Disclaimer: I don't own The Labyrinth. It is the property of the Jim Henson Co. I am not making any financial profit from this work of fiction nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Trapped
Chapter 8 – The Truth Hurts
Part 2
Sticking to the plan was difficult. The drudgery of waiting was more pronounced than Jareth had been expecting. With nothing to do and no one around, the Goblin King struggled to occupy his time. 'One can only lounge about for so long.' That was how he found himself back in the Goblin City taking, of all things, a self-guided tour.
He glanced at his surroundings. He knew every nook and cranny of his kingdom. How could he not? He had been ruling for over the last three centuries. Still, it was eye-opening to experience it without the sounds and smells that normally accompanied reality. For perhaps the first time, the Goblin King was able to take in the sights of the city without distraction. 'Amazing how different the place is when the goblins and chickens are removed,' he noted satirically.
As he strolled, Jareth couldn't help but notice the overall crudeness and disrepair of the Goblin City. He wasn't sure why his subjects neglected to maintain their dwellings; it was at complete odds with the land of his birth, where order and perfection ruled the Fae. He wrote it off as one of the goblins' eccentricities, much like their obsessions with domesticating poultry and brewing their own stores of ale.
Jareth suppressed a shiver at the remembrance of the drink. A large barrel had been gifted to him at his coronation, so long ago. Had he known the horror that lay inside, and not been restrained by court decorum, he would have immediately incinerated the barrel. Then the brewery. Jareth sneered. Centuries later and still the memory hadn't failed to turn his stomach.
'I was quite benevolent,' he humbly boasted, 'not sending every goblin involved to an oubliette as my first act as king.'
The aftertaste of the abominable drink had lingered even days after assuming the title of Goblin King. As punishment, Jareth's second act as king had been to imprison the brewers, but only so long as the flavor remained. The Goblin King grinned wolfishly. It had been nearly two weeks before the goblins were released from the oubliette.
"Very generous, indeed!" he laughed boisterously. Enough time had passed for Jareth to at last see the humor in the situation. He waved the unpleasant experience away and focused instead on more current events. 'Surely, it's almost time for her to arrive,' he reassured himself before beginning to brood. 'I'm fast running out of places to inspect.'
He exited the main road into what would have been the far northeast corner of the Goblin Market. It housed the Marine District and was made up of countless fish stalls. He paused briefly before entering the narrow lane, under normal circumstances he would have avoided this location. 'It runs a very distant second to the bog,' he mused, grateful for the absence of the usual odors and noisy goblins. He had always wondered why the goblins were so sensitive to the Bog of Eternal Stench, but seemed to relish the pungent smell of the fish market. 'Such odd creatures,' he mused.
As per usual, his subjects had let this section of the city become rundown again. The goblins were sure to argue that it was homely, as they had every time he confronted them in the last three hundred years. Jareth didn't have the heart, or the patience, to educate the goblins on the multiple meanings of the word. Despite their objections, he knew repairs were a necessary evil that he tried to inflict on his people as little as possible.
It looked quite shabby with its rotting carts, crumbling buildings, and dirt filled streets. It was a wonder that this nearly decrepit market could be the envy of all Underground commerce, but everyone knew that things weren't always what they seemed in the Labyrinth.
Normally, Jareth let the goblins do as they pleased, but he had to draw the line somewhere. The state of the Goblin Market directly reflected onto him and needed to be maintained, to a certain extent. It was, after all, a goblin market. Foreign traders not only bought and sold goods while in his kingdom, they were also a means of transporting information. It would not be wise to let rumors of a declining economy run wild through the Underground simply because the goblins didn't understand the importance of presentation.
He'd endured enough indignity the last time a rumor had broken out about the Labyrinth. The fact that it had been true increased the sting of his humiliation. The Goblin King had been brought low all because of a stubborn, spoiled girl with near unreasonable expectations.
He glanced around, then added this area to his mental list of city improvements before venturing further into the market. As he walked the Goblin King's thoughts drifted, as they often did, back to Sarah. He would soon be seeing her again, if all went well. He could keep his giddy excitement from appearing on his face, but he could not mask the mischievous gleam in his eyes.
It had been a long time since he had seen more than a glimpse of her. It had been painful for him. Quite literally, in fact, as Jareth paid a high price each time he conjured a crystal to spy on her. Sarah's victory prevented the Goblin King from meddling in her life in many ways. The magical jolt of pain he felt when watching her was only one of a handful. When they had become too painful to endure, he sent out the goblins to be his eyes and ears. In the end, it was the magical wards protecting her that led the Goblin King straight to what would later inspire this entire scheme.
Jareth chuckled at the irony.
Sarah was beyond irate. She honestly didn't think there had been a word created yet that could convey just how angry she was. Sarah was almost wishing she hadn't discarded the tree branch after they had entered the bog. She felt there was one more being in the Labyrinth that deserved to be walloped.
