All I ask of you, is that when I cannot, would you . . .
defend?
Sarah slept peacefully. This was a normal state of affairs. She had very firmly told the goblins that the moment her light was out only silence was to be heard in the house. Calling Sir Didymus at the Bog and kicking the goblins out before his home did wonders for compliance.
She woke to scrapings, chittering and hasty whispering. She silently reached for the baseball bat she kept between her wall and her bed. She was a single woman living alone, and to have something to hit things that went bump in the night helped. She cracked an eye, but couldn't see much in the dark. No, she saw movement.
"Kingy says no!" a goblin hissed.
"But Hoggle says get Sarah, for Kingy!"
"Where's Hoggle? He's not stationed in the throne room like we are!"
"Yeah, Kingy remember us!"
"Often!"
"Alright," Sarah groaned and smacked her bedside light on, "what's eating Jareth now?"
She wasn't expecting her entire floor to be swarming with goblins. She sat up in bed and blinked at them as much as they did her.
"What did he do? Threaten to bog you if he set eyes on you? Which of you put superglue on his throne last week?"
Several put up their hands then hastily tugged them down when they realised what they had confessed. They gave her a betrayed stare.
"Not us, Lady!"
"No, it's a runner!"
"Jareth hates anyone interfering with the runners. Just leave it!" She flopped back onto her pillow and her hand flapped about for the lamp switch.
"They wished away a herd of puppies and a funny baby."
"A herd of puppies?" Sarah lifted her head. It was too early for this.
"They're everywhere!"
"Eat our food!"
"Drink good grog!"
"Drunk puppies everywhere!"
Sarah stared at the clock at her bedside and blinked.
"Damn it Jareth, it's three in the morning!"
"It's eleven hours into the run!" a goblin corrected her.
She pulled herself upright and rubbed her eyes.
"Okay, everyone out my room, I'll be out in a minute."
Sarah didn't bother to change out of her pyjamas. She simply pulled her college hoody on over them. She dragged her messy hair into a tail then tugged her sheepskin boots on.
She headed to the bathroom for a quick round of necessities and tried to wake up by scrubbing her teeth. It made her feel better, but by no means kicked her brain into gear. She slipped out into the passage yawning and stretching kinks out of her back.
"Go on, everyone back to the Labyrinth."
They all hopped through the mirror, which led to one of the side rooms off the throne room. She stepped through
There was an odd smell in the air, like eucalyptus leaves and something sour. She wrinkled her nose when she caught the scent of fouled diaper. She smirked slightly. The Goblin King was so cocky and suave, but she bet he had to change baby diapers at least a few times for every runner that came through.
The goblins were all hovering in the side room, peering out, and not actually venturing into the throne room. Sarah stepped through them and peeked in, no sense in irritating Jareth further than he was.
She froze. The room had at least twenty eight week old puppies swarming all over it. They looked to be mongrels, of all colours and shapes. There were goblins trying to keep them out of the Esher Room and others had built rather effective three foot high barriers over the doors and the window opposite the throne. Jareth, however, knelt before his throne with a nest of blankets and was carefully dripping what looked like milk into an infant's mouth. That alone would have shocked her, but it was rather the bloody bandages about the child's head and the missing forearm that got her gut.
Now that she looked at the puppies, many of them looked worse for wear too.
"Jareth?" she whispered.
He flinched and shot her a bloodshot stare of alarm, then such a filthy glower at his goblins that they all scrambled back into her house and shut down the gateway.
"Hey!" She smacked the wall where it had been, now she was stuck here with a furious Goblin King. She carefully picked her way through the tiny dogs.
"You don't need to see this, Sarah," he said gruffly. "Go back home."
"I can't. Your goblins closed the mirror portal. Jareth, let me help."
He took a controlled breath.
"There's nothing to be done," he said sternly. "Go to Ludo, it is not safe here."
He was shaking. That alone shocked her enough to throw caution to the wind and approach him. She had never seen him in such a state, not even after she had bested him at the end of her run.
She crouched down beside him and he hastily draped his cloak over the child.
"Sarah, please," he ground out harshly.
"Jareth, if that child is dying and you're sitting its death watch, then damn you but let me help."
