CHAPTER XV: Chaos Reigns Supreme
Jareth paced his chambers anxiously, his eyes dark and brooding, his lips pursed in thoughtful contemplation. He looked up immediately when the door to his room opened, and the small, gray-haired elf called Sage stepped into the haven of the bedroom and its flickering,, low-lit embrace.
"I apologize for not getting here sooner," the elf remarked. "I could not escape all of the minions begging for my expertise."
"No, no, think nothing of it," Jareth replied rather distractedly as he stopped to analyze the condition of his goatee in the oval mirror that adorned the wall. The motion was less one of vanity and more one of fidgety nervousness.
Sage tilted his head to the side and approached the man's side, putting a caring hand upon his shoulder upon reaching him. "How are you, Friend?"
The former Goblin King abruptly ceased in playing with his facial hair and gave Sage a wan smile. "About as well as can be expected, I suppose." He moved from beneath the elf's grasp and plopped into a cushioned chair against the wall. A pitiful sigh escaped his lips. "Oh, Sage, she hates me! I knew it! This was all a mistake... I should not have concerned myself. I should have saved everyone coming agony by ending my life years ago."
An angry tone oft unfamiliar to Sage took hold of the elf's voice. "Now, listen here! I will have no more of your foolish talk of death. Heaven knows how I have kept you from the notion thus far, and I cannot understand why you embrace it to this day! For one, Sarah does not hate you. She has told me from her own mouth only last night that she bore an undying love for you. Yes, she is angered, but she does not hate you. For two, there are many other ways we can dispel your shadow, and it does not require you killing yourself." He paused and looked at Jareth from beneath sunken brows. His tone was suddenly quiet and somber -- and somewhat sheepish. "Besides, we may have our chance sooner than we thought."
Jareth sat upright immediately and faced the elf with a new, bitter resolve. His face twisted into a look of combined concern and disgust. "Why do you say that?" His tone implied that he already had an idea of what the answer to his question was.
"Well, a mysterious 'King Kaleb' has shown up for Sarah's little gathering. And, well, let's say I have a very bad feeling about him. Though I don't wish for this knowledge to bring you down any further, my friend, Sarah seems to have taken an equal liking to him as to Pandor. It is really beyond me what made her go to the extreme she did. Not only did she allow him and his entourage to take part in the festivities, knowing that neither of us had heard of him or his kingdom once in the past four years, but she invited him to remain as a royal guest in the palace."
Jareth stood up, apparently flustered beyond belief. "What did you say? No! No, this can't be... Why did I not sense him? But it must be him! Who else could it be!? And he's in the castle... No doubt he is here for the shard... And the competition! He knows I am here, as well! By the stars! What are we going to do?" As he made each exclamation he emphasized it with a decisive turning about in his sudden, flurried pacing.
"Now, now, Jareth, please be calm. There is no good to come of this. We must discuss all of this with Sarah and come up with a plan. Do not forget your main reason for coming here. We must warn Sarah and get her to cast the spell." Sage took a seat himself and looked somberly at his friend. "It does not overly surprise me that you did not sense him. Your sensitivity has waned as time has passed; especially with your loss of powers, well, it is no doubt you did not see him coming."
Jareth shook his head. "Well, what is the plan?"
"I have heightened security. Damion is currently looking into Kaleb's origin. If we are lucky, I am wrong about him."
"I am sure you are not incorrect," Jareth replied from a downturned face.
"What do you think his plan is, Jareth?" Sage asked.
Jareth stared off into the distance and replied, "I am not certain, but I would guess that he will strike as soon as possible. I am sure he knows of our suspicions. And he definitely is aware of my presence. His first plan, though, above all else would be to retrieve the shard. Perhaps that is the reason for him getting close to Sarah. Do you know if he has spoken to Sarah more personally, or not?"
"I have heard rumors that they were seen dancing earlier today."
"I should have not been so silly. I should have made my presence known immediately and not given him the chance to have any sort of privacy with her. Damn him and damn me!" With a loud thud, Jareth banged his fist angrily against a nearby dresser.
"Look, now, I understand your pain, Jareth, but I tell you again that your anger will bring about nothing. We must act swiftly if he is doing all that you have predicted. We must go and speak to Sarah now. She must tell us the location of the shard."
"Yes, you are right. Let us go find her now." Jareth retrieved his leather jerkin from where it lay on the back of the dresser table chair and put it on. "I suppose now is as good a time as any for us to begin to make our amends."
Together the man and elf left the room and began the ascent of the stairs that led to Sarah's study. As they made their way, step by step, Damion began to rush down the staircase, his feathers in a flurry. His glasses teetered off the edge of his beak as he stopped before Sage. "Oh, oh.." his voice trembled in shrill tones, "it is absolute chaos, Sage! I just cannot begin..."
Sage put his hands on the shoulders of the bird-man and said, "Well, you must begin somewhere, my friend. Give me a whole account. What is the matter?"
Damion straightened his glasses with a trembling wing. "It is simply horrible! The gnomes who were assigned kitchen duty for their misbehavior have set the kitchen on fire! It is under control, but is still ablazing... And I have been sent by Mrs. Hiddlebury to find Sarah and a doctor, and --"
"Wait, wait there, my friend! A doctor! For whatever reason could Mrs. Hiddlebury be in need of a doctor!?" Sage's eyes were wide as he crossed his arms somberly.
"It looks as if the elderly Hoggle is having quite a bit of trouble... We all fear the worst. It happened only moments ago." Damion became so exasperated that he dropped the papers that were his constant companions on the floor clumsily.
Jareth turned to face Sage, his expression serious. "Poor Hoggle. To think what I put the little man through all of those years... What a terrible time for all of these things to happen."
The silence penetrated for a few moments before Sage noticed that Damion's jaw was trembling in fear, as if he was apprehensive about the next thing he would have to say.
Sage's brow sunk as he prompted the bird. "What else?"
"I have no strong evidence, but I fear it is as you predicted. King Kaleb has no definable origins... No history past that of four years ago, when he began his kingdom." Damion gulped. "He is not in his room, either. No one has seen him." His jaw moved without sound.
"Yes?" Sage prodded.
"And there have been reports of... crows, Sir. I checked myself... The sky is full of them. They swarm through every tree, have taken every bough. They are eating the leftover food from the celebration. There is a great deal of panic. This too, has just recently developed."
Jareth moved quickly and forcefully, placing his hand firmly upon the bird's shoulder. "Do you know where Sarah is, now, Damion?"
"I believe she has already been summoned... She is probably with Hoggle. I have not yet been able to make her aware of the birds. I thought it wise to first contact you, Sage --"
"Where are you going, Jareth?" Sage asked.
Jareth turned to face him. "I am going to find Sarah."
