Chapter 10. He seeks her here, he seeks her there
Sarah sat in the bed in the inn watching the sun come up. She'd heard, or rather felt the disturbance caused by the Fae scream. Some inner sense told her it was her absence from the cottage that had caused the upset and she smiled demurely. Her peaceable reaction drew a tingle like quicksilver from the Labyrinth. She'd heard Jareth say it was alive, she wondered if he knew just how alive the creature that was the land actually was.
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Agnes looked at the goblin sleeping happily beside her. She was sure in the past this might have upset her, no, she was sure it would have. However, just now, right here in this big comfy downy bed, she was anything but upset. No, she was actually more… amused and she began to giggle. Although her initial reaction had been one of mild shock, she found she was far from dismayed. Gus was rather sweet, and in his own way adorable. Agnes leaned over to kiss his brow; he smiled deeper and snuggled into her. Agnes wrapped her arm over him and smiled to herself feeling fortunate.
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Jareth's tantrum worried the maid, and Kate kept very quiet. He had slammed the doors on the armoire so hard they were now off their hinging. They hung cockeyed off the pretty wardrobe. He paced the room, furious. How dare that dreary mortal disobey him! How dare she defy him, and go wandering off. He looked again at the contents of the armoire; she'd left all the beautiful gowns and garments behind. He growled again and slammed the door on one side and it came off.
Kate bit down on her lip, afraid to speak. She was unable to stop her reaction to the door being torn off its hinge.
Hearing the sharp intake of the maids breath and turned his angry eyes on her. He raised one hand, toward the armoire and it exploded. Shreds of fabric and wood chards were all that remained. Keeping his jaw locked he spoke to the maid. "Return to your duties at the palace."
Kate nodded quickly, gulping the air in her throat. "Sire, what of Miss…Sarah?"
"The devil take her!" He raged as he stormed from the room in a fiery exit. He vanished out of sight.
Kate waved her hand to clean the mess but it was no use. The magic used by the Goblin King to destroy the armoire refused to allow it to be cleaned up. It was to be a warning to Sarah if she ever returned that she'd gone too far. Kate didn't know who she felt sorry for, Sarah who would surly be punished for being insubordinate, or the King. She moved though the house closing it up with magic. She truly hoped that Sarah would come back, but she somehow doubted she would.
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Sarah freshened up with the water from the pitcher in her room, and dressed. She heard movement below and could smell fresh bread baking. She found her way down the staircase and noticed how pleasant the main room of the inn was in daylight. "Good morning." She called out.
A goblin peered out of the kitchens. "Morning Miss." He called back. "There's hot tea if you'd like some."
Sarah preferred coffee, but had a feeling that was not a popular beverage among the Fae races. "I'd love a cup." She moved toward the kitchen. "What smells so good?"
"Fresh eggs and mushroom, Miss." He wiped a hand on his apron and offered it to Sarah. "I'm Porter."
"Sarah." She said with ease.
"I know." He nodded and turned his attentions to his cooking. "I remember you."
Sarah sipped her tea, finding was actually very pleasant. "Were you?"
He nodded, "We all were." He pointed toward three other little goblins sitting at a table and knew that Sarah had not noticed them until that moment. "There's not a goblin in the kingdom that don't know of you, Miss." He began to divide the contents of the pot, putting the fluffy eggs on platters. "Would you mind carrying this, Miss?" he asked.
Sarah carried the platters toward the little table and served the waiting goblins. Porter brought more platters including one for Sarah. "This here is Griswald," he began to make the introductions. "That's Gibbs, and him, he's Stook. Nigel is out in the ale house, brewing… and Gus…" he pointed up to the upper floor of the inn. "He's with Miss Aggie."
"Lucky sod," Griswald muttered under his breath as he shoveled eggs into his mouth.
Sarah took a bite of the eggs and looked at Porter, "This is good."
Porter smiled, pleased at surprising the mortal girl. "Now you didn't think we just made mischief did you?" he teased. "Goblins are like any other living thing, Miss."
"Nothing is as it seems." Sarah said between bites.
"You can say that again."Agnes called as she entered; "Porter, how bout something for me?"
"Coming right up!" He scurried to the stove and shouted back, "His nibs coming down?"
Gus was coming down the stairs and answered for himself. "I'm right here, Porter."
Agnes took a seat beside Sarah, "Sleep well?" She asked.
Sipping her tea, Sarah nodded and then asked quietly. "And you?"
Agnes placed an arm over the goblin who was taking a seat beside her. "We slept fine." She giggled.
Sarah laughed.
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Jareth paced his throne room, raging inside and out. How dare she, what the hell was she thinking. He looked at the crumpled note in his hand and roared again. "Who does she think she is?" his voice echoed in the empty chamber. He began to wonder where she could go; the first place he thought of was Hoggle's. He paced and fumed until the fury would hold no more. He vanished from the throne room prepared to take the Dwarf's hut by storm.
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Sir Didymus watched over the sleeping beast. He didn't like for Ludo to be alone, not like this. The King had made sure the beast was not in pain. But he twitched and writhed in his dreams, and Didymus pitied the poor beast. He dusted off his tunic and prepared to go to his bridge, where he would stand guard until evening and then he'd return here to watch over his sleeping comrade.
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Jareth appeared at the hut, kicked the door down with one thrust of his leg. He entered the humble dwelling and roared. "Hogs Brains get your ass out here now?" He heard the movement on the other side of a door that lead to what had to be Hoggle's bedroom. "I said get out here!" He roared again, his face red with fury.
Hoggle, pulling his trousers on and placing the suspenders up over his naked shoulders came out of the dark room with a sheepish expression on his old wrinkled and weathered face. "Give a man a moment." He muttered as he appeared.