She knelt beside him and tentatively put a hand on his back. He stiffened, but her touch seemed to loosen something within him as words poured out of him, hoarse and furious.
"The contract states that the child is mine once wished away, mine! And I cannot get the magic to take! I don't even know where the runner is in the Labyrinth! I've sent out an order of execution."
Sarah lightly rubbed his back. His magic, as far as she knew, was mostly dreams and illusion, hence the Labyrinth. He must have physically built it.
"An order of execution?"
"The runner is fair game to anyone who can kill them." He sounded exhausted.
"The people of your kingdom are kindly for the most part, but I do not know all of them. I assume you have good hunters and able butchers among them."
He took a soft shuddering breath and nodded.
"That's why it is dangerous for me," she realised, "they would not know me."
He froze at that and the next instant, she found herself tucked in at his side with his cloak over her.
"Do not move from under here," he growled.
.
She knelt beside him as he carefully soothed the child. It seemed to be asleep mostly, and whenever it stirred Jareth would dribble the milk in for it to drink.
She sat in silence.
"This," he whispered to her once the baby was still once more, sleeping at peace, "this, Sarah Williams, is unfair; a child who has never lived to suffer so."
"I was wrong and I am sorry," she could not say anything else. She wrapped her arm around his back and gave him a hug. He felt all skin and bone under his thin silk shirt.
"Is there any way to shorten the time limit?"
"No!" he hissed. "Thirteen hours for the hunt. Thirteen hours this babe has for recovery. She is soothed now, but at the edge of life."
"How will the change take?"
He did not answer, and she did not ask again.
"I have a bit of magic," she whispered cautiously, "but I don't know how much good it will do."
"You have magic of the spoken balance. To summon those who bear magical names. To counter spells and deeds wrought by magic. You do not have the touch of life and growth. Very few have. None in my kingdom." He sounded so weary.
"Oh," she murmured.
There was a sudden boom outside and the baby awoke and screamed. The dogs howled and barked. Jareth cursed in a language she didn't know, but it was all guttural and highly expressive for all the expletives he was using. There was utter pandemonium in the city below and Sarah saw a fire start up.
"Here. Take the bag and the child. Go into the Escher Room and climb downwards, as far as you can go. If the option to take a stair downwards is to the left or the right, take a right. When you can climb no more, find a passage off and walk along it as far as you can go. Hopefully it will be quiet there."
Sarah scooped up the baby in its basket and pinched the bag of milk closed and stopped when Jareth grabbed her arms and spoke a whisper of odd words over her.
"Can you see the clock?"
She nodded at the hazy vision of an oval that appeared as she looked to her left.
"After the thirteenth hour return the way you left. And only after." He removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders and she gasped at how weak his magic seemed as he flared it around himself. He grumbled something else under his breath, and she gasped as she felt a hot flare of a very uncomfortable magic and he was clad in his black armour, only this time he wore a helmet and drew an arming sword from the air. He neatly stepped over the barrier and addressed the goblins there.
"Stay here. If anyone but me comes up this passage, hide and attack from where they can't see you."
"Yes Your Majesty!"
"City burn, Kingy!"
He turned and marched on.
Sarah scrambled into the Escher room and began her descent. When she came to what was the last step down, there were several sideways and up, she found a passage off that looked long. She hurried to the end of it, but the end, though not filled with dog howls and barks, was filled with explosions and shouts from the city below. Sarah settled the baby in a wide alcove and realised they were near the top of the castle. She let the child have drips of milk as Jareth had done and she calmed after a while.
She peered down anxiously watching the bucket chain forming and quite effectively kept the fire from spreading, but didn't do much for the burning house. There were flashes of light and cracks of gunfire. Why had Jareth gone with a sword when she knew his goblins had guns? She would have to get him a few pistols at least, or a shotgun.