"You forget how things have changed, my friend. Hoggle's quarters are this way," he pointed down the stairs and gave the man a slight grin.
Jareth merely redirected his journey with a speedy gait. "Very well. Let us find her, then."
"What shall I do?" Damion called after Sage.
"Alert all of our royal guests of this turn of events... Mobilize the army! Contact me via my amulet if anything else comes up! And get someone to get the doctor for Mr. Hiddlebury!" Sage ceased his speech just before it became barely audible in his departure.
Damion faltered a moment before leaving, as well. "Oh dear, me," he mumbled. "I think I need another job."
Jareth and Sage talked on the way to Hoggle's chambers, their walking hurried under the stress of the chaotic circumstances. "What does this Kaleb look like, Sage? I take it he and I are not the same in appearance. At least, not anymore."
"I don't know... He is your height, as I recall. Black hair, black eyes... He seems to have a fetish for the color black, and a fetish for feathers, like you did at one time, my friend."
Jareth gave the elf a sidelong glance. "I assure you, the feathers were all him. I no longer get a kick out of wearing boas." He seemed pensive. "The color black does not surprise me. But what about the face? What does his face look like? I want to be able to know who I am looking at, though I am sure Iwill have no doubts when I am looking at him."
Sage pondered the question a moment; they passed areas of raucous talk, where people and creatures alike were gabbing about the appearance of the birds. The fear seemed to be mounting; people had heard stories about what had happened in the other kingdoms. Jareth looked at Sage with a furrowed brow. "Black and feathers, eh? Very crow-like, wouldn't you say? Does he have an aquiline nose to boot?"
Sage smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes. And a wide, brooding brow. No doubt the ability to summon birds. I would bet all of this chaos, even other than the birds, is his doing." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wouldn't get too caught up in assigning this man a face, Jareth. I am sure he has the ability to take any form he chooses. He has a piece of the amethyst. He does have his limits, but he can do nearly anything he likes."
"You do not have to remind me. Ah -- I take it that those are Hoggle's chambers." He stopped before a room where close friends of Hoggle crowded round. Ludo, Didymus, and a number of other creatures huddled around the door in expectation of news. "Let us through," Sage called as he pushed his way into the crowd. They passed Ludo and Didymus, the fox sitting on the large shoulder of the beast. The fox's eyes followed the two men as they entered the room, his jaw agape in wonder.
"W-was that who I dost think it was, my brother?" Didymus asked, his eyes transfixed where Jareth retreated behind the closing door of the bedchamber.
Ludo merely shrugged his shoulders in reply, knocking the sitting Didymus from his seated position in the process. Didymus landed on the ground with a thump and got up quickly, brushing himself off as he gave the beast an exasperated glance from below. "Now, brother, you must be more careful!"
Ludo picked him up and replaced the fox to his former place. "Sorry, Brother."
They entered the room and were rewarded with a number of stares. Some were not quite so amiable; Jareth assumed that they belonged to former-goblins- turned-humans. The most obvious and bitter stare was that of Sarah. She did not address her anger, but merely returned her glance to the tormented Hoggle Senior. Her gaze softened in sympathy and she put her hand on his. His face was contorted with pain. "What can I get for you until the doctor comes, Hoggle? I am at your disposal."
"A good strong liquor," he rasped with a sarcastic, yet painful, smile. It was quickly demolished as he was overcome by a wave of physical anguish; he grunted at its onslaught.
Sarah's own wan smile was destroyed at the sight of his suffering. She turned toward a servant that stood nearby. "Please get him some alcohol, Deana," she bid the young woman, touching her softly on the arm as she said it. The girl nodded somberly before leaving the room.
Jareth looked on from the back of the room while Sage approached Sarah, took her to a corner in the room, and quietly relayed the news to her. He was saddened by Mr. Hiddlebury's suffering, amazed by Sarah's level of maturity in handling such difficult affairs. She acted twice her age in matters regarding the people of her kingdom. He observed her unshamefully as she spoke to Sage, her level of amazement obviously increasing as shown by the changing states of her expression. Her hair was tousled, her flowers and barettes having been removed long ago. She stood tall in her dress, despite her apparent wearines. Like a weather-tortured oak she stood proud, reaching her arms out to shelter those under her. Caring and gentle, despite her bitterness toward the storm. It was a misfortune that Jareth was a part of that storm, one more piece of hail in an already too-beaten world. But she is so beautiful and entrancing, he said to himself, as if he had to excuse his actions. She makes a man want to live no matter how much he could want -- or need -- to die. Her eyes met his, disapproving of his watchfulness. He did not turn away; though he felt a slight impulse to avert his gaze, he was too old and life-wearied himself to fear showing his attentions. He was not ashamed of his love for her, even if he had no right to it.
Sarah approached Mrs. Hiddlebury and informed her that the doctor was on his way. She then began to leave the room, just reaching the door when the young Deana was coming in with various types of alcohol. "I didn't know what to bring, Your Majesty, so I brought a couple of things." Sarah observed the variety of alcoholic beverages, and, seeing a small bottle of opened wine amongst them, said, "Give me the wine. I don't think it will be of any help to Mr. Hiddlebury. However, I am currently in great need of it." The girl handed her the bottle, a glass, and curtsied. "Yes, Your Majesty. Shall I take care of him while you are gone?"
"The doctor is on the way, Deana. You can help Mrs. Hiddlebury look after him for the time being. I have other matters to attend to."
Hoggle had come into the room and heard her last statement. "What's going on? Is my Papa okay? I just went to bring him something to calm'is nerves." In his hands he held two corked jugs of liquor, both looking more potent than anything Deana would have been able to acquire.
Hoggle Sr. chuckled and rasped, "That's mah boy." The effort cost him, for he was soon hacking away.
Mr. Hiddlebury's coughs barely distracted the group as they continued to talk; Hoggle grabbed a glass from Deana, filled it up, gave Jareth the evil eye, handed the drink to his father, and spoke to Sarah, all in one swift movement. "Is it the birds? I believe there is a bit of trouble outdoors. What's goin' on, Sarah?"
His comment brought on a slight rush of panic amongst the onlookers. They had been closed in the room for awhile, and had not received any of the news. Sarah waved them to silence while still grasping a wine glass as she spoke, "Now please, no one panic. I am not quite sure what is going on... Just be patient, and look after Hoggle's father. I will look into matters. There will be no trouble tonight if I have anything to say about it." She gave Jareth a sidelong glance before exiting the room. Sage and Jareth were in her wake.
"What is the matter, Your Majesty?" Didymus asked as he came to attention, noticing the distraught nature of his queen as she approached.
"Didymus, there is little time to explain. I haven't gotten all the details yet, but we are in the midst of a bird encounter like the other kingdoms experienced. I want you to be on the lookout... Go to the Plaza and keep track of whatever you can that goes on with the birds. Take note of anyting strange." She turned to face the beast. "Ludo, you go with him and make sure nothing happens to him."
