Chapter 5
Inside the circular chamber, the normally rowdy bunch of goblins muttered quietly amongst them selves, shifting with unease.
Normally during an abduction the child in question would be crying its head off by now, terrified with the creatures around it.
But this little girl had only looked at them with obvious curiosity to begin with, but when they only scurried away from every attempt to get any form of contact with them, she had shrugged and fallen asleep on the throne.
This was how Jareth found them. Little Lara lying fast asleep on his throne, while the oldest and largest goblin Gànak shouted at the rest who were cowering by the door.
"What are you scared of you stupid brats!?" he launched out, well aware he was the only one of the crude goblins who looked somewhat human, and had an intelligence to match his sires.
"She's just asleep! What's the harm in that!?" he stood in front of the throne, and yelled at them with obvious wonder.
"she no yell, no cry," said one of the goblins in the front who was called Shunter.
"She be a wicked," joined his friend in.
Jareth recognised that voice as Sulpik, and stifled a groan. That one had been the cause to much trouble in the short time he had been there. He had probably lured Shunter along in one way or the other, not that he would be surprised. Poor Shunter was a timid being, and actually rather clever, if the others only would let the poor thing be from time to time.
"And why is that, Sulpik?" Jareth bellowed, taking everyone but Gànak by surprise. Lara just shifted to a better position and slept on.
"You-your highness. . ." the goblin stuttered, "We did no see you."
"No you wouldn't now would you. . ." he said in a sarcastic tone. Walking over to the throne he turned around and sent them his best glare.
"Well! I asked you a question." His voice cracked like a whip, and the goblin spoken to winced just as one had struck him.
"Well. . . yes. . . eh. . ." the king enjoyed the terrified look on creatures features. ". . . you see. . . she no cry commin' here. Only looks at us an'. . . giggle. . ." it pressed out, trying to mouth the excuse in his mind. Jareth only raised an eyebrow as it continued, "an then it goes to your high place and snooze. . ."
"I see," Jareth cut off, "And how exactly did you com the conclusion that little Lara here is an evil being?" he inquired though he already knew the answer.
"Is it because she didn't cry at the sight of you? Maybe she has seen things worse, or then she just isn't afraid of you. Can that be the reason she's not afraid of you. . .?" letting the words sink in among the goblins, he saw that it was only Shunter who looked embarrassed over what they had been doing.
'Yes that one will probably get to be very much like Gànak if only stimulated. . . I better see to that some time soon. . .'
he continued then in a harsher tone.
"Could that be the reason, Sulpik? Or do you fear her for being much wiser than what you are, since she'd rather sleep on a softer, warmer and cleaner place than the pit in the floor?"
turning around so his cape billowed, he got to the throne, picked the child up as gently as possible, and sat down, placing her as comfortably as possible on his lap.
"Gànak. What should we do with our. . . dear friend?" he emphasised the word "dear" and laced it with acid. He was getting really sick of Sulpik, and wanted to give him a punishment that sent him away for some time. "Not the Bog. That would be cruel."
"It certainly would, sire." Gànak agreed.
"Perhaps sending him gardening?" Jareth asked, turning his attention towards Lara who had opened her bright green eyes, and smiled to him.
The old goblin smiled inside at the sight of the king playing with the child on his lap.
"If you don't mind, your highness. but I believe I have a better suggestion." he looked at his king who looked back at him with a wry smile. He was well aware Gànak could figure out the most amusing, and or practical punishments so far.
"Go on." he urged his friend.
"Well. since the High Court is coming for a visit in three months, I suggest that Sulpik here could go through the Labyrinth and. well clean it."
The both of them felt the strain in their face muscles at the sight of the goblin in question, and the expression he had on his face. The rest of the goblins had a look of relief and disgust at the thought. Goblins hated to tidy, and had something like a phobic relationship to soap.
"You know. Clearing and scrubbing the paths along with the doors, gargoyles and statues. all in all; a good old fashioned cleaning. . ." the goblin continued with a thoughtful voice, and a glint in his eyes.
