Complete story — includes the ending
In what little remains of The Land, Dream informs Barbie that she can ask of him just one boon. She considers having him kill the Cuckoo, or to recreate the land, but ultimately she has to take more time to decide. Dream then turns to the three women who found their way there through witchcraft, and informs them that they will all be trapped there as punishment for entering a skerry without his permission.
Finally, Barbie decides that her boon should be that they all be sent home safe, and sound - including the Cuckoo. Surprised, the little girl thanks Barbie, and then transforms into a bird and flies away. Because she asked to be sent back safe and sound, Dream cannot comply with the boon yet, and so the girls must all stay in the skerry until such time as it would be safe for them to return home. Dream bids farewell to Barbie, and then to Hazel and Foxglove who he warns were lucky in getting to go on this adventure, and then to Thessaly who he chides for having been unconsidered in her actions. After Dream has gone, and after some time of sitting alone, the girls suddenly feel the sensation of waking up.
Some time later, Barbie is in Kansas. She goes to a diner, where she meets with Wanda Mann's aunt Dora. The woman is reluctant to acknowledge that Wanda is not the man she once was, Alvin. She warns that in talking with Wanda's parents, Barbie should refer to her old friend as a man. As it turns out, the hurricane in New York City destroyed the building and Wanda was killed. Barbara had awakened in the rubble of her old apartment building, saved by the corpse of the old woman that Wanda had brought inside. Seeing Wanda's body was traumatic for her. She recalls that Foxglove, Hazel, and Thessaly all survived as well. Their landlord had survived by being out of town. After talking for some time, Wanda's aunt drives Barbie to the funeral.
Wanda's parents and family make Barbie uncomfortable, and she stands in the back during the service. Afterwards, she pays her respects, leaving a Hyperman comic on her friend's coffin, and using lipstick to scratch out Alvin and write in Wanda on the headstone.
On the bus to Indianapolis, Barbie dreams of Wanda being taken away by Death; happy.
Finally, Barbie decides that her boon should be that they all be sent home safe, and sound - including the Cuckoo. Surprised, the little girl thanks Barbie, and then transforms into a bird and flies away. Because she asked to be sent back safe and sound, Dream cannot comply with the boon yet, and so the girls must all stay in the skerry until such time as it would be safe for them to return home. Dream bids farewell to Barbie, and then to Hazel and Foxglove who he warns were lucky in getting to go on this adventure, and then to Thessaly who he chides for having been unconsidered in her actions. After Dream has gone, and after some time of sitting alone, the girls suddenly feel the sensation of waking up.
Some time later, Barbie is in Kansas. She goes to a diner, where she meets with Wanda Mann's aunt Dora. The woman is reluctant to acknowledge that Wanda is not the man she once was, Alvin. She warns that in talking with Wanda's parents, Barbie should refer to her old friend as a man. As it turns out, the hurricane in New York City destroyed the building and Wanda was killed. Barbara had awakened in the rubble of her old apartment building, saved by the corpse of the old woman that Wanda had brought inside. Seeing Wanda's body was traumatic for her. She recalls that Foxglove, Hazel, and Thessaly all survived as well. Their landlord had survived by being out of town. After talking for some time, Wanda's aunt drives Barbie to the funeral.
Wanda's parents and family make Barbie uncomfortable, and she stands in the back during the service. Afterwards, she pays her respects, leaving a Hyperman comic on her friend's coffin, and using lipstick to scratch out Alvin and write in Wanda on the headstone.
On the bus to Indianapolis, Barbie dreams of Wanda being taken away by Death; happy.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from DC Database contributors, Sandman Vol 2 37. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. · Content license