Birds were singing somewhere. Sprawling on her back, Sarah reveled in the
feeling of sun on her closed eyelids. A cool wind smelling of leaves and
rain blew gently against her face and the back of her shirt felt soaking
wet. She opened her eyes to the sight of a sky as brilliantly blue as the
one in her world, peppered with spent clouds, and the force of her relief
was so strong that she choked. Tearing her eyes away from the glorious
color, she turned her head to locate Jareth, one hand already unconsciously
moving across the ground in search of him. He lay just a few feet from
her, curled around himself as if in memory of the terrible wound he had
received. In a moment of panic, Sarah forgot to breath herself until she
saw his chest move in a long, easy inspiration.
At that moment it all became too much. She didn't even have the strength to curl up as Jareth had done; she lay helpless on her back as the tears came furiously. At last they were safe and the shock, horror and sorrow of Tir-na-nOg could be purged. She sobbed for a long time and at the end of it she wished that Jareth would wake up and hold her and tell her that everything was all right now. The exhaustion of having been so close to death still lay heavy on him though, and Sarah had to content herself with the consolation that at least he was alive. After her storm of weeping was spent, she lay for a long time just enjoying the feeling of a breeze on her cheeks, her mind empty and sore.
After a while she started to think about what would happen now. Jareth was back in his own country, but she was even farther from her world than she had been before. She desperately wanted to see Pierce and Sandy and her dad again, to have normalcy reassert its stabilizing presence in her life. She had always wanted to have adventures, but Tir-na-nOg had happened too quickly and too violently. It had stretched every nerve beyond the breaking point but somehow she had survived, and now part of her was terrified at the thought that, for good or ill, things had changed forever. The magic was inside her now.
Even if she got back to her own country, went back to college, and pretended that nothing had happened, it would just be a big lie. In fact, most of her world was living a huge falsehood. There had to be other people like her who might have been mages if they had been born into a world that believed in magic, and she knew from personal experience that those people would never feel at ease with themselves while such an important part of their lives was denied its very existence. And then there was Jareth himself.
Sarah rolled herself onto her side and gasped as the bruises that ran up and down her body viciously announced themselves. Her muscles ached with a fiery soreness and every part of her body suddenly seemed anxious to let her know exactly how much it disapproved of movement. "Okay, bad idea," she said, gritting her teeth. "Come on girl, you're a mage. Heal thyself, can't you?" In response, the weak echo of her magic rose inside her, surveyed the damage, and promptly collapsed. Apparently she had overspent herself and was now paying the price. Swearing floridly, Sarah flopped onto her belly and was in the process of trying to convince her upper limbs to push her into a sitting position when she was distracted by a familiar chuckle. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she demanded, "Can't I ever get a break here? Of course he's got to wake up when I'm face-first in the dirt."
"Of course," Jareth's voice purred in her ear. He didn't seem to be having nearly the amount of trouble that she was. His movements were as elegant as ever, if perhaps a trifle slow, as he rose to a sitting position and deftly gathered her into his lap. Sarah sighed in defeat and laid her head on his shoulder. His voice rumbled against her ear as he continued, "Although I feel I ought to confess that the sight of your dirt-smudged nose is lovelier to me even than that of the blue sky, of which I thought I had seen my last."
"Oh, Jareth," Sarah said, tilting her head upward to look into his face. Was it her imagination, or did his weird eyes still darken and close off as they looked at her? With an effort she raised a finger and laid it along his chin, noticing the quiver in his cheek. In that moment it became supremely clear to her that her choice was actually a very simple one. She would be miserable if she ever left this man - spiritually bereft, emotionally destitute. Even if she never saw her father again, she would at least be happy if she could have this one great love. It was like the sun breaking through the clouds in her mind, and she smiled up at him with all the love she felt. The shadow in his eyes drew back a little and Sarah felt her heart soar.
"Jareth," she said, "you might as well look your fill at the smudge on my nose, because lots of things about me are smudgy - I'll never be a good princess and I don't have a skinny waist and when people expect me to be elegant I become a total klutz and it might be just a matter of time until you wish you'd found someone more suited to your station. But the truth is that I will only be fully alive if I can be with you. I don't care if it's for an hour or a month or fifty years, although in all honesty I'd prefer the latter, but I'll take what I can get. Because - because - because I love you!" The last part rushed from her lips in a gust of mixed determination and terror, but the look on his face was well worth the anxiety. He looked like a man who has been handed the key to all earthly happiness but who doesn't quite understand what has just happened to him.
