Chapter Nine
Jamie sat on the floor, rubbing his throat. He croaked out a laugh.
"I suppose there is a place to look. But, come on, look at that place! It would take you weeks to find her and by then it'll be too late." Jonathan came closer.
"What do you mean, too late? Too late for what?" He began advancing on Jamie, who scrambled to his feet and backed away, holding out his hands to stop Jonathan.
"If I were you, Daniels, I'd leave now. The odds are really not in your favor right now, you know. How's it going to look? Your wife disappears and you beat up innocent co-workers? That's not going to work in your favor. Hey, if you leave now, I'll let you keep your job, even. All you have to do is turn around and walk out." Jonathan kept coming.
"Too late for what?" Jamie backed up against an ornate Jefferson desk. Jonathan came right up in his face, and grabbing his already torn shirt in one hand, picked up a jeweled letter opener in the other. He made it dance across Jamie's throat before bringing it to rest against his temple.
"You tell me what you meant by that crack right now or I'm going to slice you wide open." Jonathan pricked Jamie's face for emphasis. Jamie's jaw hardened.
"Sarah doesn't need your child. She deserves so much more." Jonathan began to sweat but held his stance.
"Jareth needed a child, I needed a way into the Labyrinth." Jonathan went white suddenly and dropped the knife. He turned away from Jamie and fell to his knees, sick at heart. He stared into the fireplace's dead embers uncomprehendingly.
"You unbelievable bastard.", he whispered. Then his world went dark as Jamie hit him over the head. Jonathan slumped to the waxed floor, out cold.
"Yeah, sometimes.", Jamie said. He dropped the paperweight he'd used on the floor, and sat down in an armchair, breathing heavily. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to decide what to do next.
"Do you still not care what he thinks?" Jamie looked up, startled.
"Your majesty. You're back." Jareth walked around Jonathan in a circle. He rolled him over with a deft boot kick.
"He hasn't changed. Still fights fair, I see. Damn honor all. Never does get you anywhere good." Jareth turned to face Jamie, leaning against the desk. He folded his arms.
"Never fight fair, my boy. They'll tell you the fair ones always come out on top, but that's a lie made up by ones who've lost to make themselves feel better. Life isn't fair. That's just the way it is." Jamie nodded and they both looked at Jonathan some more. Finally Jareth spoke.
"Well, this is entertaining, but I suggest you do something with him, otherwise he'll awaken soon and you can both have another merry roust." Jamie sighed and rubbed his sore eyes where Jonathan had punched him.
"Yeah, I know. What should I do?" Jareth half-smiled.
"I have a suggestion."
"What's that?" Jareth turned and waved his hand in the air, pulling a sphere out of the air. He began to twirl it on his hands, an effect he knew would be dizzying to Jamie. Still twirling, he faced Jamie.
"I will make you a bargain. You have done something for me, now I will do something for you. If you do what I ask, Sarah will be yours, and you may both have the whole Labyrinthine Underground to call your home. Will you agree?" Jamie nodded.
"Yes. Of course." Jareth suddenly threw the sphere at Jamie. Luckily he caught it. Jamie looked at it and noticed the sphere had become a peach. He looked at Jareth. Jareth smiled.
"Give him that when he awakens." Jamie smiled and smelled the peach, it was wonderful. Jareth frowned.
"Don't do that, half-wit! Do you want to forget everything? Give it to the boy; make sure he eats it of his own accord. It won't work otherwise. Understand?" Jamie nodded.
"I understand." Jamie set the peach down on the table. Jareth nodded approvingly.
"Do just as I say, and everything you want will be yours. But now I must go."
"When will I-" Jareth cut him off.
"Soon. Be patient. It's a virtue. I'll return when the time is right." Then Jareth was gone. Jamie stood staring at the place where the Goblin King had been, when he heard a moan coming from Jonathan on the floor. He would awaken soon. He had to work fast. He picked Jonathan up under the arms and began to drag him towards the couch. He shoved the peach in his pocket as he did.
Jamie left Jonathan lying quietly on the couch. He carefully took the peach out of his pocket, and placed it carefully in Jonathan's hand. Then he placed both of Jonathan's hands on his chest, so the peach rested just below his chin. As Jonathan moaned again, Jamie quietly slipped out of the room, listening from the hallway, but out of sight and making no noise.
Jonathan slowly came out of it. Oh, his head felt like he'd had a serious bender, if only he'd been drinking. Jonathan pushed himself up slowly. He noticed he was gripping something tightly in his hand. Opening his palm, he noticed a ripe, rather small peach. Where had he gotten his hands on that? He brought it closer to his face, looked at it, smelled it. Wow. It smelled fantastic. And he didn't even like peaches. And Jonathan suddenly felt hungrier than he ever had in his whole life. He licked the peach and suddenly took a huge bite. Chewing, he noticed it had a strange texture, but suddenly he was even hungrier than he had been before and started to take huge, gulping bites. He finished the whole thing and pitched away the pit across the polished wood floor. Jonathan sat there, licking his fingers.
When he had gotten every last morsel of peach off him, he sighed contentedly. He stood up and brushed himself off, feeling remarkably good. Jamie watched quietly as Jonathan scratched his head and looked around him curiously. He cautiously decided to risk it. He came slowly forward, and Jonathan looked up, saw him.
"Hi."
"Hello."
"Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but, uh.where am I? What am I doing here?" Jaime sighed in relief.
"Oh..let me tell you what happened, you really are one lucky guy."
