"Of course I'm trying to trick you! That's the way of the world, Baudelaires. Everyone runs around with their secrets and their schemes, trying to outwit everyone else."
―Daniel Handler, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The End

I had originally intended that this would be a short chapter, but it grew out of control. You're welcome, I guess.

Lies and Manipulations

The public face of Lucifer's nightclub, Lux, was one of obscene luxury. Its furnishings were opulent and extravagant, a monument to wealth and hedonism, hinting at sinful delights in every shadowy corner. However, in the backrooms, ornamentation had given way to function. Even a pleasure-house of revelry and excess, where those with money could indulge themselves to their heart's content, needed facilities for the staff, which meant washrooms, dressing rooms, a kitchen, and places for them to take their breaks. Also, there was an office for administrative work, apartments for some of the employees – such as Mazikeen – who were permanent residents, and enough storerooms to keep the nightclub well-stocked with everything it might reasonably be expected to need.

The room to which Lucifer escorted Dream and Tanya was none of those. Perhaps it had once been intended as a conference room, but it seemed unlikely that it had ever been used as such. A long table and some chairs stood in the middle of the room; they looked brand new, as if they'd only just been assembled. The surfaces were polished white, stark and soulless, except for a set of rectangular windows on one side, through which the fiery orange sky could scarcely be seen peeping over the city skyline. In general, Lux was kept scrupulously clean, for which Tanya was glad, but this room had a pristine, perfected showroom quality. A faint chill seemed to emanate from the walls, as if they'd been hewn out of ice.

Lucifer's gaze swept the room. "This should suffice," he decided. "Don't you agree?"

"It's fine. Thank you," said Tanya.

An indifferent nod from Dream.

"I'll leave you in peace," said Lucifer, regarding them with some apprehension and giving special emphasis to the word 'peace'. "Unless there's anything else you need."

"No, thank you," said Tanya. "You've been most hospitable."

"Indeed," said Dream.

Lucifer gave an extravagant bow, turned and left the room.

Before doing anything else, Tanya set Daniel down beside her, trusting that he would behave himself and not go running off. Sure enough, he remained as docile and tractable as he had been since she'd met him.

Then, as if by unspoken agreement, she and Dream took up positions on either side of the table, as if it were a physical symbol of the distrust that had grown between them. For some considerable time, silence was their closest companion, as they considered each other and the conversation they were about to have, and drew up their plans and battle lines, much the same as if they were preparing for war. At least, that was how Tanya imagined it; perhaps Dream thought differently.

"Ask your questions," he said, at last. Evidently, he felt that they'd delayed for long enough.

First of all, Tanya thought it best to establish the basic facts: "Who is this boy?" she asked, indicating Daniel, who was gazing up at her with big, curious eyes. Actually, she couldn't be sure she was calling him by the right name, so she made sure to ask: "What is his name?"

"Daniel Hall."

Tanya felt fleeting satisfaction that she'd been correct about that. "Who are his parents?"

"His mother is Lyta Hall, who summoned the Eumenides to destroy me. She lives here in Los Angeles. I believe she once visited this establishment."

"Convenient. And his father?"

"A ghost. Nothing more than a memory of a dead man, as imagined by his grieving widow, while she was languishing in dreams."

"But still capable of impregnating her," Tanya surmised.

"Indeed. Lyta Hall is an unusual woman in many ways."

"So what does that make Daniel? Why kidnap him?"

"He was born in dreams. That makes him special. When he is fully-grown, he will have great power."

Tanya felt as if she were on a hunt, creeping ever closer to her prey, circling around him and getting ready to strike. "Choronzon and his co-conspirator, the Puck, were trying to burn away his mortality. Why would they do that?"

"If they had succeeded, Daniel would no longer be human. He would be an immortal being, a creature of dreams."

"Like the Corinthian or Matthew the Raven?"

"To an extent. But he would be much more powerful than them or any of their fellows. And, unlike them, he would have no restraints."

"He's just a child. He doesn't have the knowledge or experience he'd need to make good use of such power," Tanya pointed out.

"Undoubtedly, he'd need someone to guide him," said Dream. His voice was toneless, his face was expressionless, and his eyes were lost in shadow.

