  "I would never have thought of the word obtuse."

"I thought of blatant but it didn't seem to fit perfectly."

Julien nodded slowly.

"At'en may perhaps view your friendships as emotional cheating," Shade said then.

Julien screwed-up his face as he looked toward Shade. "He said something like that in an argument, but I don't get it."

"I do not believe it matters to Athen that you may be physical with others, so long as he believes you like him best."

"That's what I mean! Love isn't something you use up, even if you give someone all you have. He's the one I married three times! But, sex? Doing that irresponsibly is how people get sick. Right?"

"That's one way," Steven said.

"Forgot. Gawd! Sorry." Julien bowed to the table and buried his face in his arms. His voice was muffled as he continued, "I didn't mean to bring it up."

Morpheus wasn't sure he followed. "You don't mean Joey?" He asked in whisper.

Steven shivered, or winced, Morpheus wasn't sure which. "My mother," he said finally, "also died after AIDS complications. How do you know Joey?"

"I don't, exactly. I more know of him." Morpheus shrugged, feeling awkward that Steven continued to look toward him so intently.

"Come here."

Morpheus shook his head. "What...?"

Steven smiled widely and gestured with his left hand. "C'mere, you!"

Morpheus feared Steven may have found him out. As much as he could counterfeit forms, he wasn't proving very good at deception. He shifted to a closer chair, and Steven leaned-in toward him, then put his good arm about Morpheus' shoulder in a hug.

"What's he get that for?" Julien asked, looking up.

"He deserved it," Steven said, removing his arm. Morpheus straightened, and saw Steven turn to receive a hug from Julien. "The ravioli's pretty decent. When did you learn to cook?" The implication seemed to be that Julien had once been a terrible cook, if he had even tried.

"When we moved to Barcelona.  We sorta—well there were always these boys about, and as long as they stayed, Athen was always offering late dinners or breakfasts.  Somehow the cooking fell to me.  There was a woman who taught me, and some of the boys...I don't quite remember, a lot of drugs and killing were involved.  Però, vaig aprendre a parlar català." 

"They speak Catalan in Ibiza."

"Has estat allà? "

Morpheus gleaned Julien's meaning telepathically. "I told you."

Julien's mouth hung open and silent for a moment. "Just that it was the Sidhe." There had been this slight awkwardness since the night Morpheus had left Julien's room to go to Jean-Daniel. He hadn't told Julien where he went, or who specifically he saw, or what he did there, just that he was back. Now, as he had so recently done, Julien clearly described them as friends in public.

They were friends. They did things together. They might have made out, but Julien wanted others to understand he did that with "everyone". They were not more.

No one else spoke.  Shade was drinking beer; Morpheus wasn't sure what that did to his Vampyre physiology. Steven and Morpheus were eating.

"Anyone know what Joy's doing?" Julien asked.

"She's doing the invitations," Shade said.

"Halloween," Julien said.  They were expecting Steven's great-grandchildren Amber and Amadeo to visit. Julien looked across Steven, toward Morpheus.  "You want to do something Murph?"

"I haven't got plans.  What do you want to do?"

"I don't know.  Sometimes I haven't got the patience to be immortal."

"Still haven't learned to sit still for long, have you?" Shade asked.

"It's OK when I'm working, but I sent a packet to Karachi yesterday. It drives me crazy they way you all are able to just sit and stare at things.  It's like you're all taking some drug I haven't discovered."

"Are there any rooms I haven't discovered?" Morpheus asked, maybe a little too quickly. "There's a music room somewhere, isn't there?"

"Above the chapel," Shade told him, "All the way at the end of the east wing. Second floor."

"You play also?" Steven asked. The also probably referred to his mother; Steven had originally known her as Joy's bandmate. Morpheus knew she was recently doing some work for Dream outside the Palace.

"Yeah. Guitar."

There could be an opportunity to play on Halloween. Joy had been busy doing most of the planning for a party - possibly a masked ball if rumors were true - assisted by Melalie of the Lilim, who had accompanied Shade home from his recent trip to Rome. Morpheus had seen Athen bring Joy suggestions. Morpheus was still unable to truly comprehend how Joy and Athen had made peace, after she remembered the violence he'd done to her when she was yet Human.

Athen was at his own work most of the time. Sometimes that meant he could be found in the Palace's office, off the grande hall, with Steven and Shio, but gossip was that Athen's outside meetings were with some of the most powerful people in Los Angeles, be they in legitimate business or not. Depending who he went to meet, he might take Joy or Julien along, or even Psyche or Spider.