"Ludo tell King," Ludo said as a counteroffer.
"No, don't worry about it, Ludo. Damion is already taking care of it. Just do as I have asked."
"We are at your service, Your Majesty!" Didymus exclaimed as he saluted her, standing upright on Ludo's shoulder. As the trio - Sarah, Sage, and Jareth -- departed, they did not notice as Didymus lost his balance once again and fell from the beast's shoulder.
Ludo merely shrugged, dusted his brother off, and followed him to the exit.
As they walked, Sarah began to pour herself a glass of wine. She held the cork between her teeth as she stopped to keep the pink liquid from sloshing out of the glass. It did not take her long to down one glass; she poured a second before leaving the bottle on the ground against a nearby wall and continuing her journey. "Fill me in, Sage," she demanded in a very business- like tone. "I want to know everything."
"As it turns out," Sage began while he walked along Sarah, "Kaleb is the cause of all of this. He is the summoner of the birds, and there is no doubt in my mind that he somehow instigated all of the havoc that has begun."
"What do we know about him? Why is he here?" Sarah pursed her lips. "He must want something..."
"Yes, he does," Jareth replied as he sped up his pace to walk alongside Sarah. "He wants the amethyst."
"For all I know, Jareth, that is what you are here for. For all I know, you are Kaleb himself."
"I am not here for the amethyst, Sarah. But, as far as being Kaleb goes, it all depends on your point of view."
"You seem to have quite a muddled perspective on most things Jareth. I do not know your reason for coming here in the first place. It would seem to me that you would have been happier living on your quaint little farm."
"Enough of that, Sarah," Sage demanded. "We need to know where you keep the amethyst so that Kaleb cannot retrieve it."
Sarah turned to face the elf after downing her second glass of wine. "Why the hell does he know about the amethyst in the first place? Even if he does want it, it is of no use to him if he does not have the shard."
"He has the shard, Sarah," Jareth replied ominously.
Sarah stopped abruptly. "Wait a minute!" She turned to face Sage. "You told me that you had the shard! Why is it that Kaleb has it? He appears suddenly, as if out of nowhere, and he is destroying my kingdom! I do not have to tell you how destructive your dishonesty is going to be Sage, so I hope to God that you have a good explanation for all of this."
Sage sighed and rolled his eyes. "I should have taken that wine away from you when I had the chance."
"Dammit, Sage, you know very well that the wine has nothing to do with it! I am so far in the dark here that no little glimmer is going to help me find my way out! I need a damn huge spotlight to shed some light on this whole mess! Jareth here," she thrust her hand in his direction, "appears out of nowhere, after four years of leaving me in the cold, to fend for a kingdom with full responsibility, despite the fact that I was barely breaking adolescence. Not only does he play a fun little game to make himself known, but you are in on it, helping him all the way. Now I find out that the shard piece that I thought was safe with you in fact is not... But is in the hands of a man I only met this afternoon, who is wreaking havoc upon my city at the worst possible time! Hoggle's father is dying, the kitchen is on fire, and I am living proof that Bradbury was more prophetic than anyone ever would have dreamed! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be a little miffed!?"
"She has a good point, Sage," Jareth commented with a raised brow. He seemed unaffected by Sarah's tirade; the only movement he made was to cross his arms. "I think we have a lot of explaining to do."
"Good God, Jareth, I think that is the most intelligent thing you have said since I have known you." Sarah took a few more steps down the hall and entered her throne room. Placing the wine glass on a nearby table, she turned to look at Jareth and Sage, who, though weary-looking, were no less adamant in their gait. "Before another word is said, I think we should depart to more secure quarters. You can tell me everything that is going on there."
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Let's make haste," Sage replied.
As they approached the staircase, Sarah mumbled, "Can it get any worse?"
Leah heard her comment, for she was descending the same staircase Sarah had begun to ascend. "Yes, it can," she replied with crossed arms. She was taken aback when Jareth's face became visible as he emerged from the throne room and began to take a few steps up the flight. "What the hell is he doing here!?" she cried.
Jareth gazed upward and tightened his crossed arms. "The plot thickens," he mumbled in an irritated tone. It had taken him aback slightly to see someone so exactly alike Sarah in appearance (Lacking the charm, of course, he said to himself), but he had already learned of her shadow counterpart and quickly recovered.
"I see you recognize Jareth," Sarah replied.
"I told you Pandor," she paused to roll the false name around her mouth in distaste, "was going to be trouble."
"Yes, well, there is no time for 'I told you so's'. What's happened?... Add it to the list."
"Toby has run away from home. Mom and Dad have no clue where he is. He's been gone for six hours, now, and the neighborhood has gone to look for him. Not a sign of him anywhere. I already checked my house."
Sarah was completely horrified. What little composure she had maintained left her, and she put her hand to her forehead in amazement. "My God, he could be anywhere... and I don't have the time or means to deal with it right now! Have you heard about what is going on around here yet?"
"Let's see, I ran into Damion as he was rushing a doctor to Hoggle's room; past two gnomes brandishing a fork that they somehow had transformed into a torch, followed by a number of shrieking Fierys who were trying to put them into a cage; some drunken kittens singing about the joys of fermented milk; a couple of trash people fighting over claimed ownership of some piece of junk; and a lot of people screaming about a swarm of birds." She smirked sardonically and crossed her arms. "Could anything be the matter?"
"It's getting worse by the minute, Leah."
" I would guess that it's all his fault," she replied, pointing to Jareth and glowering at him.
"Look, that doesn't matter right now," Sarah answered, shaking her head as if warding off a headache. "I can't help you find Toby, but, if you find Vindar and Isabelle, they might be able to help you. At least until I get all of this under control. God knows, he could be anywhere from Aboveground to Underground, Leah."
"That's true. We will find him, nonetheless." She gave Sarah the sarcastic smile that she was so well-known for. "Good luck."
"Yes, you too." She hugged her twin. "Let me know what happens."
"I will."
They went their separate ways and Sarah continued the journey to her study. A million thoughts rushed through her mind as she tried to make some sense of the goings-on: Why was Jareth really here? Where was Toby? Why did Kaleb have the shard? How was it that everything seemed to be falling apart all at once? Would Hoggle's father make it? A slight wooziness began to grip her, but she was certain it had nothing to do with the alcohol, for it felt nothing like drunkenness. She braced herself and choked it down; there would be no time to deal with it, until she got some control of the circumstances at hand. Once everything was back to normal, she would have ample time to consult a doctor.
