Chapter Three
Jareth waited calmly until Sarah's tears had subsided and then casually sat down on the floor next to her. Sarah peeked through her fingers, and noticed that the crowds of people that had populated the mall had disappeared. She drew her trembling hands away from her face and looked at the Goblin King in total terror. Jareth look at her tear-streaked face, saying nothing, his face giving away nothing.
"Why are you here? I defeated you!"
"But defeat and destruction are two different things, are they not?"
"But how can you be here? Why now? It's been so long."
"Exactly. It has been too long. Sarah, I have come to apologize."
This was the last thing Sarah expected to hear. She sat silently for a moment, and then realized her mouth was hanging open and shut it.
"You? Apologize to me?"
"Yes. Sarah, I was...wrong. I handled things badly. Please," he held up his hand as Sarah opened her mouth with a retort, "let me finish, then you may say whatever you feel I need to hear, and I will listen, I promise. Sarah, you are the only one in the history of time who has ever solved my Labyrinth. No man, woman, or child has ever completed it. I have great respect for you because of this. But you must understand what a shock for me this was. I was in a state of disbelief that such a thing was possible. That is why I acted so badly. Please, Sarah, I don't wish us to be enemies. Can you find it within yourself to forgive me?"
Sarah sat silently. The King of the Goblins was apologizing to her! The Lord of the Underground and the Keeper of the Labyrinth was lowering himself to please a mere mortal girl! The thought was staggering. What should she do? What should she say? Sarah looked up at Jareth's face, silently for a moment, then stood up. Jareth followed. Sarah put out her hand.
"Yes, Jareth, I forgive you." Jareth grinned and raised her hand to his lips, kissing it. Then he straightened up and clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
"Good! Now, Sarah, I have an offer for you, no, don't be alarmed.", he said, seeing the startled look on her face. "It is made as an offer of thanks for your forgiveness, not as a bargaining chip. What do you think it is?" Sarah looked blank. She hadn't the foggiest notion.
"I once offered to show you your dreams..." He rolled a crystal ball down his arm and caught it neatly in his hand. Balancing it in front of Sarah's face, he took away his fingers and left it suspended in the air in front of her eyes. Colors whirled inside.
"What would you think if I offered it again?" Sarah looked at the bubble in wonder and growing delight. Her thoughts were in a whirl. To be able to live her dreams!
"On what terms?"
"I ask for only thirteen hours of your time. You won't miss anything important, I promise. What do you say?" Sarah looked again at the crystal, as it performed a shimmering wavy, dance in front of her. Thirteen hours...not long at all....
"Yes."
"Then you know what you must say." Sarah blinked, then smiled. Looking at Jareth, she said, "I wish for you to show me my dreams!"
Jareth smiled again at this and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the bubble broke and Sarah was plunged into darkness like an oubliette.
Jareth waited calmly until Sarah's tears had subsided and then casually sat down on the floor next to her. Sarah peeked through her fingers, and noticed that the crowds of people that had populated the mall had disappeared. She drew her trembling hands away from her face and looked at the Goblin King in total terror. Jareth look at her tear-streaked face, saying nothing, his face giving away nothing.
"Why are you here? I defeated you!"
"But defeat and destruction are two different things, are they not?"
"But how can you be here? Why now? It's been so long."
"Exactly. It has been too long. Sarah, I have come to apologize."
This was the last thing Sarah expected to hear. She sat silently for a moment, and then realized her mouth was hanging open and shut it.
"You? Apologize to me?"
"Yes. Sarah, I was...wrong. I handled things badly. Please," he held up his hand as Sarah opened her mouth with a retort, "let me finish, then you may say whatever you feel I need to hear, and I will listen, I promise. Sarah, you are the only one in the history of time who has ever solved my Labyrinth. No man, woman, or child has ever completed it. I have great respect for you because of this. But you must understand what a shock for me this was. I was in a state of disbelief that such a thing was possible. That is why I acted so badly. Please, Sarah, I don't wish us to be enemies. Can you find it within yourself to forgive me?"
Sarah sat silently. The King of the Goblins was apologizing to her! The Lord of the Underground and the Keeper of the Labyrinth was lowering himself to please a mere mortal girl! The thought was staggering. What should she do? What should she say? Sarah looked up at Jareth's face, silently for a moment, then stood up. Jareth followed. Sarah put out her hand.
"Yes, Jareth, I forgive you." Jareth grinned and raised her hand to his lips, kissing it. Then he straightened up and clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
"Good! Now, Sarah, I have an offer for you, no, don't be alarmed.", he said, seeing the startled look on her face. "It is made as an offer of thanks for your forgiveness, not as a bargaining chip. What do you think it is?" Sarah looked blank. She hadn't the foggiest notion.
"I once offered to show you your dreams..." He rolled a crystal ball down his arm and caught it neatly in his hand. Balancing it in front of Sarah's face, he took away his fingers and left it suspended in the air in front of her eyes. Colors whirled inside.
"What would you think if I offered it again?" Sarah looked at the bubble in wonder and growing delight. Her thoughts were in a whirl. To be able to live her dreams!
"On what terms?"
"I ask for only thirteen hours of your time. You won't miss anything important, I promise. What do you say?" Sarah looked again at the crystal, as it performed a shimmering wavy, dance in front of her. Thirteen hours...not long at all....
"Yes."
"Then you know what you must say." Sarah blinked, then smiled. Looking at Jareth, she said, "I wish for you to show me my dreams!"
Jareth smiled again at this and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the bubble broke and Sarah was plunged into darkness like an oubliette.