Chapter Twenty-nine
A week before the wedding Sarah found herself sitting in the throne room watching the rain hammer down and flood parts of the Labyrinth. Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. The lines replayed themselves in Sarah's mind, but no matter how hard she tried the last line would not come to her. She remembered standing in the park talking to a barn owl, the lines wouldn't come to her then either but she had turned to her trusted copy of the Labyrinth and prompted herself. Why didn't I bring the book with me? She asked herself for the millionth time. She had known who Jareth was when he'd shown up in her father's room...why had she not sprinted to retrieve the book before he took her to the Labyrinth? Why hadn't she been prepared?
For my will is as strong as yours. Was it though? Since she had come to the Labyrinth she'd regressed, she may have grown less selfish...but her will was non-existent. She had no strength left, Jareth had sapped it all from her in his defeat. He locked me in a dungeon...and I'm still falling in love with him. She bit back a sigh, she wasn't falling – she had fallen in love with him long ago, she had just fought to accept it. She had been careful not to reveal it to Jareth, how cocky would he grow? Whatever happened to trying to escape? A small voice in her head asked but she ignored it. A small part of her still held out for a chance to escape, but Jareth had said she wouldn't be able to summon portals until she was his queen. Perhaps this time in a week she would be home, she hoped so. But she also doubted it.
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away!"
She stood up and walked over to Jareth so he could send her to the entrance of the Labyrinth. She took the cloak he handed her and slipped the hood up over her head. She took shelter under a tree, it was bare but at least the branches provided her some protection from the elements! I have to stand up to him more, she told herself as she waited for Jareth to appear. When he appeared a woman dropped to her knees sobbing hysterically. Sarah ran over and helped her to her feet, the woman clung to her desperately sobbing.
"Please, please, give me back my baby!" She screamed at Jareth desperately. Sarah glanced at him to see his reaction, he was staring in disgust at the woman.
"Thirteen hours." He told the woman and stepped back into the distance. Sarah waited for the scenery to fade away but thankfully Jareth was leaving her to the calm the woman down.
"Ssh," she rubbed the woman's shoulders and tried to comfort her. "You won't get far like this," she pointed out to the woman and miraculously this seemed to help. "You have a chance of getting your child back, not a great one...but..." She shrugged and the woman pulled away staring at Sarah as if registering her appearance for the first time.
"Who are you?" The woman asked wiping her hazel eyes; Sarah took in her appearance and bit her lip. The woman's jet black hair hung down just below her shoulders and was plastered against her skin from the rain. She wore a plain black t-shirt and black jeans with trainers. At least she has the right kind of footwear, Sarah noted.
"I'm Sarah. I tried to finish the Labyrinth a few years ago and lost..." She shook her head not wanting to get into the story now. "I will help you as much as I can, or as much as you want. Jareth will let me come to you three times – so use them wisely if you do want my help. He can call me back at any time...he's tricky like that." Sarah took off her cloak and handed it to the woman who took it numbly. "You'll need this more than me. The weather is harsh here, and not everything is as it seems." She ushered the woman down towards the front entrance, Hoggle was nowhere to be seen but given the weather he was probably taking shelter in his home.
"Why are you helping me?" The woman asked.
"I want at least one person to finish the Labyrinth." She smiled weakly at the woman, "what's your name?"
"Dee."
"Nice to meet you," Sarah smiled, "you need to ask the door to let you in."
"Oh." She stared up at the door in shock and pulled Sarah's cloak tighter against herself. "Please open," the heavy gates swung inwards and Sarah quickly pulled the woman by her hands.
"Sometimes there are paths that look like walls, they're just tricks." She looked to her left to give Dee more directions and found herself staring into Jareth's thunderous gaze.
"What do you think you are playing at?" He demanded slamming his fist into the wall and sending bits of stone crumbling around them. My will is as strong as yours.
"Helping. Wasn't that my duty?"
"Do not get smart with me Sarah," Jareth hissed. "That is something I bestowed upon you as a courtesy."
"How generous of you." Sarah spat at him, "letting me help people that you will only manipulate."
"I can stop you from helping –"
"Only for a week." Sarah pointed out smugly, "once I am married to you don't I get a little of your power? You will not control me so easily after the wedding Jareth, I promise you that." She turned to leave but Jareth reached out and snatched her arm spinning her about to face him. Without thinking Sarah's right hand flew out and slapped him across the face. "My will is as strong as yours." She hissed at him snatching her left arm free from his grip. Their eyes locked on to each other and both refused to blink or look away. Suddenly Jareth was pressing her back to the wall, his mouth descending onto hers. He pinned her to the wall with his lower torso, he held his arms either side of her so she couldn't break free, but Sarah let herself surrender to the kiss. It was better than fighting surely? "Next week...will you show me how to summon a portal?" Sarah asked turning her head so she could break the kiss, Jareth studied her silently and nodded. He didn't ask why she wanted to learn that, Sarah suspected he probably knew – and the fact he didn't try to dissuade her worried her. What was he up to?
"Sarah please help me," Sarah looked at Jareth.
"You cannot stop me from helping her. I'll walk to where she is if I have too." Sarah threatened.
"I could throw you in the dungeons, I could freeze you." Jareth pointed out still pinning her to the wall.
"And I will never forgive you." Sarah promised him, she pushed him gently and dipped under his arms. "Send me to her Jareth." She turned around to face him squarely and gave him a look that she hoped said she wasn't playing games. Sighing Jareth nodded and clicked his fingers, the castle corridor changed into the bridge Sir Diddymus guarded. Sarah's breath caught in her throat and she fought back tears. She'd not been here since before his death. To witness the empty space now, where he would have stood and proclaimed none could pass...
