Orders from Jibril were that Morpheus was to support his mother in keeping vigil over Joy's last nearly-Human lifetime. Given his ability to cross the Void into any point in space-time, there was no rush to depart. Morpheus could take care in deciding what to take with him and what to leave, knowing he might also return at any time.

River must go with him. They were partners. The fact that his body was classified as impossible dream fauna and might cause a stir if noticed by a Human authority was a small concern. Morpheus could cast dreams and sleep enough to befuddle mortals. Though, it wouldn't hurt to do research and compose a cover story for the fanciful features of his lizard companion.

Morpheus was less certain about his Djinn. They were from the Empty World—Loren from within the Persian Empire and Hepburn from territory of Semitic tribes. They were skilled with disguise, so long as they knew the form they were to mimic, yet neither they nor Morpheus were familiar with New York, yet.

The plants were from Earth, but they offered little support, other than moral. It seemed better to leave them.

"River, you know anything about New York City?"

"Should I?" River asked from his shoulder.

Morpheus shrugged slightly. "I visited once."

He shifted his exostructure to form a long coat with deep pockets. He took the Djinn's bottles from their shelf and dropped each into a pocket.

"Are you bringing the guitar?"

"I wasn't even going to pack clothes."

"You have those built-in," River noted. "But, if you are going to a city and don't have money, you may need to play for your supper."

Morpheus hadn't thought about that. He stepped over the shifting piles of media to open his guitar case and look on the instrument Mother had gifted him: an acoustic-electric with a black folk-style body and inlaid mother-of-pearl crescent moon motif.

"It looks like a guitar you would play."

Morpheus laughed. "It does, but when we're going, this model isn't yet made. I can't play it in public. We'll need money. Especially if I'm to acquire another guitar."

"Yeah, I don't think we want to be homeless in New York."

Morpheus closed the case. "I'll figure something out. Remember: it gets better."

"What gets better?"

"That's what I said." Morpheus smiled. "Just things, apparently. Julien told me to remember it if things ever seemed bad." He lifted the guitar case. "I want to stop by the library in Dream before we leave."

"The Library of Fiction?"

"Yeah. For research."

Morpheus teleported directly to the Heart of the Allegory, landing with the sound of wings near the vacant hammock. Around the back of Jibril's hammock, was a quiet passage from which emanated a musty odor.

Beyond, lay a series of rooms lined with book-filled shelves. It smelled of wood and leaves.

A man approached, gray-haired and wearing a suit with wide lapels. He spoke in a language Morpheus suspected might be a dialect of Spanish, but before he could use telepathy to translate, River spoke to tell the man their purpose.

"You speak Spanish?" Morpheus asked.

"Sí, por lo visto." It seemed he did. "Jorgeasked if we needed assistance, and I told him you thought you could use the Libraryof Fiction for research."

Morpheus nodded. "If I understand correctly, the Library of Fiction has all works of Fiction, including those unpublished or incomplete in the Empty World, and fictional works referenced in Fiction."

"¡Claro!" River grasped his meaning.

"Yes," Jorge switched to a form of English, "The library is a most fascinating place. The number of works is practically infinite and growing. It would take eternity to read them all, and perhaps a lifetime to find one work in particular."

"I've visited the film and video section," Morpheus said, "so I can find that again, but I'm looking for a fictional guide to New York City. I figure only the most New York of New York facts would make it into a fictional guide of New York."

"Yes, yes," Jorge agreed, "A guide so perfect it is unwritten and only alluded to must contain the very essence of New Yorkness."

"Yeah. Can you help us find it?"

"I cannot." Jorge patted his pockets. "But there is a device."

Jorge drew a glittering sphere from his right-hand pocket, which looked curiously like one of Jibril's eyes. "No. That is not it." Jorge dropped the sphere back in his pocket.

Then, taking something from his left-hand pocket, Jorge held aloft a somewhat less brilliant sphere. "It is called The Beta. It is able to read works in the library, to provide analysis, and to recall where the works are located."

"Cool," said River.

"Can we use it?" Morpheus asked.

Jorge drew The Beta closer to his chest. "It is experimental in nature and though it reads all languages its interface currently only works in Spanish. I understand your small friend speaks the language...."

"Un poco," River said.

"Of course you should hold onto it," Morpheus assured Jorge. "We would appreciate if you would use The Beta to help us. I should also like a book on lizards, if that is not much trouble."

