Chapter 11
The rest of their travels through the castle were quiet and unevenful. Through Cryn's ponderings she guessed that they had traveled a good two miles of winding passageways and hallways.
Yet, since she had experienced the 'planetarium' her mind began to open up to memories she had lost. In her remembrances, she hardly paid any attention to the castle or Jareth. For better or worse, she put an amazing amount of trust into her host. A part of her realized her actions and did protest a little, but Cryn just didn't care.
In the gift shop, a memory she recalled clearly now, he had not hurt her. He had shown her, what she now knew to be, the Labyrinth, and had helped her immensly with a few simple necessities. He had taken her to the planetarium for another test. She sensed that she had passed. It certianly explained why Jareth hadn't just waved his hand and transported them to the dinning hall. He wanted her to see, at the very least, the planetarium, and perhaps the rest of the monstrocity. It also explained why he escorted her so tightly. She would have been lost for ages if her curiosity (or a bolt of panic) lead her down the winding passages.
Walking for so long in the silent gloom gave her a new perspective on Jareth's presense as well. He was the guy with the magical powers, and since he didn't pose any obvious threat, it probably was a good idea to stick close. Especially since he wouldn't let anything happen to her... at least until her debt to him is paid.
But that too was an uncomfortable thought. Though, she did have an idea of what he would ask. He was curious about the 'spirit' that had been calling to her. After the planetarium, even memories of sleep had awakened to her. Perhaps he knew more about it, being on another planet and all with technology that could unravel the universe's mysteries, as well as a distint knowlege of 'magic' or whatever it was he possesed. And aside from the playful jibs he threw at her, he had been a gentleman, and a gracious host.
'Except for the appearing out of nowhere my bedroom.'
That played into another characteristic of him. 'Perhaps he likes the intimidation, or the control of surprise.'
'Or another interest all together.'
Her faced warmed a little with that thought. As gracious as her host might be, there would still have to be a line drawn in definition of their relationship.
And with that thought, they had entered the grandest hall yet. The Dinning Hall.
The room was so large, it literally took on perspective changes when looking down the length of the hall. Rich tapestries spanned every other wall pannel, with curvy designs in a shinny metal in between. The design pattern was one Cryn had seen throughout the castle, on doors, ceilings, walls, and tapestries. She made a mental note to her long list, to ask Jareth about it.
The chandeliers were suspened without support, and they bobbed up and down in relatively confined positions. The ceiling was divided into sections of round cross beams, with a black and royal blue background, and stars that twinkled with their own light. At the top of the surrounding walls, but above the tapestries and patterns, the starry ceiling spread down into various landscapes. There were forests and deserts, mountians, and underwater enviornments. There were cities and farmlands, industrial looking areas and places of construction. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Jareth allowed Cryn to gape without taunt, and guided her to the end of the single, room lengthed table. It was peculiar though, since there was room enough between the walls and the table to have four people walk side by side, there were no doors save the massive entry. The table itself was of a rich dark brown wood, detailed with carvings of gold and silver.
The inner part of the table was missing, and there were several openings in the floor with stairs leading down into darkness. There was enough room for another four people to walk side by side within the table! Cryn marveled at the design.
When they finally reached the end, she spied two place settings positioned kity corner with the two end chairs. He pulled out an immaculate chair and motioned for her to sit. She wondered if the prankster would pull the chair out from underneath her. He didn't.
When he settled himself down, she wondered how dinner was to proceed. She was more than hungry, she was starving. He smiled as her stomach growled again.
"My Dear, you innards seem to have more willingness to talk than your mind."
"Well, I haven't exactly been eating like a King the last three days."
Jareth laughed at that, a genuine laugh. "Three days?" he questioned. "My Dear, you slept in that bed for one of your weeks!"
Cryn went pale, "What."
"Yes, quite a heavy sleeper. Silent though, no awful human nasal sounds or tossing and turning. You'd make a marvelous bed mate."
If Cryn hadn't been so shocked, at both her sleeping for seven days, and then Jareth's remark, she might have retorted. Though the only thing she did do was stare at him with an open mouth. She looked like a tard.
He seemed to enjoy her reaction, and elegantly reached for his goblet. He took a sip, but looked over his wine at his speechless guest with a wrinkle at his eye.
Her mind responded in an odd fashion. 'At least he has no interest in bedding you, since, a man who would be trying, would NOT be so damn insulting!' Besides, Cryn was sure that Jareth could make any woman he wanted melt into his arms, why jab unless he was totally sadistic?
Finally, Cryn narrowed her eye lids, resisting the urge to slap him. She wouldn't play his game.
"Well, I've been told so before, but by much more enjoyable company." It would have been better if she had spoken earlier, but alass, her mind was still in shock.
"Hummmm. I'm sure," he lazily replied.
"Anyway, what's on the menu? I will surley die of starvation if we hold here for a moment longer."
"What is it with you, that you only speak to make requests about..." He held up his hands to count on them. "Food, water, shelter or verbal insults? Haven't you ever socialized before?"
'What does this guy want?' Cryn was puzzled. 'To make me burst with rage?'
"Well, perhaps if my host would be as generous to not bait me into such spurs, I'd be more of a pleasant guest."
"Perhaps."
