No, the Temple didn't hasten to send help to Morpheus. In fact, the Collegia Esoterica came to some sort of agreement of neutrality, forcing Envoy, an apprentice, to ensure the appearances of neutrality by ceasing to meet at the Temple until such time as this conflict blows over.

Now, Envoy sleeps. As is appropriate for her, she won't be asleep for very long. But for the meantime, it seems she is having a lucid dream – she is unconscious and dreaming, yet aware of this fact, even able to control her dreams to some degree. Regardless, it seems that things have started off with a simple notion for a location: a tower.

Envoy tries to define the notion further as she circles it. She doesn't think this tower would be a part of herself – that part of her life is over now – but still be imbued with some life of its own. "But not as messy as the Old Priest King's palace," she amends.

For a moment, the Exile recalls the familiar tower forming around her when she last saw Morpheus, but pushes the memory aside, not wanting to be reminded of her friend's plight. But something in the way that dream structures would form themselves stirs other memories. Envoy taps one, replaying the vision of a vast clock tower assembling itself from nothing, with pillars and other parts suspended without support around missing pieces.

"I miss you too, Kujaku," Envoy whispers. "You were always interesting to be around."

Literally flying buttresses, broken column segments, gears, counterweights, and other pieces of architecture and clockwork rise and hover in place, forming the unlikely clock tower.

At each of the four sides of the top, there is a clock face. And through the faintly translucent faces, Envoy can see a platform inside the top of the tower, and an odd collection of orbs and frames meant to represent celestial bodies on some other world.

Envoy begins climbing up the stairs – or what passes for them – inside the tower, heading towards the top platform to see what the view is like from there.

As Envoy reaches the top, she can see – through gaps in the tower itself, but also shaded by the semi-transparent clock faces – a misty expanse. In some ways, it is not unlike Morpheus, but lacking the crystal chimes, or the floating crystal and stone structures. (Not that Kujaku's tower is completely alien to that concept.) The mists build up to the west (or, that is, an arbitrary direction that might as well be called 'west'), and then dissipate a bit, allowing Envoy to see something that was not there before … mountains. A range of mountains.

Envoy begins to look around the platform for something that might be a telescope so she can get a better view. Remembering how the clockwork peacock would twist and turn and unfold seeming baubles into tools or furniture, however, she couldn't tell which – if any – of the objects laying around would be useful.

It would seem that this particular dream is inclined not to be terribly difficult just yet. Envoy finds not one but many telescopes stuck at seemingly random locations about the interior of the clock. Some of them, naturally, hover in place, and even miss pieces of their casing … yet their components somehow swivel precisely in place, and remain "connected" together. What's more important, though, is that they work.

Happily, the former remote puts the one with the clearest view of the mountains to use, looking for anything that would distinguish this particular dream realm.

Envoy spies seven mountain peaks forming a distinctive ridge that she has seen before in books about Ashdod – the Seven Sisters. Missing is Mount Dronnel, curiously enough. The distinctive flat-topped shape of the Tower of Babel can be seen through the scope, though there is no sign of the city sprawl around it.

The hands of the clock click, click, TOCK as they raise to the position of midnight.

*BONNNNNNNNNNG!!!!!!!!*

Envoy runs to the center of the platform, and starts to yell, "KUJAKU!!" after each toll of the bell.

As the last bonging "Kujaku" dies away, the mists swirl around again, and the gears and other pieces within the clock spin about with greater life than before. Tick, tock, tickety tock, tick tock tickety tock.

Feeling a bit energized herself, Envoy points towards theSeven Sisters, and says, "Let's go over thataway, tower!"

A giant cuckoo clock off to one side pops open … and out comes a clockwork creature of brass and ebon, kneeling. His wings spread, bat-like, and his head raises with jerky motions, revealing itself to look fairly feline, though with large ears. The clockwork cat-bat's eyes glow faintly, and a smirk is painted on its ceramic face.

Envoy jumps for joy! "Morpheus! Is it really you?" She rushes over to the kneeling figure.

With a clicking and whirring and a jerky motion of one of its arms, one hand comes up to the figure's mouth. "Shhhh," comes a tinny sound from within the clockwork cat-bat. "I have little time, Envoy, and we may be observed if I tarry too long."

"Are you being held captive in this dream world?" Envoy asks, quietly.

"Yes," answers the clockwork cat-bat. "They seek to use me as a tool, so that they can exert influence over all who dare use magic in the Sphere of Dream. Already, they have used me to imprison dream mages. In the physical realm, these mages are perpetual dreamers, unable to awaken."

Envoy blinks. "Who is doing this? The Babelite court mages?" she whispers, almost hissing. "Is there any way to get you out of their influence?"

"The people of my form-mother, yes," answers the clockwork cat-bat. "I am not certain that there is any way to free me. But there may be ways to free their prisoners … and to foil their plans. A consequence of their abuse of my powers is that I have gained some greater contact with the crystal network of Sinai … but only by working through the links they establish from time to time."