Julien had come home to tell Morpheus about Athen introducing him to the Irreverents, a current music group Julien liked immensely. Julien didn't care as much for Niks, who was the drug-lord who lived in the glass-walled mansion visible from the palace, which Chris Rhodes had also designed.

Chris kept a room at the Palace now, a corner suite at the end of the east wing. Morpheus saw him at meals, or about the palace; a mid-aged man of mixed American ancestry.

With Mother out on her own assignment, and Sleep still concerned for the later parts of Metro's prophesy, it was Morpheus' responsibility to watch for any further troubles that came from the Vampires, or their involvement with the Jewel family. Laudanum had been officially read-in to their assignment as Morpheus' back-up, so Morpheus relied on him to scry on more private areas, where Morpheus couldn't easily insinuate himself.

Another recent resident to the Palace, after Melalie and Chris had taken rooms, was Athen's apprentice. Morpheus didn't know him well, yet, only that he was called Billy and had permission to enter and exit Athen's art studio.  Julien was convinced Billy and Athen were lovers, but Morpheus didn't know if that meant Athen just drank his blood, or had sex with the young man, or both.

It might have been entirely true that Julien used Morpheus to combat Athen's straying. To be honest, Morpheus didn't care. He believed there were certain fixed points in time and that his past experience with Julien would be Julien's future meeting with his past self. They would regard each other with mutual love.

But now? Now, they were friends, and Julien was a social creature, who bored easily if not engrossed in work, and whose husband left him to his own devices most of their nights, and sometimes shared his bed to sleep. If Morpheus had his own work or responsibilities, he sometimes came to find Julien sending texts to Ganymede, or asking Ardor what she thought about politics, or listening to Steven tell his story about Xerox PARC, again.

As much as he could be, Morpheus was with Julien. He was, as Morpheus had always thought, an attractive companion, and Julien returned this admiration, to some extent, in so many homages in his sketchbook. But what Morpheus enjoyed most, at present, was that Julien had determined to put his trust in him. It meant, he continued to learn, that Julien was much himself when they were alone, and gave Morpheus his confidence. They were intimates.

It was what irritated Athen.

It was frightening, because Morpheus' duty and ties to Angelic powers meant he knew things he couldn't admit to knowing.

He didn't want to lose Julien's trust, but sometimes, now, he looked to the future and saw it happening.

Several days before Halloween, newer guests began arriving.  Mazaret, and all their best friends from Nede, came from New York.  A dragon, Angst, showed up one night with a horde of gold and asked to stay from now on in the stables.  The day after that, Charity, a unicorn, came and promised not to dance on any graves or gore Vampyres to death, if they let her stay in the orchard.  Shade's sister-in-blood, Zulekha, arrived from Rome.  And many others came.

Shortly before Halloween, Steven and Joy went out to LAX in the Limo and picked up Steven's twin great-grandchildren.  They came to the palace where Amber and Amadeo Jewel were introduced to the Palace's permanent residents. They shared familial resemblance with each other: tall, fit, light-brown skin, russet hair, and light eyes. Amadeo's eyes in particular seemed similar in shape and depth to Steven's. Amber had tightly curled hair, while Amadeo's was more relaxed. Amber's face was clean and freckled, while Amadeo wore make-up that made him always seem fevered or flushed.

Joy seemed to hang on Amadeo during the meeting. He did seem to fit her type; the ruffled shirt and cut-off denim shorts he'd worn for travel were somewhat femme.

Halloween came. Morpheus was in his room, dressing. He thought about the clothes and then formed the draped shapes on his body. He didn't need the mirror - mirrors were for looking at others - but he stood in front of the large wall mirror as he adjusted the textures on his all-black formal wear. Joy's invitation had indicated "White-tie Black", which, Morpheus was pretty sure, was a made-up thing that really meant "don't wear white shirts, because they show blood".

The mirror's image distorted.  Morpheus saw his mother come through, dressed appropriately in a floor-length gown. Mother turned then, and focused the mirror on the Heart of the Allegory, where Maya waited with Dream. Their grandfather touched the glass on his side, and Maya was able to pass through the open portal, although, as usual, her appearance was nearly transparent. Morpheus was flesh in both worlds, but Maya more a spirit, only seemingly matter in The Land.

