Chapter Nine: A Question, An Answer
Sarah looked at the pale Goblin King. He wasn't the man whom she had known six years ago. He was different in so many ways, but he was so much the same as well. Sarah simply couldn't find a way to explain the changes that had just recently grown apparent to her.
Jareth was being affected by something that could be obvious even to the least observant person. However, could it really be the magic dying? Sarah couldn't bring herself to think that the Underground was being destroyed. Magic never disappeared, as Jareth was trying to tell her. It merely existed and so it would continue to exist forever.
"I think that maybe your confused, Jareth," Sarah explained.
She stepped over to him. The memory of his touch still lingered in her mind. Sarah silently begged him to touch her once again. She knew that it was not to be, the moment that he looked back at her. His eyes burned with the fire that she had grown so accustomed to seeing. The old Jareth was back.
"I am not the one who is confused, Sarah. You are the one who has not set her priorities straight. I have your friends in my dungeon and if you slip, they will face the consequences," Jareth spoke ominously.
Sarah quickly stepped away from him. She didn't understand what had brought on the drastic mood swing. The man who had begged her to save him had been sweet. Sarah smiled as she thought about their touch again. It was immature to dwell on such a simple thing, but it had been amazing.
Jareth stood straight and rubbed his head. His evil expression remained embedded deep within his eyes, but confusion had appeared there as well. He was obviously wondering what had happened a few minutes earlier.
"Follow me, Sarah!" He demanded.
Sarah clenched her jaw. Her anger was slowly seeping back into her thoughts. Jareth was so cold and cruel, but yet he had something else inside of him that was longing to be let free. Sarah wasn't sure exactly what it was, but she could tell that it was there amidst the anger and
cruelty.
Jareth led her down a long hallway and up a flight of stairs. His walk was brisk. Sarah remembered that he had said that her journey would be sooner than anticipated. He had meant a lot sooner, if his walk gave any indication of the urgency.
"Why do I have to go through this journey? Why did you have to choose me out of all the other people? What do I have to do with anything that happens here?" Sarah asked.
Jareth turned on her, his eyes flashing wildly. He pushed her back to the wall and stood before her. Sarah straightened herself up and glared at him. She brushed a stray cobweb from her thick brown hair.
"You have everything to do with this! Don't you forget, Sarah, that your friends are my prisoners. One false move will mean harm comes to them. I cannot afford to be generous with you," Jareth threatened.
Sarah ground her teeth. She tried with all her might to keep the horrid remarks to herself. However, all of her struggles were in vain. He had pushed her too far and she could no longer just sit and listen to Him threaten her. She tightened her hands into fists and then slowly let them loose.
"I am not going to take anymore from you, Jareth! I hate you with all my soul, with all that I am and all I will ever be! You have no right to tell me what to do and you are holding me here against my will! I demand that you let me go!" Sarah yelled.
Jareth pulled his hand back. It paused in the air. Sarah knew that he meant to strike her. She steadied herself for the blow.
"I will not cringe. I will not scream!" Sarah demanded of herself silently.
The blow never came. His hand remained poised by the side of his head and it shook violently. Then, with much difficulty, Jareth brought his hand back to his side. He looked at her for another brief moment and then stomped away. He looked back one more time from the stairs and scowled.
"You will do as I say! You will pay for this!" Jareth replied in an icy tone. He then turned and rushed down the stairs.
Sarah watched him leave. She waited until the sound of his heavy footsteps faded into oblivion. Only then would she allow herself to let her guard down. Sarah leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. She pulled her legs to her chest and clutched her arms tightly about them.
"Why must he torment me so? I love the man who spoke so openly to me earlier. He had such kindness in his deep blue eyes," Sarah moaned.
Her own mind was arguing with her words as she spoke. It was, once again, attempting to think everything through rationally. This part of her mind told her that no one could be so evil and so kind in the matter of a few minutes. It simply didn't happen. Jareth was either evil or good.
"As if there is really a choice," Sarah muttered.
There was no doubt that Jareth was evil. What sort of kind person would take babies away? Of course, people generally wished the children away, but it still wasn't right. He certainly didn't have to treat her so poorly. She was going to go through with the quest, but she couldn't stand his demands any longer. If she was going to go, then she was going to do it her way.
