Chapter 8: The Quest

                      "Why does she have to be so stubborn about everything!  Doesn't she see, I'm only trying to do what's best for her and our daughter?!" Jareth raged as he punted a gnarly goblin into the far wall, sending a resounding thud through the throne room.  He plopped down in the throne in an irritated way, while a plan was forming in his mind's eye.  He would let Sarah and her "friends" try to find Jadyn, and he would monitor them in his crystals.  And, the moment things started to get hairy; he would come to the rescue.  Just to show Sarah he was capable of protecting her and their daughter.  "Yes, that will work nicely."

                       Tired, and defeated, Sarah slowly walked back to the sitting room, dragging her feet.  Why did he want her to come back there?  Did she want to go back there with him?  She still felt something for him; she had to admit that.  He was, after all, the father of her child, but she just couldn't trust him.  Not yet. 

                        "Missy, are you all right?  You look like you've seen a ghost?" Hoggle asked concerned, breaking her out of her reverie.  "I'm fine Hoggle.  Ironic that you should mention that, because I just saw Jareth, in the flesh.  He said he'll help us find Jadyn, but only if I go back to the Underground with him.  I don't want to go back there, but I might just have to," Sarah explained quietly.  "How is it that the king was here, and yet, did not sense our prescence?" Sir Didymus questioned.  "I don't know, Didymus.  We'll worry about that when we need to.  Were you able to pick up a scent from Jadyn's dress?" Sarah asked, with a hopeful expression lingering on her face.  "Well, yes, but it will take a while to be able to trace it," Sir Didymus answered.  "Then, let's get started.  Ludo and I will talk to people at the mall where she was kidnapped, to see if there are any witnesses.  Hoggle, you and Sir Didymus try to trace her scent.  O.K.?  Good, come on," Sarah commanded.  They all headed for the door at once, and realized that only one person at a time would fit through, as Sarah already knew.  Sir Didymus let Sarah exit first, then Hoggle and Ludo, and then he passed through the door atop Ambroscious.   He struggled to shut the door behind him with his rapier, but he finally managed, and trotted along behind the others. 

             As Sarah, Ludo, Hoggle, and Didymus reached the corner walkway, they split up into groups as Sarah had told them to.  "Come on Ludo, the mall is this way," Sarah said quietly, so it wouldn't sound like she was talking to herself.  Ludo looked strangely out of place in this high-technology world full of cars and stoplights.  She wondered how people would react if they could see him.  They would probably call the army and send in a squad of soldiers to hunt him down.  Sarah shivered at this thought, and tried to think of what they were going to ask people once they got to the mall. 

           Didymus and Hoggle looked around in silent awe.  Never before had they seen such a strange world.  People were walking around in strange outfits and in huge moving things with wheels that made loud noises.  They talked into strange devices and when greeted they would shake hands.  It was a very strange world indeed.  Hoggle had no idea where they were going, and hoped Sir Didymus did.  It would be awful to get stuck in a world they knew nothing about.  Kids were everywhere, laughing and screaming.  He wasn't sure if any of them were like Sarah, and could see them, but he hoped not.  It would be hard to explain to a kid from earth where they were from.  That's when a bright red ball came towards them, and hit Hoggle in the head.

/span

span style="font-size:14"He struggled to shut the door behind him with his rapier, but he finally managed, and trotted along behind the others. 

             As Sarah, Ludo, Hoggle, and Didymus reached the corner walkway, they split up into groups as Sarah had told them to.  "Come on Ludo, the mall is this way," Sarah said quietly, so it wouldn't sound like she was talking to herself.  Ludo looked strangely out of place in this high-technology world full of cars and stoplights.  She wondered how people would react if they could see him.  They would probably call the army and send in a squad of soldiers to hunt him down.  Sarah shivered at this thought, and tried to think of what they were going to ask people once they got to the mall. 

           Didymus and Hoggle looked around in silent awe.  Never before had they seen such a strange world.  People were walking around in strange outfits and in huge moving things with wheels that made loud noises.  They talked into strange devices and when greeted they would shake hands.  It was a very strange world indeed.  Hoggle had no idea where they were going, and hoped Sir Didymus did.  It would be awful to get stuck in a world they knew nothing about.  Kids were everywhere, laughing and screaming.  He wasn't sure if any of them were like Sarah, and could see them, but he hoped not.  It would be hard to explain to a kid from earth where they were from.  That's when a bright red ball came towards them, and hit Hoggle in the head.