"Absinthe should be returning through her own room," Mother said, "Call your Djinn as well.  We'll need to keep a tight watch."

Morpheus shook his head, not understanding.

"Murph, your father is concerned as ever about Metro's prophesies and that the one we investigate is somehow the cause of her losing her vision. Now the rest has come to pass, and there are three Jewels in the Palace. Who knows what may happen?"

"I can call them, of course, but Julien doesn't know I have Djinn until the future."

"Do you often base decisions on whether they seem to be in accordance with your perception of what may come?" Maya asked.

"It must be a fixed point, it is my past, intersecting with a future Julien has not yet experienced, which Splendor reported Absidus instigated."

"Fixed or not is irrelevant," Maya told him, "The flaw is in your thinking, Brother. Julien's lack of knowledge does not preclude your mastery or use of your Djinn."

Morpheus nodded, realizing, when Maya spoke, he had included assumption in his thinking. He missed Maya. He forgot how her way of thinking complemented his when he didn't have her with him.

"Sin and Laudy are here," Mother said from the door. Morpheus glanced. Laudanum did not wear a suit, but formal clothing from the era of his birth, a heavy, black chiton, elegantly embroidered in silver thread that drew out the

phases of the moon, and a nightcloak over one shoulder.  Absinthe never wore much, but this evening had a long, glove-tight gown of black net that flounced below the knees, with a long train that pooled at her feet.

Morpheus called softly to his three Djinn, as he removed the stops from their bottles, "Lauren, Evangelista, Hepburn, tonight you are all Lydia." He sent them the image they were to take: half Beetlejuice's human girlfriend, half Psyche's mourning sisters. They appeared before him as women in long black gowns, with veiled faces.

Morpheus took his hat, which River was occupying, and gloves from the console table.

They entered from the second floor and found the ballroom already crowded.  Opium told the others to spread out. "Will you introduce me?" Maya asked.

Morpheus looked over the crowd below, as they began to descend the staircase. At the foot of the stairs he heard, "Finally a gent who understands what White-tie means! It's not one of your bloody Proms!" Ganymede was there, at least a foot shorter than Morpheus, but in immaculate formal evening suit, with white shirt and waistcoat.

"Maya, this is Ganymede," Morpheus said

"How do you do?" Maya said with a bow.

"My sister follows the same custom as our mother," Morpheus said quietly.

"Honored to meet you. Please, forgive my earlier language," Ganymede said, bowing, "Miss Smith?"

Maya appeared to turn her head toward Morpheus.

"That would be correct," he told her, though she was just Maya in The Land.

         "Has she met your main man?"

Morpheus knew who he meant, of course. "Nor Shade, Ardor, Amadeo or Amber."

Ganymede stood still for a moment. "Shade's stepped out, but...."

"Who is that?" Maya asked, tipping her head toward a figure in traditional Indian dress. Maya was no more actually Indian than Morpheus was Greek, but she had been trained there, in the way that Morpheus had first been permitted to interact with Humans in Greece, and she was wearing the gagra choli combination of long, pleated skirt and small top.

"That's him," Morpheus groaned, uncertain his sister would approve. He noticed Ganymede reaching inside his jacket for his mobile. He may as well make the introduction.

He led Maya through the crowd that ringed the vacant dance floor, seeing that Julien was standing near one of the refreshment tables, with Steven and Amber. Steven was not quite in White-tie, but looked handsome as usual in Back-tie evening wear, including a black shirt. His right arm was in a soft cast, partially visible across the back of his hand.

Morpheus relaxed at their smiling faces. He waved to them. "Miss Jewel, I'd like to introduce my sister Maya."

"It's nice to meet to meet you," Amber said.

"How do you do?"

"It's a fantastic party. My brother is here somewhere." Amber raised her head to look.

"Maya," Morpheus said, "You may remember Mr. Steven Jewel; and this is Julien."

"Yes. Morpheus speaks highly of you both."

"Namaste." Julien made a slight bow, with palms pressed together.

"Namaste," Maya returned the gesture using her foremost set of hands, as her other two hands touched her skirt, performing a curtsey.

"It's been a long while, "Steven said, "Your family has been helpful to mine, and Morpheus makes himself a useful housemate. We are glad to have him, and to see you again."

"Thank you for taking such good care of my brother. You, especially, Julien. It is not as easy for me to travel, and Morpheus does not easily find peers in The Land, who are not family."

"No problem," Julien said quickly, "You are welcome to visit any time you are able. I don't know if you drink tea...."