Sarah nodded to herself and then carefully made it back to her feet. She brushed dust from her back and the seat of her pants. Her hands came back coated with a fine gray powder. It was horrible how dirty the place was. When goblins were running around, nothing remained clean for long.
"Where are all the goblins?" Sarah asked herself.
She had only seen three or four about the castle that day. They had been guarding her room, but not very well. There were probably a few more at each entrance and some watching over her friends in the dungeon. But, Sarah remembered a time when the castle had been positively bustling with hordes of goblins.
Sarah looked about herself. There was no one to stop her from inspecting the castle. She knew that she wouldn't attempt escape. She couldn't leave her friends in Jareth's clutches. However, exploring was a perfectly acceptable thing to do. It would help to pass the time between then and when Jareth decided to speak to her again.
Sarah walked down the hallway, glancing at the many wooden doors that lined the walls. She didn't find them interesting in the least. They were old and looked horribly heavy to open. After all, they would only reveal bedrooms, or empty rooms, or maybe even bathrooms. All in all the hallway was fairly boring.
She turned down another hallway and didn't find anything much different. The hall ended at a flight of stairs that led further up. Sarah shrugged and decided to see where they would lead.
The light fell away once she had reached the middle of the staircase. She squinted, but the darkness enveloped everything entirely. She would have to wait for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Sarah sat down on the steep stairs and placed her chin in her hands. The hallway she had been in previously offered only a scant amount of light.
"This is pointless," Sarah said with a sigh.
She got back to her feet and started to make her way down the stairs. She was sure that the darkness was just an attic of sorts. There was no reason for something of such little importance to be lit. It would be a waste of torches. However, she found herself wondering why the area at the top of the stairs lacked windows. Her questions would have to remain unanswered.
"Wait, please don't leave," a tiny voice called from behind her.
Sarah immediately stopped in her tracks. The voice did not sound like any goblin that she had heard before. They were lucky if their sentences were complete. This voice sounded young, but educated. Sarah's curiosity got the better of her and she ventured further up the dark stairs.
"Wh-who are you?" Sarah asked cautiously. She wasn't sure what to think of someone who lived in the darkness.
There was no response from the darkness. Sarah stopped in her tracks. This was an extremely dumb idea. The thing could be anything. She could be walking right into some horrible creature's trap at that very moment. Or, maybe it was a friendly creature who just wanted someone to talk to.
"I'll get you a light, Sarah," the voice called down to her.
Sarah watched as a light flared up with a brilliant orange color. The staircase and the room at the top, was bathed in the flickering flame of the lantern. Sarah sped up her walk. If the creature was evil, it was a fairly deceptive one.
"How do you know my name?" Sarah hesitated.
There was no response from the room above, only the soft orange light. She attempted to see into the room, but she was still too far away. Sarah decided that she would either have to hurry up or go back down. Jareth would remember her soon and come to collect his little "voyager."
Sarah took a deep gulp of air and rushed the rest of the way up the flight of stairs. She stood before the room and let out the breath she had held on her way up. Sarah noticed a small shape sitting in a finely crafted chair. She warily walked over to the shape.
The room appeared to be a bedroom. There was a splendid bed against the far wall and a mirror on a dresser. There was a window, but wooden shades had been shut across it. The ground was adorned with a remarkable rug. Its colors shone out brilliantly against the orange light.
"Hello?" Sarah asked gently.
The figure stirred and turned to face its guest. Sarah watched as the shape rose from its seat. It wore a robe that wrapped over the bottom half of its face. Even though her mouth was covered Sarah could tell the creature was smiling. Her eyes twinkled in the light from the lantern.
"Hello, Sarah," she replied in a sweet voice.
Sarah was entirely confused by that time. What was this strange person doing in Jareth's castle? What was she doing in the darkness? It all seemed very peculiar. However, the girl seemed polite and nice. Sarah just had a very inquisitive nature.
"Please tell me what your doing up here in the dark? What is your name?" Sarah asked as she walked a bit closer to the strange girl.
The girl looked to Sarah and then motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs. Sarah sat down, but couldn't force herself to relax. The girl sat down opposite her and sighed.
