Douglas was in his hotel room. It was an idyllic setting, warm and inviting. The late afternoon sun washed the cream walls and white linen sheets with a pink glow. He was dressed in the luxury of a flowing white shirt that puffed at the sleeves and was nipped in at the wrists – like Romeo or Prince Charming. The pink light caught the small gold crown he wore on his head and made it glow. "Give me the boy. Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great…" He paused, "For my will is as strong as yours… my kingdom is great… Damn! I can never remember that line!" He pulled a book - The Labyrinth - out of his pocket and opened it, "You have no power over me."
There was a knock at the door. "Douglas!" Carolyn, who else?
Douglas hurried to the door, careful to stay in character and unlocked it, revealing an exasperated boss, "Douglas, where have you been?! You were supposed to be in my room an hour ago to baby-sit for Arthur! Don't we at least deserve an explanation?" Carolyn asked
Douglas spoke with a melodramatic solemnity, "No, because I'm an adult." With that, he turned back into his room, hanging the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, quickly. He didn't want to look after Arthur so Carolyn and Herc could go to the hotel bar for a drink.
Herc came up behind Carolyn, putting an arm around her shoulder. "What's that all about?"
"He doesn't want to look after Arthur," Carolyn began to raise her voice, "But that's no reason to –"
Douglas opened the door. "Chasten not your King, Peasant!" He announced before dramatically slamming his door, locking it after him. He leaned against it, playing the scene. "She's not my mother," Douglas mumbled to himself. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could hear footsteps and someone – obviously Carolyn – came to the other side of the door. Douglas ignored her and kicked off his shoes.
"Douglas, when I tell you to be in my room at five, I expect you to in my room at five."
Douglas quickly shifted to Carolyn's attitude – hands on his hips, and silently mimes her words before replying, "Yes, Madame!"
"And don't 'Yes Madam' me!" Carolyn yelled.
"Is he all right?" Herc asked.
"Of course he's all right!" Carolyn snapped. "I just give up!" She announced and hurried down the corridor.
"We'll see you later, Douglas," Herc called.
Douglas heard them leave in the lift across from his room. He walked over to the mirror, checked himself out and adjusted the golden crown which had been knocked askew by slamming the door.
Douglas put the music box he bought in that side-street shop for his daughter on the nightstand. He opened it – revealing the twirling male dancer, dressed in a sparkling white shirt, white leggings and white ballet shoes, inside – and, to the strains of an unbearably tinny version of 'Greensleeves', he began look through his suitcase before growling, "Someone has been in my suitcase again!"
He remembered the soft toy Polar Bear he had bought as well, and the fact it definitely had not been in there.
Douglas burst out of his room. "Where is it?" He stomped down the hallway. "Where's my daughter's bear?!"
Douglas entered Arthur's room and searched it. "Hello, Douglas," the steward greeted, oblivious.
"Nobody listens to a thing I say!" Douglas seethed, and Arthur flinched. He opened Arthur's suitcase and rifled through it. "How many times have I told you to stay out of my suitcase?!" He turned to see Arthur cautiously holding out the toy to him. "Just give me back my daughter's bear!" He snatched the toy from Arthur's hands.
"I'm sorry, Douglas!" Arthur tried to apologise, but Douglas ignored him.
"Someone save me, someone take me away from this awful airdot!" The storm continued to build outside and Arthur began to sniff and whine, "What do you want? Do you want a story? Huh? Ok. Once upon a time there was a handsome First Officer who's boss and Captain always made him stay in the hotel with the steward. And the steward was a spoiled child and he wanted everything for himself, and the First Officer was practically a slave. But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the First Officer and he had given him certain powers. So one night, when the steward had been particularly cruel to him he asked the goblins for help."
In the Goblin City, many of the goblins were asleep, but one of them heard Douglas begin. Would tonight be the night? "Listen!" He ordered - more like a hiss with his raspy voice - and the others began to wake.
Douglas continued to tell the story, "'Say your right words,' the Goblin's said, 'And we'll take the steward to the Goblin City and you will be free.'"
"Ah!" The goblins gasped.
"But the First Officer was clever; he knew that the king of the goblins would keep the steward in his castle forever and ever, and turn it into a goblin. So he suffered in silence until one night when he was tired from a day of flying, hurt by the harsh words of his boss and he could no longer stand it -" Arthur continued to cry, "Oh, fine! Fine!" He put an arm around the steward's shoulders and pulled him in for a reluctant, one shouldered hug, "Shut up. Come on. Stop it! Stop it! I'll say the words! No, I mustn't. I mustn't say…"
"Uh!" The goblins drew closer to the vision.