"I enjoy the offering of tea very much," Maya said.

"I always had tea on hand in Karachi, or fruit and water. I might go back. It's not like here, with so many Vampyres. The Sandrunners and Lightfoots live there, and many Nisfmalakim, so you'd be welcome to visit."

"Laughter," Maya said, "Visit the home of a bachelor Vampyre? I'd have to bring my brother."

Morpheus shook himself. He had been listening, but focused on Julien's passing mention of returning to Karachi.

"I don't think he even likes tea, but I know he enjoys offerings of fruit."

"I wouldn't refuse a date."

Morpheus was prevented - or saved - from hearing Julien's reply when Amadeo and Joy arrived. The young talent appeared at a glance to be in formal White-tie, but Morpheus noticed he wore a long skirt instead of trousers, and strings of pearls at his throat where ordinarily one would wear a bow tie.

"Excuse me," Julien said, as Amber began to introduce Amadeo to Maya.

Morpheus watched Julien weave through the crowd toward Athen, who looked too pretty in 18th century cutaway jacket and breeches. Billy was nearby in a similar outfit.

"Hey, Murph," Steven called quietly. He sidestepped toward Morpheus to speak privately, "Does Julien know?"

Morpheus turned and looked down at Steven, who was about a head shorter. "Know what, specifically?" He had a fair idea what it was.

"That you lived in New York when he was still there?"

"He's beginning to suspect," Morpheus answered honestly.

"Does he know how you feel about him?" Steven whispered.

"I-" Morpheus hesitated, "It's complicated. I'm sure he does know in a general way; I'm clearly bad at hiding it."

"That's not a bad thing. You should-"

"I can't! Not how much, or why, or for how long."

"I see."

Morpheus dared look in Steven's mind, a scan of recent surface thoughts to determine if he truly understood. He did not know the details, but his guesses were not in themselves incorrect. "It has something to do with that. I hadn't realized how much you learned from Sid."

Steven laughed softly. "I was married to her, once, though it was declared null on account of her fraud, so it's also true I was never married to her, or, maybe for her, we're always married. I guess it depends on one's perception of memory and time, and those are frequently more relative than we realize. Still, though we're not exactly friends, she's been there when I really needed her. That night when Helen...that was one of the other ones. And I know who sent Joey, now. But when I couldn't bear seeing my family...and other times, Absidus just shows up. I don't know how it works, if she's out in space traveling faster than light, or wormholes, or a wizard did it."

Morpheus nodded, and nodded, trying to think of a way to give Steven a hint, when Steven's own way of thinking was so different from his. "I think the question is not so much whether there is a wizard, but what is the nature of the curtain that prevents you from paying attention to what The Wizard is doing."

"That's- No. That's actually - a movie reference - but very helpful." Steven nodded. "It's a very good question. I should tell this to Shade." Steven searched about, "I think he's left with someone."

Ganymede had mentioned something similar, Morpheus recalled. If Shade had been at the party, it was briefly.

Morpheus found his mother speaking to Mazaret, who wore only her Nightcloak, near the rear doors to the patio, where some guests had gone for a breath of night air. Morpheus could see a Human girl petting Troy through the glass. "Good to see you, Mazzy. Do you mind if I borrow my mother?"

Mazaret smiled at Morpheus, then spoke to Mother, "I'll talk to you again, later."

"Has anything happened?" Mother asked.

"I honestly don't think anything will," Morpheus said. "There seems nothing unusual in what the three Jewels are doing. I haven't seen anyone in the tower. I don't see anything stranger than usual happening. The only remotely curious thing I've noticed is that Shade isn't at the party in his own Palace. Have you seen him?"

"No, but others told me he was here earlier. Dolly, Zulekha, and Mazaret were all introduced to his Human friend."

"I didn't know he had one, I mean a new one, but that sounds like he's put someone under protection." The three Mother had mentioned were all - Darkling for lack of a better term - who had governed their kind in other cities.

"The young lady. Anne. She's a writer." Mother gestured to the dark-haired girl who had Troy at her heel; that more than any spoken word said Shade had placed his protection over the Human. "There are two others that came with her, I think."

"Then why wouldn't he be here?" Morpheus wondered aloud.

Mother offered her arm.

Morpheus could have teleported with her, or given her a mirror to pass into, but that would have likely drawn more notice than any two people walking up the stairs together. He touched the space about her arm as they moved to the stairs.

