Part Eight
"Knowing how to win is only a part. We must know what to do with our victories."
"Sarah?"
"He was here...here, Hetta. And I lost him..." Sarah's face crumpled again, and she tried to smooth it less successfully than before. A cool breeze flowed in from the shattered window. The sun was setting outside, the sky was red as blood, as red as the bodies heaped haphazardly around the castle and city, as red as the glinting eyes of the feasting Nightmares. Sarah shuddered violently, and willed herself not to think about the scenes outside the throne room. Not to think about the throne room itself, either- Erlar's body had been removed, but his death stench and that of his monstrous servants remained.
"Oh, Sarah, m'dear." Hetta hobbled across the wrecked throne room and let the woman collapse into her gnarled arms, sobs flowing freely from her now. "Don't worry. He ain't dead, that we know. We just gotta find 'im, is all."
"How do you know?" She demanded, pulling back suddenly. "How do you know he isn't dead?"
"The Labyrinth would tell us-"
"The Labyrinth," Sarah jabbed a finger at the missing wall, indicating the scorched, brutalized lands beyond, "is half gone! It's too busy dying itself to be any good indication."
"Which is exactly why ye need to stop cryin' and get busy fixin' it!" A new voice snapped.
Sarah whirled, "You of all people I thought would be compassionate!" She all but screamed. Hoggle winced, but kept his weathered face firm.
"The Labyrinth is dyin', ye said it yourself. You don't have time to feel bad fer yourself. You have to stop the decay now before it all disappears forever!" He scowled at her, hating himself deep inside for his callousness-but it was true. The Labyrinth was dying, and Sarah alone could save it. She needed to be pushed, Hoggle was there to push her-he'd make it up to her later, he'd grovel for forgiveness if he had to. But now it was time to play rough.
Sarah opened her mouth to screech something inexcusably vulgar at him, then shut it again and closed her eyes. He was right. She had to start the rebuilding now, before anything else could be lost. Jareth would expect no less of her.
She wrapped her hands around the pendant and sank to her knees.
"Now see what'cha've done, you big lummox," Hetta snapped at her brother in alarm, running to Sarah's side.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," Hoggle whispered. "But it's gotta be done."
"I know," her voice was faint. "I know." She bowed her head. "I wish..." (*I wish Jareth were here*)... "I wish the City would be rebuilt, all the houses and buildings and streets repaired..."
Outside, cries of relief and surprise floated up, as the goblins suddenly found themselves standing in the midst of their city. A few Nightmares could be heard too, as the corpses they'd been gorging on vanished. But Sarah merely pictured the Nightmares back at their usual posts around the Labyrinth, and suddenly, there they were.
"I wish the castle were repaired." Sarah heard Hetta and Hoggle cough as clouds of dust kicked up and swirled around crazily, as rocks and beams lifted from the ground to re-meld with the walls and ceilings.
"I wish," she said loudly, "That the Labyrinth was restored the way it was before Erlar."
She opened her eyes, and found herself staring into Hetta's worried eyes. "It didn't work," the goblin woman said softly. "That last wish didn't work."
"Why not?" Sarah glared out the restored window, but the view hadn't altered. Wasteland as far as she could see. "Why NOT?" She scowled with all her might, and felt the beginnings of a very childish and possibly very destructive temper tantrum coming on. It was all *phenomenally* unfair.
"Things can't go back to the way they was before this happened." Hoggle said reasonably from behind. "Even in the Aboveground, things that change don't go back exactly the way they was."
"Alright then," Sarah took a deep breath. "I wish the Labyrinth would heal itself, that the mazes and plants and soil would heal, right now."
There was a soft whooshing sound, as if the land itself were exhaling gently. The sound grew louder, and a breeze brushed her grimy hair away from her face. Sarah stared wide-eyed in wonder, everything forgotten, as she watched the land reborn.
Plants were springing up from the ground like a time-lapse video, so fast they were causing the air to stir. Far below, she could hear Ludo, and what sounded like several others of his kind, calling in that haunting, melodic song. The sound rose into the air, resonating so densely it was almost tangible. The rocks responded, rolling across the earth to rebuild themselves into walls and even - Sarah gasped in wonder - a rugged mountain range just outside the outer Labyrinth wall - especially jagged, she noticed, along the southern borders of the kingdom. A green gauze veil seemed to slide over the black formation, smoothing the harsh edges with a soft cloak of green trees.