"Sarah?" Hurriedly she wiped her eyes and forced a smile as she turned to face Dee. The woman was hanging above the Bog clinging to a branch. How did she get here this quickly? A voice in Sarah's mind asked, surely she should be no further than the Helping Hands? Unless she had chosen the other door. I'll have to remember that's a short cut...but warn people first. She looked around and found a vine strong enough to tie into a lasso. Carefully tossed it at Dee who secured it with one hand to the branch so Sarah could pull her in towards land. "Thanks," Dee smiled wearily wiped her hands on the front of her jeans. "Sarah I'm sorry, your cloak." She gestured to the garment which was torn and muddied but Sarah laughed.
"Seriously, you're worrying about my cloak?" They walked in silence and Sarah tried her best to push Sir Diddymus from her mind, it was strange to not find him here. He had been dedicated to his sworn duty... "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine." Sarah smiled and blinked tears back rapidly. "I had a friend who lived here once, he helped me get through the Labyrinth but...he died." She blushed; she hadn't meant to tell Dee about Sir Diddymus. Dee opened her mouth but Sarah shook her head, she didn't want condolences, she didn't want to talk about him. Dee squeezed her hand gently.
"Sarah...is there no other way through here? Is there no other way to save Ben?" Her voice choked on her child's name. Sarah was about to shake her head when she remembered what Jareth had once said. How he had slept with every woman in the Labyrinth, how they had been that desperate to save their child. She told Dee this knowing the woman wouldn't be swayed. "He never released the child either," she said. "He just...used them." How am I in love with this man again? The voice in her mind asked in disgust and Sarah mentally shrugged in response.
"No." Dee said flatly, "I would not stoop so low. Not if I'm not guaranteed to save my son..."
"You would do it if it guaranteed his freedom?"
"I would die for Ben." A tear slipped down Dee's cheek and she wiped it away hurriedly. Sarah didn't point out that she had wished Ben away; after all she had done the same to Toby. Who would really say the words if they knew what would happen?
"I'll think of something," she promised Dee as she noticed the scenery beginning to fade once more. Jareth was lounging on his throne bouncing a small baby on his knees, he smiled at Sarah and she caught the cruel glint in his eyes. "You heard her."
"Of course." Jareth shrugged.
"You haven't slept with any of the women who've come into the Labyrinth for a while now..."
"Because in a week I will be married to you."
"And you're going to be loyal all of a sudden?" Sarah scoffed in disbelief. "Dee wouldn't sleep with you anyway – not unless you guaranteed her son could go home."
"Which he can, if she finishes the Labyrinth." Sarah wanted to slap him, instead she marched towards him and picked up the baby, she joggled him playfully so he wouldn't get scared.
"Jareth," she snapped. "This woman will do anything for her son. For once in your selfish life will you give a child a chance?" Jareth's eyes blazed and Sarah fought back the urge to step back in fear.
"I did if you recall Sarah," he said in a dangerously low voice. "I gave Toby a chance didn't I? His selfish older sister, half-sister wished him away. He wasn't good enough to be part of her family. To share her home. Her toys."
"It wasn't like that!" Tears pricked her eyes and she hugged Ben closer.
"His half-sister was sick of babysitting, she wanted to go out. To go to the cinema with her friends. To date." Had Sarah not been holding Ben she'd have lashed out at Jareth but she stopped herself.
"You know that is not true." She whispered blinking back tears. "Go and talk to Dee. She will bargain with you..."
"You are meant to be helping her!"
"I am!" Sarah screamed and instantly Ben began to cry, desperately she tried to shush and bounced him up and down. "She wants her son to have a normal life...I want to help her with that." She knew Dee was smart, that if Jareth offered her something she would weigh all the options – and make sure Jareth couldn't manipulate the bargain. As Jareth stormed off she sat in his throne and rocked Ben back and forth. "Ssh, ssh. I'm sorry Ben, ssh." She desperately tried to comfort him. She pulled a crystal from a pouch at her waist and looked into it to see Dee and Jareth talking. The crystal began to fill with a black cloud and no matter how hard she tried to focus she couldn't summon either Dee or Jareth's image back into the crystal.
Ben gave a giggle and disappeared, Sarah gasped in surprise and jumped up to find him. "Show me him!" She begged the crystal looking down at it, she was relieved to see Jareth standing over a cot and placing him back inside it. But where was Dee?
"Here," Jareth tossed a pendant at her and Sarah caught it dropping the crystal.
"Where is Dee?" Sarah whispered holding onto the pendant, she felt her stomach knot as Jareth pointed at it.
"She knew what she was doing." Sarah looked at the pendant; at first glance it looked like a slim piece of rose quartz with a leather thong looped around it so she could wear it as a necklace. But something moved inside the rose quartz. She brought it closer to her eyes and found Dee inside the pendant; she smiled sadly at Sarah, turned her back and sat down.
"You –"
"No one will ever get through the Labyrinth Sarah. It is either them or the child who will stay – and some may not even be given that choice. Where are you going?"
"For a walk." The door to the throne room flew shut and clicked lock. "I will jump from the window if I have too." She marched towards the window to demonstrate her point, Jareth studied her for a few minutes before conceding defeat and allowing her to exit through the door. "In one week I will share some of your powers – even if it is a miniscule amount. I will do everything in my power to get someone through the Labyrinth." She vowed to him before running out into the raging storm.