That adorable look of bewildered joy (which Sarah would never forget) lasted for the space of half a dozen heartbeats, and then Jareth gave a cry filled with so many different emotions that Sarah couldn't even begin to sort it out, especially once he started kissing her. He kissed her hair, her eyes, her cheeks, and hesitated a mere moment before he kissed her mouth in sweet, sweet acknowledgement of everything between them that was wonderful. Sarah felt happy beyond words as she saw that the shadow behind his eyes had fled. She would do everything in her power to make sure it never returned.
Although she could eagerly accept his caresses, it annoyed Sarah to find that she was still too weak to do much else. Jareth noticed it after the first wave of bliss had ebbed enough to allow that sort of rational thought, and with infinite tenderness asked, "What's wrong, dearest?"
"I don't know," Sarah confessed. "After we went through the Gate, I just kind of collapsed. I feel bruised all over and I'm so weak I can't even move."
Jareth's brow creased and the focus of his eyes seemed to shift slightly, and Sarah realized that he was examining her with magic. He didn't seem to like what he saw because his eyes first widened in shock, then narrowed with temper. "Who the hell did this?" he snarled.
"Did what?" Sarah asked, alarmed.
His arms tightened possessively around her as he growled, "The strength of life in your body is depleted almost to the point of death. Only the blackest magician is capable of ripping someone's very essence away. We are not safe here. Our enemy must have followed us!"
"What enemy?" Sarah demanded. "There wasn't anybody left, remember? Poor Draeda Duath is dead, and his son got filleted by the creature from the black lagoon, and then said creature got sent back to said lagoon. I think you might have missed that part." Her voice trembled as she fought to block out the memory of that last, terrible sword stroke.
Jareth's frown deepened. "Why do I not remember this? There was a battle - Malocoli slew his lieutenant and then was slain himself - and I fought the Fomhoire. . . "
"Um, well, you were injured in the fight," Sarah explained, trying in vain to sound casual about it. "Balor got his just desserts, never fear. I didn't know what to do, you were hurt so badly." Sarah couldn't help herself; she started to sob. Between tearful breaths, she blurted out, "I poured my own life into you. I couldn't think of any other way to save you! I was so scared I might lose you."
She felt Jareth's arms go tense around her. "What did you say?" he whispered in a voice that could have frozen running water. Putting both hands on her arms, he lifted her in front of him so that they were face to face and brought his nose within inches of her own. "You put yourself in that kind of danger? Idiot creature! Stupid selflessness! What would I have done if you had died, eh? Did you think of that, you mad, irresponsible woman? I would have gone insane with grief! You bloody fool, you are never, never, never to put yourself at risk again, do you hear me?" The volume of his voice rose steadily until he was shouting, and with each repetition of 'never' he gave her a quick, firm shake. The look on his face was torn between pride, gratitude, fear, and anguish.
Sarah had to smother a grin at the fierce complexity of the man she loved, who was so convinced that he was not worth her sacrifice that he rejected it completely. She felt the blood pound in her ears as her ire rose and gave herself gladly to the fight, crying, "Oh, fine words coming from you! That's the pot calling the kettle black! You practically jumped in front of that monstrosity, all eager to sacrifice yourself heroically on my behalf. What, pray tell, would I have done if you had died? I'd have spent the rest of my life tormented and alone, haunted by that one terrible moment. You're not the only one who can love selflessly, you know. If you don't like it you better just get used to it, because I'd sacrifice my life to save yours any day of the week! And you promised you'd never yell at me again!"
"By the good earth," Jareth thundered, "I'll keep you safe if I have to barricade you in the highest tower!"
"You will NOT!" Sarah shouted happily. "I said I want to live my life at your side and that's exactly what I'll do - live! Not waste away in enforced security. You can't ensure my safety any more than I can ensure yours."
"I will not tolerate you risking yourself on my behalf!" Jareth roared back.
"Tough luck, buster - you're stuck with me. Plus, I saved your life! We really have to work on this gratitude problem of yours," Sarah retorted, but she could no longer hold back her smile. As she watched conflicting emotions chase themselves across his face, her grin broadened until she knew she must be smiling at him like an idiot. She was so happy that he was here, alive and arguing with her, that she couldn't help it.
