Chapter 7. Folded over reality

"What in the name of all that is unholy are you doing here?" he demanded of the scruffy knight parading about as a toy. He held the aging Goblin up so that they were looking directly into each other's eyes. "Don't lie to me, or try to confuse issues here either!" The King barked.

Sir Didymus faced his king with all his courtly manners covering him like chain maille, "Sire, I've foresworn an oath," he reasoned nobly. Gallantly he removed his plumed cap, "I am foresworn to protect yon fair maiden…"

Jareth promptly dropped the Goblin knight unceremoniously. "I see, and just where does that leave your oath of allegiance to me, sir knight?" Crossing his arms, he made sure he was blocking any path of escape. "Just how long have you been here?" His voice informed the knight he was not in a trifling mood. "And just whom is guarding your bridge?"

Sir Didymus dusted himself off and rose to his full height. "I've been here on guard for over a fortnight, Sire." He saw no reason to hide any truth from his king, as he was in his own mind doing the right thing. "I see no reason why one should be in question of the other oath… I am your loyal subject," he bowed deeply to the Fae lord of his realm. He sniffed defensively at the thought of his bridge. "As the bridge no longer exists…"

Jareth was not completely buying it, and suspected another's influence here. He used Fae powers to illuminate the room. "Where's your cohort?" he demanded. "Where's Hogsfeet?"

"Hoggle," the grumbled correction came from a corner of the room. Movement soon showed the hobbling gnomish dwarf. He had been silently watching as Didymus had received the light dressing down. Even now he was regretting allowing himself to be tricked by the King once more into giving his hiding place away.

Jareth gave him an unpleasant smile, "Hoggle," his tone was syrupy sweet. "There you are." He crouched down to gaze into the uncomfortable gaze of the dwarf. "Still losing your head over a girl, are you?" Knowing how it grated on the nerves of the goblin dwarf, Jareth kept to a pleasant conversational tone.

Hoggle's hand went swiftly to his throat, "I never said I was losing my head…"

"I see," Jareth's tone mocked the dwarf. "Then you weren't planning on doing some thing like, say… helping the girl again."

"Hel…helping the girl?" the dwarf stammered nervously. "Now what would make you think that….Sire?" he was looking for an escape, feeling more trapped than any runner of the Labyrinth had ever felt. "It would be very foolish to try and help…"

Fiendishly Jareth smiled at the little coward. "That's right, it would… and you've learned your lesson about helping mortal girls, haven't you?" His solicitous tone was more troublesome to the demoralized gardener than if the Goblin King had struck him with the riding crop that was usually in his hand again.

Hoggle trembled, while Jareth had not carried out his threat of dipping him into the bog of stench or making him its prince, he had done enough to him over in three years time to make him wearier of the King's unspoken threats. Intimidating and overwhelming the disheartened little man was far too easy a task for this Fae King, and Hoggle wanted to be more, he wanted to be everything that Sarah believed he had been. Sarah had forgiven him the betrayal, Didymus had commended him and found him brave indeed… and Ludo had called him friend. Thinking of Sarah and not wanting to disappoint her once more, Hoggle glared at the King. "I'm not going to help you," he warned the King in a surge of bravado. "You do anything to her or the boy and I'll snitch!" It was at the moment he made the threat that Hoggle realized the tactical error. His eyes grew wide with fear.

Jareth, still crouching regarded Hoggle with contempt and scorn, gripped the gardener by the shoulder roughly. "Are you threatening me, little one?" The King's voice had dropped several octaves and was now not threatening, it was promising trouble.

Sir Didymus rushed to the aide of his companion. "Of course not, Sire." Didymus knew that much as they both loved Sarah Williams, they could do her no good if the King exiled them or worse.

Wincing in pain, Hoggle remembered his place. "No," he shook his head. "No, your Majesty."

"Good," Jareth released his grip, his eyes narrowing as he viewed the one he considered the leader of the pack of three who had aided the girl in her quest. "See that you remember who you are, and who I am…" He warned as he stood up again. "I'm surprised at you!" He snapped. "I would have thought your last involvement with Sarah Williams would have taught you a lesson."

Sniveling and kowtowing to the dismayed personage of his King, Hoggle grumbled. "I can't help it." He fumbled with the plastic bracelet he'd worn since the moment that Sarah had traded to him for his help. "She does something to anyone in her company! She makes you want to be more than you are… she…she's…. I can't help it…" he mumbled.

