The Sandman: Brief Lives

Delirium of the Endless, miserable and increasingly unstable, resolves to pursue her much-loved brother Destruction, unheard-of by the Endless since he abandoned his role three hundred years ago. She petitions Desire and Despair in turn to help her look, both of whom refuse her, despite the latter's fondness of Destruction; she next asks Dream, morose due to the unhappy ending of a recent love affair. Seeking a diversion and half-hoping to encounter his love, Dream agrees.

Delirium compiles a list of Destruction's acquaintances: "the lawyer, the alder man, Etain of the Second Look, and the dancing woman." They consult Pharamond, a former god who now manipulates the transport industry; he supplies them with a car and a driver, the pleasant, capable Ruby. They first visit "the lawyer," the long-lived Bernie Capax, but discover that he had been killed in a freak construction accident the previous day. Delirium determines that both "the alderman," the god Lieb-Olmai, and Etain are beyond their reach. They rest at a motel, which abruptly burns down in a fire apparently caused by Ruby's cigarette; Ruby is killed, though both Dream and Delirium are unharmed. Dream, disturbed by Ruby's death, begins to suspect the operation of hostile forces.

They seek out the "dancing woman": the Mesopotamian love goddess Ishtar, otherwise Astarte and Belili, a former lover of Destruction now working as a stripper; she grudgingly tells Dream that she does not know Destruction's whereabouts. Dream and Delirium depart; disconcerted by their visit, Ishtar decides to "truly dance," something she has not done since the height of her worship; the resultant release of physical energy destroys both her and the strip club.

Concerned that continuing the search could further harm others, Dream abruptly ends their journey, to Delirium's dismay and anger; they both withdraw to their realms. Dream consults Bast, who had previously bargained Destruction's location in exchange for the key to Hell; she admits that she was lying and advises him to confer with an oracle, although Dream states that there are none who could tell of the Endless without their consent. Dream is informed that Delirium's sigil in his gallery has gone black, signifying that she does not wish to receive any kind of communication; Death scolds him into talking to her. Dream admits his initial reasons for journeying with Delirium and offers to resume, which Delirium happily accepts.

They appeal to Destiny, who warns them that their quest is foolish and refuses on principle to reveal the necessary information; he reminds Dream that there is an oracle of the Endless's blood, additionally warning that his only future meeting with his love will be unsatisfactory for both of them. Dream, deeply unsettled, is eventually persuaded to continue by Delirium.

With great reluctance, Dream finally consults the oracle: his estranged son Orpheus, whom Dream had spurned in anger after a disagreement and denied death after his mauling by the Maenads. Dream is obliged to grant his son a boon in return; Dream and Delirium go to meet Destruction, who is living comfortably on the island across from Orpheus.

Destruction admits that he had erected automatic functions to deter those looking for him, irreversible once he had abandoned his role; these had been responsible for the deaths of Capax, Ruby, and Ishtar. He recalls a conversation he once had with Death, in which she speculated that everyone knows everything but pretend that they do not to make life tolerable. He refuses to return, disappointing Delirium; he reflects that "there is no such thing as a one-sided coin," and reminds Dream that all of the Endless define their opposites—"our sister defines life, just as despair defines hope, or desire defines hatred, or destiny defines freedom"— further speculating that Dream defines reality. Destruction then dismantles his gallery and departs Earth.

Dream returns to see Orpheus and they reconcile. With regret, Dream grants him his boon and kills him, thereby violating the rule that the Endless may not shed the blood of family. Grateful to Dream and satisfied that Destruction is well, Delirium returns to her realm. Despair takes a new flower growing on the island to Desire, remarking that "you cannot seek Destruction and return unscathed;" Desire, despite having previously plotted to trick Dream into killing a relative, admits to being sorry for him and scared of what is to come. Dream returns to his realm and disbands the order that guarded Orpheus's head; the members are seen burying his head.

• Bender, Hy (1999), The Sandman Companion, New York: Vertigo DC Comics, ISBN 1-56389-644-3

• The Sandman: Brief Lives (volume 7) Moreno Notes at ciñaré.net
• Annotated Sandman
• Review of the trade paperback