The Sandman - Issue 26 - Season of Mists - Chapter Five

Chapter Five: In which a banquet is held and what comes after; concerning diplomacy and bedrooms, blackmail and threats, and an unusual recipe for sausages.

I confess Issue 26 of The Sandman is my favourite chapter in Season of Mists.

After providing stellar introductions to mythological and comic characters, we witnessed their individual embassies to the gates of the Dreaming to negotiate for Lucifer's Hell. If Season of Mists was an opera, Chapter Three would have been the aria that drops into Chapter Four's recitative segue of the Dead Boy Detectives. Now, we're at Chapter Five, a glorious celebration of choruses and duets, where we are guests at the most awesome banquet of all time.

For fans of Supernatural fans - this is where Eric Kripke got the inspiration for the Season 5 episode, Hammer of the Gods.

So without further ado, let's dive back in.

Chapter Five begins in the Dreaming, where two latecomers arrive at the castle gates. Cluracan and his companion of Faerie are here as messengers, presumably from Queen Titania. The gatekeepers bid them welcome and inform the duo that they are not Morpheus's only guests this evening. A feast is underway, and the Faerie folk are welcome to join the others at the banquet hall. En route, they encounter Morpheus, where Cluracan introduces him to Lady Nuala, his sister.

Constant Readers will know Nuala is a Dreaming staple, and this first appearance promises bigger things for this character. Morpheus offers Cluracan and Nuala the option of freshening up in their suites before joining the festivities. Cluracan politely declines the offer, preferring to dine, and Morpheus being the cordial host that he is, leads them to the banquet hall.

At the feast, we get the delightful interaction of gods, a theme repeated not just in Supernatural but expanded upon in American Gods by Neil himself. The contrast between Thor's bawdy personality against Bast's demure grace is humorously depicted by his ribald comment, familiar to women everywhere. Far more civilised, Odin notices that Loki isn't eating and invites him to partake of the Dream Lord's wines. The Trickster god declines politely, citing food and drink after 1200 years of abstinence would probably not sit well.

Instead, he is content to watch.

We then get the proceedings from Loki's point of view as he studies the guests assembled. A Dreamer who is either having the most boring dream ever (depending on your perspective) is playing waiter for the evening. He is offering Princess Jemmy more ice cream. And even if she is an agent of Chaos, she's charming and well-mannered.

In the meantime, Morpheus, who is still leading Cluracan and Nuala to the banquet hall, allows the latter to deliver his message when learning of its urgency. Cluracan reveals that a compact with Lucifer demands the sacrifice of nine of Faerie's best and brightest every seven years. If Hell is occupied again, the tithe will likely continue. If Hell remained empty, Faerie would be freed from this burden. For this outcome, Faerie can do much for the Dreaming, starting with gifting Nuala to the Lord Shaper.

Morpheus is not about to make any decisions, and when he evades the question, Cluracan forgets himself and grabs his host's cloak, which does not impress Morpheus at all. Cluracan apologises, and Morpheus forgives the slight but firmly states nothing will be discussed until tomorrow. Shown to their seats, they are waited on by another Dreamer, a young woman. Somewhat abashed by his behaviour, Cluracan orders two bottles of wine to recover while Nuala requests flower blossoms and water.

Loki continues his observations of the guests. Susan-o-no Mikoto is dining on rice wine and raw fish while Anubis feeds on the hearts of humans. Nuala bites into flower petals prompting Loki to wonder what she'd be like as a lover because it's been 1200 years since he's had relations with anyone. Choronzon and the Merkin are conducting a Tinder date for all to see, openly flirting with each other at their seats. At the same time, Kilderkin's servant empties food into his manifestation as a box while Princess Jemmy savours her mountain of ice cream.

The angels who leave more than just Loki in awe continue to observe. They hover in the air, their feet never touching the ground, imperceptible and silent. Kelley Jones's artwork here is magnificent, conveying our sense of wonder and admiration of these entities in the most sublime way. It's a depiction that will touch even a card-carrying atheist like me.

As Morpheus works the room, he receives the first of many requests for a private audience. Thor continues his crude propositioning of Bast, which can only end one way when Bast slaps the thunder god for his impertinence. In his defence, Thor does voice his understanding of No Means No and then laments his rejection by Bast and other women, like his wife, Sif. Ouch.

Oblivious to this, Choronzon questions the Merkin about what other inducements Azazel intends to use to sway Morpheus. She promises to tell him in her room later.

With the end of dinner comes the entertainment. We're treated to the magical stylings of 'The Amazing Cain and Gregory with Abel'. Seriously, Abel, you need to negotiate your contract if you get third billing after a gargoyle. Then again, with the first trick being the classic Saw a Man in Half Act, it might be a moot point. During the performance, each guest requests private audiences with Morpheus.

Choronzon and the Merkin discreetly exit the proceedings, going to their suite for some alone time.

To no one's surprise, Cain's trick of sawing Abel in half is more macabre than magical, and he goes for a showstopper that includes a mincing machine. Abel really needs to negotiate that contract.