She fed the baby some more milk and when she settled again, glanced down once more. She almost had heart failure. There, in the centre of the square, surrounded by what looked like every denizen of the Labyrinth armed to the teeth, was Jareth and a person in a dark shirt and jeans. They faced off, sword against what looked like an iron pipe and a tazer of sorts. Jareth countered it with flashes of searing white magic, and deadly speed. She had not been aware of how fast he could move, but his opponent clearly had weapons training as they held their own against him. It was a blur and clash of metal and they jumped back, both injured by the way they clutched at themselves. They circled and feinted at each other then Jareth saw an opening and ploughed in. He was absolutely relentless. In his attack, he managed to send the tazer skidding across the plaza. A few of the goblins grabbed it and it was soon lost in the crowd. They raised spears and lances against the man, but they didn't have to defend themselves as the Goblin King was suddenly there. The stroke was an executioners one, but his opponent surged back at the last moment, and Jareth's blade caught them across the chest. Jareth then shouted something in a language that made her ears hurt and sour sulphurous fire slammed down from the skies like a meteor. The entire castle shook and everyone was thrown off their feet. Sarah snatched the basket and dropped them onto the passage away from the window. Dust and cobwebs shook loose and she threw the cloak over herself and crouched over the baby. The child began to cry. She fed her milk again and she slowly soothed. Jareth must have drugged the milk with a mild sedative and painkiller for that to work. When she was done, she risked a peek over the edge. Jareth was no longer in the empty square. A group of goblin guards now stood watch over a heap of slag where the Goblin King's opponent had been. She couldn't find the king in the milling mass below, then it suddenly began to rain over the burning house. She found Jareth crouched by the well, operating a wind spell of sorts. As soon as the fires were out, he pushed himself to his feet and began giving orders. Soon most of the people were headed out of the city, back to their homes.
She checked the time; the clock had stopped on the thirteenth hour. She carefully picked up the baby, and made her way back up through the Escher Room. She had to stop several times to feed the little girl and soothe her. She finally found the throne room exit and hesitated. Jareth had given orders and goblins were nothing if not enthusiastic. She sat down just out of sight to wait for the Goblin King himself to return.
She heard him before she saw him.
"Take the dogs down to the small audience room. Barricade the doors as you have here. Give them water and hay to sleep on. See they are fed in the morning and evening and draw lots for the one who goes in to clean up their mess every four hours. Do not loose even one. They are her inheritance."
The goblins called to others and there was scuffles and yapping as they obeyed.
"Sarah's apartment!" he called and there was a chorus of relieved voices as those goblins piled through and set about helping the others with the dogs.
Sarah looked up as he rounded the stair and drew up short to see her there. He knelt beside her, still hidden by his helmet and dark armour. He produced a fragile crystal and dropped it gently onto the baby's chest. For a moment she cried weakly then she changed. In her place was now a wriggling little goblin, still missing most of her right arm, and eye, but healed. Jareth peeled the bandages off and gently inspected her with a critical poking of his fingers.
"You shall be Meg, hound keeper. Your hurts are avenged. I have just the family for you."
Sarah went with as he stood and nodded for her to follow. They walked through the castle until he came to the servants' quarters. On seeing their king, the goblins poured in from every room, to watch.
"This is Meg; she will be a hound keeper, as all the dogs came with her. Cat, your family are hound keepers, so you will raise her and teach her the ways of raising dogs. She's missing bits, see if you can't get a patch for her eye and a hook for her hand. You may petition that from the treasury."
"We've got friends who can sort that, and will send the bill," a stout goblin who came up to Sarah's waist declared. "The missus will be pleased with another brat, even if she's only half a brat."
"Cat," Jareth said quietly, "petition directly to me if she dwells in nightmares."
"Will keep an eye on that, Your Majesty."
Jareth's eyes took on a peculiar soft expression as he examined the little goblin snuggled up against his chest. Sarah looked away as she saw the faint pang of regret in longing in his eyes as he smiled brightly down at his subjects about him.
"Here's the babe." He handed her over to the gruff goblin who was soon surrounded by curious well wishers.
.
Sarah trailed after Jareth, as they went back to the throne room. He tottered over to his throne and sank down in it. He grimaced at all the debris and pieces of rock and ash scattered across the room.
"Sarah," he tugged off his helmet and she gasped. He had a purple bruise all the way down his cheek and neck.
"You're injured!"
He gave her a steady look as if she were stating the obvious.
"Sarah, the next time the goblins call you like that, please ignore them."
"No!" she marched over to him. "No, you don't get to shut me out like that! If I can help you, I will!"
He blinked up at her.
"Sarah, I had to kill a man tonight. I am not in the mood for arguments."