"Choronzon told me that you were the one who ordered him to kidnap Daniel and burn away his mortality," said Tanya, watching him closely. She wasn't expecting much of a reaction, if any; the Corinthian should already have told him exactly what had happened in the kidnappers' hideout. If he made a show of acting like he was surprised by Choronzon's allegations, that would be suspicious – but even if he was guilty, surely he wouldn't give himself away like that?

Dream gazed unblinkingly at her for several moments, long enough that she wondered if he'd gone into a trance. Then, with a sigh, he said, "Do you believe that?"

"No. It makes no sense. I can't see what you would gain from doing so. And it has caused you a great deal of harm," said Tanya. "But how can I be sure?"

"What if I told you I had nothing to do with it? Would you believe me?"

"I would give you the benefit of the doubt. Choronzon is not what I would call a reliable witness," said Tanya.

She was aware that, although she would like to believe that she was an entirely rational being, there had been times when she had been overly influenced by emotion and bias. Nevertheless, she felt confident that this was not one of those occasions: other than what Choronzon had said, there was no evidence to suggest that Dream had been involved in Daniel's kidnapping. But that didn't mean she was going to stop questioning him; she was in need of information.

With a sigh, Dream said, "Fine. I had nothing to do with Daniel's kidnapping. Does that satisfy you?"

"Yes, actually. Thank you for your cooperation," said Tanya. "But who was responsible? And why?"

"I have lived for billions of years and made innumerable enemies. Any one of them could have done it. As for why…" There was a pause. Then, reluctantly, Dream continued: "If I die, my throne will not remain vacant for long. Someone will replace me. There are a number of possible candidates. Daniel is one of them."

Tanya was gripped by horror and understanding, but she had to make sure: "What determines which candidate will take your place?"

"Some of them are more suitable than others."

"Presumably, burning away Daniel's mortality would have made him a more suitable candidate."

"Indeed."

"They want to kill you and replace you with their own candidate: a little boy they can easily manipulate," said Tanya. "How can we stop them?"

"What makes you think we can stop them? They've already won," said Dream. "Even as we speak, my realm is being destroyed. I've lost everything." There were notes of bitterness and exultation in his voice. Some men were like that: they never felt more alive than when they were staring death in the face.

"You're still alive, aren't you? You're still fighting. You haven't lost yet," said Tanya, in her most encouraging tone of voice.

"I admire your optimism."

"We'll win. Together, you and me."

"Has it occurred to you that perhaps I deserve this, for everything I've done. Because of how I treated those I loved most. Nada, Calliope, Orpheus… and many others."

Tanya hesitated, frowned and shook her head as if to rid it of any doubt. "That's… that's not for me to judge."

"You're the ruler of Hell," Dream reminded her. "You decide who gets punished, how, and for what reason. Who else should judge me if not you? God? The one you call Being X?"

"It doesn't matter. The ones who masterminded this scheme, who manipulated Choronzon and had him kidnap Daniel, didn't do it to punish you. They did it to seize power for themselves. But I won't meekly step aside and let them win. And neither should you. Are you with me?"

"As always, you are an inspiration, Tanya."

'Where do we go from here?' Tanya wondered, in the privacy of her own mind. 'First of all…' She looked down at Daniel, who was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, staring at nothing in particular. 'Should I be worried about that?'

"If I return him to his mother, will he be in danger of being kidnapped again?" she asked.

"No. He has already served his purpose. The Furies have been unleashed. Events have been set in motion that cannot be halted."

"According to the Ancient Greek myths, it's happened before," said Tanya. "That's what The Oresteia is about. Perhaps we could get the goddess Athena to intercede on your behalf, just like she did for Orestes."

Since they had emphatically refused her offer of an alliance against Being X, she didn't want to contact the Ancient Greek gods again, but she would if she had to, for Dream's sake.

"You shouldn't believe everything you read," he replied. "Sometimes myths are nothing more than myths."

"That sounded awfully condescending. I'm only trying to help."

He winced. "I know. Even if it doesn't seem like it, I am grateful, truly."

"I'm going to return Daniel to his mother. What is her address?" asked Tanya.

Dream told her. As far as she could tell, there wasn't anything special about it. An ordinary house in an ordinary street. It should be easy enough to find.

"You should return to the Dreaming and defend it as well as you can. I will come to you," she promised.