Jorge loosened his grasp on The Beta and it began to hover, appearing something like a lens or a transparent sphere. "Beta: Modo de Recordar," Jorge commanded and then continued by describing the fictional works they sought.

The Beta responded in clipped machine-like Spanish as it began to move through an aisle of shelves.

It had no mind as such that would enable Morpheus to use telepathy to translate, but he gathered from the repetition of specific words—izquierda, adelante, derecha, sendero, y, bifurcan—that it was relaying directions through the numerous library aisles.

"That was a lot of forking paths!" Morpheus sighed as he finally took Essential 410-Page Guide to New York City, English Edition from the shelf.

He was tired and hungry, which he rarely felt in the Night Regions, and the room didn't smell as damp as those before. Morpheus leaned back against a shelf; it was gray along exposed edges.

"Can I give you a lift back to the entrance?" He asked Jorge.

"These books are just as worthy of reading as any others." Jorge gestured to the nearby shelves. "Besides, I've memorized several titles near the entrance so that I can request The Beta help me find them."

"That would seem wise." Morpheus picked at the edge of a shelf. "Except it occurs to me the change in humidity means the library's new growth is towards the outside."

Jorge's jaw dropped, and then his mouth curved into a smile. "¡Claro! In the time it has taken to walk here, new shelves have been added that will put the titles I've memorized some distance from the entry."

"I can still take you back," Morpheus offered.

"No. Don't you see? By aiding you, I have uncovered an older section. There must be sections older yet, and you have discovered the signs to tell new from old. I have much more to learn here."

"And if you put The Beta in Reading Mode, it will probably lead you towards the newest unread works," River suggested.

"Yes. Intuitive, is it not?" Jorge plucked The Beta from the air.

"Be seeing you," said Morpheus.

"Yes...." Jorge was already moving away to explore further shelves.

Morpheus straightened. He clutched his pair of books in his right hand, assured himself that River was on his shoulder, took up his guitar case in his left hand, then teleported to the film and video section.

They spent some time in one of the private viewing rooms watching a selection of movies set in New York City. As a scene from Ghostbusters set in a library played, Morpheus sensed a powerful presence overhead.

Then, it happened again.

"You smell something?" River asked from the arm of the next chair where Hepburn sat costumed as Holly Golightly.

"Archangels," Morpheus said. "More than one."

He called both his Djinn into their bottles, then lifted River onto his shoulder.

Morpheus transported them first to the Heart of the Allegory, which was, again, vacant. An opening in the webs overhead, exposed the shimmering surface of a watery portal.

"Hold on." Morpheus spread his wings and flew upward, passing through the portal and emerging on the other side above a lake.

"Where?" River asked.

Morpheus took a moment to orient himself. He had glimpsed this place of reeds and narcissi before, and he matched it to a name from inherited memory. "Our Glass Lake on the border of Dream and Beauty."

"I see our yellow brick road," River said.

Sleep was before them, with its meadows beyond the Lethe. The wild and manicured gardens of Beauty were to their right side, and on the left was Death.

At the foothills of Nightfall, wound the black river, Cocytus, banks white with crumbling bones of birds and fish, and beyond amber fields of harvest grain, and then a tall, dark house behind an iron fence.

"That must be what I sensed." Morpheus gestured towards Death's mansion.

Three Archons were at Death's door. Morpheus recognized Raphael. The Angel beside him wore the red cloak of The Host and must be Michael. Morpheus didn't know the third, but by process of elimination he was probably Uriel.

Zerachiel came from her house to join the others.

"Last time I saw as many Archangels in formal dress was when Duma fell."

"Fell?"

Morpheus watched as the four Archons took to the sky and flew over Sleep in the direction of Limbo. He began flying towards Sleep, before answering River.

"It happened before I knew you. Duma was an Archon, an Archangel, the head of one of the nine Orders. He did something—I don't know the precise act—and he lost his rank and privileges in the Forbidden City. He's still a Child of Night: Regent of Silence. His seat as head of his Order was—"

Over the Lethe, Morpheus sensed the presence of Angels flying close beneath him, and rose rapidly to avoid Jibril and Beholder, which put him in the path of a powerful presence approaching too rapidly to avoid.

A body impacted with his right wing and Morpheus cried out. The books fell. Hands grasped at his arms. He spun. The guitar fell. River's claws cut at his ear. The hands released their grip.

Morpheus saw Remiel—his skin color different than last he'd seen him—fall away from him.