"I wish… I wish…" Douglas began.
"He's going to say it!" One of the goblins beamed.
"Say what?" Another asked.
"Shut up!" The first one ordered.
"You shut up!" One more hissed
"Listen! He's going to say the words!" The first smiled wickedly.
"I can bear no longer!" Douglas announced dramatically over the storm and hiccupping Arthur, "Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!"
"That's not it! Where'd he learn that rubbish. It doesn't even start with I wish!" The third goblin moaned.
"Oh, Arthur, stop it! I wish I did know what to say to make the goblins take you away!" Douglas groaned. He let go of Arthur and walked to the door.
"'I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now.' That's not hard is it?" The third goblin growled.
"I wish… I wish…" Douglas began again, trying to think of what it might be.
"Did he say it?" The second goblin asked.
"Shut up!" The rest hissed.
Arthur pulled the sheets over his head and continued to cry as Douglas reached the door. "I wish the goblins would come and take you away…" He turned off the light, "Right now." Suddenly, the crying stopped. "Arthur? Arthur, are you all right? Why aren't you crying? Arthur?"
Douglas walked back over to the bed, pulled off the sheet, and it was empty.
Several goblins jumped and weaved in and out of their hiding spaces as Douglas keeps turned around and around to try and see what was happening. A snowy owl banged against the glass balcony door, trying to get in. Suddenly the door burst open and Douglas covered his face as the owl flew in, but he could see the bird's shadow elongate and morph into a human shape. He slowly uncovered his eyes.
It was Martin. He was taller; was wearing a long black leather coat, black patent waistcoat, black jodhpurs and black knee-high boots; his hair was still ginger, but straight with a long fringe that covered his right eye and black and neon highlights; and his cheeks were brushed with glitter and his eyes were bordered with a blaze of midnight blue eye shadow. He looked like a new romantic from the eighties. "Martin?!"
"Ah... There's my First Officer," Martin stroked a leather gloved hand across Douglas' cheek.
"You're him aren't you? You're the Goblin King," Douglas asked, but Martin said nothing, "I want Arthur back if it's all the same."
"What's said is said," Martin smiled smugly.
"But, I didn't mean it," Douglas insisted.
"Oh, you didn't?" Martin asked in faux-innocence.
"Please, where is he?" Douglas sighed.
"You know very well where he is," Martin stated heavily.
"Please bring him back."
"Douglas… go back to your room. Play with your scripts and costumes… forget about Arthur."
"I can't," Douglas glared.
"I've brought you a gift," Martin smiled, changing the subject; he held up a crystal ball. "It's a crystal," The crystal moved over his hands effortlessly, "Nothing more. But if you turn it this way," He held it in his fingertips, "And look into it, it will show you your dreams. But this isn't a gift for an ordinary man who takes care of a bumbling clot. Do you want it? Then forget Arthur."
"I can't. I appreciate what you're offering, but I want my friend back."
"Friend?" Martin laughed, "What person wishes their friend away?"
Douglas growled, "He is my friend!"
"Douglas… don't defy me." The crystal turned into a snake in his hands and he threw it at Douglas.
"Ah!" He yelled, batting it away and it fell to the floor, where it turns into a goblin; all the other goblins poked out of their hiding places and laughed, as soon as Douglas turned around to see them, they went back to hiding.
"You're no match for me, Douglas."
"I think I am," Douglas smirked.
"Why?" Martin asked, staring darkly into the First Officer's eyes. Suddenly they were standing at the edge of the Labyrinth. Martin's castle was at the centre, beyond the Goblin City. "Because you're Douglas Richardson, the Sky-God? Because I let you win the word games? That's pretend, Douglas. Despite what it looks like; this. is. very. real."
"But -"
"He's there, in my castle. Do you still want to look for him?" Martin asked smugly, "Turn back, Douglas. Turn back before it's too late."
"I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?" Douglas didn't recognise Martin the goblin king; he was so... cruel.
"What a pity," Martin sighed in pretend tragedy.
"It doesn't look that far..." Douglas assured himself more than anyone.
"It's further than you think, and time is short," He waved his hand and a clock with 13 hours appeared, "You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before everyone becomes like us, forever. Such a pity..."
"Wait. What do you mean everyone -" He turned, but Martin was gone. He sighed, he was sure to find out soon enough, "The Labyrinth. It doesn't look that hard..."