"I will await your arrival," he replied. "Farewell."

"Farewell," she echoed him, as he vanished from sight.

Then, cradling Daniel in her arms again, she returned to the bar area where Lucifer was waiting. By this time, Decker was gone. Apparently, she had work she needed to be getting on with.

"Thank you for your help," said Tanya.

"It was the least I could do," Lucifer replied. "No problems, I take it?"

"Plenty of problems. It's a complicated situation," said Tanya, contemplating the conversation she'd just had. Could she trust that Dream had been telling the truth? He was a trusted ally – much more so than Choronzon, who might have been tricked or had his memories altered even if he hadn't outright lied to her – so was it wrong that she still had suspicions lurking in the back of her mind? She hated the feeling of uncertainty, not knowing who her enemies were or if she might soon come under attack.

"Did he tell you where to find Daniel's family? If that is his name, I mean," said Lucifer.

"Yes. His mother lives here in Los Angeles. She once visited this nightclub."

"That… is a remarkable coincidence. Almost unbelievable," said Lucifer, with a raised eyebrow. "But, as Pratchett said, million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten."

Tanya laughed politely, but her mind was on other things: "It's time for me to go. Perhaps I'll see you again soon."

"You're welcome anytime. I'm sure the Detective would like to see you again. She seemed to enjoy your company." Lucifer paused and struck a thoughtful pose. "But she didn't like my idea for a 'Devil sandwich'. I thought for a moment she was going to slap me."

"I don't want to know," said Tanya, turning away. "Goodnight."

The last thing she heard as she departed was his cheerful reply: "Yes, goodnight!"

The city of Los Angeles was huge and sprawling. Daniel's mother had a tiny apartment in one of its many suburbs. When Tanya arrived there and rang the doorbell, no one answered. It didn't appear that there was anyone home. There were lights and television noises coming from some of the other apartments, but this one was dark and silent.

Tanya considered what to do next. It was possible that Lyta Hall would be back soon, having gone out for groceries or on a similar errand, but that seemed vanishingly unlikely. After her son was kidnapped, she must have been frantic with worry, so perhaps she was staying with a friend who was trying to comfort her, or she was down at the police station, begging them to do something, or there was some other reason why her home was deserted. Whatever the reason, it wouldn't be easy to find her.

Should she go to the police, as Decker had suggested, and hand over Daniel to them? Or send her demonic minions to search the city for any trace of Lyta Hall? Or reach out to some of her other contacts? There were a number of options available to her, but she decided that first she would search the apartment, just to make sure there was no one there. Perhaps there would be some clues as to Lyta's current whereabouts.

Physical doors and locks were no obstacle to her. She stepped inside as easily as if there was nothing blocking her way. Then, as she looked around the tiny apartment, she sensed magic in the air. Human magic, of the kind that Constantine had used to imprison her. Was this a trap? Should she have been wary of entering this place?

Nothing happened. Nothing leapt out of the shadows to attack her. There was nothing to impede her progress. The magic didn't seem to react to her presence in any way.

Entering the bedroom, she found a white-haired woman asleep on the bed, which was surrounded by candles and an arcane circle drawn in blood upon the floor. It reminded her very much of the circle Constantine had used to trap her in the cellars of Fawney Rig, except that this one appeared to have been designed to keep supernatural creatures out rather than trap them inside.

The white-haired woman was not old, but her face was etched with grief, misery and undernourishment. Her clothes were ragged, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was smeared with grime and greenish gunk, which had a sickly-sweet odour and was probably meant to have some mystical significance.

And there was someone else in the room: a woman of indeterminate age, with a narrow face, oversized spectacles and honey-blonde hair, wearing a nightdress that might have been pale blue or green depending on how the light touched it. It took Tanya a few moments to recognize her.

"Thessaly. One of Dream's ex-girlfriends," she said, frowning at her. "I had not expected to see you here."

"Likewise. I had expected Dream to come here himself. In fact, I hoped he would." Thessaly's smirk had a gleeful, ghoulish quality. "But he sent you instead. I wonder why."

"He didn't send me. I came here of my own accord, because I wanted to return Daniel to his mother," said Tanya, indicating the child in her arms.

"I'm sure you believe that."