From the second floor landing, Morpheus teleported them into his room. He changed out of his formal attire, with half a thought, as he approached the mirror, and as he focused the looking glass, with thoughts toward Shade, he formed loose sweater, kilt and boots about his body.

Shade was in a church. Morpheus could see pews, gold mosaic tiles, and a stylized crucifix. He appeared to be kneeling in prayer.

"Huh?"asked Mother.  She stood back and studied the picture. 

        Morpheus touched the glass with his fingertips, sensed the sounds from the other side, "Something about purpose...'Are there other things I still have to do...Will I know? Will you answer? It would be a simple thing to send an Angel to tell me my fate...'."

The light across Shade shifted. Candles lit within the church, and in the light a deeper shadow moved. "There's someone coming from those shadows!"

"My Lord! It's Lucifer!" Mother cried. 

"He said...it would take him to the end of the world to straighten that one out," Morpheus relayed.

"Interesting, but if Shade's now meant to bring back the one that claims to have planned him, well, that's not really our concern."

            "Unless 'Jewel of the East' does The Morningstar?" Morpheus asked,

            Mother seemed to be thinking it over. Morpheus knew they'd discussed this before. Prophesy was a tricky thing. Your knowledge of it could be the thing that brought it to be, which was why Sleep had commanded them to watch, but to watch closely, they'd come to live in the palace with the brood of Vampyres who already entangled with Night's Children.

The previous portions of Metro's vision seemed to have come indicated Shade - The Redjackets - Blade, or Angel surrendering - Athen - the move to LA - Beware! - Angel emprisoned - Faye's Jealousy - the missing Sefer Raziel - battle between Vampyres - whoever the Jewel was - and then nothing. Metro's sight had failed...or would fail.

"Did he just say?" Morpheus knew what was said, he'd felt the words, but he still disbelieved, even as he saw the blonde head rise from the pew. "Daniel's here? The Rabbit's in LA?"

"He's in the church?" But Mother could see him just as well.

"You...knew."

"He was staying at my house until last night...Murph, we have to go."

"You have a house?"

"Just come with me."

It wasn't so much a house as an apartment in a large, Westlake home, long ago subdivided. Mother had been there on assignment from her father, distracting Daniel from realizing Joy was in Los Angeles. Instead, he'd somehow managed to meet Shade when he was out cruising for Human blood. Mother didn't know if that was ultimately worse.

She supposed, she said, that it might still be preferable to Joy encountering him, now she was a Vampyre. Joy learning that she had programmed memories would be a shock, and she wouldn't be able to naively deny the possibility of her past lifetimes, if she were faced her immortal twin with her growing Vampyre telepathy, or if she one night woke up remembering how many times Daniel had been her lover, only to be stolen by her brother.

Daniel's original programming was intact. He didn't forget on a schedule or require maintenance as Joy did - sometimes Morpheus wondered if Joy were the prototype of the three. Daniel simply kept going, with memories gradually slipping away. If he met Joy or Misery, or someone else he'd met in his past, he would recall having met them before, but it wouldn't register as shocking, after all he'd just vaguely recall the last time he met someone he'd known before after a long time, and that he was OK after that time, so it was probably going to be OK this time. And if not, he'd run.

Which was what he did when Lucifer seemed to recognize him in the church.

Morpheus walked the street outside his mother's house, waiting.  And then as Daniel approached he felt a body come over him. Joey, again. He saw that Daniel recognized Joey. When Daniel began following, Morpheus led him to their house.  He stopped at their stoop and as people passed between them Morpheus sent himself up into the loft.  Mother was playing music rather loudly, an old recording made when Joy had still been clear headed enough to play bass, and she was packing their things into boxes. Including some things Morpheus hadn't even realized she'd borrowed from his room!

Morpheus said nothing to her, just sat on the futon and complained quietly to River.  "She never tells me everything, I tell her everything."

Daniel found his way in.  He stood staring at Morpheus for a moment.  "You've got to be Daniel," Morpheus said bitterly.

"Usually," said Daniel.

"Hello, Daniel," said Mother.  And then Daniel began asking about the boxes and Mother explained that they were moving. 

"She knew about him before I did, Riv, he's been here before.  She never tells me everything."

Mother asked Morpheus to help her, but he only said he was taking a break and sat back to make faces at River who sat on his hand. 

