It was a nice day and Amethyst enjoyed walking through the edges of the Labyrinth, careful not to stray too deep and get lost. The area she was in was quite cultivated and tidy; statues and neatly cut hedges, the stones clean and attractively carved. As she entered a small courtyard a creature dashed around another corner and screeched to a halt.
"Hello my dear, it's nice to see Another person here but me. Sometimes it can be quite lonely, Wandering here through walls so stoney."
"The Cat in the Hat? Are you trying to find your way through the Labyrinth?" she asked.
"I do not search, I do not look. I'm just that cat, From out that book."
"But what are you doing here?"
"Why this is my home, Although I roam, My place is here Where nothing's clear."
"I suppose that makes sense, where else would the cat in the hat live?"
She sat by a pool with a highly ornamental fountain in it's centre and gazed into the water. Brightly coloured shapes darted beneath the surface like streaks of paint.
"How nice to sit and rest a while, I feel as though we've walked a mile. But to be peaceful I do not wish So, I think I'll count the fish!"
He flourished dramatically and struck a pose then as the fish leapt out the water like dolphins and hung in the air watching them he exclaimed...
"One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. Fast fish, slow fish, old fish, new fish!"
Amethyst stared in amazement as the fish dropped back into the water. "If there are so many Dr Seuss characters here why haven't I seen any before?" she asked.
"Why don't be foolish, don't be slow. This place is huge or don't you know? There's creatures here from every place, It would take years to see each face. And even then you won't be done, It always changes. For where's the fun In seeing nothing that is new, In knowing what will be in view?"
"I don't know, it doesn't sound much fun not knowing if someone will still be here tomorrow or not. At least I know Jareth will always be here."
"The Goblin King you call by name, It's true he always stays the same. For every place must have a center That chaos never ever enters. For if there were no king to rule The glass would shatter, the sun would cool And all would vanish through a hole And no more stories would be told."
The cat looked grave. "What do you mean, no more stories would be told?"
"To make you laugh, to make you cry, A story must not be a lie. And so it finds it's truth in here, Where every story does appear. Well every story worth a mention, The ones that make you pay attention."
"It seems impossible to believe, that every story is real here. Every character ever created."
"Ah, but it is and that's what's clever, The Labyrinth goes on forever. But I must dash, it's time you see, To cook green eggs and ham for tea. I'll leave you with another fellow Whose manner's easier to follow."
And with that the cat ran off, humming a tune to itself, and Amethyst turned to see a goblin pop it's head around the corner.
"I'm to come fetch you."
"Okay." she took a last look in the direction the cat had gone then headed back to the castle.