Pained, Jareth sighed deeply. Hoggle had hit on a truth that even Jareth could not deny. Sarah Williams was no ordinary girl and she did something to everyone who was fortunate enough to draw her attention. He could not blame Hoggle for having fallen under the spell of the vixen, as he himself was still feeling the effects of desiring to be important to Sarah. "No," he agreed at last, "I don't suppose you can help it…can you?" He paced. "How many others have banded together with the purpose of rescuing Sarah?" Neither of the pair answered, Jareth looked from one to the other. "This requires a response," he barked.

Hoggle looked at Sir Didymus, he answered carefully but stammered. "How do you mean banded together?"

Piqued, the King crossed his arms and glared. "I will not be interfered with," the room began to vibrate. "I don't have time for these games… I must return before I'm missed…" He thrust out one arm and froze the two goblin subject in place. "When you decide to be loyal subjects once more you'll be free….Until then, you will stay put!" He watched as the two grasped the seriousness of their situation. He waved his hand over their mouths and silenced their voices. "And there'll be no warning Miss Sarah of her imminent danger." The room stilled and Jareth smiled menacingly, "I have plans for dear Sarah…"

--

Sarah could not shake off the daunting feeling of impending doom. She took the kettle off the stove, glad that Karen had insisted on an old fashioned gas range rather than a modern electric one. At least she could boil water and cook during this storm. She was working at keeping her panic down but was failing as the song being played was racking her nerves. The kettle had screamed just as the song was reaching its crescendo. With the removing of the kettle she concentrated on the setting up the tea pot, instead of the troublesome tune being played. She set up one tea pot and put the kettle on to boil once more; thinking two pots of tea was more efficient than just the one. She also felt a good strong cup of tea would settle her storm racked nerves.

--

Jareth entered the parlor, Merck was still playing the piano, and Rafe was still blowing into the penny whistle. Odell and Perrin were passing between the enchanted teens, deepening the spell being cast. Jareth watched, a wicked gleam coming into his eyes. "Are they completely enthralled?" He questioned as he looked at the teens. "I would hate for one of them to only be half way spellbound." He looked at Ruth, whose eyes were glazed with the enchantment.

"I know what I'm doing," Odell protested bitterly. "They are enthralled and programmed."

Perrin nodded in agreement. "The only one we didn't do was the boy… he's out for the count."

Jareth looked toward the place where he'd left Arnie, "Yes, poor creature, thinking he could warn our dear Sarah." Chuckling softly, he glanced toward the kitchen, and seeing Sarah still working on the tea informed his companions. "We've hit another glitch… some of my loyal subjects have chosen to try to mount a rescue."

Perrin didn't appear amused by the news; "They what?"

Odell finished placing one of the magical amulets he was secreting on each of the victims. He had slipped the pin under the collar of Ruth's blouse. "Cheeky lot, that's what they are." He snipped. "Thinking they could outsmart you."

"They've been here awhile," Jareth warned. "I think that's why the boy seemed so prepared for our invasion." He moved back to where Toby was laying asleep on the chair, curled up in a ball. "However, they didn't bother to warn the child, not that it would do any good… he's mine…. Just as the girl is."

"If you could choose but one?" Merck asked as he continued to play the music. He was not sure why he posed the question, only that he felt it needed to be asked.

"I don't have to choose but one," Jareth stated firmly. "I have them both."

Perrin looked at Toby from beside the King. "He's a child full of promise," he agreed. "He'll make a fine changeling." Turning to the King he asked; "How will you prevent him from joining in the games? You instructed us not to include him in the enchantments…"

Addressing Perrin, but knowing each of the others was listening he kept his tone businesslike. "Goblins, they are stationed all over the house. As soon as Sarah accepts the challenge they will take the boy to safety."

Odell licked his lips watching Sarah move in the kitchen with the second boiling tea kettle. "I'd take the girl…" his voice registered lusty tones he had not expected. "If I had to choose between them, she's a prize indeed. I can imagine the pleasures of teaching her a long deserved lesson."

Jareth's voice droned in his ear, "Mind on your task at hand, not my bird in the bush." His harshness met with a snicker from the drummer who finished his task.

"All our little quail are now tagged." Odell stated. "The game may now begin." He returned to where he'd been when Sarah moved to the kitchen.

Jareth lifted on hand, "Let these mortals behave as they normally would, until I have need of their services." He moved to where Toby lay asleep as if he'd just put him down.

Leeanne blinked dazed, "Wow, that was fabulous!" Mike nodded, somewhat dazed as he too came out of the stasis.

"Thank you," Merck smiled as Sarah carried in a tray with the tea and some cups.