Tanya refused to be baited. She put Daniel down on the floor and watched as he wandered closer to the arcane circle. "Is that Lyta Hall?" she asked, pointing to the woman on the bed. Although she appeared to be asleep or unconscious, she must have been insulated from the Dreaming somehow, presumably by drugs or magic, or else Dream of the Endless would have power over her. Instead, she was beyond his reach.

"It is. I'm here to protect her," said Thessaly.

"Why?"

"Because she needs protection, of course."

"How did you know that? Who sent you?" Tanya demanded to know.

"The Three… don't want their game to end too soon. So, I… I made a deal with them. I bought a little more life, maybe a couple of thousand years. Every little helps. And they agreed to forget some old scores."

"The Eumenides did that?"

"Yes."

Tanya paused, mulling over this new information. She watched as Daniel tried to enter the arcane circle and smacked head-first into an invisible barrier. Stumbling backwards, he landed heavily but didn't cry out. Briefly, she wondered if she should try to comfort him. But it didn't seem necessary; the expression on his face was as solemn as ever.

"If he were human, he'd have no trouble getting into the circle. He'd probably have broken it by accident," said Thessaly, conversationally. "But he's a supernatural creature now. There's not much left of Lyta's little boy."

"Did you know this would happen?"

"I suspected. Why else would they have kidnapped him?"

"I don't know. I'm still trying to ascertain the facts," said Tanya. "For instance… your romance with Dream ended badly, so I've heard. Do you still bear a grudge against him? Did that influence your decision to take this job?"

"Not at all. It was fun, for a while, but it was never going to last. I dumped him and that was the end of it," said Thessaly. "I'm here because I'm getting paid. That's all."

Tanya thought that Thessaly was protesting too much, but she didn't comment on that. Instead, she tried a different tack: "You are a mercenary, of sorts?"

"You could say that, yes."

"Mrs. Hall was the one who unleashed the Eumenides. Could she call them off, if she regained consciousness and saw that her son had been returned to her?"

"No. Dream spilled family blood. That is why he is being tormented, not because of anything he did to Mrs. Hall or her son."

"She can do nothing to control them, now that they have been set loose. Except…" Tanya paused her musings, stricken by a sudden thought: "I wonder… if she were to die, would the Eumenides be leashed again? Is that why you were hired to protect her?"

Thessaly's silence was answer enough.

"If Dream is slain, he will be replaced by Daniel, who is barely more than a baby," said Tanya, glancing at the little boy, who was sitting just outside the arcane circle. "He would be easy prey for anyone who wanted to use him to gain control over the Dreaming. In doing so, they could exert undue influence over countless billions of people across the universe, most of whom spend at least a third of their lives asleep."

"A diabolical plan," said Thessaly.

"Are you insinuating that I had anything to do with it?" asked Tanya, with a raised eyebrow. "No… in fact, the reverse is true: I intend to stop it."

She stepped forward: swiftly, deliberately and with purpose, like the crack of a whip. Thessaly scurried after her, trying to get in her way.

"Lyta Hall must die. I have no desire to kill her, but the alternative is worse. Her death will prevent billions of people from being enslaved, brainwashed or having other horrors inflicted upon them while they are asleep." Tanya grimaced. She knew that by murdering an innocent, she would be proving that Being X had been right: she deserved to be in Hell. Nevertheless… "I've done much worse things for much less noble reasons."

"You'll have to get past me first," said Thessaly. "Besides, you cannot cross the borders of my arcane circle. There are rules, you know."

"Do you imagine that you or your feeble barrier could stop me? Fine, I'll play along," said Tanya, with a careless handwave. "To what extent are you loyal to your current employers? How much would I have to pay for you to willingly step aside?"

"You couldn't possibly afford me. And anyway, you have nothing I want."

"I doubt that very much. I am the ruler of Hell. I'd imagine you've made a few enemies during the course of your extended lifetime. Sooner or later, perhaps one of them will succeed in killing you. Then, you will arrive in Hell, where I will be waiting."

"Are you threatening me? I expected better of you." Thessaly put on a derisive sneer. "But of course, I shouldn't have."