In the demons' suite, the foreplay between Choronzon and the Merkin takes a deadly turn when spiders, presumably born of her womb, emerge to cocoon him, ala Shelob. It seems Choronzon is the other gift Azazel plans on presenting to Morpheus in exchange for the keys to Hell.

Cain completes his performance with Abel sausages (eww), and Morpheus brings the evening to a close, instructing his guests to return to their rooms because the banquet hall will no longer exist in a short time. Even the serving Dreamers are sent back to the waking world without learning each other's names. Morpheus will hear everyone's formal petitions tomorrow and make his final decision.

Of course, the night is far from over since each embassy has already requested their private audiences with Morpheus. Loki advises Odin to negotiate, wise enough to know that Morpheus's power is supreme in the Dreaming. Thor, passed out in a drunken stupor, does not object. At their meeting, Odin confesses his obsession with the coming of Ragnarok and reveals his creation of a pocket universe where the battle is fought repeatedly to learn how to avoid their fate. To his surprise, his little universe gained warriors he did not create.

Now, canny DC comic fans will immediately recognise members of the Justice Society of America. This refers to a 1986 mini-series called The Last Days of the Justice Society. In it, the Justice Society is pitted against Surtur, who intends to burn away existence and Earth and is forced to fight in an eternal battle to prevent it. This story allowed the JSA to be replanted in contemporary DC comics continuity when they finally emerged. Also trapped in this universe is Wesley Dodds, the Sandman we saw way back in Issue 1.

Odin offers him to Morpheus because Dodds contains a little bit of dream essence in exchange for the keys to Hell. In a response that will recur throughout the night, Morpheus doesn't commit to anything, telling Odin he'll decide tomorrow.

Next up is Princess Jemmy, who offers Morpheus nothing, threatening him instead with all the hosts of Chaos, including the Shivering Brigade and the Laughing Dancers. The display does little to move the Dream Lord, who reproaches Princess Jemmy like a misbehaving child. Having done her duty, Jemmy leaves but gives Morpheus her shiny, red balloon before she departs. Aww...come on, she's adorable!

Princess Jemmy is followed by Kilderkin, and his offer to Morpheus is another DC comics call back. Kilderkin offers the dream stuff of dead mortals collected by the Lords of Order. Justice League International fans will know this is the material gathered by the Gray Man, one of the JLI's villains. Morpheus has little interest in the dream matter of dead mortals. But Kilderkin is not about to give up. He promises to make a reasoned argument in his formal petition the next day.

Aware of their waning number of worshipers, Susano-O-No reveals the industrious adaptation by the Japanese pantheon to transform their altars into icons of the modern world. This makes sense; I wouldn't be surprised if Comic-Con are examples of their festivals. These days, we worship Marilyn Monroe, Lady Liberty, and King Kong, and though not mentioned in the issue, cannot be discounted, Godzilla, than we go to church. Susano-O-No is authorised to tell Morpheus to name his price for the key to Hell.

Bast makes her case next. The feline world sees far better than any other, and thanks to her children, she has information to trade. For the keys to Hell, Bast can tell Morpheus where to find his missing brother, Destruction. This conversation will matter significantly when we finally get to Brief Lives.

After her departure, Matthew checks in on the Boss, revealing his conversation with Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn. Lucien's also sent him because Thor's shenanigans (really, you can't take that guy anywhere!) are causing problems in the suites. Thunderstorms, lightning and whatnot. Even off-panel, this conversation provides such a vivid picture I really wished we could have seen it.

Morpheus sets everything right and reveals his weariness at all the private audiences he must endure. The last is about to arrive, and Matthew needs to go. When the raven asks about the balloon left behind by Princess Jemmy, Morpheus offers it to him. Matthew refuses at first, but we see a lovely shot of him flying away with it.

Who wouldn't want to take a piece of childhood with them? It's a sweet, touching moment between the Boss and his raven.

Finally, Azazel arrives and makes his case. To be fair, if I had to give Hell to anyone, I would have given it to this Prince of Hell because it's right. To the demons who lived there, Hell was the only home they had ever known, and Lucifer barely considered their welfare when he ejected them from it. If Azazel hadn't been such a dick about it, Morpheus might have let him have it.

But Azazel has to be Azazel.

He bribes Morpheus with Chronozon, duped into being a sacrificial lamb, and Nada. Bound and naked, Nada has no idea what is happening, but considering she is Morpheus's entire reason for going to Hell, Azazel's offer is compelling. Worse yet, if Morpheus refuses him, he'll consume Nada's soul and trap what's left in his demonic fabric. It's quite a shock to Azazel when the Dream lord refuses to comply. As Morpheus has told the other embassies, he will decide tomorrow.

Once he is alone again, Morpheus reflects on the evening's events and all the offers made to him. He has so many requests, and yet he can make no decision. The key drops from his hand, tumbling across the floor, leaving Morpheus to wish it would be that easy to let this cup pass.

If only.

And that's where we leave Morpheus until the next issue. Hope you enjoyed this recap.

NEXT - Issue 27 - Chapter Six

PREVIOUS - Issue 25 - Chapter Four