"My name is not important at this time, Sarah, nor is the reason I live in this dark room. Do you have something else to ask me? I'm sure that you can think of a question that has been plaguing you recently. Try quickly, for my time is short," the girl said gently.
Sarah was quite taken aback with the lady's short attitude. Why wouldn't they have much time? Maybe Jareth would soon be by to get her, but how could this lady know about that?
"You do not have the time to think, Sarah. You only have time to ask what first comes into your mind. Please, hurry," the lady begged.
Sarah thought desperately about what she wanted to know. However, she continued thinking about the reason why this girl should be in the castle. Her mind spun with a thousand different questions, but none of them would materialize. It would merely bob to the surface and then dip back before Sarah could attempt to grab at it.
"Sarah," the lady warned in a frightened voice.
"Think, think. You know that there is something important that you had wanted to know. It was earlier. It was... it was... Jareth was there and he..he," Sarah drew her eye brows together in an attempt to connect her jumbled thoughts.
The lady's face had grown quite white. Her eyes no longer sparkled in the light. They were fearful. Sarah knew that she would soon run out of time. She had an important question to ask. She knew that she had one that had pestered her for a long time. What was it?
"Damn, damn!" Sarah exclaimed.
"I'm afraid that you don't have any time...," the lady began.
It was as if a light was snapped on in Sarah's head. Her disjointed thoughts fell together and the question flew to her awaiting lips. She was shocked at the sudden revelation that had occurred with no time to spare.
"No, wait. I want to know the reason why Jareth is so evil and yet so kind? I want to understand the reason why he is suffering and why the magic is dying? Please tell me how I can find the answer to these questions?" Sarah begged.
The lady looked at Sarah with a motherly twinkle in her eyes. She stuck her hand beneath the robe she wore and then slowly brought it back out. The lady took Sarah's hand and drew it closer to her own.
"Here Sarah. This is not the answer you wanted, but it is all I can offer to you. This will aid you in discovering the truth about Jareth and the strange disease that has struck the magic. I hope that you will find some use from it in your travels. Now, I must leave you, " the girl replied simply.
Sarah looked down at her hand and opened it slowly. In her palm was a perfect necklace. The chain was of fine gold and was so tiny and delicate that she thought that it would break if twisted. Dangling from the chain was a golden circle. Something was written on the back, but she couldn't read it in the poor light. On the front a lovely scene had been etched. The scene appeared to be an intricate replication of the lands beyond the Labyrinth. Perhaps it was a map!
"What are you doing up here?" a voice demanded from behind her.
Sarah turned around and found herself staring at Jareth. His manner was foreboding and Sarah knew that he wasn't about to take anything more from her and her attitude. She looked to the chair the lady had been sitting in, but it was empty. In fact, the whole room looked different. The bed was broken and the mirror had been smashed. The lovely rug was torn and stained. The room was in shambles.
"I was just looking around your castle. There was nothing better to do at the time," Sarah explained.
Jareth stepped up by her and grabbed her arm. He jerked her to her feet with a little too much force. Sarah toppled forward and nearly fell. She grabbed the dresser with one hand and managed to knock the broken mirror to the ground. It shattered into a million shimmering pieces. Sarah, dumbfounded, looked at the broken mirror and knew that it wasn't going to do anything to improve Jareth's sour mood. In fact, she was nearly positive that she could hear him muttering something to himself. Sarah decided against saying anything at that time.
"You are going to have to understand that there are very real consequences for theses careless actions," Jareth threatened.
He grabbed her arm again and hauled her towards the dark stairs. Sarah followed behind without arguing. She was terrified about what he might try to do to prove his power over her. Sarah thought about her friends in the dungeon. She had been stupid and stubborn. There was no doubt in Sarah's mind that Jareth would harm her friends as proof that he was in control.
"I'm going to fall if you keep tugging at my arm!" Sarah warned.
Jareth dropped her arm and rushed the rest of the way down the staircase. Sarah followed close behind. He stopped at the bottom and turned to look at her. His eyes danced with penned in fury. Sarah shuddered. She could see some other emotion hidden behind the anger. It appeared that insanity had started to creep in on Jareth.
"You don't look so well Goblin King," Sarah remarked in dead tones.