"I hope everyone wants a good strong cup of tea," Sarah said as she entered, feeling a bit awkward. "Did Toby fall asleep?" She would have preferred to have taken him up to his own room and his own bed, but with this storm she was not taking any chances and wanted to keep him in her sight.

Jareth smiled as he approached. "Straight if you please," he requested when Sarah began to pour the liquid from the steaming tea pot. "Yes, he fell fast asleep. Such a sweet little boy."

Thunder rolled once more, and again the windows rattled, and Sarah fought the startled jump. "I was hoping that storm would end already." She was working at keeping the tea pot steady, not wanting to spill. "It seems to be getting worse instead of better out there…"

"Your friend with the radio said it was a super cell," Perrin said accepting a cup of tea from the girl. "He fell asleep as well," He motioned to where Arnie lay curled up on the floor behind a chair. "He looks peaceful; I suggest we not disturb him if we have no need to."

"How odd," Sarah whispered, trying not to spill as she poured.

"This fire reminds me of camping," Chuck said bemused and still stupefied by the magic in the room. "We should tell ghost stories or some kind of chilling thriller."

"Sarah should tell us a story," Ruth said, her voice sounded unnaturally cold. "She's so good at tales." Even in her enchanted state there was no hiding her bitterness toward her hostess.

Shaking her head, Sarah disagreed. "The last thing we need is a scary story."

"Why not a fairy tale then," Jareth recommended delicately, his eyes shining as he gazed at Sarah. "Everyone loves a good fairy tale." Reaching behind his back he called the book to his fingers. It appeared out of nowhere, without drawing attention from the spellbound teens. "Why not from this book," he handed it to Sarah and waited for her reaction.

Sarah stared at the red leather book in King's hand. "Where did you get that?" She asked in a trembling voice. She knew the book but her mind kept pushing the memory away from her.

"Toby gave it to me just before he fell asleep," he lied, and his band mates smiled with glee. "He said it was yours…."

Accepting the book, the girl with green eyes blinked swiftly. Odell whispered urgently in the king's ear. "Something's wrong… she does not remember… Something is keeping her from remembering…"

Jareth too was concerned, what ever enchantment the High King had used, Sarah should have instantly remembered the book if nothing else. "Is something wrong, Sarah?"

"I know this book," she whispered. "But I don't remember it…." She felt dizzy and wanted to let the book drop from her fingers. "I can't remember…"

Seeing her reaction, or lack of reaction, Jareth moved closer to her. "Open the book," he commanded ruthlessly. "Read the first line…" His hand moved to her waist and he supported her weight as her knees buckled. "Read, Sarah, read."

The other teens in the room seemed oblivious to her response to having the book placed in her hands. She sagged against the man and looked up at him with troubled eyes. "No, don't make me read…" she pleaded softly.

"Read," he ordered her again.

Trembling fingers opened the cover, and she read the first line. "Once upon a time… there was a beautiful young girl…." She hesitated, unwilling to go on.

"Read," he growled in her ear. "Read, I say."

"Whose stepmother always made stay home with the baby…." Sarah heard the catch in her voice and dropped the book. "No," she closed her eyes. "No…." She slumped more, nearly to the floor, shaking her head in rejection.

Odell turned to Perrin, "She doesn't remember!"

"Silence," ordered the King's closest companion. "Sire?" He moved to the King's aide, also supporting the slumping girl. "What shall we do now?"

"He's right, she's being kept from recalling, and what ever is being used, is causing her pain." Jareth placed his hand under her chin; she was refusing now to even look at him. "Perrin, call for Alexandraya, I have need of her expertise."

--

Alexandraya worked in the quiet of the catacombs beneath the castle beyond the Goblin City. She was making the comparison between two texts of similar spells, when the walls reverberated with the summons. Having never been summoned she wondered if the King were upset with her for some reason. In the years that he'd allowed her sanctuary from the High King's court, he had never once been moved to summons her. The wall before her shimmered and changed form, it looked alike a mirror before the image of Perrin formed.

"Lady Alexandraya," he gave her a curt incline of his head. "The Goblin King has need of your expertise."

"I am always at the King's disposal," she replied. "How may I be of service?"

Giving her a gentle smile, the Fae Lord held out a hand to her through the shimmering image on the wall. "King Jareth requests your presence."

For the first time since she'd come to the Kingdom, Alexandraya held back. "I cannot leave the confines of the catacombs," she gasped, desperation filling her tone. "The King knows this."

"We are on neutral ground, my Lady… I assure you… The Goblin King will allow no harm to befall you… you are safe." Perrin insisted.