The trio's journey was a short, yet silent one. Upon reaching the study, Sarah closed the doors and invoked a spell to trap sound within the room; a light buzzing noise seemed to envelop the room. Jareth looked a little shocked at her ease of casting, as well as her skill; Sarah saw his amazement and her mouth pinched at the sides into a half-frown. She sat on the edge of her desk and said, "Okay, now, why does Kaleb have the shard? Why do you not have it, Sage? Did he take it from you somehow?"
"I'm afraid it's not so simple. I never was in possession of the shard."
"Who was in possession of it, then?" Sarah said, very obviously swallowing a bitter retort.
"I thought, once I realized it had been cleft, that Jareth had taken it. However, I was uncertain."
"And you did not inform me of your uncertainties?" Sarah said with slanting eyebrows.
"Your opinion of him was already very shaky, Sarah, and I was just beginning to learn of all that was going on with him, myself; I did not want to cast any further distrust in his direction until I was certain."
"And were you in possession of the shard?" she asked, turning her simmering eyes to Jareth.
"No, I was not. I was not even aware that it had been shattered. I left, roamed aimlessly for a year, then found Granen. My life has been, for the most part, as Granen and I have told you."
"Then who else was there at that time? Who could have taken it?"
Sage took a seat in a plush chair that sat next to the doorway. "Jareth's shadow."
"How could that be? I didn't see a duplicate copy of Jareth walking around..."
"He was in my mind, inside of me. He was half of the person that was The Goblin King, the man you knew four years ago."
Sarah blinked and gazed at him in disbelief. "How did your shadow get inside of you? The last I heard, shadows were separate entities entirely."
"That is a long story, Sarah, for a more peaceful time."
"Okay, so let's say I accept this shadow business... How does a formless shadow pick up a rock?"
Sage spoke up. "He doesn't. Think back, Sarah. When Jareth caught you while you were standing on the plateau, just as you were about to fall... You dropped the shard immediately after, am I correct?"
Images of the past flashed through her mind. She remembered the close fatality of that dusty height, when Jareth caught her and kept her from plummeting. Before her stumbling, she had cried, 'I don't love you! I want you out of my life forever!' to which Jareth had replied, 'But I love you!' He saved her life and held her soothingly... 'I have you,' he had comforted. 'I won't let you fall...'
"Sarah?" Sage prompted. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she answered, shaking away the nostalgia. She tried hard to ignore the saddened expression that took over Jareth's face at her drifting away, but she was not very successful. Doing her best to push it aside, she responded, "Yes, I dropped the shard immediately after."
I did not want him out of my life, she admitted to herself, looking at him more fully, trying hard to regain the emotion, the overwhelming trust that had overtaken her those four years ago.
"Well, you may not recall, but you had also been in possession of the crystals at the time. The crystals were the means of power that the shadow had been using to live within Jareth. When you took them with you, you were carrying the shadow as well. He stayed briefly within you, almost prompting you to go to the extreme you did to keep the amethyst away from Jareth."
I was eager to get away, I remember, Sarah thought. I knew there was no true escape from him, knew it very well, but I could only think that I had to get further away...
"He moved from you to the amethyst... You were no longer pure when you touched the amethyst, so you not only broke the spell on it by retrieving it from its hiding place, but had also unleashed its evil tendencies. It had been his plan all along, to use Jareth to get you, a woman of a pure heart, to take the journey required to retrieve the amethyst. Once you had retrieved it, he would use you, in one way or another, to help him unleash its evil powers."
Yes, I felt strange, I knew something wasn't right. When the amethyst fell from my hand, I felt a tension breaking, like something leaving me...
"When it fell, he could only use the power of the shard to transform himself. He must not have been very powerful, seeing that he had been suddenly transmitted to a fairly alien talisman. That is the only reason I can think of for which he did not take the entire amethyst. Besides, if he had taken the whole thing, you would have noticed sooner that the whole thing was missing and would have made an extensive search."
It didn't seem quite right when I saw it again, after I climbed down the plateau to retrieve it. I had almost expected to find it gone, thanks to Jareth, but I remember being surprised to see it there. The amethyst didn't look exactly like a remembered it, but I had only looked at it for a few moments, so I dismissed the notion that it had changed in any way. I remember seeing the claws of some kind of bird embedded in the sand nearby, but had decided it was unimportant. I attributed it to Jareth in the form of the owl... I convinced myself that he had considered taking it, but had changed his mind. But no, they did not look like the tracks of an bird.
"You may recall that it was nearly two years later before I approached you with the knowledge that I had another piece of the amethyst... I had only realized a piece of it was missing after a month had passed. However, I told you that I had kept it hidden for security reasons. Which was partly true. I did not want it to be revealed that there was a missing piece, for the knowledge, in the wrong hands, could have muddled this even further. It was at this time that I finally found Jareth, for he was in hiding. He was recovering from the split he and his shadow had made, but felt certain that his shadow had expired the moment he had lost his powers, which the other elves and I had taken by way of a spell we had cast while you were away at the plateau. He attributed his loss of powers and the shadow both to us -- after he had dug around a bit and learned of our actions. "
He was acting very differently, like the time that I thought he was drunk, at the castle. He was very sincere, and I wanted to trust him... But I knew I could not.
"He thought that his absence would heal the harm done, and he thought all of the danger had subsided, until I found him. I informed him of the lost shard, demanded that he return it. He told me that he did not have it, but, realizing that all was not well, also told me about the shadow."
Jareth had not lied when he had admitted his love for me, I have always been certain. It's confused me time and again -- why would he leave after such a confession? Perhaps it was guilt. Perhaps it was something else. "We both came to the conclusion that I have already told you about. The shadow made a physical form for himself and took the shard. Apparently his powers increased greatly over time, as well as his skills; he has become adept enough to take the form of Kaleb, and has managed to make himself into a king. Now that his power is at the highest peak it could possibly reach with the shard, he wants to get the rest of the amethyst so that he can complete his plans. WE need to know where it is, and find a new way to dispose of it. Perhaps even use it against him somehow."
It is a good thing that I keep it so close. He will never find it in my bedchamber.
Why do I feel so queer all of a sudden? The room is spinning...
The wine. It was the wine. Oh please, not now...
Sage took a breath from his long narrative. Sarah's eyes rolled up in their sockets as she passed out in reply.
"Sarah!" Sage exclaimed, rushing to her side.
Jareth was equally distraught. He kneeled beside her and felt for a pulse. "She has only fainted," he announced quietly.
"What is it you humans say?" Sage said, narrowing his eyes. "When it rains, it rains cats and dogs, is that it?"
"I think you are close enough," Jareth replied, shaking his head. "Come now, let's take her to her room. You might want to get someone to check the wine."
"Yes, I should have taken it from her."
"Well, look at it this way... She will be stress free for a little while, at least."
Sage helped the man lift her and smiled despite the circumstances. "Only someone who loved her dearly would look at it in such a way."