"Where is she?" The King demanded. "I know she's here."
"No… there's no…one….here." Hoggle danced in front of the door blocking the King's path and vision. "I'm all alone…" He looked and acted as guilty as sin.
"I don't believe you!" the King roared. "I know she's here." He shoved the dwarf aside and pounded a fist on the wall. "Get out here you trollop!" The wall shook with the force of the King's rapping.
There was the sound of movement, a moment later; draped in a bit of what must have been a handkerchief the Fairy exited the bedroom of the dwarf. She looked very guilty and refused to raise her face to look at the King. She stood before the King preparing to meet her fate.
Jareth frowned, "Not her, where's Sarah?" He looked past the Fairy to the interior of the room that now appeared to be unoccupied.
Both Hoggle and the little Fairy looked at Jareth, "Where's Sarah?" Hoggle repeated, "How should I know? As far as I know she's where ever you stashed her."
"She didn't come to you?" Jareth asked not quite so sure of himself now. His mask of bravado and anger slipping.
"No!" Hoggle shouted. "She didn't come to me."
Jareth's anger slipped away and his deepest fears were expressed on his handsome face. "Where… could she go… I was .. so sure…she'd come to you…" He fretted and rubbed his forehead as if it ached.
Hoggle glared at the King. "So, Sarah didn't take the news of being quarantined so well eh?"
Leaning on a wall Jareth moaned. "Where could she have gone?" He drew a crystal from the air, but it remained empty. "Sarah." He moaned shaking the crystal as if to force it to show him his hearts desire.
Both Hoggle and the little Fairy took pity on the King. Hoggle led him to a chair and the little Fairy patted his hand. They gazed at each other, and worried.
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Sarah was washing up after the breakfast Porter had prepared, Agnes was speaking to her. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, Sarah."
"Thanks but I'm not sure that's a good idea… if the King finds you've helped me…" She turned to the Innkeeper. "There'll be hell to pay."
"I don't think so." Agnes patted her arm. "See the way I see it is that something bigger than the King is at work here… something, or someone," she looked thoughtful, "Wants you here." She pointed to the floor beneath her. "I mean here.. in the inn."
Sarah nodded, "I agree." She dried her hands in the towel and looked about. "Something wants me here. What do you know about this place?"
Linking arms, Agnes began to tell Sarah the story of the Inn.
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Jareth went to the garden, he saw the odd old tutor waiting. He moved toward him reluctantly. The old man watched his approach and waited. "Have you seen Sarah? The King asked dolefully.
The old man shook his head, and his hat shook his.
Jareth crumpled to his knees. "Where is she?" he wept his heart breaking yet again because of the mortal girl.
The hat craned down and looked at the odd man whose eyes warned him to keep silent.
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Sarah had listened to Agnes' tale. "So the Swan is named for King Gliderstich's wife?"
Agnes nodded, "That's how I understand it."
Sarah turned to Gus, "How many Fae Kings were there?"
Gus put the ledger he was working on down on the table. "Let me see, Gilderstich and Titus… you know about Jareth… then there was Corm, and before him there was an Aldon… Five.." He nodded to himself having counted on his fingers. "That's it Five." Agnes marveled at him, causing him to blush slightly.
Sarah questioned; "And before the Fae Kings?"
"The old Goblin Age," Gus said proudly. "There was a line of three Goblin Kings who were actually Goblins."
Sarah stood up, "Gus, are the Goblins native to Labyrinthia?"
Gus shook his head, "We came from the world of man, in the days before the magic left." The little goblin man went back to his ledger. "Most of the creatures here came from the world of man, we were… rejected. We Goblins retained the ability to pass between the realms, and we still visit your world."
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Jareth came to the bog, and saw his mentor pacing. "Has she been here?" He asked quietly.
Sir Didymus saw the pain and worry on the King's face. "No." He said sadly. "Is she missing?"
Jareth nodded.
"Why would she leave?" The little Knight questioned.
Jareth hung his head in shame. "I blamed her for what's happening here… and I threatened to place her under quarantine." He crossed his arms and paced.
The little knight frowned. "That was not very chivalrous!"
"I know." Jareth muttered through the fingers of his glove.
Turning his face to the bog the King's Knight sniffed. "I don't blame her."
The King faced the bog as well. "Neither do I." Turning he walked down the path and headed toward the hedge maze.
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Sarah looked at the road, and the forest in one direction, and the junk yard in the other. Agnes had warned Sarah of the bawdy goings on there, and to stay clear of it. But the forest, that was another matter, thought Sarah. Something in the forest was calling to her, begging her to come. She walked though the gate, feeling the pull of something important.
Gus stood in the door of the inn, a faint smile played on his lips. "She's answering a call." He called over his shoulder to Agnes.
Coming to stand behind her Goblin lover, the woman nodded. "What will be, will be."
"Aye," Gus said placing a hand in that of the Innkeeper.
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Jareth stood before the guards of the Ruse. "Has she been here?" he sighed.
All four shook their heads, silently. All pitied the despondent desolate man who was grief-stricken at the loss of his Sarah for a second time. They had all seen him wander like this only once before, when the girl had so abruptly departed the kingdom that night ten years ago.
Jareth looked at the one set of guards, "Open." He commanded, and stepped though. The trap door opened and he descended into the shaft of helping hands. "Has she been here?" he asked knowing the answer.
"No, sire….up or down?"
Jareth looked crushed. "Down." He muttered. A moment later he sat on the floor of the very oubliette he'd trapped Sarah in ten years ago. He buried his face in his hands and wept. "Sarah where are you?"