Jamie sat on the floor, rubbing his throat. He croaked out a laugh.
"I suppose there is a place to look. But, come on, look at that place! It would take you weeks to find her and by then it'll be too late." Jonathan came closer.
"What do you mean, too late? Too late for what?" He began advancing on Jamie, who scrambled to his feet and backed away, holding out his hands to stop Jonathan.
"If I were you, Daniels, I'd leave now. The odds are really not in your favor right now, you know. How's it going to look? Your wife disappears and you beat up innocent co-workers? That's not going to work in your favor. Hey, if you leave now, I'll let you keep your job, even. All you have to do is turn around and walk out." Jonathan kept coming.
"Too late for what?" Jamie backed up against an ornate Jefferson desk. Jonathan came right up in his face, and grabbing his already torn shirt in one hand, picked up a jeweled letter opener in the other. He made it dance across Jamie's throat before bringing it to rest against his temple.
"You tell me what you meant by that crack right now or I'm going to slice you wide open." Jonathan pricked Jamie's face for emphasis. Jamie's jaw hardened.
"Sarah doesn't need your child. She deserves so much more." Jonathan began to sweat but held his stance.
"Jareth needed a child, I needed a way into the Labyrinth." Jonathan went white suddenly and dropped the knife. He turned away from Jamie and fell to his knees, sick at heart. He stared into the fireplace's dead embers uncomprehendingly.
"You unbelievable bastard.", he whispered. Then his world went dark as Jamie hit him over the head. Jonathan slumped to the waxed floor, out cold.
"Yeah, sometimes.", Jamie said. He dropped the paperweight he'd used on the floor, and sat down in an armchair, breathing heavily. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to decide what to do next.
"Do you still not care what he thinks?" Jamie looked up, startled.
"Your majesty. You're back." Jareth walked around Jonathan in a circle. He rolled him over with a deft boot kick.
"He hasn't changed. Still fights fair, I see. Damn honor all. Never does get you anywhere good." Jareth turned to face Jamie, leaning against the desk. He folded his arms.
"Never fight fair, my boy. They'll tell you the fair ones always come out on top, but that's a lie made up by ones who've lost to make themselves feel better. Life isn't fair. That's just the way it is." Jamie nodded and they both looked at Jonathan some more. Finally Jareth spoke.
"Well, this is entertaining, but I suggest you do something with him, otherwise he'll awaken soon and you can both have another merry roust." Jamie sighed and rubbed his sore eyes where Jonathan had punched him.
"Yeah, I know. What should I do?" Jareth half-smiled.
"I have a suggestion."
"What's that?" Jareth turned and waved his hand in the air, pulling a sphere out of the air. He began to twirl it on his hands, an effect he knew would be dizzying to Jamie. Still twirling, he faced Jamie.
"I will make you a bargain. You have done something for me, now I will do something for you. If you do what I ask, Sarah will be yours, and you may both have the whole Labyrinthine Underground to call your home. Will you agree?" Jamie nodded.
"Yes. Of course." Jareth suddenly threw the sphere at Jamie. Luckily he caught it. Jamie looked at it and noticed the sphere had become a peach. He looked at Jareth. Jareth smiled.
"Give him that when he awakens." Jamie smiled and smelled the peach, it was wonderful. Jareth frowned.
"Don't do that, half-wit! Do you want to forget everything? Give it to the boy; make sure he eats it of his own accord. It won't work otherwise. Understand?" Jamie nodded.
"I understand." Jamie set the peach down on the table. Jareth nodded approvingly.
"Do just as I say, and everything you want will be yours. But now I must go."
"When will I-" Jareth cut him off.
"Soon. Be patient. It's a virtue. I'll return when the time is right." Then Jareth was gone. Jamie stood staring at the place where the Goblin King had been, when he heard a moan coming from Jonathan on the floor. He would awaken soon. He had to work fast. He picked Jonathan up under the arms and began to drag him towards the couch. He shoved the peach in his pocket as he did.
Jamie left Jonathan lying quietly on the couch. He carefully took the peach out of his pocket, and placed it carefully in Jonathan's hand. Then he placed both of Jonathan's hands on his chest, so the peach rested just below his chin. As Jonathan moaned again, Jamie quietly slipped out of the room, listening from the hallway, but out of sight and making no noise.
Jonathan slowly came out of it. Oh, his head felt like he'd had a serious bender, if only he'd been drinking. Jonathan pushed himself up slowly. He noticed he was gripping something tightly in his hand. Opening his palm, he noticed a ripe, rather small peach. Where had he gotten his hands on that? He brought it closer to his face, looked at it, smelled it. Wow. It smelled fantastic. And he didn't even like peaches. And Jonathan suddenly felt hungrier than he ever had in his whole life. He licked the peach and suddenly took a huge bite. Chewing, he noticed it had a strange texture, but suddenly he was even hungrier than he had been before and started to take huge, gulping bites. He finished the whole thing and pitched away the pit across the polished wood floor. Jonathan sat there, licking his fingers.
When he had gotten every last morsel of peach off him, he sighed contentedly. He stood up and brushed himself off, feeling remarkably good. Jamie watched quietly as Jonathan scratched his head and looked around him curiously. He cautiously decided to risk it. He came slowly forward, and Jonathan looked up, saw him.
"Hi."
"Hello."
"Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but, uh.where am I? What am I doing here?" Jaime sighed in relief.
"Oh..let me tell you what happened, you really are one lucky guy."