Look, I've seen death. I lost half my village to the Black Death. I fought under Buckingham in Burgundy. It's not like I don't know what death is. Death is … stupid.
You're a fool, Hob.
Nobody has to die. The only reason people die is … is 'cause everyone does it. You all just go along with it. But not me. I've made up my mind. I'm not going to die.
[amidst general laughter] Hobs, death comes for every man.
You don't know that. I might get lucky. There's always a first time. There's so much to do, so many things to see. Women to swive. Ale to drink. People to drink with.
Why would any sensible creature crave an eternity of this?
You could find out.
How?
I could grant him his wish.
Do that, and he will be begging for death within a century, I assure you.
This will prove very interesting.
What will you do with all that life?
I'll find better friends than you, I can tell you that.
Are you gonna tell him, or should I?
I shall.
Very well, little brother. Very well.
Did I hear you say you have no intention of ever dying?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's right.
Then you must tell me what it's like. Let us meet here again, Robert Gadling, in this tavern of the White Horse in 100 years.
[amidst general laughter] A hundred years and I'm Pope Urban.
Don't mind them. A hundred years' time, on this day? [Dream nods] I will see you in the year of our Lord 1489, then. [Dream leaves].
Who was that, then, Hobsie?
Haven't a clue. But tell you what, I'll ask him in 100 years' time.
[100 years later, 1489 in The White Horse Tavern]
[sitting across from him] How did you know … that I'd still be here? Who are you? A wizard? A … saint? … A demon? [fearfully] Have I made a bargain with the devil?
No.
[puzzled] Then why aren't I dead long since? Is this some kind of game?
No game.
But why? Who are you? Why are you here?
I'm here because I'm interested.
In me?
In your experience.
What do I have to do?
Nothing. You live your life as you choose. Then on this day, every 100 years, we will meet.
More from this episode
All quotes from this episode →More The Sandman quotes · These quotes come from Wikiquote's The Sandman pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.