Jareth gave her a strange knowing smile. He produced a perfect crystal ball from the air and held it before Sarah's eyes. She looked into it and her eyes instantly grew wide. Sarah shook her head in disbelief.
Didymus stood in the center of Jareth's throne room. However, he wasn't moving and his bright fur had turned a dull gray color. He was frozen in a fighting position, as he had been so often since Sarah had met him. This time he wasn't going to charge at his enemy or hit someone with his staff. He couldn't. Jareth had turned him into a statue.
Sarah backed away from the crystal ball and it immediately faded into nothing. Jareth looked mildly worried about the ball disappearing, but he turned his attention back to Sarah's reaction. He walked towards her as she backed away.
"How could you?" Sarah demanded.
Jareth returned her question with a sly smile. Sarah felt her anger boil and she knew that she would have to keep it under control this time. As far as she knew, her two other friends were still very much animated. If she decided to spout off at Jareth again, it would mean two more statues in the castle.
"Sarah, I didn't do it. You probably find that hard to believe, but what would I gain by lying? I told you that the magic is failing. My goblins have turned to stone. It was only a matter of time before your friends started to as well. I must say, I wish I had thought of making my prisoner
into stone. It would have made a good punishment," Jareth's grin remained upon his face as he spoke.
"You mean that I could go on this quest and return to have three statues instead of three living friends? What is the point of going through with it if I can't win?" Sarah asked.
She backed into a wall and took in a deep gulp of air. Jareth stopped in his tracks and folded his hands together. His dark shirt rippled in the wind that had blown through a nearby window. His hair tossed wildly over his shoulders.
"I think that you should ask yourself if you want to try to save everyone, or live with the guilt that you let your friends all turn to stone? Which one will it be Sarah?" Jareth already knew what her answer would be.
Sarah lowered her head in defeat. She felt totally helpless. The Underground was dying and she was its only hope. How could she, a mere mortal, save an entire magical land? The idea was awfully overwhelming. However, if Jareth had wanted her to try to save everything, he must have known that there was something that she could do. She raised her gaze back to Jareth.
"You know that I'll do it. I have to. I'm not doing it for you, Jareth. I am doing it for my friends and for magic. If this place should die, then I think the dream of magic in my world, will die as well," Sarah answered.
Jareth's smile broadened. He was obviously happy with her. Sarah only wanted to run back to her room and cry. Everything seemed utterly hopeless. That was when she remembered the delicate necklace in her hand. She gripped it a little tighter and hoped that Jareth didn't realize that she had something in her hand.
"Come, Sarah. I need to give you some important things. You have thirteen days to complete this quest. After that, my magic will be too weak to send you home. Do you understand that? You must return here before the thirteen days are over if you wish to return to your life," Jareth warned.
Sarah simply nodded in response to his warnings. Thirteen days was really not a long time. How was she ever going to find even one of the thirteen crystals in two weeks? This was the whole Underground she had to search through, and it certainly wasn't small. Jareth had managed to add more stress to her already unnerving quest.
He stopped outside a beautiful glass door that had been inlaid with crystal and carved into wonderful designs. Sarah stepped up to marvel at the lovely door. It certainly didn't fit into the general dirty and dismal atmosphere that surrounded the castle. It looked like something that belonged in a fairy tale.
Jareth stepped before the door and blocked Sarah. He seemed to be daring her to try to pass him. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and waited to hear what Jareth had to say.
"Sarah, stay where you are. I can very easily crack that wonderful statue if you attempt to follow me," Jareth warned.
Sarah scowled. She leaned against the wall opposite the door and watched as Jareth walked inside the peculiar room. Sarah only waited a brief moment to look at the lovely necklace the mysterious woman had given to her. It shone with golden vibrancy in the dim light from the setting sun.
Sarah turned the medallion over to read the tiny inscription. However, the words were strange. She had never seen anything like them before in her life. Yet oddly, they were nearly familiar. Sarah tried to think about where the words might have been revealed, but the answer evaded her. She stuffed the necklace into her pocket as the glass door opened.
Jareth held a burlap sack in one hand and two pieces of paper in the other. He carelessly handed her the papers and the sack. Sarah slung the bag over her shoulder and then opened the first of the two papers. It had a poem written on its yellowed surface. Sarah began to read through it, but Jareth pushed her forward.