Below, Jibril and Beholder rose to catch Remiel.

Morpheus felt for River and found him in his hair. His lizard body was trembling.

"It's OK now," Morpheus said. He drew River from his head with care, and brought River's small body to rest against the lapel of his coat.

Morpheus descended and alighted on the bank of the Lethe near the three Angels. Remiel was seated in a sprawl on the grass with Jibril stooped to tend to him while Beholder collected the fallen books. Morpheus recognized the Regent of Beauty with mismatched eyes was one who had attended his Introduction.

"...faerie dusted," Remiel said drowsily.

Jibril blew across Remiel's face, clearing a film of sleep from his eyes.

"It naturally forms in my wings," Morpheus said. "Forgive me?"

"Can he call you that?" River pushed against the hand sheltering him.

Morpheus lowered his hand. "What?"

Jibril made a tinkling laugh as he stood. He reached towards Morpheus and pat River's head. "Morpheus is Faerie on account of his mother's service to Queen Maeve of the Sidhe."

Morpheus only nodded.

"Are you well, Morpheus?" Beholder asked.

Morpheus flexed his right wing and shed several bent black feathers. "Fine."

"Stand clear!" Remiel rose. With an audible whoosh and crackle he was wreathed in blue flames interspersed with sparks of orange lightning. "That's better," he said as the fire dissipated.

"You look a little different." Morpheus touched his right index finger to his own cheek.

"Oh." Remiel laughed; it was more organic in sound than Jibril's laughter. "I'm always both colors, it's just you only see one or the other."

"OK." Morpheus just went along with it.

"What about me?" Beholder asked with that tinkling laugh of the Hashmallim.

Morpheus didn't answer, being occupied retrieving his fallen guitar case from the ground, but also because he had no words to adequately describe the Regent of Beauty.

"Later," Jibril said firmly. "Remiel, do you know what is happening?"

"I—" Remiel lifted a hand to his orange hair. "I was going to ask you if you had seen the other Archons."

"So, there is something happening?" Jibril asked. "Beholder says xe saw the residents of the Amber Palace head towards Sleep's house."

"Raphael, Michael, and Uriel took Zerachiel somewhere towards Limbo," Morpheus told them.

"Did they cross the Styx?"

Morpheus shook his head. "I didn't see, but they were in uniform." He nodded towards Remiel who wore a blue jumpsuit with straps and buckles.

"The Cherubim still have a ship in Los Angeles."

"Why would the Archons need a ship?" Jibril pressed.

"Because several Satans have left the Pit for the Empty World." Remiel bowed his head.

"If Lucifer is up to something on Earth," said Beholder, looking towards Jibril, "it probably relates to Tristopher leaving the Amber Palace."

"Remiel, would you come with us to see Somniel?" Jibril asked, speaking Sleep's Angelic name.

Remiel hesitated, shaking his head. "I need to find the other Archons. I suspect Gabriel and Raziel are in the Empty World."

"Yes, I am sure they are." Morpheus wasn't sure whether Jibril meant this for fact or only assurance for Remiel.

"Then, if I go as well, at least seven of us will be in one realm, should a judgement be needed. Raguel is here, somewhere, and higher ranked. He would be the best to help."

"Raguel is of the Hashmallim Order as we and Somniel are," Beholder said, putting a hand to Remiel's shoulder to gently steer him toward xem. "It would seem a conflict of interest for Raguel to have to take action in his house. And if Michael is gone, we cannot very well call for The Host."

Remiel's saffron wings fluttered at mention of The Host.

Just behind Remiel's shoulder, Jibril tipped his head, seeming to signal Morpheus.

"Really?" Morpheus only mouthed the word. Jibril wanted him to persuade Remiel?

Jibril raised his brows. Would Morpheus do it or not?

"Remi," Morpheus called. "I trust you. Raph and you taught me so much and I think he would want us both to do our best. We can't have the Archons dangerously split between realms and have Children of Night distracted from duty. Raphael can handle whichever Satans have gathered in the Empty World. Please help us here."

"Yes, of course!" Remiel said finally. "Your wing is all right, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Polymorphic flesh heals quickly." Morpheus began walking towards the paved path.

"You should see one of the Seraphim if it bothers you," Remiel advised.

Morpheus nodded and quickened his steps.

River whispered at his ear. "Murph, did your grandfather just—?"

"Encourage me to flirt with an Archon to get what he wanted? Pretty sure that just happened."

