An English man born in the 14th century. Dream encountered him while visiting the waking world with his older sister, Death. Gadling was proposing to his friends that people only die because everyone else does it, and that he’d have no part of it. Dream believed that this might be an interesting experiment, and so Dream tells Gadling that, if he truly belives the way to live forever is simply not to die, Dream will meet him in one hundred years in the same tavern for a drink. Gadling agrees and in one hundred years they meet. At first when Dream shows up Gadling believes that he has made some kind of deal with the Devil. Dream convinces him otherwise, and they meet every one hundred years for a drink. During their meeting in the 1800’s, Gadling accuses Dream of being lonely and wanting friends, and that was why Death never came for Gadling. Dream is outraged that Gadling would suggest that “one of my kind” needs friends, and storms out of the tavern. One century later, Gadling is waiting for Dream in the bar. When Dream finally turns up, Gadling admits that he didn’t expect him to show. Dream replies, “I was always told it is bad manners to keep one’s friends waiting.” After the first Dream dies, Death comes to Gadling at a renaissance fair, and tells him that it was not just a dream. Then she asks him if he is ready to go; if he is finally ready to die. Gadling replies that he is not ready; he’s still got so much to live for, and besides his girlfriend would kill him. After his meeting with Death, Gadling has a dream where he meets Morpheus on a beach, and they greet each other warmly. Then a street painter whom Gadling once met, really Destruction, comes up, and the three of them walk off down the beach.
