a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight...

[goddessnanshe]

Early morning, Wednesday

My arms and legs are bleeding, my ceremonial dress ripped and stained. It has taken me hours to get free of the abbey and stumble onto Main Street. My hair smells of soot. I can manipulate dream, but now there is another here who can, too, and the dreams he has sent for me are full of fire and thorns. And he does not tire

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[jack_hollow]

Bit of a trial getting in this morning, what with the kitchen flooding a bit, and the... the thing that looked like Miss Pontarlier tryna drag me out the door. Missus Ramsey went after it with a broom. Wouldn't'a thought that'd work, but it's shaping up ta be a surprising day. Guess on balance a hat an' a broom are a fair trade ta have that thing outta the house...

Left Missus Ramsay mopping up, and I'm comin' up Silk when I see Noma crossing to our door, looking like she just bare made it out of a bad fight, and I start running. "Miss Noma?" She's moving under her own power, but she looks like hell. "What happened, who did this?"

[goddessnanshe]

"Jack," I say, "Deputy," and I am so very glad to see him. I throw my arms around him, which I know he may find strange, but he smells of hay and clean strong things and it takes some of the smell of blight out of my nostrils. I draw back. "The abbey," I say. "The abbey needs help," and I wobble on my feet.

[jack_hollow]

Blinking for a minute, though I put my arm 'round her back, and it doesn't seem strange as it ought.

"C'n see to that," I say, and I will, and in just a second--look up Main, and there's a light that makes my eyes hurt, a kind of white-green glare that's bright and gone in only a moment. "Miss Noma, I think you've got ta sit down." Move my free hand ta open the door, thinking if she can just have a moment ta breathe, an' I can leave her here where it's safe, where the hell is Mab? "What's happening--"

The office is different. A bit. Smoother floor, and dark walls, and writing on them in Greek, painted on in dull gold. And there's a stack of books in each corner, great old things with dark leather bindings, smelling of pipe ash and salt and dust. But the chairs are still there, the supply closet, my desk with all the paperwork.

"Ah, you might, you might wanna sit down out here fer a minute, if you c'n tell me...?" What the hell? I ain't seen anythin' like this since Waterkey made me.

[goddessnanshe]

I follow the Deputy with relief into his office - and see at once the trace of Dream here. It makes me feel - homesick, yes, these dreams made flesh. But I am also frightened, because that means the leak has spread far beyond the Abbey.

"Deputy Hollow," I say, "this is a dream. But you are awake, and so am I. Do you remember when the town fell asleep, and a monster had to be defeated so they could wake? It seems the monster did not die."

[jack_hollow]

"I remember," I say, 'cause aw, hell ain't the kinda language I'd care ta fall into in front of her. Mean, I wasn't there, not properly, but I heard about it, and I think I'm still a bit waterlogged 'cause it just starts ta dawn on me what the Abbey likely looks like, and-- wait, was she here when that happened?

Either way, I ain't dragging a civilian back there an' I ain't leavin' her here. "I think we've gotta go ta the library, Miss Noma," I say calm's I can, picking up the first aid kit while I'm at it. Hermia'll know what ta start ta do. I hope. "Did anyone else get out?"

[goddessnanshe]

"The library - Hermia, yes," I say, with relief, "that's a good idea." Jack asks if anyone else got out and I close my eyes. "I... don't know. I hope so." I do, though I think the - horrors that were there were aimed at me, so perhaps they are safe. Perhaps. I don't trust Icelus to care about accidental casualties. "Do you mind if I clean myself up a little before we leave, Deputy? I don't want to bleed all over the library."

[jack_hollow]

"'course, ma'am." Give her a moment, write Mab and Chester a quick note. Find myself wishing for phones, which ya get kinda used ta not doing with, and most times it's no trouble, but...

Offer her my coat, an' we head out. The doors of the library'r shut, and there's a note chalked on one that I can't read. Try the handle, anyway, and the door slips and moves but don't exactly open. An' when I try'n let go, my hand's stuck.

[goddessnanshe]

There's something very wrong at the library. I look at the note on the door, but the words wriggle away. And then Jack gets stuck holding the door handle.

"Deputy," I say, alarmed. I look at the edges of the dream, and take a deep breath. "When I say now, Deputy, pull your hand away as hard as you can," I say, and look back at the library. Thinking hard, in my mind I take hold of a corner of the dream fabric and pull. It's heavy, and slippery. "Now," I say, through gritted teeth, and Jack's hand slips free of the door. I let go of the dream with a gasp. Manipulating dreams in the waking world is not nearly as easy as doing it in Dream.

[jack_hollow]

"Appreciate that," I say, looking at the door and damn well not touchin' it. "Ain't sure how we're gonna get in, that's the case... can't say I favour tryin' the windows. Miss Noma, c'n you maybe tell me if there's anything particular I oughtta know 'bout?"

[goddessnanshe]

I breathe out. I decide, that in all my contact with him, there's nothing about Jack that makes me suspicious he would ever do me harm. And so after a moment I say:

"I know you think I have recently come to town, Deputy. But I have been here for a long time, only my form was different." I put my hand lightly on his arm. "I know you are not a man, Deputy, although you look like one; and I am not really a woman, even though my body is flesh and blood, now. I am Nanshe," I say, looking him in the eye, tilting my head back to do so, for golem or man, he is taller than me by some way. "And the thing that is causing havoc in town is named Icelus. He is a god of nightmare, and he hates me."