"Well, yes, I suppose so."
Jareth paced his chambers anxiously, his eyes dark and brooding, his lips pursed in thoughtful contemplation. He looked up immediately when the door to his room opened, and the small, gray-haired elf called Sage stepped into the haven of the bedroom and its flickering,, low-lit embrace.
"I apologize for not getting here sooner," the elf remarked. "I could not escape all of the minions begging for my expertise."
"No, no, think nothing of it," Jareth replied rather distractedly as he stopped to analyze the condition of his goatee in the oval mirror that adorned the wall. The motion was less one of vanity and more one of fidgety nervousness.
Sage tilted his head to the side and approached the man's side, putting a caring hand upon his shoulder upon reaching him. "How are you, Friend?"
The former Goblin King abruptly ceased in playing with his facial hair and gave Sage a wan smile. "About as well as can be expected, I suppose." He moved from beneath the elf's grasp and plopped into a cushioned chair against the wall. A pitiful sigh escaped his lips. "Oh, Sage, she hates me! I knew it! This was all a mistake... I should not have concerned myself. I should have saved everyone coming agony by ending my life years ago."
An angry tone oft unfamiliar to Sage took hold of the elf's voice. "Now, listen here! I will have no more of your foolish talk of death. Heaven knows how I have kept you from the notion thus far, and I cannot understand why you embrace it to this day! For one, Sarah does not hate you. She has told me from her own mouth only last night that she bore an undying love for you. Yes, she is angered, but she does not hate you. For two, there are many other ways we can dispel your shadow, and it does not require you killing yourself." He paused and looked at Jareth from beneath sunken brows. His tone was suddenly quiet and somber -- and somewhat sheepish. "Besides, we may have our chance sooner than we thought."
Jareth sat upright immediately and faced the elf with a new, bitter resolve. His face twisted into a look of combined concern and disgust. "Why do you say that?" His tone implied that he already had an idea of what the answer to his question was.
"Well, a mysterious 'King Kaleb' has shown up for Sarah's little gathering. And, well, let's say I have a very bad feeling about him. Though I don't wish for this knowledge to bring you down any further, my friend, Sarah seems to have taken an equal liking to him as to Pandor. It is really beyond me what made her go to the extreme she did. Not only did she allow him and his entourage to take part in the festivities, knowing that neither of us had heard of him or his kingdom once in the past four years, but she invited him to remain as a royal guest in the palace."
Jareth stood up, apparently flustered beyond belief. "What did you say? No! No, this can't be... Why did I not sense him? But it must be him! Who else could it be!? And he's in the castle... No doubt he is here for the shard... And the competition! He knows I am here, as well! By the stars! What are we going to do?" As he made each exclamation he emphasized it with a decisive turning about in his sudden, flurried pacing.
"Now, now, Jareth, please be calm. There is no good to come of this. We must discuss all of this with Sarah and come up with a plan. Do not forget your main reason for coming here. We must warn Sarah and get her to cast the spell." Sage took a seat himself and looked somberly at his friend. "It does not overly surprise me that you did not sense him. Your sensitivity has waned as time has passed; especially with your loss of powers, well, it is no doubt you did not see him coming."
Jareth shook his head. "Well, what is the plan?"
"I have heightened security. Damion is currently looking into Kaleb's origin. If we are lucky, I am wrong about him."
"I am sure you are not incorrect," Jareth replied from a downturned face.
"What do you think his plan is, Jareth?" Sage asked.
Jareth stared off into the distance and replied, "I am not certain, but I would guess that he will strike as soon as possible. I am sure he knows of our suspicions. And he definitely is aware of my presence. His first plan, though, above all else would be to retrieve the shard. Perhaps that is the reason for him getting close to Sarah. Do you know if he has spoken to Sarah more personally, or not?"
"I have heard rumors that they were seen dancing earlier today."
"I should have not been so silly. I should have made my presence known immediately and not given him the chance to have any sort of privacy with her. Damn him and damn me!" With a loud thud, Jareth banged his fist angrily against a nearby dresser.
"Look, now, I understand your pain, Jareth, but I tell you again that your anger will bring about nothing. We must act swiftly if he is doing all that you have predicted. We must go and speak to Sarah now. She must tell us the location of the shard."
"Yes, you are right. Let us go find her now." Jareth retrieved his leather jerkin from where it lay on the back of the dresser table chair and put it on. "I suppose now is as good a time as any for us to begin to make our amends."
Together the man and elf left the room and began the ascent of the stairs that led to Sarah's study. As they made their way, step by step, Damion began to rush down the staircase, his feathers in a flurry. His glasses teetered off the edge of his beak as he stopped before Sage. "Oh, oh.." his voice trembled in shrill tones, "it is absolute chaos, Sage! I just cannot begin..."
Sage put his hands on the shoulders of the bird-man and said, "Well, you must begin somewhere, my friend. Give me a whole account. What is the matter?"
Damion straightened his glasses with a trembling wing. "It is simply horrible! The gnomes who were assigned kitchen duty for their misbehavior have set the kitchen on fire! It is under control, but is still ablazing... And I have been sent by Mrs. Hiddlebury to find Sarah and a doctor, and --"
"Wait, wait there, my friend! A doctor! For whatever reason could Mrs. Hiddlebury be in need of a doctor!?" Sage's eyes were wide as he crossed his arms somberly.
"It looks as if the elderly Hoggle is having quite a bit of trouble... We all fear the worst. It happened only moments ago." Damion became so exasperated that he dropped the papers that were his constant companions on the floor clumsily.
Jareth turned to face Sage, his expression serious. "Poor Hoggle. To think what I put the little man through all of those years... What a terrible time for all of these things to happen."
The silence penetrated for a few moments before Sage noticed that Damion's jaw was trembling in fear, as if he was apprehensive about the next thing he would have to say.
Sage's brow sunk as he prompted the bird. "What else?"
"I have no strong evidence, but I fear it is as you predicted. King Kaleb has no definable origins... No history past that of four years ago, when he began his kingdom." Damion gulped. "He is not in his room, either. No one has seen him." His jaw moved without sound.
"Yes?" Sage prodded.
"And there have been reports of... crows, Sir. I checked myself... The sky is full of them. They swarm through every tree, have taken every bough. They are eating the leftover food from the celebration. There is a great deal of panic. This too, has just recently developed."
Jareth moved quickly and forcefully, placing his hand firmly upon the bird's shoulder. "Do you know where Sarah is, now, Damion?"
"I believe she has already been summoned... She is probably with Hoggle. I have not yet been able to make her aware of the birds. I thought it wise to first contact you, Sage --"
"Where are you going, Jareth?" Sage asked.
Jareth turned to face him. "I am going to find Sarah."
"You forget how things have changed, my friend. Hoggle's quarters are this way," he pointed down the stairs and gave the man a slight grin.
