It hurts. It hurts X as much as it hurts Devin, to talk about any of this out loud, because there aren't any good solutions. There never will be. They're at the mercy of the Dreaming for this, and Devin isn't a man who's comfortable unless he can exert control over what's happening around him. Or, failing that, unless he has full foreknowledge of what's going to happen around him.

But, X reminds himself with a deep and shuddering breath, it's not solutions that are important right now.

"You've been here longer than I have," X says. "Has the Dreaming ever had repeat visitors before?"