The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Four (Draft 3) "Allies"

Morpheus sighed.

River climbed up his arm onto his shoulder. "Listen, I'll just kinda hang back here."

"Thanks," Morpheus said. "Don't worry about climbing on me, really. I regenerate pretty quickly, and if my exostructure gets damaged I can shed pieces."

"Cool. Do I do that?"

"You molt and can regenerate some parts."

"OK."

Morpheus wasn't sure how to treat a partner small enough to ride on his shoulder. Should he announce actions he planned to take, or wait for River to ask questions? "I have some other companions. Not like you, but they are waiting for me—for us."

"Let's go."

Morpheus found Alexandra in one of the nearby cavernous chambers where she watched over his collection. A couple of dead, bloodied birds lay in the box amongst the plant pots and decorative glass bottles.

"I fed the flowers," Alexandra told him; she sounded Greek to Morpheus, "but I did not release your Djinn."

"I'll take care of them. Thanks." Morpheus unstoppered the pair of bottles and the Djinn emanated in smoky spirals.

"What happened to the birds?" Nictitating membranes swiped across River's eyes. "And why do the walls move?"

"I killed them," said Alexandra, rising on her spider thread.

Morpheus whispered, "I'm sure Alexandra said the appropriate blessing. We're in the antechamber to The Cave of Bird-Eating Spiders, which occasionally becomes The Cave of Bird Eating Spiders."

"So not South America."

"Far from it, on the fringes of Nightmare. You should hide in a pocket." With a moment's concentration, Morpheus gave the tee formed by his exostructure a left breast-pocket.

The Djinn hovered over the birds in cloud-like form, drawing blood from the carcasses into their vaporous bodies.

River scurried into the newly-formed pocket. "Do the genies have to do that?"

Morpheus nodded. "Blood is among traditional currencies in spirit pacts."

The Djinn assumed humanoid forms, appearing like the actresses wearing near-eastern garments, Hepburn more modest in dress while Loren's clothing bared a slice of midriff and much of her arms and back.

Hepburn made a sign with fingertips to mouth.

"No. River doesn't seem to be a haematophage. I'm sure we can find him food in one of the labyrinth's walled gardens, or the meadows of Sleep."

"Soul city?" Loren asked.

"I'm sure they have every kind of food in Los Angeles."

"LA?" River peered out from his pocket.

"Not the one you may know," Morpheus told him, "The City of the Angels—though resident souls outnumber Angels—is the city all Earthly cities reflect. It's just across the river from Limbo, so we can have a look on the way home."

"In Limbo?"

"Technically it's an enclave surrounded by Limbo. Looks like some ominous, towering villain lair or a prison for a princess, but my mother's not anyone's overlord or damsel."

They headed home, with Loren carrying the box of plants and birds while Hepburn carried the bottles.

As they walked the path through Sleep, Absinthe and Laudanum came out from Sleep's house. Laudanum walked, while Absinthe skipped over the poppies.