Hesitating for an instant longer, Alexandraya fretted inwardly. "Of course," she said laying her anxiety and disquiet aside. Uncertain, but cooperatively she extended her hand to Perrin. The touch instantly transported her to the location of the King and his companions. She moved forward toward the King, her long skirts rustling as she moved. "You sent for me, my King?" Dropping down into a deep curtsey the woman bowed before her king.

"Lady Alexandraya," Jareth addressed her as he supported Sarah, the other teens in the room were staring with vacant gazes. "I need you to help me figure out what spell the High King has used, and if there is a counter spell…." He filled her in on the background quickly.

Alexandraya listened but kept her eyes on the mortal girl in the King's supporting arms. Jareth had not allowed her to sit, but was keeping her standing upright. "Oberon does not use memory spells lightly," she warned drawing closer. "Were this an ordinary spell, I'd say it should have broken the moment you and she were in contact." Touching the face of the mortal girl an electric spark startled the Fae woman. She turned to the King, "This girl is not…mortal…" Her eyes were accusatory. "What have you done?"

"While she and the child were in the Goblin Kingdom, I may have… inadvertently … fed them…" Jareth tarried with the explanation, not really wishing to add another to his list of confidants. The shocked expression on the Fae woman's face caused him to feel a twinge of guilt as to his heavy handed actions towards Sarah. "I couldn't help it, Alexandraya! She was wining."

Alexandraya, her hands still smarting from the spark narrowed her pretty eyes, "Did you happen to mention this to the High King before he …." She watched the Goblin King's reactions. "You didn't," she sighed.

Perrin moved to prevent Odell from interfering in the assessment of the situation by the Fae woman. He prevented Odell from moving forward, however he could not silence the man's tongue. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Clenching her pained fingers, the woman looked at the four Fae Lords in the company of the Fae Goblin King. Her annoyance with Odell's query was obvious, her exasperation with the Fae King was more so. "You hold back information," she accused Jareth blatantly. "And then expect me to come in with some kind of solution to correct your mistakes?" She took a step back. "I am not a miracle worker."

"I have no need of a miracle worker," growled the now very defensive King. "I have need of a Fae who knows more about spellwork utilized by the High Fae of the Seelie Courts." He shifted Sarah's dead weight in his arms. "Do something!" he ordered sharply. "Or return to Avalon."

Anguish and misery replaced her look of annoyance. "You know I can not," she answered with bitterness. "I am exiled, for the very reasons you call upon me now, Goblin King."

Repenting his harshness, Jareth softened his approach. "Lady Alexandraya," his tone was more reasoning. "I regret my outburst, and if I've offended or distressed you, I apologize. It was never my intention to cause you to feel more pain… if you have some idea of something that could help…"

Setting aside her own grief, the young Fae woman moved forward again and looked at both the King and the young woman in his arms. "Theirs is but one thing that will restore her memory….One thing that will break the spell of the High King…"

"What is it?" Jareth asked swiftly. "Tell me and it shall be done, or arranged or…"

"You have to win from her a kiss of surrender." Alexandraya explained sympathetically. "In the place of her greatest accomplishment of victory…"

I have to take her back to the Escher room?" Jareth nearly released the dead weight of the girl in dismay.

"No, you didn't let me finish….Not the place of final victory… but in the place of her victory over temptation..." Her voice was impatient.

"You mean to tell me all we have to do is whisk her away to the remains of the crystal ball room and…" Jareth found the answer to be far too simple. From the calculated look on the Fae woman's face, he could see it was not quite that simple.

"No journey is ever quite that… straightforward… especially when one is dealing with mortals… Even if this girl is not fully mortal any longer, she was when you… provided Fae nourishment to her." Lady Alexandraya clasped her hand before her. "I'm afraid you are going to have to re-enact your excursion into the Labyrinth with her once more, Sire." Odell began to snicker, and Merck was on the verge of joining the mirth when the woman added. "I'm afraid you will have to include all these new players as well, including your companions."

"Come again," Perrin demanded. "You mean we have to run the Labyrinth as well?"

"More precisely, you must get to the center of this… house…" Alexandraya raised her hands in a gesture and waved about the room. "You created a paradox, Sire… you and this girl have bonded this house to the Labyrinth, inadvertently …" she smiled now using the King's own words against him.

"Sarah must reach the center of the Labyrinth, but must remain here in the house, is that what you are telling me?" Jareth growled.

"Indeed," the Fae woman bowed.

"Bloody hell," Odell cursed loudly. "In other words we're like rats in a maze…."

"More like one big rat, and one cat…" corrected the coy Alexandraya. "You brought this upon yourself, Goblin King… If the High King had known you had tampered with the girl's mortality, he would never have tampered with her memory…. As it is you will have to trigger her memories… and this time my good King you had best win."