Jareth was struck speechless by the brilliance and joy of her smile, and after a moment began ruefully to chuckle at himself. Gathering her to him, he buried his face in her hair and gave himself over to half-sobbing, half- laughing that this beautiful, courageous woman would give her life for his, as she put it, any day of the week. Clutching her like a drowning man, he gave vent to the agony he felt at knowing that he had already brought her to the brink of destruction, and that she would follow him there again. Sarah held him just as tightly, reassuring him of her presence without a word.
Jareth was the one who finally broke the mood by saying, "Things will be different from now on, you know."
"Yeah," Sarah said softly, "I was thinking about that earlier."
He continued, "The Black Gate is open. If you listen, you will hear it humming with energy just behind us, which means that its counterpart has also opened. Any record which tells of where in your world the Sun Gate is located was lost long ago, but it is only a matter of time until someone from the Upper Country stumbles across it. In ages past, my family were the guardians of the entrance to Tir-na-nOg. It is high time that duty was returned to us."
Sarah turned her head weakly to look up at him. "What are you saying?" she asked breathlessly.
Jareth dropped his lips to her hair briefly before saying, "I do not think it has been good for either of our worlds to exist in isolation. The Upper Country has abandoned magic completely, whereas the Underground is equally ignorant of the benefits of science. Both arts, it seems to me, have a place in the scheme of things."
"People will be frightened," Sarah said slowly. "At least in the Underground, you knew about Tir-na-nOg and the Upper Country. All we have are legends and stories. It's going to take a long, long time before people get comfortable with the idea of magic. And there might be wars - we make terrible weapons with science and lots of people are just greedy. They'll look at the Underground as something to exploit."
"Then we'll act very slowly and very carefully to make sure that nothing of that sort happens," Jareth said in a firm voice. "My people also will see an opportunity to take without giving from your world, unprotected from magic as it is. We will establish a guardian of the Sun Gate, just as we will guard the Black Gate. Our worlds are separated from each other by many hundreds of years. It may take generations to heal the breach - but if you and I do not live to see it done, then we will raise our children to be equal to the task."
Surprise gave Sarah the strength to raise her head. "Our children?" she inquired softly.
Jareth gave a low, warm laugh without any of his usual rancor or sarcasm. "My dearest, will you consent to wed yourself to me and be my Queen? I would kneel, but I can scarcely get closer to the ground than I already am, and I fear you would fall over if left to stand unattended."
Sarah intended to punch him, but it turned out as rather a feeble pat. "You're a terrible man," she told him, "and I love you with my whole heart. Of course I'll marry you."
Jareth gave a small, soft sigh that caught the edge of Sarah's hearing and sounded like a barely-audible "Thank you." He held her for a little longer, then said, "It will be a long road to reunification, you know."
"I know," she said.
"It will be difficult and unpleasant, and we'll disagree about the best way to do things," he continued.
"And we'll have spectacular fights but we'll be careful not to hurt each other's feelings, and making up afterwards will be even better," Sarah said dreamily.
Jareth snorted. "You must be the only woman alive who is looking forward to marital discord."
"Oh, I wouldn't call it discord," Sarah disagreed. "You see, I've realized that you only call me names because you love me, and far be it from me to prohibit any expression of your undying affection."
"Undying, yes," Jareth said, "but 'affection' does not come even a little close to the breadth and vitality of my feelings for you." Sarah looked into his eyes and thought that she was the luckiest person in two worlds.
In front of them, the sun had been steadily declining and now dipped into the haze of rain clouds at the horizon, spilling brilliant orange light across the sky. The color fell like liquid gold across the land, burnishing each plant and rock to a glowing copper. Caught in the light, Jareth saw the flecks of gold hidden deep in Sarah's brown eyes. Her earnest gaze met his as she asked, "And where will we live?"
"There, in my castle, beyond the Goblin City," Jareth answered, raising a long arm to point in the direction of the setting sun.
Sarah shielded her eyes and squinted to make out a tall tower standing at the center of a sprawl of stone buildings. And spreading out around it in all directions . . . "Not again!" she cried. "I've had enough of Labyrinths to last me a lifetime!"
Behind her, she heard Jareth's soft chuckle. "This Labyrinth was built by my forefathers, and it recognizes its King - and its Queen." As she watched, the old yellow stone of the maze shifted and rearranged itself to form a broad avenue as wide as a house and as straight as an arrow leading directly to the castle.
"I'm still pretty weak," Sarah confessed. "You'll have to carry me."