Water burst out of the parched grounds in jets and streams, flowing into streams and rivers, and she knew, secret underground lakes. She could feel the Labyrinth, like a living, breathing being, growing larger and wilder, more untamed than it had been before- the swamps and forests re-grew, in crazy places. And as she watched, the newly formed mountains seemed to shudder, and then a vast waterfall erupted over the peak of one mountain, crashing down in rainbow magnificence. Even from as far away as the castle, Sarah could hear rushing whispers of the water as it hit the stones below and began to form a lake at the base.
The newly risen moon glowed softly on the falls, turning them to liquid silver. A nightingale sang somewhere, and the whole world seemed to shine with magnificence.
"It's beautiful," she breathed, enchanted, and she heard a small sob from beside her. "Hetta?"
"You...you did it, Sarah. You made this...oh, my girl, it's glorious." Hetta buried her face in her sleeve, crying still.
"But...it isn't all healed, yet," Sarah frowned. "I can feel it...it hasn't recovered yet. Something is missing."
"Jareth," Hoggle muttered, wiping a few stray tears from his wrinkled face hastily. "Ain't no good without 'im. He's a big part of the Labyrinth, it'll just die without 'im."
"But where is he, Hoggle? He isn't here, and I'm starting to think he was never here to begin with."
"You think it was some kind of illusion, then?"
"Maybe. Oh, I don't know. I don't know! I just want...I wish...Oh, it's not fair." Sarah slumped again to her knees.
"Wish him back, then."
"I can't." Sarah choked. "I tried." She sat crouched on the floor for a few more timeless moments, misery and exhaustion in every line of her body. She squeezed her eyes tightly for a few seconds, then forced herself to her feet one last time. "I'll find you again." Her eyes were still closed, her voice was low-but those who were close enough heard the fierce resolve flowing like magma in her words-and shuddered.
"Beautiful, indeed."
Jareth raised burning eyes to stare at the wall across from him, drinking in the images of the Labyrinth re-growing, flourishing-watching the triumphant way it thrived on the energy of his wife's simple command.
"She dreamed that up, and then made it so," the voice had reverted to its natural honey-sweet purr. "I am quite proud of her. Aren't you?"
Jareth gave no reply. He couldn't.
"Knowing how to win is only a part. We must know what to do with our victories."
"Sarah?"
"He was here...here, Hetta. And I lost him..." Sarah's face crumpled again, and she tried to smooth it less successfully than before. A cool breeze flowed in from the shattered window. The sun was setting outside, the sky was red as blood, as red as the bodies heaped haphazardly around the castle and city, as red as the glinting eyes of the feasting Nightmares. Sarah shuddered violently, and willed herself not to think about the scenes outside the throne room. Not to think about the throne room itself, either- Erlar's body had been removed, but his death stench and that of his monstrous servants remained.
"Oh, Sarah, m'dear." Hetta hobbled across the wrecked throne room and let the woman collapse into her gnarled arms, sobs flowing freely from her now. "Don't worry. He ain't dead, that we know. We just gotta find 'im, is all."
"How do you know?" She demanded, pulling back suddenly. "How do you know he isn't dead?"
"The Labyrinth would tell us-"
"The Labyrinth," Sarah jabbed a finger at the missing wall, indicating the scorched, brutalized lands beyond, "is half gone! It's too busy dying itself to be any good indication."
"Which is exactly why ye need to stop cryin' and get busy fixin' it!" A new voice snapped.
Sarah whirled, "You of all people I thought would be compassionate!" She all but screamed. Hoggle winced, but kept his weathered face firm.
"The Labyrinth is dyin', ye said it yourself. You don't have time to feel bad fer yourself. You have to stop the decay now before it all disappears forever!" He scowled at her, hating himself deep inside for his callousness-but it was true. The Labyrinth was dying, and Sarah alone could save it. She needed to be pushed, Hoggle was there to push her-he'd make it up to her later, he'd grovel for forgiveness if he had to. But now it was time to play rough.
Sarah opened her mouth to screech something inexcusably vulgar at him, then shut it again and closed her eyes. He was right. She had to start the rebuilding now, before anything else could be lost. Jareth would expect no less of her.
She wrapped her hands around the pendant and sank to her knees.
"Now see what'cha've done, you big lummox," Hetta snapped at her brother in alarm, running to Sarah's side.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," Hoggle whispered. "But it's gotta be done."
