That night, Stephen dreamed. His room was full of clocks, each one of a different style. Tiny jeweled boxes squatted side by side with huge, severe grandfather clocks. A thousand ticks erupted with every passing moment, each with its own distinct timbre. No two clocks showed the same time; each one counted away the seconds at its own unique pace. For a time Stephen stood alone in the room, looking at each clock in turn, feeling the differences within them. Then a loud crash behind him . . .