Chapter 4. Plots, plans, and scheming

Hoggle entered the throne room to find it utterly empty. He looked about, not one goblin was present, nor was the King. Hoggle cleared his throat and called out weakly. "Hello?" when no answer came, he moved to sit on the steps of the dais. Lowering his girth to the step he grunted as he sat. He was getting too old for this, he told himself. He sat in quiet contemplation until another member of the court entered.

Didymus had been recalled from the barren waste lands, he now stood with hat in hand, contritely entering the old throne room. He noted that it was empty except for the dwarf sitting at the foot of the throne. "Sir Hoggle?" he asked not sure if he could believe his old eyes. "Is it you my brother?"

Hoggle grunted again as he rose to stand and walk over to the little knight. "Yes it's me, who else would it be?" He asked grumpily.

Hope rose in the eyes of the little knight. "And Ludo?" he asked.

"He's been here, and is now returned to his little forest." Hoggle walked toward the window that overlooked a part of the Labyrinth. "The King had him clean up the rocks we left behind… and pardoned him."

Musing to himself the Knight of the Olde Code murmured. "Well, well… the lad remembered."

Hoggle shot a look at his companion and frowned. "Lad? What lad?" He raised a hand, not really wanting the Knight to explain. "The King called for both you and I, and I suggest we wait for his return."

Looking again about the empty room, the King's Knight asked. "Was there a summons?"

Hoggle shrugged.

--

Josh sat with his feet up on the coffee table they had scavenged from a pile of discarded furnishings at the dump on the edge of town. The shack had been abandoned by the rail road long ago and by all rights should have been torn down. Had the shack the boys were using been anywhere else in or about town it would have. But as it sat on the edge of the city dump, it was mostly forgotten. It had been used by hobos, and miscreants before it had fallen into the possession of this band of mischief makers. They had made scant repairs, and the roof now didn't leak in rain. But it still looked like what it was, an abandoned shack.

The boys had pulled furnishings from the dump and had outfitted the shack with items to ensue their own comforts. The rail road had put electrical outlets in the shack back in the 50's and for some reason had never seen fit to turn off the power. The boys found an old refrigerator that still had all its parts intact and actually ran. Here they kept a supply of soda and ill gotten beer for drinking. Josh now sat like the lord of this junk realm, swigging beer and plotting his next move.

"She's up to something," warned David.

"Are you sure this is even worth it?" Thomas asked reflectively as he too drank a beer.

Josh looked at the four boys that were in the shack with him. "Damn right it is…." He lowered his feet. "No little snippet of a bitch is going to get away with acting like she's too good for me!"

Thinking on the words, Thomas was on the verge of saying Sarah wasn't acting. He thought better of it when Josh slammed the bottle down on the table with violence. He kept his opinions to himself and wondered why he was still following this deranged maniac. As far as Thomas could see, Josh Morgan was nothing more than a trouble making scoundrel.

"Telling the world that I'm the last boy she'd ever date…well I'm going to fix it so no boy wants to date her!" He announced. "Not unless they want spoiled goods."

David sneered. "I've got the video camera all set up like you ordered, Josh." He was feeding and being fed by the idea of despoiling Sarah Williams. "I'm going to love taking these pictures!"

A tapping at the door of the shack was followed by a voice declaring. "It's Ben." The door opened to reveal a dark haired boy with features that seemed too sharp for a human face. "Wait until you see what I've just found." He waved the others to follow him. He swiftly led them past he piles of discarded bits and pieces of life. In a clearing of sorts stood an old bed frame made of brass. "It's perfect!" he announced.

Josh looked at the grimy frame and snorted. "Look around boys, there's got to be a dirty old mattress about as well." He placed his hands on the once ornate bed frame. "This is just perfect, here in the middle of a junkyard, surrounded by junk, Sarah Williams is going to lose her virtue and it will all be on film." He laughed cruelly.

--

Jareth entered the castle with the goblins that had followed him. "Criminal," he muttered to himself as they entered. He paused at the door, looked about the square that was before the huge doors and smiled briefly. "Ah the rocks are gone!" He grabbed a goblin who rushed past with a toothy creature on the end of a stick. "No more torturing the beast Ludo, understand?" When he recived a nod, he released the goblin and moved toward the door. "Hogs feet!" he greeted Hoggle.

"Hoggle," the dwarf sighed.

The King smiled, knowing he could still get to the dwarf. His eyes moved to the other in the throne room, the contrite little Goblin Knight. "Sir Didymus," he addressed him as he placed his hands behind his back. He was already imposing as he was in full armor, having been on a summons, but with his hands behind his back and his features in grimace he was now magnificent having a daunting presence.

At a snail's pace the diminutive knight approached. "Sire."

Waving off the rest of the Goblins, the King looked down his nose at the aging Knight. "A word, sir." He began darkly.

Hoggle looked up and frowned.

Hanging his head, Sir Didymus sighed. He'd been expecting a dressing down, and perhaps even exile for the part he played in the girl's rescue of the boy that the King had claimed as an heir. "Yes, sire?"

"Did you have to be so…damned… gallant?" Demanded Jareth still feeling a sting of betrayal. "I can understand Hoggle falling prey to the girl….but you!"

"Sire," Didymus blinked.

Jareth held up his hand, silencing protests from both the knight and the dwarf. "It's over, and it's done with. Now we must move on for the good of the Kingdom… I here by reinstate you to your full rank."

Gasping in surprise, the little Knight sputtered. "Sire!"

Jareth shook his head; he doubted he would ever be able to stay angry with the old Knight for long. "In addition, I'm having you reassigned. I want you here at the palace." He moved to his throne and took a seat. "The guards here need your… guidance!"

