Like a… Like a weight is being lifted after being there for so long I couldn't remember what it not being there was like.
I think-.
Huh. So, despite the danger to him, this was almost therapeutic for him. I guess seeing those dream-memories helped him sort through
things a little...
"Blue Lantern. Can you hear me?"
Heh, I don't know what it was I forgot. Didn't Ted Knight make a joke about-.
To be fair,
Ted wasn't one of the
best guys to listen to about mental health. Given his
own issues, after all...
"…going stag, Jay. I don't wanna make things awkward for you and Joan."
I don't… I don't think I want to-.
As tempting as it is to stay in the dream, Alan, you have to wake up
sometime.
"…friend of Joan's. You'll be doing us both a favor, really."
I see my own… Smiling face in the mirror at the back of the bar. God, I look young.
Honestly, I'm amazed the
tiny mask did anything to hide his identity, with his movie-star looks. Maybe the flaming green aura helped.
"That bad, huh?"
I know where this goes. I-. I remember the first time I-.
One of the happy moments, eh? Meeting the
love of his life for the first time...
"Hey Rose."
And then it's clear again, no bar, no… People I don't remember. Just me, whoever I am, floating in the-.
Ah, the transititory nature of a dream...
I use a windmill construct to blow the poisonous pollen away from all of the people, catching sight of Thorn fleeing down a corridor at the back of the room. I think about going after her, but I can't risk any of that stuff getting on the civilians.
I don't wanna-.
I mean, in
that costume, that might be a hard choice for some with a less polished sense of duty.
I see Rose in her wedding dress and I'm-. Struck dumb. I don't move until Jay elbows me in the ribs.
I-. No.
I'm sure many a man has had
that moment at the altar.
Three people are dead in the streets and-. And-. And-. How the hell didn't I notice-. "You! I don't know how you're controlling my wife, but I'll-.[/font][/size]
"Blue Lantern? Are you awake?"
And now to return to reality... Or at least what passes for it in this place.
I open my eyes, and there's. Some sort of bag on my lap, and something around my head. And my ring's gone. Where-?
"Wesley? What..?"
"Thanks, but you've got the wrong Sandman. Are you alright?"
Though I don't doubt Sanderson felt a
little thrill at being mistaken for his mentor... On the other hand, no ring? That's...
Bad.
I reach up and take a hold of the magical rope around my head. And I close my eyes and-. I don't even know how I should feel. Rose was in my life for over sixty years and these ropes were practically making my brain dribble out of my ears…
Damn it.
Maybe get
angry at the swindler who got you into this position. That should help.
"Sandy, right. Back with it. Do I-?" I look down at my laps again and-. Gourds, they're gourds, with ropes tied to the rope around my forehead running from the tops. "Can I take this off?"
Sandy… Kind of… Shimmers-. No, it's like he gets a little insubstantial for a moment.
Morpheus' blessing proving a little
odd to those around him, I see. Hopefully that's only because of his present location...
"Ah… Let me."
He goes back to looking normal, then takes a hold of the rope around my head-.
Wonder if he got a look at what would happen if he pulled
too hard...
Fightblastshinesmilecoldwooshpeopletallskyhurtfacefacefacerecognizebuildingtrainmovingclacking…
Sandy pulls the rope off my head, then picks up the gourds and throws them across the room
Talk about having your life flash before your eyes.
"Give a-!" I shake my head, trying to clear out getting ninety years of memories all stuffed into it all at once. "Give a fellah a little warning next time."
"Sorry, Blue Lantern. I'm kinda new at this."
Understandable. It's not like you guys went wandering in the Dreaming back in the Forties...
"New at-" I try to stand, Sandy hovering on my left just in case I collapse. But I don't. I may not exactly be feeling 100% right now, but I'm not that feeble. "-what?"
"You know how Wesley had visions? Well, now I do too. And a few others things while we're in the Dream. That's how I found you." He glances towards-. The door. "What happened?"
The teleporting is a nice trick. Pity they can't take advantage of it to step right into the Tower...
"Merchant wanted to show me what his dream transfer equipment could do. It was supposed to show me the storm we need to get through. Looks like he wasn't on the up-and-up."
"Did you see a lot of this building?"
Well, you got to see how it
worked, all right. Not quite from the
angle you hoped for, though.
"No." I look around-. He already got one of the guards. "Just a couple of rooms. Didn't see this place."
Okay, no ring, but I've been in worse spots, and… Right now I kinda wanna hit someone with my own fists. Only question is, are we trying to get away, or trying to take that dirty rat into custody? Hm. We'll have to play it by ear. The idea of leaving my ring behind sticks in my craw, but I can always-.
Call it? Worth a try. Not sure you have the proficiency to manage that...
Yet.
I hold out my right hand and think back to when I'd forgotten all my problems.
I can't call it to me like Paul can with his ring, but now I know where we're going.
Helpful. Wonder if that's something Kalmin added?
I march over to the door, pull it open and cautiously stick my head out. Nothing much in either direction, and-.
Is that a scimitar?
You're lucky it isn't in the hands of a big shirtless Arab crying "Hassan CHOP!"
I step out into the corridor, then crouch down and pick it up. I'm not an expert swordsman or anything, but it's amazing what you can pick up a little of.
"A sword?" Sandy's got his gas gun out and is covering the right hand corridor. "Isn't that a little..? Dangerous?"

What's so hard about swordfighting? Pointy end goes in the bad guy, right? Or more like chopping wood, depending on the sword...
"Not as dangerous and trying to fight a swordsman bare handed."
"I mean…"
Just like you don't bring a knife to a gun fight... Unless you're
Judomaster, having the same kind of stuff as the other guy makes it fair.
I flash him a smile, which probably comes across as a little drained.
"I know. I don't plan on cutting anyone down, but sometimes the wages of sin are paid in pain." I start down the corridor in the direction I feel my ring in. "But I can hold them off until you can send them to sleep."
Man, can Alan speechify or
what?
"I don't know for sure my gun works on these people."
I stop, frowning. Ah. It's a bit of a Paul solution, but it makes a worrying amount of sense.
In
this case, the OL method might be the best option...
"In that case, why don't you nip back and dose that guard?"
"Because-!" He winces at the sound of his own voice, and I listen carefully for the sound of anyone responding. Nothing just yet. "He's a tied up prisoner."
He also had a
sword while checking on a presumably unconscious prisoner. I don't think he's
any kind of good guy.
"Your gun's loaded with dream dust." I shrug nonchalantly. "Completely safe knock out gas. All that's going to happen is that he goes to sleep. Either that, or nothing at all."
"I guess…"
And better to find out
now than when you're facing down half a dozen goons coming at you...
He doesn't like it, and I get that it doesn't feel right. But we need to know, and I can't think of any reason why it would hurt the guy. Sandy takes a few steps back, pushing the door open and raises his gun.
"Sorry about this."
Well, I'm sure that makes him feel
so much better.
Dream dust shoots out of the barrel and… Whaw, that takes me back, the clouds of the stuff settling in the dungeon room.
Sandy lowers the gun, nodding.
Ah, the good old days... When all you had to deal with were gangsters with tommy guns, and the occasional cape...
"It works.
"Good. They're not going to know what hit them."
Now the fun question: Will he
dream?