When Daniel stared Morpheus told him the lizard was named River, and that shook Daniel.  Mother offered him some tea and so very politely Daniel accepted.  He looked at Morpheus again, "Hey, Murph," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Was he always a lizard?"

"Were you always Daniel?"

Daniel sat down on the mattress that lay on the floor.  Morpheus supposed on some earlier day Daniel had slept here.  Mother was always taking in misfit children.  He said that he had just been told a weird story.  Morpheus sat up, a little less disappointed.  He said he liked stories. 

Daniel seemed to think they would know it.  He said it started out with this pretty blue planet and it all ended badly.  The story of the Empty World, of course, the story of Earth.

"Oh that story!" Morpheus said, "that is the only story!"

Daniel was staring at him again.  Morpheus had the feeling that Shade had blabbed this important and true story to Daniel, a boy who believed he was just like other Humans, and had obviously told about parts that Morpheus was involved in.  "You were Joey," Daniel said and then he said something about being able to appear as the drowned man.

Ceyx!  Morpheus went on a tear, Ovid hears a story from someone and writes it down and gets credit for inventing Morpheus, the worst thing was anyone who didn't read comic books would immediately mention appearing as the drown Ceyx if they mentioned anything at all.  "Nobody writes about me," Morpheus said sadly.

Daniel went back to his earlier point, "But you were Joey?"

"Yes," Morpheus felt he had to admit it.  He saw then that Daniel did know about the other time he had been Joey. 

Morpheus knew about Daniel too, realized this boy had been at that  concert, so long ago now in New York.  All three of Dream's creations had been in that city on the same night.  The Vampyres really did complicate things.  With Blade having known Daniel in one of his lifetimes and having known Mandy, and with Joy now holding memories from much longer than the ten years she was designed to it was fairly obvious how very important it was to keep watch.  They had to keep Joy and Blade away from Misery and Daniel.

Morpheus lay across the Futon with River crawling over him.  Mother said she felt Morpheus would tell a story soon.  Morpheus just said as he looked at the lizard that if he hadn't been reading the wrong sort of comics at the time River might have ended up a raven, and then Morpheus could have him fly to the kitchen and carry back the biscuits.

They looked toward the kitchen and Mother stood with her hands on her hips saying not to expect she would just blink and then the biscuits would be there because she smelled like cinnamon.

Morpheus ignored her complaint and went on to explain about the comic books and movies that he liked.  Daniel said that he'd seen and read some of the same things, been to the same theaters.  Morpheus smiled.

They looked at Mother.  She was still looking annoyed, refusing to fetch another thing, she was too tired.  Morpheus explained that Mother couldn't go to Arabia without someone trying to trap her in a bottle.  He asked if Daniel really wanted the biscuits badly.

Daniel said that he was a bit hungry. 

Morpheus decided that if Daniel had heard the story it wouldn't hurt to let Daniel see his Djinn.  He sat up, felt his eyes go black to the corners - they changed involuntarily when he accessed some powers - and he called to them quietly.  It would be bad if Daniel could hear the secret names he used to call them.  "Come Lauren, come Hepburn, come Evangelista."  Of course they were just names he'd given them, taught them to respond to.  Only he and future-Julien knew the names, and as they were invisible until Morpheus decided what shape they would be that day, no one should learn their names from their faces.  Tonight, he called them to take the shapes of the triumvirate of cosmic muses from the Robotech cartoons. 

Daniel stared as Morpheus ordered them to fetch the biscuits and help Mother pack their belongings.  "A triumvirate," he said.

Morpheus could like Daniel if he tried.

He explained to Daniel that the reason he liked Robotech and Japanese Anime so much was that the characters all seemed to be like him, strangely colored hair, and big, bright beautiful eyes. He thought the characters pretty. 

The Djinn dressed as Musica brought Daniel the biscuits. Morpheus snatched one up and ate it before settling down on the futon again.   He told Daniel his story, meeting Julien, and the times he'd been Joey, the way he could use his abilities to lead people toward the truth or just show them illusions. 

Before Morpheus got to Julien's name Daniel had guessed it.  Someone who knew Julien had definitely told Daniel the story.  And it seemed Daniel brightened when Morpheus mentioned this friend John that Julien had.  It made sense to Morpheus that if both men knew Joey they would know each other.  It also occurred to him that during some relatively recent year Daniel must have been found by Misery. Dreams plan was working, they chased, Daniel ran.  They caught him, but he always got away.

Morpheus said that John was a good person, that he rather liked him.  "I'll have to give him some nice dreams sometime."

