Okay…the usual disclaimer applies. PLEASE if you read this: spread the word! I'm addicted to feedback and seeing only 6 reviews after my stories have been up for weeks kind of upsets me. L Anyway. Enjoy part Five!
Five
Blinded momentarily, Sarah stepped away to clear her head. Jareth, she saw as soon as her vision was working again, seemed to be leaning quite confidently against nothing at all. They appeared to be in the Labyrinth, but she wasn't sure where exactly. As far as she could see, the only landscape was flat red-gold sand on the ground. Far away, a decrepit obelisk thrust itself against the orange sky. But that was the only thing besides Jareth and herself to break the dull flatness.
"Where are we now?" she asked with a hint of weariness in her voice.
"Where are we? Where? We," he made a grand, sweeping gesture towards the sands and the obelisk, "are in the Labyrinth."
"Are you kidding? This is the Labyrinth?"
"Oh, but of course. Look around you Sarah." She looked. "Where do you go from here? Where did you come from? What direction will you go in?" Sarah looked around with a bewildered expression on her face. "There is nothing to tell you where you are. You are nowhere." He leaned back again and watched her out of half closed eyes as she wandered around a bit, never going very far. Eventually she returned and flopped down on the ground.
"All this jumping around is starting to wear me out. From now on, I would appreciate it if you would give me some warning before you bring me places."
"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you," Jareth lilted as he left his spot against the air.
"I fully intend never to invite you anywhere ever again."
"Invite? When did you invite me anywhere?"
"Why, Sarah! Have you forgotten already? I took you from your bedroom to Camelot, and then directly to my Labyrinth."
"That's not an invitation! That's…kidnapping!"
"But you are no child, Sarah. I extended an invitation to you, as a matter of fact. I asked, but you didn't hear. You wanted to come back." He was standing less than six inches away, and was looking down at her in a suspiciously friendly manner. Well, maybe not friendly. More relaxed, certainly.
"No I didn't! What are you talking about?"
Jareth smirked and cocked his head to one side, waiting for her to say something else.
Sarah stamped her foot in frustration. "Okay, okay! So I told Anna I missed you! So fucking what?" She wrinkled her nose petulantly. "As far as I'm concerned, you're still…."
"Still what?" queried Jareth laughingly.
"An…an ugly, skinny, guy with bad clothes and 80's hair!" she burst out. Immediately, her hands flew to her mouth and her wide eyes started to tear up.
"I'm…I'm really sorry, Jareth," she choked through her embarrassment, as she saw him begin to grow distant again. "I didn't mean it!" But it was too late. His eyes, which had looked at her somewhat warmly only a few minutes ago, were now as hard as stone and cold as ice.
"Sarah," he said in his customary monotone, "you will help Arthur if you like it or not."
He spun on his heel and was gone. Sarah found herself back in the other part of the Labyrinth, with Arthur nearby looking rather lost.
She sighed. "Well, come on then," she said, and tugged a confused Arthur's robe, starting off in what she could only hope was the right direction.
***
Jareth strode out of thin air and into the throne room of the castle. Sarah's behavior did not please him at all. She was by turns naïve, stupid, rude, and downright annoying. Why had he ever been possessed to do anything for her? Turn the world upside down? What had been the matter with him? Now, given the choice, he would not so much as kick a goblin at her bidding. "In fact," he told himself, "I would renounce all goblin-kicking forever if she ever were to betray an interest in it." Satisfied with his display of ill-tempered self-denial, he smirked inwardly and booted a goblin across the room, enjoying the nervous laughter from the rest of his subjects.
Jareth stood, hands clasped behind his back, at the window, half leaning against it. A small fuzzy goblin approached him and started nibbling nervously on the hem of his tights. It was a while before Jareth noticed that his garments were being eaten, but then he slowly turned his head to look at the goblin. He smiled benignly at the creature.
"And you, my small friend. I have an important task for you." The goblin's eyes grew wide, far wider than its small head could possibly accommodate. It perked up its ears, eager to hear what the mission could be.
"Yes," continued Jareth. "I want you to carry a very important message for me. Tell whoever you encounter that I am very much displeased."
And with that he threw the goblin as far out of the window as he could, watching as it collided with the top braches of a large tree, then plummeted painfully to the ground with a barely audible "thump."
Jareth covered his face with his hands in despair as the throne room erupted in laughter.