Jareth merely redirected his journey with a speedy gait. "Very well. Let us find her, then."
"What shall I do?" Damion called after Sage.
"Alert all of our royal guests of this turn of events... Mobilize the army! Contact me via my amulet if anything else comes up! And get someone to get the doctor for Mr. Hiddlebury!" Sage ceased his speech just before it became barely audible in his departure.
Damion faltered a moment before leaving, as well. "Oh dear, me," he mumbled. "I think I need another job."
Jareth and Sage talked on the way to Hoggle's chambers, their walking hurried under the stress of the chaotic circumstances. "What does this Kaleb look like, Sage? I take it he and I are not the same in appearance. At least, not anymore."
"I don't know... He is your height, as I recall. Black hair, black eyes... He seems to have a fetish for the color black, and a fetish for feathers, like you did at one time, my friend."
Jareth gave the elf a sidelong glance. "I assure you, the feathers were all him. I no longer get a kick out of wearing boas." He seemed pensive. "The color black does not surprise me. But what about the face? What does his face look like? I want to be able to know who I am looking at, though I am sure Iwill have no doubts when I am looking at him."
Sage pondered the question a moment; they passed areas of raucous talk, where people and creatures alike were gabbing about the appearance of the birds. The fear seemed to be mounting; people had heard stories about what had happened in the other kingdoms. Jareth looked at Sage with a furrowed brow. "Black and feathers, eh? Very crow-like, wouldn't you say? Does he have an aquiline nose to boot?"
Sage smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes. And a wide, brooding brow. No doubt the ability to summon birds. I would bet all of this chaos, even other than the birds, is his doing." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wouldn't get too caught up in assigning this man a face, Jareth. I am sure he has the ability to take any form he chooses. He has a piece of the amethyst. He does have his limits, but he can do nearly anything he likes."
"You do not have to remind me. Ah -- I take it that those are Hoggle's chambers." He stopped before a room where close friends of Hoggle crowded round. Ludo, Didymus, and a number of other creatures huddled around the door in expectation of news. "Let us through," Sage called as he pushed his way into the crowd. They passed Ludo and Didymus, the fox sitting on the large shoulder of the beast. The fox's eyes followed the two men as they entered the room, his jaw agape in wonder.
"W-was that who I dost think it was, my brother?" Didymus asked, his eyes transfixed where Jareth retreated behind the closing door of the bedchamber.
Ludo merely shrugged his shoulders in reply, knocking the sitting Didymus from his seated position in the process. Didymus landed on the ground with a thump and got up quickly, brushing himself off as he gave the beast an exasperated glance from below. "Now, brother, you must be more careful!"
Ludo picked him up and replaced the fox to his former place. "Sorry, Brother."
They entered the room and were rewarded with a number of stares. Some were not quite so amiable; Jareth assumed that they belonged to former-goblins- turned-humans. The most obvious and bitter stare was that of Sarah. She did not address her anger, but merely returned her glance to the tormented Hoggle Senior. Her gaze softened in sympathy and she put her hand on his. His face was contorted with pain. "What can I get for you until the doctor comes, Hoggle? I am at your disposal."
"A good strong liquor," he rasped with a sarcastic, yet painful, smile. It was quickly demolished as he was overcome by a wave of physical anguish; he grunted at its onslaught.
Sarah's own wan smile was destroyed at the sight of his suffering. She turned toward a servant that stood nearby. "Please get him some alcohol, Deana," she bid the young woman, touching her softly on the arm as she said it. The girl nodded somberly before leaving the room.
Jareth looked on from the back of the room while Sage approached Sarah, took her to a corner in the room, and quietly relayed the news to her. He was saddened by Mr. Hiddlebury's suffering, amazed by Sarah's level of maturity in handling such difficult affairs. She acted twice her age in matters regarding the people of her kingdom. He observed her unshamefully as she spoke to Sage, her level of amazement obviously increasing as shown by the changing states of her expression. Her hair was tousled, her flowers and barettes having been removed long ago. She stood tall in her dress, despite her apparent wearines. Like a weather-tortured oak she stood proud, reaching her arms out to shelter those under her. Caring and gentle, despite her bitterness toward the storm. It was a misfortune that Jareth was a part of that storm, one more piece of hail in an already too-beaten world. But she is so beautiful and entrancing, he said to himself, as if he had to excuse his actions. She makes a man want to live no matter how much he could want -- or need -- to die. Her eyes met his, disapproving of his watchfulness. He did not turn away; though he felt a slight impulse to avert his gaze, he was too old and life-wearied himself to fear showing his attentions. He was not ashamed of his love for her, even if he had no right to it.
Sarah approached Mrs. Hiddlebury and informed her that the doctor was on his way. She then began to leave the room, just reaching the door when the young Deana was coming in with various types of alcohol. "I didn't know what to bring, Your Majesty, so I brought a couple of things." Sarah observed the variety of alcoholic beverages, and, seeing a small bottle of opened wine amongst them, said, "Give me the wine. I don't think it will be of any help to Mr. Hiddlebury. However, I am currently in great need of it." The girl handed her the bottle, a glass, and curtsied. "Yes, Your Majesty. Shall I take care of him while you are gone?"
"The doctor is on the way, Deana. You can help Mrs. Hiddlebury look after him for the time being. I have other matters to attend to."
Hoggle had come into the room and heard her last statement. "What's going on? Is my Papa okay? I just went to bring him something to calm'is nerves." In his hands he held two corked jugs of liquor, both looking more potent than anything Deana would have been able to acquire.
Hoggle Sr. chuckled and rasped, "That's mah boy." The effort cost him, for he was soon hacking away.
Mr. Hiddlebury's coughs barely distracted the group as they continued to talk; Hoggle grabbed a glass from Deana, filled it up, gave Jareth the evil eye, handed the drink to his father, and spoke to Sarah, all in one swift movement. "Is it the birds? I believe there is a bit of trouble outdoors. What's goin' on, Sarah?"
His comment brought on a slight rush of panic amongst the onlookers. They had been closed in the room for awhile, and had not received any of the news. Sarah waved them to silence while still grasping a wine glass as she spoke, "Now please, no one panic. I am not quite sure what is going on... Just be patient, and look after Hoggle's father. I will look into matters. There will be no trouble tonight if I have anything to say about it." She gave Jareth a sidelong glance before exiting the room. Sage and Jareth were in her wake.
"What is the matter, Your Majesty?" Didymus asked as he came to attention, noticing the distraught nature of his queen as she approached.
"Didymus, there is little time to explain. I haven't gotten all the details yet, but we are in the midst of a bird encounter like the other kingdoms experienced. I want you to be on the lookout... Go to the Plaza and keep track of whatever you can that goes on with the birds. Take note of anyting strange." She turned to face the beast. "Ludo, you go with him and make sure nothing happens to him."
