In the 16th century, Dream asks Johanna Constantine for help. She goes to Paris and is caught carrying a head by two guards. She tells him it’s the head of her sister’s rapist, which she retrieved after his execution, and she is going to show it to her mother and then put it on the grave of her sister to rot. The men cut off one of the head’s earlobes for the earring it holds. In private, Johanna apologizes, and the head speaks back to her. Johanna calls him Orpheus, revealing that this is the head of Dream and Calliope’s son. Later, soldiers come looking for the head and a political leader, St. Just, takes Johanna prisoner.

 Excerpts from Johanna’s diary detail her accomplishments in espionage until another man, Robespierre, the historical French lawyer who had a large and controversial role in the French Revolution, comes to interrogate Johanna about the missing head. He accuses her of possessing an object of that belongs to the people of France. She evades their questions and meets with Dream as she sleeps. Dream tells her that he cannot help her directly because he can’t be seen meddling in the current situation, but his crow companion Jessamy suggests that Orpheus could use his powers and sing, though Dream says that he would need a chorus.