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

Fourteen

Sleep nodded slowly. "These are important events, and I have no large doubt you have interpreted the vision correctly. Laudanum will report to us what may happen between Shade and these Humans in red jackets. But, the remaining prophecies worry me. They speak of war, what are her words? Yes, 'A sleeping beauty lies in the empty world...beware jealousy...a book stolen...war comes to the famous ones...the Jewel of the East...nothing.'" Sleep bowed, his pale blue wings wavered nervously behind him. "We don't know who this other sleeping beauty is, but the 'war' obviously does also involve the Nephillim, for they are called the 'famous ones'."

"Father!" called Icelos.

Sleep lazily aimed his scepter.

"Father, the sleeper speaks of the famous ones and of a book, do you not recall that the Spawn Athené possesses the Book of the Angel Raziel?"

Sleep looked suddenly alert. There was no need for him to explain that, if this book were to be stolen, even the Angels might possibly have something to fear. "My favored love, our son, tarry not here too long. Go to your tower and watch. If it seems clear that there are Nephillim Spawn moving to the West, go after them. Watch them closely. I will go myself to some of the other Angels and ask them what they know of this vision. We will stay in contact. The rest of the court may depart."

Morpheus watched as his father went to his mother and leaned close to tell her something. And then Mother nodded. Sleep raised Opium's hand and kissed it once, then hurried away. Mother lifted her eyes to Morpheus. She seemed concerned, but he was not sure if it was for anyone in particular.

They went home to the tower immediately. No one was there, Laudanum and Absinthe having been in New Orleans as well as they, and many of the mirrors had slipped out of focus. Morpheus thought to check on his flowers, but Mother called to him, "Murph, I need your help. Choose several mirrors, you can keep one focused on Julien, focus another on Joy for me. I'll focus the big one on Shade for now. We can add more as we need them."

Morpheus lay across one of the couches where he could look down at the mirrored floor. He focused a mirror each on Joy and Julien, picking the largest ones near him. He formed eyes on the arches of his wings, in order to watch the large glass in the ceiling, which Mother was just focusing. He saw her gaze directly at the second set of eyes. "It kinda creeps me out when you do that."

"Mom!" It wasn't something he usually called her, but he hoped it had the effect of reminding her she was supposed to be supportive. "You want help watching, don't you?"

Morpheus gave his attention to the mirrors. Julien, Joy, and Shade were in a car together, with Julien driving, and Joy on Shade's lap in the passenger seat. Morpheus couldn't remember watching Julien drive much in the past, but he recalled glimpsing various vehicles in scrying pools. He was from Nassau County, which was pretty suburban, so he must have learned as a teenaged Human, but something Shade had said - that Julien would drive through the day - made Morpheus suspect that either Shade did not know how to drive, or that Julien was in some way better suited to it.

It was almost night. Vehicles and landmarks were passed near to the point of blurring. But, Mother said that she recognized the road. They were on the Turnpike heading for the Lincoln Tunnel. Morpheus kept vigil with her, watching as Julien drove into the city. The Vampyres stopped in a neighborhood somewhere just north of Greenwich Village. Opium said they were going to their old underground home, the place they had called the Necropolis.

Morpheus watched as they went down through an opened grate into the tunnels beneath the city. They came to a door, and then to another tunnel, walked along a narrow walk, above the tracks, and then crossed a foot-bridge over a pool of water rank, green water.