"Ludo tell King," Ludo said as a counteroffer.
"No, don't worry about it, Ludo. Damion is already taking care of it. Just do as I have asked."
"We are at your service, Your Majesty!" Didymus exclaimed as he saluted her, standing upright on Ludo's shoulder. As the trio - Sarah, Sage, and Jareth -- departed, they did not notice as Didymus lost his balance once again and fell from the beast's shoulder.
Ludo merely shrugged, dusted his brother off, and followed him to the exit.
As they walked, Sarah began to pour herself a glass of wine. She held the cork between her teeth as she stopped to keep the pink liquid from sloshing out of the glass. It did not take her long to down one glass; she poured a second before leaving the bottle on the ground against a nearby wall and continuing her journey. "Fill me in, Sage," she demanded in a very business- like tone. "I want to know everything."
"As it turns out," Sage began while he walked along Sarah, "Kaleb is the cause of all of this. He is the summoner of the birds, and there is no doubt in my mind that he somehow instigated all of the havoc that has begun."
"What do we know about him? Why is he here?" Sarah pursed her lips. "He must want something..."
"Yes, he does," Jareth replied as he sped up his pace to walk alongside Sarah. "He wants the amethyst."
"For all I know, Jareth, that is what you are here for. For all I know, you are Kaleb himself."
"I am not here for the amethyst, Sarah. But, as far as being Kaleb goes, it all depends on your point of view."
"You seem to have quite a muddled perspective on most things Jareth. I do not know your reason for coming here in the first place. It would seem to me that you would have been happier living on your quaint little farm."
"Enough of that, Sarah," Sage demanded. "We need to know where you keep the amethyst so that Kaleb cannot retrieve it."
Sarah turned to face the elf after downing her second glass of wine. "Why the hell does he know about the amethyst in the first place? Even if he does want it, it is of no use to him if he does not have the shard."
"He has the shard, Sarah," Jareth replied ominously.
Sarah stopped abruptly. "Wait a minute!" She turned to face Sage. "You told me that you had the shard! Why is it that Kaleb has it? He appears suddenly, as if out of nowhere, and he is destroying my kingdom! I do not have to tell you how destructive your dishonesty is going to be Sage, so I hope to God that you have a good explanation for all of this."
Sage sighed and rolled his eyes. "I should have taken that wine away from you when I had the chance."
"Dammit, Sage, you know very well that the wine has nothing to do with it! I am so far in the dark here that no little glimmer is going to help me find my way out! I need a damn huge spotlight to shed some light on this whole mess! Jareth here," she thrust her hand in his direction, "appears out of nowhere, after four years of leaving me in the cold, to fend for a kingdom with full responsibility, despite the fact that I was barely breaking adolescence. Not only does he play a fun little game to make himself known, but you are in on it, helping him all the way. Now I find out that the shard piece that I thought was safe with you in fact is not... But is in the hands of a man I only met this afternoon, who is wreaking havoc upon my city at the worst possible time! Hoggle's father is dying, the kitchen is on fire, and I am living proof that Bradbury was more prophetic than anyone ever would have dreamed! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be a little miffed!?"
"She has a good point, Sage," Jareth commented with a raised brow. He seemed unaffected by Sarah's tirade; the only movement he made was to cross his arms. "I think we have a lot of explaining to do."
"Good God, Jareth, I think that is the most intelligent thing you have said since I have known you." Sarah took a few more steps down the hall and entered her throne room. Placing the wine glass on a nearby table, she turned to look at Jareth and Sage, who, though weary-looking, were no less adamant in their gait. "Before another word is said, I think we should depart to more secure quarters. You can tell me everything that is going on there."
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Let's make haste," Sage replied.
As they approached the staircase, Sarah mumbled, "Can it get any worse?"
Leah heard her comment, for she was descending the same staircase Sarah had begun to ascend. "Yes, it can," she replied with crossed arms. She was taken aback when Jareth's face became visible as he emerged from the throne room and began to take a few steps up the flight. "What the hell is he doing here!?" she cried.
Jareth gazed upward and tightened his crossed arms. "The plot thickens," he mumbled in an irritated tone. It had taken him aback slightly to see someone so exactly alike Sarah in appearance (Lacking the charm, of course, he said to himself), but he had already learned of her shadow counterpart and quickly recovered.
"I see you recognize Jareth," Sarah replied.
"I told you Pandor," she paused to roll the false name around her mouth in distaste, "was going to be trouble."
"Yes, well, there is no time for 'I told you so's'. What's happened?... Add it to the list."
"Toby has run away from home. Mom and Dad have no clue where he is. He's been gone for six hours, now, and the neighborhood has gone to look for him. Not a sign of him anywhere. I already checked my house."
Sarah was completely horrified. What little composure she had maintained left her, and she put her hand to her forehead in amazement. "My God, he could be anywhere... and I don't have the time or means to deal with it right now! Have you heard about what is going on around here yet?"
"Let's see, I ran into Damion as he was rushing a doctor to Hoggle's room; past two gnomes brandishing a fork that they somehow had transformed into a torch, followed by a number of shrieking Fierys who were trying to put them into a cage; some drunken kittens singing about the joys of fermented milk; a couple of trash people fighting over claimed ownership of some piece of junk; and a lot of people screaming about a swarm of birds." She smirked sardonically and crossed her arms. "Could anything be the matter?"
"It's getting worse by the minute, Leah."
" I would guess that it's all his fault," she replied, pointing to Jareth and glowering at him.
"Look, that doesn't matter right now," Sarah answered, shaking her head as if warding off a headache. "I can't help you find Toby, but, if you find Vindar and Isabelle, they might be able to help you. At least until I get all of this under control. God knows, he could be anywhere from Aboveground to Underground, Leah."
"That's true. We will find him, nonetheless." She gave Sarah the sarcastic smile that she was so well-known for. "Good luck."
"Yes, you too." She hugged her twin. "Let me know what happens."
"I will."
They went their separate ways and Sarah continued the journey to her study. A million thoughts rushed through her mind as she tried to make some sense of the goings-on: Why was Jareth really here? Where was Toby? Why did Kaleb have the shard? How was it that everything seemed to be falling apart all at once? Would Hoggle's father make it? A slight wooziness began to grip her, but she was certain it had nothing to do with the alcohol, for it felt nothing like drunkenness. She braced herself and choked it down; there would be no time to deal with it, until she got some control of the circumstances at hand. Once everything was back to normal, she would have ample time to consult a doctor.