"One effect of this is that I have been able to reach you now. I cannot say that I will able to do this regularly. Another effect of this is that I may be able to create some crystal talismans I have devised, warped from a design I stole from my captors. These talismans may allow me to establish contact with other dreamers," the cat-bat ticks. "For lack of a better term, my captors have created a 'dream realm'. It is not a real place that one can actually go to. It is only a collection of ideas and images, but it is connected to real power."

"What should be done to free the others then?" Envoy asks. "Do I need to gather the talismans and get them to the sleepers?"

"No," says the cat-bat. "Do not seek to locate the talismans. I do not wish to draw undue attention to you or let my captors have cause to believe that I have a means of contacting you. There are some persons who have a natural ability to affect reality on Morpheus with their dreams. I will seek one or more of these people and lead them to the talismans with visions. I shall not approach any dream mages, for that would most certainly endanger them."

Envoy blinks and nods. "Are you in any danger here? If this dream world of theirs breaks down, you'll be okay right?"

"From time to time, as I better master my environment," ticks the clockwork Morpheus, "I may provide a way for you to enter this 'dream realm', if you so choose. It is a realm formed by collective dreams. My captors have sought to create, through me, artificial entities after a fashion, modeled after seven entities that correspond to the mountains you saw through the telescope. Do not mention their names now. You may draw attention of my captors if you do."

The clockwork figure slowly moves its head from side to side. "Do not concern yourself for my safety. I shall do my best to look after myself. My concern is for those who might be harmed by me, in the service of my captors."

The Aeolun's eyes go wide at the thought of the Seven Sisters manifesting in someone's idea of a dream prison.

"Is there any message I should bring to… " Envoy pauses. "Well, to anyone about this?" she whispers.

"I do not fully understand the purpose of my captors. I have much to learn about the ways of dream magic. But whether they intended to or not, they have created seven, perhaps eight realms, each one corresponding to a different mountain, each patterned after a collective notion about the nature of each of those who rule these mountains. And back on my world, seven mountains and a tower have begun to physically manifest."

The cat-bat clicks, "At this time, I would not advise it. I do not know enough to give you enough information to be useful at this time. I can only warn you, and tell you what little I know, so you may be prepared later."

Envoy frowns, and nods seriously. "I still don't understand how they could have captured you though, Morpheus," she says, "unless they have some sort of artifact to aid them."

"I have not been captured in body, but bound by magical means that I do not yet understand, and would not be able to relate to you except through images and symbols. But there may be a way out. In the mythos of a distant city, the people have notions of seven entities and the tests that they have for mortals. It may be possible for a dreamer to enter a realm shaped by these notions, and to beat these entities at their own games," clicks the clockwork cat-bat. "I will seek out dreamers who may be able to take on these quests, and challenge these dream entities. I do not yet know exactly what good this will do, but I have a sense that it may provide a way to weaken the powers my captors have unleashed."

"Once I have gained enough power, and have selected dreamers capable of undertaking such quests – and more importantly, willing to do so – I shall open the way when they are asleep and dreaming, and when my captors leave open a channel through which I may work. At that time, I will not be able to communicate directly with you, or explain the 'rules of the game', as it were. Inevitably, you shall have to fumble about much as I have, and come to your own conclusions," the figure clicks. "I may find a way to give you hints, but they will be in the form of riddles and puzzles. Such seem to be the rules dictated by the mythos of these people, when advice is given to heroes on a quest."

"I've been on quests before," Envoy whispers. "But in the stories of these sisters, they usually destroy the heroes even after they've won their quest."

The clockwork creation slowly nods his head. "That is correct. Beware of that. Sometimes, in order to win one objective, you must lose another. Once you learn the rules, you may learn that you have to break them."

The Aeolun blinks again. "I never intentionally break the rules, Morpheus. But I will do whatever I can to free you from this. And the others too, of course."

"Thank you. Somehow, I shall find a way to repay you for your help. But for now, I must be leaving. Is there anything else you need to know, before I go?" asks the clockwork. "I have been speaking much and listening little."

Envoy says, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. When you need to contact me, don't worry about interrupting my sleep, or asking me to run errands in the real world."

"Your willingness to assist is most appreciated," clicks the clockwork cat-bat. "Now, my time has run out. I wish you well." And then the cat-bat slowly retracts back into the cuckoo clock.

Envoy stands up and takes a last look around before descending the stairs, and tries not to worry too much about what she has learned.

As the cat-bat disappears, pieces of the tower start to float away … though not so quickly that Envoy cannot descend the stairs. And, besides, it is only a dream. In the distance, the silhouettes of the seven mountains and the Tower of Babel can still be vaguely seen through the mists, though they grow less distinct, along with the rest of the features of this particular little dream world.

Turning to gaze at the mountains again, Envoy can't help but wonder just how real they may become on the world of Morpheus, with so much magical effort going into their definition. Would her friend be able to deal with a bunch of squabbling sisters?