"I know," her voice was faint. "I know." She bowed her head. "I wish..." (*I wish Jareth were here*)... "I wish the City would be rebuilt, all the houses and buildings and streets repaired..."
Outside, cries of relief and surprise floated up, as the goblins suddenly found themselves standing in the midst of their city. A few Nightmares could be heard too, as the corpses they'd been gorging on vanished. But Sarah merely pictured the Nightmares back at their usual posts around the Labyrinth, and suddenly, there they were.
"I wish the castle were repaired." Sarah heard Hetta and Hoggle cough as clouds of dust kicked up and swirled around crazily, as rocks and beams lifted from the ground to re-meld with the walls and ceilings.
"I wish," she said loudly, "That the Labyrinth was restored the way it was before Erlar."
She opened her eyes, and found herself staring into Hetta's worried eyes. "It didn't work," the goblin woman said softly. "That last wish didn't work."
"Why not?" Sarah glared out the restored window, but the view hadn't altered. Wasteland as far as she could see. "Why NOT?" She scowled with all her might, and felt the beginnings of a very childish and possibly very destructive temper tantrum coming on. It was all *phenomenally* unfair.
"Things can't go back to the way they was before this happened." Hoggle said reasonably from behind. "Even in the Aboveground, things that change don't go back exactly the way they was."
"Alright then," Sarah took a deep breath. "I wish the Labyrinth would heal itself, that the mazes and plants and soil would heal, right now."
There was a soft whooshing sound, as if the land itself were exhaling gently. The sound grew louder, and a breeze brushed her grimy hair away from her face. Sarah stared wide-eyed in wonder, everything forgotten, as she watched the land reborn.
Plants were springing up from the ground like a time-lapse video, so fast they were causing the air to stir. Far below, she could hear Ludo, and what sounded like several others of his kind, calling in that haunting, melodic song. The sound rose into the air, resonating so densely it was almost tangible. The rocks responded, rolling across the earth to rebuild themselves into walls and even - Sarah gasped in wonder - a rugged mountain range just outside the outer Labyrinth wall - especially jagged, she noticed, along the southern borders of the kingdom. A green gauze veil seemed to slide over the black formation, smoothing the harsh edges with a soft cloak of green trees.
Water burst out of the parched grounds in jets and streams, flowing into streams and rivers, and she knew, secret underground lakes. She could feel the Labyrinth, like a living, breathing being, growing larger and wilder, more untamed than it had been before- the swamps and forests re-grew, in crazy places. And as she watched, the newly formed mountains seemed to shudder, and then a vast waterfall erupted over the peak of one mountain, crashing down in rainbow magnificence. Even from as far away as the castle, Sarah could hear rushing whispers of the water as it hit the stones below and began to form a lake at the base.
The newly risen moon glowed softly on the falls, turning them to liquid silver. A nightingale sang somewhere, and the whole world seemed to shine with magnificence.
"It's beautiful," she breathed, enchanted, and she heard a small sob from beside her. "Hetta?"
"You...you did it, Sarah. You made this...oh, my girl, it's glorious." Hetta buried her face in her sleeve, crying still.
"But...it isn't all healed, yet," Sarah frowned. "I can feel it...it hasn't recovered yet. Something is missing."
"Jareth," Hoggle muttered, wiping a few stray tears from his wrinkled face hastily. "Ain't no good without 'im. He's a big part of the Labyrinth, it'll just die without 'im."
"But where is he, Hoggle? He isn't here, and I'm starting to think he was never here to begin with."
"You think it was some kind of illusion, then?"
"Maybe. Oh, I don't know. I don't know! I just want...I wish...Oh, it's not fair." Sarah slumped again to her knees.
"Wish him back, then."
"I can't." Sarah choked. "I tried." She sat crouched on the floor for a few more timeless moments, misery and exhaustion in every line of her body. She squeezed her eyes tightly for a few seconds, then forced herself to her feet one last time. "I'll find you again." Her eyes were still closed, her voice was low-but those who were close enough heard the fierce resolve flowing like magma in her words-and shuddered.
"Beautiful, indeed."
Jareth raised burning eyes to stare at the wall across from him, drinking in the images of the Labyrinth re-growing, flourishing-watching the triumphant way it thrived on the energy of his wife's simple command.
"She dreamed that up, and then made it so," the voice had reverted to its natural honey-sweet purr. "I am quite proud of her. Aren't you?"
Jareth gave no reply. He couldn't.