The trio's journey was a short, yet silent one. Upon reaching the study, Sarah closed the doors and invoked a spell to trap sound within the room; a light buzzing noise seemed to envelop the room. Jareth looked a little shocked at her ease of casting, as well as her skill; Sarah saw his amazement and her mouth pinched at the sides into a half-frown. She sat on the edge of her desk and said, "Okay, now, why does Kaleb have the shard? Why do you not have it, Sage? Did he take it from you somehow?"
"I'm afraid it's not so simple. I never was in possession of the shard."
"Who was in possession of it, then?" Sarah said, very obviously swallowing a bitter retort.
"I thought, once I realized it had been cleft, that Jareth had taken it. However, I was uncertain."
"And you did not inform me of your uncertainties?" Sarah said with slanting eyebrows.
"Your opinion of him was already very shaky, Sarah, and I was just beginning to learn of all that was going on with him, myself; I did not want to cast any further distrust in his direction until I was certain."
"And were you in possession of the shard?" she asked, turning her simmering eyes to Jareth.
"No, I was not. I was not even aware that it had been shattered. I left, roamed aimlessly for a year, then found Granen. My life has been, for the most part, as Granen and I have told you."
"Then who else was there at that time? Who could have taken it?"
Sage took a seat in a plush chair that sat next to the doorway. "Jareth's shadow."
"How could that be? I didn't see a duplicate copy of Jareth walking around..."
"He was in my mind, inside of me. He was half of the person that was The Goblin King, the man you knew four years ago."
Sarah blinked and gazed at him in disbelief. "How did your shadow get inside of you? The last I heard, shadows were separate entities entirely."
"That is a long story, Sarah, for a more peaceful time."
"Okay, so let's say I accept this shadow business... How does a formless shadow pick up a rock?"
Sage spoke up. "He doesn't. Think back, Sarah. When Jareth caught you while you were standing on the plateau, just as you were about to fall... You dropped the shard immediately after, am I correct?"
Images of the past flashed through her mind. She remembered the close fatality of that dusty height, when Jareth caught her and kept her from plummeting. Before her stumbling, she had cried, 'I don't love you! I want you out of my life forever!' to which Jareth had replied, 'But I love you!' He saved her life and held her soothingly... 'I have you,' he had comforted. 'I won't let you fall...'
"Sarah?" Sage prompted. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she answered, shaking away the nostalgia. She tried hard to ignore the saddened expression that took over Jareth's face at her drifting away, but she was not very successful. Doing her best to push it aside, she responded, "Yes, I dropped the shard immediately after."
I did not want him out of my life, she admitted to herself, looking at him more fully, trying hard to regain the emotion, the overwhelming trust that had overtaken her those four years ago.
"Well, you may not recall, but you had also been in possession of the crystals at the time. The crystals were the means of power that the shadow had been using to live within Jareth. When you took them with you, you were carrying the shadow as well. He stayed briefly within you, almost prompting you to go to the extreme you did to keep the amethyst away from Jareth."
I was eager to get away, I remember, Sarah thought. I knew there was no true escape from him, knew it very well, but I could only think that I had to get further away...
"He moved from you to the amethyst... You were no longer pure when you touched the amethyst, so you not only broke the spell on it by retrieving it from its hiding place, but had also unleashed its evil tendencies. It had been his plan all along, to use Jareth to get you, a woman of a pure heart, to take the journey required to retrieve the amethyst. Once you had retrieved it, he would use you, in one way or another, to help him unleash its evil powers."
Yes, I felt strange, I knew something wasn't right. When the amethyst fell from my hand, I felt a tension breaking, like something leaving me...
"When it fell, he could only use the power of the shard to transform himself. He must not have been very powerful, seeing that he had been suddenly transmitted to a fairly alien talisman. That is the only reason I can think of for which he did not take the entire amethyst. Besides, if he had taken the whole thing, you would have noticed sooner that the whole thing was missing and would have made an extensive search."
It didn't seem quite right when I saw it again, after I climbed down the plateau to retrieve it. I had almost expected to find it gone, thanks to Jareth, but I remember being surprised to see it there. The amethyst didn't look exactly like a remembered it, but I had only looked at it for a few moments, so I dismissed the notion that it had changed in any way. I remember seeing the claws of some kind of bird embedded in the sand nearby, but had decided it was unimportant. I attributed it to Jareth in the form of the owl... I convinced myself that he had considered taking it, but had changed his mind. But no, they did not look like the tracks of an bird.
"You may recall that it was nearly two years later before I approached you with the knowledge that I had another piece of the amethyst... I had only realized a piece of it was missing after a month had passed. However, I told you that I had kept it hidden for security reasons. Which was partly true. I did not want it to be revealed that there was a missing piece, for the knowledge, in the wrong hands, could have muddled this even further. It was at this time that I finally found Jareth, for he was in hiding. He was recovering from the split he and his shadow had made, but felt certain that his shadow had expired the moment he had lost his powers, which the other elves and I had taken by way of a spell we had cast while you were away at the plateau. He attributed his loss of powers and the shadow both to us -- after he had dug around a bit and learned of our actions. "
He was acting very differently, like the time that I thought he was drunk, at the castle. He was very sincere, and I wanted to trust him... But I knew I could not.
"He thought that his absence would heal the harm done, and he thought all of the danger had subsided, until I found him. I informed him of the lost shard, demanded that he return it. He told me that he did not have it, but, realizing that all was not well, also told me about the shadow."
Jareth had not lied when he had admitted his love for me, I have always been certain. It's confused me time and again -- why would he leave after such a confession? Perhaps it was guilt. Perhaps it was something else. "We both came to the conclusion that I have already told you about. The shadow made a physical form for himself and took the shard. Apparently his powers increased greatly over time, as well as his skills; he has become adept enough to take the form of Kaleb, and has managed to make himself into a king. Now that his power is at the highest peak it could possibly reach with the shard, he wants to get the rest of the amethyst so that he can complete his plans. WE need to know where it is, and find a new way to dispose of it. Perhaps even use it against him somehow."
It is a good thing that I keep it so close. He will never find it in my bedchamber.
Why do I feel so queer all of a sudden? The room is spinning...
The wine. It was the wine. Oh please, not now...
Sage took a breath from his long narrative. Sarah's eyes rolled up in their sockets as she passed out in reply.
"Sarah!" Sage exclaimed, rushing to her side.
Jareth was equally distraught. He kneeled beside her and felt for a pulse. "She has only fainted," he announced quietly.
"What is it you humans say?" Sage said, narrowing his eyes. "When it rains, it rains cats and dogs, is that it?"
"I think you are close enough," Jareth replied, shaking his head. "Come now, let's take her to her room. You might want to get someone to check the wine."
"Yes, I should have taken it from her."
"Well, look at it this way... She will be stress free for a little while, at least."
Sage helped the man lift her and smiled despite the circumstances. "Only someone who loved her dearly would look at it in such a way."
"Well, yes, I suppose so."