"My lady," Jareth replied, "I would carry you to the ends of the earth and back again, if you asked it of me." He stood and lifted her in his arms, settling her against his chest, and set off walking toward the Labyrinth. As he descended the long, dusty hill that lay in front of the maze, Sarah saw a knot of brightly colored objects that might be people standing at the heart of the newly-formed avenue. The faraway group seemed to have paused and looked their way because something sent them scurrying toward them like mice to a cheese, and as Jareth set his foot on the first paving stone of the Labyrinth a trumpet peal rang out above the city, welcoming its lord and his lady home.
At that moment it all became too much. She didn't even have the strength to curl up as Jareth had done; she lay helpless on her back as the tears came furiously. At last they were safe and the shock, horror and sorrow of Tir-na-nOg could be purged. She sobbed for a long time and at the end of it she wished that Jareth would wake up and hold her and tell her that everything was all right now. The exhaustion of having been so close to death still lay heavy on him though, and Sarah had to content herself with the consolation that at least he was alive. After her storm of weeping was spent, she lay for a long time just enjoying the feeling of a breeze on her cheeks, her mind empty and sore.
After a while she started to think about what would happen now. Jareth was back in his own country, but she was even farther from her world than she had been before. She desperately wanted to see Pierce and Sandy and her dad again, to have normalcy reassert its stabilizing presence in her life. She had always wanted to have adventures, but Tir-na-nOg had happened too quickly and too violently. It had stretched every nerve beyond the breaking point but somehow she had survived, and now part of her was terrified at the thought that, for good or ill, things had changed forever. The magic was inside her now.
Even if she got back to her own country, went back to college, and pretended that nothing had happened, it would just be a big lie. In fact, most of her world was living a huge falsehood. There had to be other people like her who might have been mages if they had been born into a world that believed in magic, and she knew from personal experience that those people would never feel at ease with themselves while such an important part of their lives was denied its very existence. And then there was Jareth himself.
Sarah rolled herself onto her side and gasped as the bruises that ran up and down her body viciously announced themselves. Her muscles ached with a fiery soreness and every part of her body suddenly seemed anxious to let her know exactly how much it disapproved of movement. "Okay, bad idea," she said, gritting her teeth. "Come on girl, you're a mage. Heal thyself, can't you?" In response, the weak echo of her magic rose inside her, surveyed the damage, and promptly collapsed. Apparently she had overspent herself and was now paying the price. Swearing floridly, Sarah flopped onto her belly and was in the process of trying to convince her upper limbs to push her into a sitting position when she was distracted by a familiar chuckle. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she demanded, "Can't I ever get a break here? Of course he's got to wake up when I'm face-first in the dirt."
"Of course," Jareth's voice purred in her ear. He didn't seem to be having nearly the amount of trouble that she was. His movements were as elegant as ever, if perhaps a trifle slow, as he rose to a sitting position and deftly gathered her into his lap. Sarah sighed in defeat and laid her head on his shoulder. His voice rumbled against her ear as he continued, "Although I feel I ought to confess that the sight of your dirt-smudged nose is lovelier to me even than that of the blue sky, of which I thought I had seen my last."
"Oh, Jareth," Sarah said, tilting her head upward to look into his face. Was it her imagination, or did his weird eyes still darken and close off as they looked at her? With an effort she raised a finger and laid it along his chin, noticing the quiver in his cheek. In that moment it became supremely clear to her that her choice was actually a very simple one. She would be miserable if she ever left this man - spiritually bereft, emotionally destitute. Even if she never saw her father again, she would at least be happy if she could have this one great love. It was like the sun breaking through the clouds in her mind, and she smiled up at him with all the love she felt. The shadow in his eyes drew back a little and Sarah felt her heart soar.
"Jareth," she said, "you might as well look your fill at the smudge on my nose, because lots of things about me are smudgy - I'll never be a good princess and I don't have a skinny waist and when people expect me to be elegant I become a total klutz and it might be just a matter of time until you wish you'd found someone more suited to your station. But the truth is that I will only be fully alive if I can be with you. I don't care if it's for an hour or a month or fifty years, although in all honesty I'd prefer the latter, but I'll take what I can get. Because - because - because I love you!" The last part rushed from her lips in a gust of mixed determination and terror, but the look on his face was well worth the anxiety. He looked like a man who has been handed the key to all earthly happiness but who doesn't quite understand what has just happened to him.
That adorable look of bewildered joy (which Sarah would never forget) lasted for the space of half a dozen heartbeats, and then Jareth gave a cry filled with so many different emotions that Sarah couldn't even begin to sort it out, especially once he started kissing her. He kissed her hair, her eyes, her cheeks, and hesitated a mere moment before he kissed her mouth in sweet, sweet acknowledgement of everything between them that was wonderful. Sarah felt happy beyond words as she saw that the shadow behind his eyes had fled. She would do everything in her power to make sure it never returned.