"I didn't see it until it was happening," River said. "You don't have to do that, even if someone is older or has authority."

Morpheus nodded again.

They came shortly to Sleep's house. Several of his other sons were outside the door and bowed as Remiel arrived.

Jibril let himself inside and Beholder went after him with Remiel.

Morpheus glanced at his brothers, then followed inside. The chamber was crowded, with some of his other brothers closest to the entrance, along with some Halfangels.

Past dark heads and shoulders of other Children of Night, Sleep was seated on his couch. Mother was near him with a cracked cheval-glass beside her. Two other Children of Night whom Morpheus only vaguely recognized from his Introduction were near his parents in argument.

"Is all well here?" Remiel asked.

"It is a family matter, Archon," said Tristopher, the beige colored Angel with feminine curves and seafoam green tendrils at her back.

From one of the chairs, a dark-haired Angel rose, black wings spreading behind his shoulders. He put himself between Tristopher and Remiel.

"Duma," Remiel said. "I see my opposite number is here. Clearly, not all Satans left for the Empty World."

"Oh, this is going to be good," Icelos whispered from beside Morpheus. He stroked the white snake draped over his shoulders.

Morpheus sidestepped away from his brother and accidentally brushed against a Halfangel with rosy wings. "Forgive me," he whispered.

The Halfangel looked up at Morpheus with violet eyes and smiled. "Morpheus, right?"

Morpheus nodded. "Did we meet?"

"You were really young. I go by Splendor now, but I've been known by other names."

"You're from the Amber Palace?"

Splendor smiled. "I am. I'm only a Vice-Regent, more in training than anything. I govern a specific type of bliss."

Morpheus blushed, the blue cast to his skin deepening.

"You did nothing to be ashamed of," Splendor whispered.

"I know." It was true. "It's just sometimes the knowledge that others watch is a little uncomfortable."

"I understand. I'm half Human on account of my mother being mortal when I was conceived. She was granted the elixir after I was born. But, we all must do our duty."

"Do you know what's happening?" Morpheus gestured towards the far side of the room.

"I'm a witness to part of it," Splendor admitted, "My mother did not report back as expected."

"Report back on what?" Morpheus asked, but he turned from Splendor without waiting for an answer, in attempt to follow the argument across the room.

Duma had stepped aside and several of the Angels involved seemed to be looking towards Mother.

"How does Opium know what happened to Psyche?" Remiel asked.

There was a collective sighing in the bed chamber.

"Please!" Sleep pleaded.

The room quieted and then Mother spoke. "It's just how Children of Night work. Psyche's duty has passed to me. There wasn't, like, a lag, so she must have had warning of something that would prevent her continuing her duty. That doesn't mean I know what happened to her, you know, specifically."

"Splendor and I were among those to see Psyche last," said Absidus, whose auburn hair stood out among darker heads.

Faces turned to look toward the entryway where Morpheus stood near Splendor.

"We were in New York City attending the wedding of the Vampyre, Shade, to his most recent spawn," Splendor testified, glancing briefly to Morpheus, "After the ceremony, the newlyweds got into a limousine. Then, the limo sped away and I sensed my grandfather's presence. My mother and her lover, Athen, were nearby and appeared to react to something they sensed. My mother, Psyche, teleported out, but Athen got into a car with Shade's Human friend to pursue the limo."

"Where does that fit with the Satans' activities?" Remiel asked.

Absidus gestured toward Splendor.

"Archon," Splendor said, "Lucifer is my grandfather, on my father's side."

"He abducted the bride," Absidus said. "Splendor and I found Shade and our Human friend and learned Lucifer had taken the bride. Shade was planning to get her back. By that time, we saw that Gabriel and Raziel were also involved. We returned here to gather support and learned it was not only Lucifer who had crossed over to the Empty World."

Tristopher spoke to say something about why Children of Night should be neutral in some matters, but Morpheus was distracted.

"I saw Julien," Splendor whispered.

"You—? How did he look?"

"It was the first any of us had met him: at the wedding. His sister was the bride."

Morpheus had never seen Julien's sister, but he knew she existed and was the older sibling from brief telepathic contact with Julien. "Her name's Blade?"

"Yes," Splendor said, "Blade was marrying one of the Vampyres, Shade, whom my mother knows as Athen's father."

"Athen? I see." Julien and his sister, Blade, must both eventually be Vampyres. Blade having received the blood from Shade, and Julien to receive it from Athen.