"You could be me!" Daniel said.

Morpheus nodded slowly.  His memory told him that John had in fact called out the name Daniel in his sleep.  "With Angel's wings."

He started to talk about someone else, but Mother told him he'd said enough. 

Morpheus snatched up a biscuit and ate it.

"Where are you moving anyway?" Daniel asked.

"Not very far," said Morpheus then licked his lips. 

"Oh."

"We just don't need to be in this house anymore."

"I think you should be quiet now, Murph," Mother said again.

"I don't know where I'll go," Daniel said.  He took a sip of tea. "I've heard so many strange things recently."

"I'm sure," said Mother,  "You don't want to stay in Los Angeles then."

"Don't I?"

"Too many memories, it's better you move on again."

"I am always doing that."

"I know."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Daniel said.

"But nothing really ever surprises you does it?" She asked, "You don't really stop to think about things too much, that's good."

"You don't get depressed all the time!" Morpheus sighed.  "I'm getting depressed all the time, to many things to worry about.  Always having to pretend you don't know things you know.  Always having to watch over people to make sure they don't get themselves in trouble."

"Really?" Asked Daniel.

"Oh, they give us all kinds of jobs!  Because we're so good at pretending, it is rather our thing, not that we never have anything to do with the truth.  Sometimes we show things that lead people right to the truth."

"Morpheus Tyron Smith!"  Shouted his mother.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry," said Daniel, "I won't tell a soul."

Daniel finished his tea and biscuits and then left the house.  "He'll go spend some time in New Orleans," Mother said. 

"Yeah," Morpheus agreed.  He was thinking about saying he would give John some nice dreams. 

Morpheus thought about it for a long while, as his Djinn helped Mother clean out her apartment. He planned the props he would need.  He'd appear as Daniel, with white Angel wings, and the white wings made him think of the Angel that Laura Palmer had seen in that Twin Peaks movie, so he decided that the dreams would always take place in the red room or whatever it had been, the waiting room with the red curtains.

He'd appear to John when certain things were going to happen.  Definitely before Steven was shot.  Maybe he'd appear before Julien came to New York, say something that would make John want to connect Daniel, whom he had loved, with Julien so that he would want to look out for Julien. 

Morpheus spent some time going back and looking in on other dreams John had.  He dreamt of Daniel often, but not as an Angel, not in very specific settings.  A lot of times Daniel was drinking something.  So Morpheus thought he'd be drinking when he appeared.  That would be pretty cool looking, an Angel casually drinking, say, a glass of whiskey.

Morpheus did it then, went back to the appropriate time and cast the dream.  John didn't see himself but he knew that he was still in a bed, but that he was in that room with the zigzag floor and the red curtains.  Blade was sitting mutely in a black armchair looking like Laura Palmer.  Daniel came from the curtains, shirtless but wearing draperies, like Angels from paintings, that just somehow didn't fall off.  Daniel sauntered across the room and sat in another chair.  He looked at Blade.  Then he looked at John.  "She doesn't know," he said.

Then the phone rang, and it was Julien.

The next time, Blade was not in the dream.  Steven was sitting in the armchair with his hair slicked back in an uncharacteristic way.  There was someone else there that looked like Joey but was dressed in clothes like Bob from the TV show.  Daniel came in as he had before and sat in a chair near Steven. Joey pointed his finger at Steven and said, "She is coming for you, Maaahn!" and then suddenly Steven was splattered with blood.  Daniel suddenly hid his face in his hands and sobbed.

John woke up and saw Julien crying.

Morpheus returned to his own bedroom in the Palace Shade on Halloween. His Djinn and flowers were back in place. He put River on the table with his lamp and water.

Morpheus let the clothes melt from him, walked to his bedroom, and snuggled into his bed.  He fell asleep right away.  He half-woke when Absinthe and Laudanum came to say goodnight.  "Poor thing, he looks exhausted," said Absinthe, "and he didn't even stay for the dancing." Laudanum bent and kissed Morpheus on the mouth. 

Morpheus didn't know if he were awake or dreaming after that.  He could hear River's small voice, "Hey, you getting up?" and then some time later, "Boss!  Are you alive?" and then a very long time after, "I'm hungry, I'm going to go find the kitchen...roaches maybe?" 

He saw Psyche standing somewhere.  "If you sleep much longer they'll but you in a glass coffin, they put me in a glass coffin once, the little animals, but I didn't have a poisoned apple in my mouth, they made that up...the kiss part, the kiss part...it really works." 