"I was trying to read, if you didn't notice," she reminded him.
Jareth snorted and led her faster. He wasn't going to grace her comment with a response. Sarah was going to be glad to be out of the castle and away from him. Even if the quest was dangerous and terribly important, it was better than being pushed around by the cocky Goblin King.
Sarah realized that he was leading her back to her room. They passed by the sleeping goblin that had been posted outside of her door. Jareth reached out with one foot and knocked the goblin to the ground. The dirty thing looked around and, realizing that his king had seen him napping, immediately returned to his post. Jareth stopped outside of her room.
"I suggest that you get packed Sarah. Travel lightly, for you will have a lot of walking to accomplish," he said and then turned to leave.
Sarah drudged into her room and tossed the bag and papers to her silken bed. She heard the door close and then it was securely locked. The sounds never phased her. Her depression was taking over all of her senses.
"How am I ever going to be able to get through this? I simply can't find one crystal in thirteen day. How will I ever find thirteen of those magical orbs? I have no idea where I'm heading," she moaned.
She fell to her bed and buried her head in the large, down pillows. She wanted to get away from everything, but the guilt would be terrible. She would have to try and just return home knowing that she had done everything in her power to attempt to save the Underground. She looked up from the pillow, her tear stained eyes blurring the room into an even more unfamiliar looking environment. There really was no hope.
"Now Sarah, don't feel sorry for yourself! You are going to do this and your going to find one of those damn crystals. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, you were the only one to make it though the Labyrinth in time, despite all the obstacles Jareth put in your path. You are a strong woman!
You will do this and you will save your friends. And then you Will tell that Goblin King exactly what you think about him!" Sarah demanded to herself in hushed tones.
"What do you think of him?" a small voice rose from Sarah's subconscious.
Sarah was startled at the annoying question. She remembered when Jareth had gently touched her cheek earlier. She hadn't wanted him to remove his hand. In fact, she had wanted him to come closer to her. She had tried to convince him to approach her, but he had drawn away and then had returned to his usual annoying self.
Then there was the Jareth whom she hated. He was conniving and evil and sly. He always managed to trick her, or anger her, or both. The very sight of him brought flames of hate into her heart. This was the Jareth who had taken her brother and put her through Hell just to get him back! He didn't deserve any help from Sarah, but the other side of him did.
"Oh, I'm so confused!" Sarah moaned.
She slowly rose from the bed and approached the closet. There wasn't much time left. Sarah opened the wooden door and peered inside the vast closet. Sarah was utterly shocked with the magnificent ballgowns that were hidden within the darkened room. She walked in and ran her hands over the lovely silk and velvets used to create the positively marvelous gowns. It was
unfortunate that she would never be able to try one of them on. Sarah forced herself to draw her hand away from the lovely dress and walked further into the closet. She had to find some sensible clothes to wear, not to mention a warm jacket. With the magic leaving, the generally warm days would probably turn cold.
Sarah pulled out a simple brown cape. It had a hood and fastened at the neck. Sarah checked her own clothes and decided that they would probably be just fine to travel in. After all, the bag was small and she would need room for food. Sarah draped the cape over her shoulders and fastened it securely.
She threw the map and the poem into her bag and then placed it over her shoulder. Sarah looked about the room, enjoying the lovely furniture and tapestries. She then started towards the door. She noticed the purse out of the corner of her eye. Sarah picked it up and fished out the crystal. Sarah placed it in her sack along with the charm Jareth had given her. They could
come in handy during her journey. No one ever knew what might be of assistance until the need arose.
She then knocked on the door sharply. The goblin guard mumbled something and then opened her door. It looked up at her with contempt as if she had caused the magic to die. Sarah made her way past the insignificant creature and headed towards the throne room.
"Oh goodness!" Sarah exclaimed as she passed before a window.
Sarah stopped in her tracks and gazed out. There was a perfect view of the Labyrinth from the window. It stretched out far into the distance. Sarah looked at the weaving and dead ends. She had no clue how she had ever managed to make her way through the horrible thing. However, what really caught her attention was a horrible sight that absolutely chilled her to the bone. The lovely sun that had always been so gentle and warm, was now changed. It shone with a sickly red color and had transformed a distant body of water into a sea of blood!