"Yes, he's Shade's son as well as spawn of his vampiric blood. My mother's been seeing Athen on and off for a century or so. He's not so bad. Well, he's terrible to most Humans, but he's sweet to me."

Morpheus nodded. The Vampyre drama alone was a lot to process. He had no idea why Lucifer was interested in abducting anyone.

"There is a possibility Eros is involved," Absidus said. "And if that is the case, this is not only a matter of keeping balance between Angelic factions, but it is also a family matter for us."

"Eros?" Remiel asked, "isn't Psyche his wife?"

"Divorced!" several Children of Night cried out at once.

"They are divorced," Tristopher said quietly; the silence through the rest of the room allowed her voice to carry. "Absidus and I were witnesses to Psyche's divorce decree. Neither Lucifer nor Eros have any right to hold a Child of Night against their will, Psyche or anyone else. But I will not accuse my son without evidence. Though, I corroborate the past testimony of Absidus and Splendor: Eros was absent from the Palace."

"All Angels understand the importance of the duty of the Children of Night," Remiel said, "and there are members of your family in both factions." Remiel made a gesture towards Duma. "Zerachiel, one of you, is already dispatched with the Archons to assure balance of power is maintained."

There was a murmuring of voices through the room.

Remiel raised his voice, "I will go to the Empty World with a message to make certain Psyche is found and returned. As for this stolen bride, if it is not in the scope of the mission of those Archons recently dispatched, then it is likely Gabriel and Raziel will see the matter resolved, as they seem familiar with these newlyweds."

"Thank you, Archon Remiel," Absidus said. "Splendor and I will accompany you to escort Psyche back to the Amber Palace, and Eros as well, if need be. We should take several Nightcloaks to allow as little disruption to mortal lives as possible."

"No," Tristopher said, "Leliel would not allow it. A misplaced Nightcloak could itself become a disruption within the Empty World."

"Leliel is not here!" Absidus said loudly. "When did Night last visit any of us?"

Morpheus only knew their ancestor through inherited memory. Agreement through the room seemed to be that Leliel was conspicuously absent. Some voices speculated he was on the moons of Saturn. Others thought he had been granted residence in the Forbidden City.

"I may not be soul of his soul," Absidus said, "but Leliel raised me up and gave me my name. If he were here, I would obey his command, but he is not. And, as our eldest, Gabriel and Zerachiel are away, it is for us here to decide."

Tristopher's tendrils writhed behind her, but she said nothing more.

"I will make the call," said Sleep.

Morpheus watched his father leave the couch and walk to the corner where Metro lay shrouded on her bed.

"Not for the Children of Night, for we can have no quarrel with Lucifer any more than with an Archon. I will take Nightcloaks from my house and I will go with Remiel and hand them over myself. This vampire bridegroom, Shade, is not one of us, but he has been friend to some of us. When Metro was mortal, he gave her shelter. When Laudanum and Absinthe were infants in the Empty World, his family fostered them. Leliel himself once offered Shade's family hospitality."

It was the longest speech Morpheus had heard his father give, and he found Sleep looking back at him over the crowd as he turned from Metro's bed. Their eyes remained locked for a moment, though no information passed between them. Sleep then walked to Absidus and said something Morpheus could not hear.

"He looked good, by the way," Splendor said from beside Morpheus.

Morpheus turned and looked down to Splendor. "Julien?"

"His coloring is like mine, but he's male and a lot taller. His suit did not seem to fit, but that may have been the style. I don't really understand clothing very well." Morpheus didn't see that, given Splendor's pale yellow peplos pinned in place with gold brooches.

Sleep approached, carrying some black garments. Remiel and Absidus were just behind.

"We're going," Absidus said, putting a hand to Splendor's shoulder.

"Morpheus," his father said, "I will be back, but I ask you sit on the couch for me and watch no one disturbs the hourglasses."

"Me?"

"I will be back," Sleep said. He then winked out of sight with the others.

Morpheus quickly crossed the room to the couch. Metro still slept beneath her shroud and Jibril was at her bedside. Mother was watching the fractured mirror from the edge of the couch. Morpheus sat down beside her.

"As soon as Psyche is back and able to do her duty, we can leave for New York," Mother said.

-----

Image media (top) is my sketch of the character Tristopher.

Audio media (top) is "The Forest" by The Cure

Image media (mid chapter) is recolor of photo by Pixabay user Bernd Müller used under CC0 license