the sandman: preludes & nocturnes

my favorite lines from preludes & nocturnes...

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MORPHEUS: Beyond, outside my Dreamworld there is infinite dust, infinite dark. And the Dreamworld is infinite although it is bounded on every side. The way to the center is a slow spiral. One passes the houses of mystery and secrets... old way stations on the frontiers of nightmare. From there one charts a course nightward until one reaches the Gates of Horn and Ivory. I carved them myself, when the world was younger, and order was needed. I hasten to the Gates.
The dreams that pass through the gates of Ivory are lies, figments and deceptions. The other admits the truth. No one guards the horned gate anymore. I remember the way of old. Once through it I can see my castle. Through it I will be able to see... my home...

~
JOHN CONSTANTINE: And I can see the clouds. They look kind of solid. And the ground below them. That looks really solid. It's a long way to fall. And I'm falling... I don't want to die. I don't want to fall. I tell myself it's not the fall, falling doesn't hurt... it's when you stop.

~
JOHN CONSTANTINE: So. Where are you going now?

MORPHEUS: To hell...

JOHN CONSTANTINE: Hehhh. Aren't we all, mate? Aren't we all?

~
CHORONZON: I am a dire world, prey-stalking, lethal prowler.

MORPHEUS: I am a hunter, horse-mounted, wolf-stabbing.

CHORONZON: I am a horsefly, horse-stinging, hunter-throwing.

MORPHEUS: I am a spider, fly-consuming, eight legged.

CHORONZON: I am a snake, spider-devouring, posion-toothed.

MORPHEUS: I am an ox, snake-crushing, heavy footed.

CHORONZON: I am an anthrax, butcher, bacterium, warm-life destroying.

MORPHEUS: I am a world, space-floating, life nurturing.

CHORONZON: I am a nova, all-exploding... planet-cremating.

MORPHEUS: I am the Universe -- all things encompassing, all life embracing.

CHORONZON: I am Anti-Life, the Beast of Judgement. I am the dark at the end of everything. The end of universes, gods, worlds... of everything. Sss. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?

MORPHEUS: I am hope.

~
MORPHEUS: I thank you. The kings of Hell are honorable. I will remember this.

LUCIFER: Honorable? You joke, surely. Look around you, Morpheus. The million Lords of Hell stand arrayed about you. Tell us why we should let you leave? Helmet or no, you have no power here... what power have dreams in hell?

MORPHEUS: You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly... But -- you say that Dreams have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar.. Ask yourselves, all of you... What power would Hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of Heaven?

~
All Bette's stories have happy endings. That's because she knows when to stop. She's realized the real problem with stories -- if you keep them going long enough, they always end in death.

~
MORPHEUS: I was more powerful than I had been in eons. I returned the human to the madhouse... You see, until then, I'd been driven. I'd had a true quest, a purpose beyond my function -- and then, suddenly, the quest was over. I felt... drained. Disappointed. Let down. Does that make sense? I had been sure that as soon as I had everything back I'd feel good. But inside I felt worse than when I started. I feel like... nothing.