And then Joy was there, "I wonder if he's dreaming...I never remember dreaming...but then I usually don't remember much of anything.  I wonder if I remember in my sleep."

"Murph, that guy Steven brought me up.  They got lots of things to eat in the garden.  Hey!  You want me to go whisper in Julien's ear while he's asleep?  Huh?"

"Hello, Morpheus?  Can you hear me?  Oh Gawd, how can you sleep with the curtains open?  Everyone's asleep; it's almost scary.  Wake up.  Morpheus, listen, is all that stuff true?  I mean, do you know anything about dreams?  Cause like, I've been having these bad ones...I've always had them.  I'm sick of waking up...Gawd, sometimes I wish I'd just fall asleep and never wake up, only I know I'd have nightmares if I did. I don't mean that, not really, about never waking. Are you...? It's not Sidhe magic, is it?"  And then Julien kissed Morpheus on the lips. 

"What sort of nightmares?" Morpheus asked sleepily.

"Oh, you're awake...Jesus, did you hear all that?"  Julien's blurry face laughed.  "Does this mean I'm your true love?"

"Oh sure," said Morpheus with purposeful sarcasm.  "My brother kissed me."

"Huh?"

"Laudanum.  He kissed me.  So, yes, Sidhe magic, of a sort. It made me sleep a long time...it's a little like the thing with the poison apple."

Julien sat on the edge of the bed. Morpheus could see him better then; he was wearing white satin pajama pants. "Gawd, you sound like Psyche, that girl thinks just about every Disney movie is a rip off of her life story.  She's always asking Athen to sue them."

Morpheus looked at the silver window draperies.  Sunlight was coming through, but its angle was high enough that the light on the bed was pale and indirect. "It must be almost noon, why are you awake?  You actually had a nightmare?"

"Yeah." He looked away, into the light, unaffected.

"Was it one where you are in a place you recognize from life and just the people or the events were strange, or did you actually think you were in a strange place?"

"I have both." Julien glanced down to him, where Morpheus lay against his pillow. He gestured with his hands as he described the dream. "But, this one was a place I've never actually been, but I know it.  I've had the dream before...there's this maze, and I don't even know which way I want to go...and it's not like those ones from your activity books that are easy, it goes up and down as well as across, and there are all sorts of pits, and staircases that defy gravity, and strange things.  I'm always falling into a pit and falling.  It sounds stupid, but it's really frightening.  I wake up so suddenly and my chest hurts my heart is pounding so fast."

"I know where that is!  In those kinds of nightmares you go to an actual place, or more like, part of you travels there."

"How can I get out?"

"I can't tell you, exactly; it doesn't work like that.  But, I can tell you the object is to keep moving up.  Ideally, you don't have to go down to get up, but that doesn't mean some people don't do it that way...it just takes longer.  And, don't be afraid to fall.  Just tell yourself there's a floor down there and you can make your way right back up."

"Jeez...I don't know if that helps, it sounds like hell: going up and always falling down before you reach the top."

"But Julien, you'll reach the top."

Julien shrugged.  "Would you care if I slept here?"

"You want to sleep with me?" Morpheus realized, as he said it, that his voice had gone kinda dreamy. He tried a lop-sided smile in apology.

Julien crawled over him to reach the unoccupied side of the bed. "Is that especially meaningful, you being...you?"

Morpheus pinched his right thumb to his index finger: A little bit.

Julien lifted the covers and slipped down into the bed. "But it's OK?" He left a small space between them, a polite gap that said they were friends sharing a bed.

"Actually, I love just sleeping with friends."

Julien turned his back to Morpheus. "I like this room, the walls..." Words to fill the awkward silence. Morpheus half-listened, as he allowed himself to sense Julien's particular state of rest. He was tired. "The color is calming. It's not like Navy, it's not like it was blue and then they added black." Tired, but afraid to surrenderr to Sleep because it put him so close to Dream. "It was just dark to begin with....."

"Shhhh."

"Can you make me sleep?"

"I can, if you want." Morpheus made his voice whisper soft.         

"And hold me?"

Morpheus was tempted to joke, but he sensed no subterfuge. He simply scooted closer. "I love snuggling, too." Morpheus kissed his fingertips, then reached over to close Julien's lids. He lay down, and put one arm over Julien. The Vampyre went right to Sleep.