'How could he keep this from me?' she seethed as she crossed her arms, followed by her legs, which began shaking impatiently. 'Wakes me up at an ungodly hour to run from manic goblins without mentioning the tiny detail that it's all his fault!' Uncrossing her legs, she stood from her place beside the window and rubbed her arms. Sarah was unable to sit still while so agitated. 'It's not like he didn't have plenty of time to mention it, say … in the handful of hours we spent together sneaking through the Labyrinth!'
Hoggle was desperately grasping for words while Sarah stewed. His mouth had run dry and the room felt several degrees hotter. He stayed at his spot by the window, afraid to get in Sarah's way while she paced.
He cleared his throat. It was time for the truth. "The Rat …" he spoke hesitantly. At Sir Didymus' outraged scoff, he began again. "His Majesty's been … flounderin' these last few years …"
"How long?" she asked briskly. Every bit of information was important, and with her friend keeping much of it to himself, she would have to dig. If Hoggle wanted to be secretive, she'd just have to read between the lines.
Hoggle's brows turned down. "Five years. Maybe six." He hoped she wouldn't make the connection to her run through the Labyrinth. "But that's not important. The kingdom was starting to suffer fer it. Didymus here thought it'd be a good idea to … help him out."
She turned expectantly to the fox. He at least had the grace to look bashful. "Ahhh hahaha … M' Lady, the King turned to his humble knight for counsel. I advised his Majesty as best I could, but alas the fae are overly emotional beings. Their kind are easily given to long bouts of depression, a curse that comes with the blessing of longevity. In the end, 'twas obvious M'Lord was suffering terribly and the only way t' overcome it was to …" He jumped slightly at the loud, rhythmic thumping of Sarah's tapping foot. A clear sign to hurry up. "Was to …," he sounded unsure, "… take some time off?"
Hoggle and Sir Didymus stood stock still as they watched Sarah. She wasn't looking at them; instead she was concentrating intently on the ceiling, sorting through her thoughts. "Let me get this straight," Sarah said, turning to them in uncertainty. She raised a questioning brow. "You thought the Goblin King needed a vacation?"
The fox cringed and twitched his tail. "Ummm … yes?"
Sarah closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, praying for patience. Through clenched teeth she ground out, "Would either of you imbeciles care to explain how you thought drugging Jareth was a good idea?"
They looked at each other in panic. When it was put that way it almost sounded treasonous. Visions of being dunked in the bog flashed through Hoggle's mind. 'Maybe's I don't want Jareth to wakes up after all,' he trembled.
Sarah was shaking her head in disbelief. "Hoggle, how could you? I expect this sort of thing from Sir Didymus, but you …?" She was at a loss for words, struggling to articulate herself. Her hands waved in front of her as if they could help find the words she needed.
Hoggle's temper was fanned back to life at Sarah's belittling tone. She didn't understand. She hadn't watched the Labyrinth start to wither and crumble around her; nor did she have to live with the knowledge that she alone was responsible for creating this waking nightmare.
"It weren't going to be forever," he snapped, jumping up from his seat. "Those lil' monsters weren't supposed to even know! No one was. It were meant to be a short break, a few hours at most, where's he could get over this pathetic obsession. Get 'is head back on straight." The dwarf groaned in exasperation while stomping his foot. "Augh! That's the only reason I's grew that stupid fruit!"
That caught Sarah's attention. "You grew it?" she asked in shock.
"O'course I's did!" Hoggle barked, "I's the gardener!" He paused to glare at her. "Weren't you listening earlier?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" she pointed her finger at him. Sir Didymus looked between his friends, at a loss for what to do. He was better suited for battles involving swords, not ones fought with words. 'Who needeth words, when my trusty blade shalt speak for me?' He would leave the arguing to his companions.
Sarah would have flung her hands up had the hut not been so small, instead she settled for sneering at the dwarf. "No offense, but why would the Goblin King need a gardener? Couldn't he just …," she waved her hands in the air, a mockery of the Jareth's theatrics. "…magic it himself?"
"Sure's he could," Hoggle snorted, "but I's the better option." The look she gave him showed she was having a hard time buying it. "Hmph! 'Course he can blow a bubble and tidy up the Labyrinth. But that's all it'd be! Tidying up!" Hoggle jabbed his chest with his fingers. "My magic isn't as flashy, but it's plenty strong! You's just can't immediately sees the results."
"What kind of results?" she snipped.
"Well, I's a gardener," Hoggle drawled obnoxiously, "so o' course it shows through the land and the plants." Sarah didn't like his condescending attitude. They glared harshly at one another, neither speaking nor wanting to back down.
Sir Didymus saw this as his opportunity. "'Tis time to set 'side our discord and face the problem at hand." Hoggle and Sarah turned together to glare at the fox. He shrank back from their towering forms. "Perhaps?" he added meekly.
Hoggle looked away first. "He's right," he muttered. "Now's not the time to be fightin'."
"At least not with each other," Sarah said under her breath.