Although she could eagerly accept his caresses, it annoyed Sarah to find that she was still too weak to do much else. Jareth noticed it after the first wave of bliss had ebbed enough to allow that sort of rational thought, and with infinite tenderness asked, "What's wrong, dearest?"
"I don't know," Sarah confessed. "After we went through the Gate, I just kind of collapsed. I feel bruised all over and I'm so weak I can't even move."
Jareth's brow creased and the focus of his eyes seemed to shift slightly, and Sarah realized that he was examining her with magic. He didn't seem to like what he saw because his eyes first widened in shock, then narrowed with temper. "Who the hell did this?" he snarled.
"Did what?" Sarah asked, alarmed.
His arms tightened possessively around her as he growled, "The strength of life in your body is depleted almost to the point of death. Only the blackest magician is capable of ripping someone's very essence away. We are not safe here. Our enemy must have followed us!"
"What enemy?" Sarah demanded. "There wasn't anybody left, remember? Poor Draeda Duath is dead, and his son got filleted by the creature from the black lagoon, and then said creature got sent back to said lagoon. I think you might have missed that part." Her voice trembled as she fought to block out the memory of that last, terrible sword stroke.
Jareth's frown deepened. "Why do I not remember this? There was a battle - Malocoli slew his lieutenant and then was slain himself - and I fought the Fomhoire. . . "
"Um, well, you were injured in the fight," Sarah explained, trying in vain to sound casual about it. "Balor got his just desserts, never fear. I didn't know what to do, you were hurt so badly." Sarah couldn't help herself; she started to sob. Between tearful breaths, she blurted out, "I poured my own life into you. I couldn't think of any other way to save you! I was so scared I might lose you."
She felt Jareth's arms go tense around her. "What did you say?" he whispered in a voice that could have frozen running water. Putting both hands on her arms, he lifted her in front of him so that they were face to face and brought his nose within inches of her own. "You put yourself in that kind of danger? Idiot creature! Stupid selflessness! What would I have done if you had died, eh? Did you think of that, you mad, irresponsible woman? I would have gone insane with grief! You bloody fool, you are never, never, never to put yourself at risk again, do you hear me?" The volume of his voice rose steadily until he was shouting, and with each repetition of 'never' he gave her a quick, firm shake. The look on his face was torn between pride, gratitude, fear, and anguish.
Sarah had to smother a grin at the fierce complexity of the man she loved, who was so convinced that he was not worth her sacrifice that he rejected it completely. She felt the blood pound in her ears as her ire rose and gave herself gladly to the fight, crying, "Oh, fine words coming from you! That's the pot calling the kettle black! You practically jumped in front of that monstrosity, all eager to sacrifice yourself heroically on my behalf. What, pray tell, would I have done if you had died? I'd have spent the rest of my life tormented and alone, haunted by that one terrible moment. You're not the only one who can love selflessly, you know. If you don't like it you better just get used to it, because I'd sacrifice my life to save yours any day of the week! And you promised you'd never yell at me again!"
"By the good earth," Jareth thundered, "I'll keep you safe if I have to barricade you in the highest tower!"
"You will NOT!" Sarah shouted happily. "I said I want to live my life at your side and that's exactly what I'll do - live! Not waste away in enforced security. You can't ensure my safety any more than I can ensure yours."
"I will not tolerate you risking yourself on my behalf!" Jareth roared back.
"Tough luck, buster - you're stuck with me. Plus, I saved your life! We really have to work on this gratitude problem of yours," Sarah retorted, but she could no longer hold back her smile. As she watched conflicting emotions chase themselves across his face, her grin broadened until she knew she must be smiling at him like an idiot. She was so happy that he was here, alive and arguing with her, that she couldn't help it.
Jareth was struck speechless by the brilliance and joy of her smile, and after a moment began ruefully to chuckle at himself. Gathering her to him, he buried his face in her hair and gave himself over to half-sobbing, half- laughing that this beautiful, courageous woman would give her life for his, as she put it, any day of the week. Clutching her like a drowning man, he gave vent to the agony he felt at knowing that he had already brought her to the brink of destruction, and that she would follow him there again. Sarah held him just as tightly, reassuring him of her presence without a word.
Jareth was the one who finally broke the mood by saying, "Things will be different from now on, you know."
