De Lint's stories are often like dreams. In some, such as "The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep," the dreaming takes place in a concrete dream world, where people live their lives as if the dream world were as physical as the waking world. In others, such as "Seven for a Secret," the dreaming quality comes from the tone and the shadows that de Lint layers into his descriptions. For instance, Malicorne has a horn in her forehead, yet people do not always see it. In fact, William is surprised to see it partly because he has not noticed it before.

Thus, Malicorne seems like a dreamlike figure, whose form is hard to define and whose passive ways are languid, like sleep.

When she and Jack leave, William hears hoofbeats but does not see them go, whereas Staley says she saw two horses, one white and...