Author's Note: Not much to say. It's another chapter. And there's some vague allusion as to who Jennebeth is. Thanks to my reviewers; it's nice to get feedback! And, as reviews wind up in my email, they're a great way to remind me about stories I might forget... Thanks, all.
* * *
Jareth's castle reminded Sarah of her high school physics class. In the class, all the laws were laid out on the page, and the practice problems seemed to be following them like good little children, but then someone tried to put actual numbers in, or apply the formulas to the basketball he or she was throwing. And then the principles would cackle their evil cackles, and the numbers would act like they had never even *seen* the laws so much as stooped to associate with them, and then the answers came out negative or imaginary or packed full with unsolvable variables like x and q and secant of 49.3 times B to the N.
Jareth's castle was apparently in league with the numbers, in that it appeared to be a normal castle (as normal as could be expected when a goblin king was involved, at any rate) and then Sarah would turn a corner or open a door, and she could just *hear* the structures pointing and laughing at the laws of physics.
The fact that she was wearing a bathrobe wasn't helping. The fact that her guide looked exactly like Jareth but was only visible in the mirrors that were not always frequently placed was helping even less. He was purportedly leading her to a room that contained a closet with clothes that would fit her.
"Ok, there isn't another one until you get off the staircase-" the reflection began. Sarah stopped and stared at him indignantly.
"Off the staircase. If this is anything like the last staircase-"
"No, no, this one's normal. I promise. Just go up to the top and through the door. There's another mirror on the other side, and then we can figure out what he's done with the closet." She eyed the figure in the mirror skeptically.
"Done with?"
"Look, he doesn't get out much, and it's not as though the goblin girls are going to fit into dresses your size. He might have shoved them off into some strange pocket of space time or something."
"The dresses or the girls?" That seemed to amuse the reflection.
"Well, either, depending on his mood..."
"Why does he-"
"Have clothing in your size? He doesn't expect to lose these games, and apparently he liked you. Or he has a fetish for lace and was going to make you model. You'd have to ask him, frankly. I do my best to stay out of his head for the sake of my own sanity. Look, do you want to stand here in that robe all day? Not that I'm complaining..." Sarah flushed, pulled the robe more tightly around herself, and rushed up the stairs.
* * *
"Look, Jennebeth, this is different. Sarah is - Sarah - She already has her brother. She-" Jareth paused, having difficulty with the next word, "defeated me. There isn't anyone to return."
"The pen got the wording wrong, Goblin King. You must make reparations. In most cases, that means returning a brother or sister. In hers-" Jareth growled.
"She won! There are no reparations to make! Surely you of all people would understand what it means when the heroine gets what she wants!" Jennebeth smiled.
"As a fairy godmother, Jareth, I'm concerned with happy endings. Sometimes the heroine doesn't know what she wants. Make reparations."
* * *
Jareth's castle reminded Sarah of her high school physics class. In the class, all the laws were laid out on the page, and the practice problems seemed to be following them like good little children, but then someone tried to put actual numbers in, or apply the formulas to the basketball he or she was throwing. And then the principles would cackle their evil cackles, and the numbers would act like they had never even *seen* the laws so much as stooped to associate with them, and then the answers came out negative or imaginary or packed full with unsolvable variables like x and q and secant of 49.3 times B to the N.
Jareth's castle was apparently in league with the numbers, in that it appeared to be a normal castle (as normal as could be expected when a goblin king was involved, at any rate) and then Sarah would turn a corner or open a door, and she could just *hear* the structures pointing and laughing at the laws of physics.
The fact that she was wearing a bathrobe wasn't helping. The fact that her guide looked exactly like Jareth but was only visible in the mirrors that were not always frequently placed was helping even less. He was purportedly leading her to a room that contained a closet with clothes that would fit her.
"Ok, there isn't another one until you get off the staircase-" the reflection began. Sarah stopped and stared at him indignantly.
"Off the staircase. If this is anything like the last staircase-"
"No, no, this one's normal. I promise. Just go up to the top and through the door. There's another mirror on the other side, and then we can figure out what he's done with the closet." She eyed the figure in the mirror skeptically.
"Done with?"
"Look, he doesn't get out much, and it's not as though the goblin girls are going to fit into dresses your size. He might have shoved them off into some strange pocket of space time or something."
"The dresses or the girls?" That seemed to amuse the reflection.
"Well, either, depending on his mood..."
"Why does he-"
"Have clothing in your size? He doesn't expect to lose these games, and apparently he liked you. Or he has a fetish for lace and was going to make you model. You'd have to ask him, frankly. I do my best to stay out of his head for the sake of my own sanity. Look, do you want to stand here in that robe all day? Not that I'm complaining..." Sarah flushed, pulled the robe more tightly around herself, and rushed up the stairs.
* * *
"Look, Jennebeth, this is different. Sarah is - Sarah - She already has her brother. She-" Jareth paused, having difficulty with the next word, "defeated me. There isn't anyone to return."
"The pen got the wording wrong, Goblin King. You must make reparations. In most cases, that means returning a brother or sister. In hers-" Jareth growled.
"She won! There are no reparations to make! Surely you of all people would understand what it means when the heroine gets what she wants!" Jennebeth smiled.
"As a fairy godmother, Jareth, I'm concerned with happy endings. Sometimes the heroine doesn't know what she wants. Make reparations."