"I am not one of your citizens, Your Majesty. You needed help. I gave it."
"You could have been killed!" he thumped his gloved hand on the throne.
"Yet instead I kept an injured child alive. Don't shut me out because you're exhausted. You're hurt, tired and clearly in a foul mood. Come along; get along to your chambers and to bed!"
"You think to dismiss me in my own throne room?" he shot to his feet and scowled down at her.
"No, I think to tell a tired man he needs some care."
"I won't sleep tonight, nor tomorrow."
"That's crazy. Don't you have anyone under you that the fire squads and other services could report to?"
"No."
"Fine. I'll sit here by the chicken pit and stall anyone who comes. Go across to my apartment, have a shower and take some painkillers and have a twenty minute nap on the couch then come back."
He blinked at her. She knew she had him at the mention of a shower.
"That's not an entirely bad idea."
Sarah promptly sat down at the edge of the pit an saw several goblins peeking around the doors watching the exchange.
Jareth noticed.
"Sarah will take petitions but she cannot grant anything, don't try your luck."
He then strode across the room and through the mirror portal.
Word that the king had granted Sarah the hearing of petitions, spread like wildfire. The throne room was soon packed. Sarah sent two of the goblins that hung around her apartment more often than not for a pen and pad and made the Goblins sit in a row and wrote down each request, no matter how many she dismissed more filled the space. Her hand grew tired, but she kept writing. She had four pages covered back and front by the time Jareth returned, still in his armour but smelling like her peach blossom shampoo. He wore no make up, and the bruise across his jaw looked painful. He did a double take at the rows of Goblins, but Sarah kept at it as he seated himself in his throne.
"That's enough for tonight. Go and rest." He waved at them to shoo them out.
They trooped out rather subdued.
Sarah handed him the yellow pad and he flipped through the petitions with a raised eyebrow.
"Water and sewerage problems on Tin Street, pot holes on Hog Road, theft and housebreaking on Hen Street. These aren't things they usually bring me. I heard about the theft before the runner came through, that's been handed to the sheriff."
"It sounds like the sort of thing that should go to a city council."
"They have a City Mayor; he doesn't read English though, so you'll have to read it for him."
"Can any of them read?"
"A few can, if they were old enough when wished away."
"I'll leave this with you then, and be through to help with what I can after I've caught a few more hours sleep."
"Sarah, be about your day. These lands are not your concern."
"I'll come in six hours, how about that. Then you can catch a few hours sleep and I'll either get more petitions, or teach the goblins new songs to sing."
"Sarah," he said in a sharp voice, and she shivered as he went from cajoling friend to the full authority of the Goblin King. The nap had done him that much good. "While I appreciate you trying to help, you are not ruler here. Leave. Be about your business."
Sarah fidgeted with his cloak that she wore draped across her shoulders and realised quite how out of line she had been.
"Oh, that really sounded like I want a chunk of your job. I can honestly say that I don't. Promise. I only wanted to help a tired and hurting friend. Sorry that it came out wrong. Truce?" She held out her hand to him and he slowly lifted his and lightly trailed his fingers the length of hers.
"Truce," he smiled slightly as he recognised the apology, and to her astonishment, accepted it.
"Feel free to visit when you need a break, Your Majesty." She stood up and stretched out her stiff back.
"You won't see me or the goblins for a few days; this mess will take a while to clear up, but thank you for the offer."
She undid the clasp of the cloak and handed it to him. He squinted at her clothes with a bemused expression.
"Are you wearing pyjamas?"
"It was three in the morning, Jareth, yes." She blushed at his sudden smirk as she tugged down her hoody.
"Good night." She beat as dignified a retreat as she could and hastily hopped through her mirror portal and closed it.
Over the next week, she walked into her apartment to find Jareth curled up on her couch with her alarm clock beside him set for twenty or ninety minutes, and left him to sleep. She made sure to leave a heap of sandwiches, a flask of coffee and fresh fruit beside him on the coffee table. The tray was always empty by the time she'd noticed he'd gone. She couldn't find any legal pads in the apartment by the end of the week and added them to her list of items that habitually vanished into the Goblin Kingdom, along with Oreos, apples, permanent markers and string.