She was caught off guard with his concession of her point. But he continued before she could respond, "but couldn't you agree that there is more in life than basic necessities?" He seemed to be setting her up, but Cryn chided herself for not seeing it.
Cryn looked down at her empty plate, but jerked her head up before he could make another sly statement about her animal necessity comming before his intellectual question.
"I agree."
"Wonderful." He clasped his gloved hands together, "than you will have no reservations in telling me all that you've been experiencing as of late."
She made a mental note not to take verbal phrases for granted.
"Is this my payment? My tellings of what has been so wierd in my life?"
"Ahhhh, my dear. Compared to your dreams, you haven't even begun to experience what awaits you here."
She straightened at that. 'He knows why I'm here?'
"So you know!" She wanted to stand up and stick her finger at him. "You know what's been in my head?! Why? Why is this happening? What is this? Why am I here? And most importantly, WHERE AM I?"
He leaned back into his chair and regarded her with a little less patience than before.
"Cathryn..." It was the first time he actually said her name, and his tone quieted any more out bursts from her.
"As you asked me those once questions before, I can not help you. I myself am not sure, whatever my suspicions may be. And all I ask of you, is for you to tell me the details of your experiences in return for your asked services. I ask for so little."
He had all the countance of a king at that moment, not to mention a parent. She felt rightly chided.
She nodded in agreement, and lowered her eyes to her plate.
"Well, if it IS all you can think about..." he gestured with his head to her plate, "then I suppose I'll have to feed you before any further progress can be made."
Cryn let out a puff of air and a small smile. She looked up, and pushing her pride aside said, "thanks."
Jareth leaned back in his chair, taking goblet, he shook his head once with an eyebrow uplifted. "Your kind is so... emotional. One minute, perfectly civil, and the next, KABOOM!" He gestured with his arms at the kaboom part.
Cryn wanted to giggle at his use of 'KABOOM' but wondered what he meant by 'her kind.'
"What do you mean.... my kind?" She tried to ask sweetly, but didn't know how successful she was.
"Females, of course. Especially you humans. I can't imagine any of your males actually living with any of you."
"I had to ask." Cryn spoke aloud, but mostly to herself.
"Okay, okay. Truce." She wanted to get off the sparring. Especially since she wasn't winning.
"Why? It is such a jolly good time." Jareth said in a very sarcastic and patronizing way.
"Can I have some..." she thought for a moment about taking certian phrases for granted and continued, " edible food, now? And none of this wine crap."
"My my, isn't there an appropiate please at the end of a request?"
"OKAY! I tried to make piece. I tried, just a few seconds ago, to answer any of your questions. AND EVEN YOU brought to attention that this verbal sparring is petty and useless! So, I humbly apologize for all transgressions I've made to you in any way, and I graciously thank you for your kind hospitality. So can we now eat? Please?"
Jareth hadn't flinched at her second trip to the soap box, but calmly regarded her with an amused stare.
"My dear, Cathryn, I never said our chats were petty and useless, and if fact, I quite enjoy them. Lack of company makes one appreciate any company."
"Do you know how infuriating you are?" Cryn asked very seriously. It wasn't a sarcastic question in the least, she actually wanted to know if he knew.
He sighed with a smile at the corner of his eye. "Only when in the presence of my fan base."
Cryn shook her head.
"Well my dear. How about some dinner. I suspect that you are somewhat famished after your week of fasting."
Cryn nodded.
"I hope you haven't gone mute, we still have your payment to be presented."
Cryn sighed and replied, "ask away."
Jareth waved his hand and both of their plates filled with edible goodies. Though, it didn't look familiar to Cryn.
"Let us at least munch whilist you share."
Cryn shook her head again. 'There is just no end.'
"First thing is first..." she used a utensil that looked kind of like a fork, and probed at the various substances that had appeared on her plate, "what is all of this?"
Jareth had alread started to nibble on his plate. He glanced over at what she was pointing at. Then turned to her with his usual superiority.
"Don't tell me you think that just because you came from Earth means that I'm going to change my diet for yours."
Cryn hadn't thought of the food being different, though it made perfect sense.
"What if I have a food allergy? I don't even know what kind of being you are, even if you do look like a male, I have no idea what kind of physiology you contain nor what kind of food is compatible!"
"Well, look at it this way, My Dear. What choice have you got?"
Cryn thought about that and then realized that if she did die due to some unknown poision, then at least Jareth wouldn't get any more information out of her.
She took a cautious bite of some blue leafy stuff. It wasn't bad, kind of like a cross between lettuce and fruit. The other substances on her plate weren't to bad either, except for the extreamly spicy yellow stuff. Cryn downed a whole goblet of water in one drink after just a small amount of that stuff. She didn't look to Jareth for his reaction.
After testing all of her alotted meal, her stomach broke her hesitance and she began to eat all of it in a rather hasty manner. Even the wierd stuff that seemed to remind her of a type of strange meat.
While eating, she herself went over the events of her immediate past. There was no harm in telling him everything. It wasn't like he was going to tell her she was crazy.
So, at the end of the meal, when the soiled dishes were wisked away, she decieded to be agreeable tell all.
Hopefully he wouldn't do anything else to piss her off. Hopefully.