Tears formed in the old Knights eyes. "You're making me captain of the guard?"

The King gave a solemn nod, "I am." Bowing with a flourish, the aging Knight thanked his King. Jareth kept his face schooled. "Go now and have your squire bring your gear to the guards quarters. You'll be in the Captain's quarters from now on…. And I want to get to work right away working with those idiots."

Once the little Knight had rushed off, Hoggle turned to Jareth and murmured. "That was nice of you."

"No it wasn't," sighed the King. "It was necessary." He ran a hand over his eyes. "I made a mistake when I retired Didymus; everything went to hell after he left."

Hoggle looked at the improvements of the last few weeks; the throne room was swept clean of the clutter. There were no animals running free in the castle, and the walls had been washed of the years of grime. "I see what you're doing…" he boasted coolly. "It ain't never gonna be Oberon's palace." He warned.

"Oberon's palace be hung," muttered the young King. "I let things go, and I played fast and lose…." He leaned forward looking about the room. "I forgot the importance of this kingdom, but … she reminded me of why we are here." He looked at Hoggle. "I need your help."

Laughing the dwarf scoffed. "There's a first, you asking for instead of ordering help." He saw the King was not amused and sniffed. "What do you want me to do?"

"First, stop pissing in my pond and fountains." Jareth said coldly.

Hoggle shrugged. "Seemed like a good thing to do at the time, but alright. What else?"

"Help me bring the gate lands back to life." Jareth said boldly. "We'll go from there."

"You don't want them to appear frightening anymore?" Hoggle asked.

"Frightening, not dead," The King explained. "I recall how the land looked when I first arrived…when I first became King here…. And the Labyrinth claimed me…I owe her better than she's gotten."

"No argument there," quipped the dwarf.

"Help me?" Jareth asked softly.

"Why not," said the dwarf taking a seat at the foot of the throne. "I ain't gots nothing better to do…."

--

Sarah stood in the attic, ignoring the boxes labled 'Sarah's room', and kept her mind on the trunks that stood open in the middle of the floor.

"Where did you get the old steamer trunks?" Katie asked in awe. Her hand on one old trunk.

"Some were my mom's mom and others that one belonged to my great granny." Sarah explained as Karen used keys on an old ring to unlock still more of the trunks. "Mother left these behind when she moved to New York… said they were by rights mine."

Karen opened another trunk to reveal the drawers that held unmentionables and other accessories. "Linda then began sending costumes for Sarah, and we put some in these trunks and others in storage bags." She snickered. "I use to tease Linda that she was trying to give Sarah a career as a second had store owner."

"Vintage clothes," corrected the girl in question.

Katie looked about the attic, "Is all this yours?" she asked Sarah.

"No, not all of it."

Karen giggled. "Only most of it;" All three enjoyed the joke before Karen sat down on an old chair with tapestry that had seen better days. "So what exactly are you two looking for?"

"Something quiet," Katie ventured.

"Something 'Taming of the Shrew'," countered Sarah without looking at either of them. Her attention was on a trunk of costumes her mother had sent recently. "Well, well," she said pulling out a metallic bodice. "Just what I was looking for."

"Your aim is to look like a member of Kiss?" Karen screwed up her nose.

"No, more like a Valkyrie," answered her stepdaughter calmly. "If I'm going into battle I want to dress the part."

Katie looked at Karen, "Almost makes you pity Josh."

"Almost," agreed Karen.

--

Hoggle looked at the gate pool once more; he frowned and kicked the stone obelisk that was supposed to pump fresh water into the system. Nothing came out of the water spigot, not even a sound. Frustrated with the shoddy workmanship he had to put up with, he began to ramble on and on to himself. He kicked it once more, looked into the spigot, and was hit full force in the face by rushing water. Somewhere he could swear he could hear the tittering of Goblin laughter. "I'll get you stupid little buggers!" he muttered darkly.

Jareth came upon the pond, wanting to check on Hoggle progress just in time to witness his holding two goblins under the stagnate water. "Hoggle, what are you doing?"

"Getting even!" he snapped.

Jareth hid his smile behind his glove, and calmly said. "Let them up, you know they can't drown."

"No, but this gives them a taste of my revenge." He looked at the water and remembered how many times he'd let loose his bladder in the pond. The sneer on his face said it all.

Jareth watched the goblins stagger off, and looked at the drenched dwarf. "They stopped up the spigot?"

"Bastards," muttered the dwarf as he shook off the excess water.

Looking at the gate area, Jareth saw the improvements. "You did a good job here; I see the garden is in bloom again."

"That was not my doing," Hoggle warned. "Labyrinth has a mind o her own!"

The King turned to look up at the windswept hillside. "I know she does," he commented quietly. "What the Labyrinth wants, the Labyrinth gets." He took a step toward the hillside; the scent on the wind captivated him and drew him back to a memory. "Sarah," he whispered, knowing no one else in the Kingdom carried that fragrance. It smelled of youth, of promise, of awakening and of spices that could only be found in the world of man. "Sarah," he groaned delighting in feeling her strength once more.

The dwarf heard the word and looked up at the hillside troubled. "She's not here," he cautioned the King.

"She's thinking of us," Jareth said confidently. "Once more she's thinking on us!" He turned to the dwarf with a smile.

The smile was not returned. "You leave her be!" Warned the dwarf darkly; "She beat you once; she'll do so again if you mess with her."

Jareth looked away from the dwarf to the hillside; an image of Sarah with her hair fluttering on the breeze captivated his mind. "I shall do nothing to instigate this, I promise you." He snickered. "I won't have to…" he walked up the hillside, out of the hearing of the dwarf. "What the Labyrinth wants, the Labyrinth gets." He said with a confident smile.