"That's the spirit, M'Lady!" cheered the dense fox, earning another glare from the disheveled young woman. Sarah gently laid a hand on her pounding head. Yelling had not been the best of ideas. "Ok," she sighed, "so back to drugging Jareth with a peach…"
"A dream fruit ain't always a peach."
Sarah physically bit back the urge to scream at Hoggle's patronizing tone. She rubbed her temples, hoping for some relief from the pressure. "Pretend I'm not from around here," she said, unsuccessfully trying to keep her voice even, "and that I have no idea what that means!"
"Okay, okay. Relax," Hoggle said while rolling his bulbous eyes. Sarah once again started fantasizing about being reunited with her trusty tree branch.
At seeing the crazed gleam in Sarah's eyes, Hoggle quickly cleared his throat. "So, not all dream fruits are the same. It all depends on the person eatin' it. When it's picked, it's becomes whatever fruit the runner likes best. You's got a peach, because you's wanted a peach."
Sarah shook her head in understanding, that wasn't a hard concept to grasp. She still felt unnerved whenever she thought of the fruit. If she tried too hard to picture her dream, her mind would sometimes begin to grow a bit fuzzy. It wasn't always an unpleasant feeling and that was the most disturbing of all.
Hoggle could see she was unsettled and felt a renewed surge of guilt and self-loathing. "Don't feels bad. It's normal ta feels that way. It's meant ta be a temptation, the Labyrinth makes sure o' that. And it's just takes one taste for it to crush your hopes and dreams".
"Sounds kinda sadistic for a fruit …" she rebuffed.
"Yeah, well… welcome to the Labyrinth," he deadpanned.
Despite her lingering feelings of fury towards Hoggle and the direness of their situation, Sarah couldn't resist a slight smile. "You're just being dramatic. How can a fruit crush people's hopes and dreams?"
The dwarf shrugged. "Well it's magical. It tempts you with what you's think you's want in life, then twists it into something…" he paused searching for an adequate description. "… Not right," he finished with a grimaced. It really was the only way he could explain it.
Sarah recalled the disturbing images from her own dream; even years later, the hazy fantasy still appealed to her inner romantic. She just couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. Sarah allowed herself only a brief moment to reminisce on the feelings that had overwhelmed her in the strange ballroom. She blushed as they mostly revolved around her illusive dance partner. 'Definitely a temptation …'
"Aww, don't worry," Hoggle tried to reassure her, misunderstanding the cause of her blush. "It's don't get used much on runners nowadays." He hobbled to the window to sit down beside her and patted her leg affectionately. "I's didn't even recognize it at first when Jareth gave me yours."
"But … I thought you said you grew it?"
"Jareth grew that one," he grumbled, his face contorting as if he had tasted something foul. Hoggle wiggled around on the cushion, obviously uncomfortable. She couldn't tell if it was because of the cushion or the topic. "An' it's a good thing he did, too. I's not supposed to grows the stuff." Sarah looked at him, blatantly confused. He answered her unspoken question, "Too dangerous. Just look what it did ta Jareth. If one o' my fruits could trap even him ..." he trailed off.
He turned to stare dejectedly out the window. "I's shoulda ne'er taken that seed," he whispered angrily. "So stupid! I knows ne'er ta trust a goblin."
"Friend, Hoggle?" Sir Didymus spoke softly. The fox had been strangely silent during most of their conversation, so much so, that both the young woman and the dwarf had nearly forgotten about him. Hoggle turned his miserable, bloodshot eyes from the window to find his small friend crouched before him.
"'Tis not thine fault alone, Brother Hoggle," Didymus soothed, laying a comforting paw on Hoggles' knee. "The two of us hast been betrayed by those goblin scoundrels. 'Twas them, that took 'vantage of our noble hearts and tricked us into ensnaring our lord. Our only fault 'twas presuming we could mend a broken heart."
Hoggle cringed. 'Didymus, you idiot!' his mind screamed.
"A broken heart…?" Sarah looked sharply between her two friends. 'But whose? Certainly not the Goblin King's,' she blanched. Sarah intimidatingly stared down Hoggle when his eyes nervously darted her way. "Hoggle…" she warned sweetly. "Is there something else you'd like to tell me? Hmmm? Something you may have … left out?
Hoggle wasn't fooled by the sugary sweetness of her voice, he'd known her far too long for that. "Ah ha ha ha," he laughed nervously. He swallowed anxiously before answering. "Um… no?" Hoggle tried to smile sheepishly, but it came across as a grimace.
Sarah frowned darkly. "Wrong answer."
Author Note:
Some typos and grammar errors have been fixed. Thanks to Unnamed Wanderer for pointing those out so quickly. I hope the mistakes weren't too distracting from the chapter.
Thanks again, everyone, for reading. I check my story traffic waaaayyyyy too many times a day to be healthy, but I love seeing that people are reading my story. So thanks to you all for upping the number.
-Casually Late