"Yeah," Sarah said softly, "I was thinking about that earlier."
He continued, "The Black Gate is open. If you listen, you will hear it humming with energy just behind us, which means that its counterpart has also opened. Any record which tells of where in your world the Sun Gate is located was lost long ago, but it is only a matter of time until someone from the Upper Country stumbles across it. In ages past, my family were the guardians of the entrance to Tir-na-nOg. It is high time that duty was returned to us."
Sarah turned her head weakly to look up at him. "What are you saying?" she asked breathlessly.
Jareth dropped his lips to her hair briefly before saying, "I do not think it has been good for either of our worlds to exist in isolation. The Upper Country has abandoned magic completely, whereas the Underground is equally ignorant of the benefits of science. Both arts, it seems to me, have a place in the scheme of things."
"People will be frightened," Sarah said slowly. "At least in the Underground, you knew about Tir-na-nOg and the Upper Country. All we have are legends and stories. It's going to take a long, long time before people get comfortable with the idea of magic. And there might be wars - we make terrible weapons with science and lots of people are just greedy. They'll look at the Underground as something to exploit."
"Then we'll act very slowly and very carefully to make sure that nothing of that sort happens," Jareth said in a firm voice. "My people also will see an opportunity to take without giving from your world, unprotected from magic as it is. We will establish a guardian of the Sun Gate, just as we will guard the Black Gate. Our worlds are separated from each other by many hundreds of years. It may take generations to heal the breach - but if you and I do not live to see it done, then we will raise our children to be equal to the task."
Surprise gave Sarah the strength to raise her head. "Our children?" she inquired softly.
Jareth gave a low, warm laugh without any of his usual rancor or sarcasm. "My dearest, will you consent to wed yourself to me and be my Queen? I would kneel, but I can scarcely get closer to the ground than I already am, and I fear you would fall over if left to stand unattended."
Sarah intended to punch him, but it turned out as rather a feeble pat. "You're a terrible man," she told him, "and I love you with my whole heart. Of course I'll marry you."
Jareth gave a small, soft sigh that caught the edge of Sarah's hearing and sounded like a barely-audible "Thank you." He held her for a little longer, then said, "It will be a long road to reunification, you know."
"I know," she said.
"It will be difficult and unpleasant, and we'll disagree about the best way to do things," he continued.
"And we'll have spectacular fights but we'll be careful not to hurt each other's feelings, and making up afterwards will be even better," Sarah said dreamily.
Jareth snorted. "You must be the only woman alive who is looking forward to marital discord."
"Oh, I wouldn't call it discord," Sarah disagreed. "You see, I've realized that you only call me names because you love me, and far be it from me to prohibit any expression of your undying affection."
"Undying, yes," Jareth said, "but 'affection' does not come even a little close to the breadth and vitality of my feelings for you." Sarah looked into his eyes and thought that she was the luckiest person in two worlds.
In front of them, the sun had been steadily declining and now dipped into the haze of rain clouds at the horizon, spilling brilliant orange light across the sky. The color fell like liquid gold across the land, burnishing each plant and rock to a glowing copper. Caught in the light, Jareth saw the flecks of gold hidden deep in Sarah's brown eyes. Her earnest gaze met his as she asked, "And where will we live?"
"There, in my castle, beyond the Goblin City," Jareth answered, raising a long arm to point in the direction of the setting sun.
Sarah shielded her eyes and squinted to make out a tall tower standing at the center of a sprawl of stone buildings. And spreading out around it in all directions . . . "Not again!" she cried. "I've had enough of Labyrinths to last me a lifetime!"
Behind her, she heard Jareth's soft chuckle. "This Labyrinth was built by my forefathers, and it recognizes its King - and its Queen." As she watched, the old yellow stone of the maze shifted and rearranged itself to form a broad avenue as wide as a house and as straight as an arrow leading directly to the castle.
"I'm still pretty weak," Sarah confessed. "You'll have to carry me."
"My lady," Jareth replied, "I would carry you to the ends of the earth and back again, if you asked it of me." He stood and lifted her in his arms, settling her against his chest, and set off walking toward the Labyrinth. As he descended the long, dusty hill that lay in front of the maze, Sarah saw a knot of brightly colored objects that might be people standing at the heart of the newly-formed avenue. The faraway group seemed to have paused and looked their way because something sent them scurrying toward them like mice to a cheese, and as Jareth set his foot on the first paving stone of the Labyrinth a trumpet peal rang out above the city, welcoming its lord and his lady home.