"By all means, imagine that I have any need to threaten you," said Tanya. "I'm being merciful. If I wanted to, I could blast you from existence. Your arcane circle would be a formidable barrier if I were trapped within, but here on the outside there are dozens of ways that I could break through it without needing to get too close. It would take me a few minutes, perhaps." Despite the words that spilled from her open mouth, she hesitated, willing to be persuaded, considering all her options before she did something irrevocable.

Thessaly shuddered, moistened her lips and said, "You're a fool if you think killing Lyta will make any difference. Since Dream killed his own son, anyone could send the Furies to torment him. It doesn't have to be her. She's just a convenient pawn."

"And if I were to kill her, they'd soon find another. It would be meaningless," said Tanya, feeling more relieved than she'd be willing to admit to anyone. Although she was willing to commit murder for a good cause – or even for a bad one, depending on the circumstances – she'd never been the kind of psychopath who would kill someone for no reason at all, no matter what her enemies might think of her. "A good argument. You've convinced me."

She stepped back, away from the arcane circle and the unconscious woman.

"Well, it was nice of you to drop by," said Thessaly. "If you need me, you know where to find me. I'll be taking care of Lyta here. And her son, since you've been kind enough to bring him home. Don't you worry about us."

"I'm not worried, but I have a few questions."

"You may ask. Maybe I'll answer."

"Who's behind this? Who manipulated Lyta Hall into acting as their pawn? Who is trying to kill Dream of the Endless?"

"I think you already know," said Thessaly.

Tanya thought back to when she'd confronted the kidnappers. "Puck implied that one of the Endless sent him to kidnap Daniel. I thought it might have been Desire, but Choronzon insisted that it was Dream himself."

"There you are. That's your answer."

"But… why would Dream destroy his own realm? That makes no sense," Tanya protested, even as doubt assailed her mind.

"I'm sure it makes perfect sense to him," said Thessaly, in a voice tinged with irritation. "He was always a melodramatic show-off, for whom the slightest disappointment was worthy of an epic lament."

"To such an extent? Even to the point of trying to commit suicide?"

"That's the kind of man he is."

It occurred to Tanya that Thessaly might not actually believe what she was saying: perhaps she had latched on to the first plausible explanation that stood a chance of convincing her unwanted visitor to go away. But no matter whether it was true or not, it was something she'd need to investigate.

"I need to talk to him," she said. "If what you've said is true… I want to hear it from his own lips."

"Yes, yes, off you go," said Thessaly, waving a dismissive hand. "Don't bother to write."

Tanya took a farewell glance around the room: at the comatose woman on the bed, the little boy sitting on the floor, and Thessaly, whose disrespect was so blatant that it seemed calculated to infuriate. How should she react? Would it be better to punish the wretched woman or act as if anything she did was unworthy of notice?

"I'll deal with you later," she decided, as she faded from sight.

Without waiting for a reply, she vanished through the boundaries that separated the different planes of existence. As promised, she was once again on her way to the Dreaming. Soon, she would confront Dream and hear whatever excuses or explanations he had to offer. She wondered what he would say and if it would lessen her desire to throttle him. It wouldn't do any good, but it would make her feel better, at least.

Author's Notes:
I've nearly reached the end of the current story arc. Only a couple of chapters left.

The Oresteia is a series of tragedies written by Aeschylus, a playwright in Ancient Greece. Here's a brief summary of the plot: Agamemnon returned from the Trojan War and was murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, who hated him for sacrificing their daughter, Iphigenia. Clytemnestra was then killed by her son, Orestes, who had been ordered by the gods to avenge his father's death. Orestes was then hunted and tormented by the Furies for killing his mother, until he begged the goddess Athena for help. Thanks to her intervention, the Furies were placated and the cycle of revenge was replaced with a system of trial by jury.

The idea that "million to one chances crop up nine times out of ten" is a recurring joke in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. At various points, certain characters do ridiculous things (such as shooting a dragon while standing on one leg) in an effort to make sure that the chances of success are exactly a million to one.

In The Sandman comic book, Thessaly is one of the main characters of the 'A Game of You' story arc, in which she is a ruthless witch who guides the other characters through the Dreaming. Later on, she has a romantic relationship with Dream, but this isn't revealed until they've already broken up. Finally, she appears in the 'The Kindly Ones' story arc, from which I've borrowed some of the dialogue I've used in the above chapter.