"What about the boy?" he looked over toward Toby still asleep on the chair. "Was his memory also tampered with?"

Hesitantly Alexandraya reached out a hand toward the boy, no sparks flew and she breathed easily. "No, the High King must have determined that he was too young to truly remember the incident. He therefore allowed him to be." She looked at the child fondly. "He's very pretty…" She turned back to the King. "On the night you lost to the girl, there was a storm much like this was there not?"

"Yes," Jareth felt the girl stir and start to quicken. He looked at her. "She said her right words, and my goblins took her brother to the castle…. I had not come here expecting to take away a baby… I had come here to… court this willful girl."

"And court her you shall…. A new story within the story," Alexandraya could see the portal beginning to fade. "I must return to the catacombs," she warned. "When she awakens don't try to force her to read the book… you must look to another to be the catalyst." She moved swiftly through the shimmer. "I shall be here should you need me." She promised once more in the safety of the catacombs. "Remember Sire, you have thirteen hours… Fae Hours…that house is now running on Labyrinth time…Good luck…."

Sarah shook her head, "What happened, I feel dizzy…"

Jareth released his grip. "I think that last bolt of thunder startled you." He covered for the girl. "Do you feel better now?"

Nodding the green eyed girl looked down at the floor and the fallen book. "Oh dear, I dropped the book, wasn't I going to read from it?"

Bending down, Jareth retrieved the book and set it aside. "Perhaps reading with just firelight is not a good idea." He looked toward Ruth expecting something venomous to come out of her mouth.

"I wish this house were part of this story," Chuck had picked the book up and was leafing through it. Both Jareth and Sarah stared at him in shock and disbelieve. He tossed the book back on the table with a haughty smirk. "It would be interesting to have Goblins running rampant all over the place, and having to find a baby…but all we've got is Toby…sleeping over…" He turned and gasped. "Where's Toby?"

Sarah's green eyes flashed fire. "You idiot, what have you done…." She blasted him angrily as suddenly little shapes and shadows began to move through the room in an uncontrolled frenzy. She had taken steps toward the now empty chair when she spun, facing Jareth as the memory of that night long ago came flooding back.Lightning traced the veins of the sky and lit up his face. He was not smiling, as one might smile on greeting a stranger, nor was his expression fierce. His eyes were fixed upon Sarah's with an intensity she found compelling. When he took a step toward her, into the light shining from the doorway, she did not retreat. If his eyes had not hypnotized her, the golden chain around his neck might have. A sickle-shaped ornament hung from it, upon his chest. His shirt was cream-colored, open at the front, loose-sleeved, with silken cuffs at the wrist. Over it he wore a tight, black waistcoat. He was shod in black boots, over gray tights, and on his hands were black gloves. In one of them he held the jeweled knob of a curious cane with a fishtail shape at the end. The humming that she had thought she heard in the air was now quite distinct, and musical. The stranger smiled at her hesitancy. He was certainly handsome. She had not expected that. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper. "You're ... him, aren't you?" You're the Goblins King." She had said the words aloud, almost trancelike, but now here eyes saw that he was not dressed the way he had been that night long ago. Tonight this man was dressed in modern style, with a stylish haircut and trendy clothes. However she knew in her heart of hearts that this J.G. King was the one and only Jareth, the Goblin King. She took a step back, "I want my little brother back," she whispered hoarsely. "If it's all the same…"

"What's said is said," Jareth crossed his arms, raising a brow. He looked over at Chuck, the last person he would have thought he'd have to thank for anything; "Interesting wish, young man."

Ronnie stared at him; the magic in the amulets Odell had secreted on each of them didn't seem to be working the way originally planned. "What the hell were you thinking?" she demanded. Chuck was watching the goblins popping in and out of drawers and making plans to see a really good shrink. He turned to her with vacant eyes.

Leeanne and Mike were huddled together and keeping very still.

"No," Sarah stomped a foot, "No! We did all this before… and he can't wish Toby away… he's not his….he belongs to me…." Sarah began to remember bits and pieces but it was alls still too foggy.

"Technically, he didn't wish Toby away," Jareth said almost too pleasantly. "What he did do was to trigger the magic that has lain dormant here in this house since that night three years ago."

"Where's my brother;" Demanded Sarah now panicking at the thought of having Goblins overrunning the house. She could just imagine what Karen would do when she came home and saw the chaos.

Jareth chuckled. "You know very well where he is."

"Please bring him, back, please." She heard herself speaking in a small voice. "Please!"