Jareth pretended to give the idea some serious consideration, and brushed off some invisible dust from Laras shoulder and picking some none existent straw from her hair, he nodded slowly. He had already decided what to do, the moment he had seen Sulpiks face. Producing a crystal he prepared to throw it at him, but stopped.
"Gànak. . . wouldn't it be awfully lonely doing that work?" looking down at the perfect orb he continued, "Shouldn't we sent someone along with him?"
Lara had taken the crystal and seemed to be mesmerised with it,
"Perhaps those who fetched this girl who wasn't to be gotten. . ." no sooner had his words left his mouth and five other goblins had been pushed forward along with Sulpik. The rest of them didn't want any punishment, and Jareth was glad to see that Shunter wasn't one of the five.
"Aah. so these are the culprits." he took a grab for the orb in the childs hands, but she pullet it away with the words;
"Noo. lem'me!" Jareth blinked at the request.
"You do understand what this is all about?"
Nodding vigorously the girl just smiled and gave her rolling laughter.
"Uh-huh. you're gonna punish those 'cause they're bad. The ball makes them do chores that is their punishment."
She stopped to check if it had come out somewhat correctly. Finding the mental spell check being somewhat ok she nodded to herself and looked back up at the kings face.
"And you want to be the one punishing them?" he asked with raised eyebrows only to be met by a broad grin.
"You had to ask?" came the low amused voice of his friend.
"Alright then. You just make sure you throw it straight at the ground in the pit. . ."
grabbing the orb with both hands, and raising them high above her head, Lara threw it with as much force as she could muster into the pit where the six culprits stood huddled.
As the glass broke, they were enveloped in a small storm of light and glittery dust. The next moment the glitter was blown out through the window, and the spot they had been standing on was now empty.
~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨
At the beginning of the Labyrinth six goblins, all dressed in frilly floral aprons with loads of pockets stuffed with cleaning supplies, and three wagons filled with even more cleaning supply, along with a huge bucket of clean soapy water (which never got dirty), a garbage bag (which never got filled, but spat out things that weren't rubbish i.e. other living creatures and so on.), and a mop and a broom in their sizes.
They stood there really bewildered over their outfits and jumped really high as someone said;
"Oh. You have GOT to be kidding me!" The voice came from the closed door behind them and then they saw the eyes looking down at them.
"And what on, above and below earth are you supposed to be then.?" the old gateway said gloomily.
----------------------------------------------------'
AN/: Well. firstly I would like to thank Labyris to notify me about the shitty layout on the first posting. For you who didn't get it now, this is the second and somewhat improved one.
Yes, there will be more in the times to come. But you will be having to bear with me. I do't have an internet connection at my flat in Bergen, so I'll either have to use the one available while babysitting this abnoxious little brat, who luckily sleeps tight when I'm there. Or to travel home to my parents' house, and go on the net there. But since I forgot the power and internet cable in Bergen I can't do too much before the battery ends. So again: Bear with me. . .
Read and review, As I like to do the same to you. . .
TL
)O(
Inside the circular chamber, the normally rowdy bunch of goblins muttered quietly amongst them selves, shifting with unease.
Normally during an abduction the child in question would be crying its head off by now, terrified with the creatures around it.
But this little girl had only looked at them with obvious curiosity to begin with, but when they only scurried away from every attempt to get any form of contact with them, she had shrugged and fallen asleep on the throne.
This was how Jareth found them. Little Lara lying fast asleep on his throne, while the oldest and largest goblin Gànak shouted at the rest who were cowering by the door.
"What are you scared of you stupid brats!?" he launched out, well aware he was the only one of the crude goblins who looked somewhat human, and had an intelligence to match his sires.
"She's just asleep! What's the harm in that!?" he stood in front of the throne, and yelled at them with obvious wonder.
"she no yell, no cry," said one of the goblins in the front who was called Shunter.
"She be a wicked," joined his friend in.
Jareth recognised that voice as Sulpik, and stifled a groan. That one had been the cause to much trouble in the short time he had been there. He had probably lured Shunter along in one way or the other, not that he would be surprised. Poor Shunter was a timid being, and actually rather clever, if the others only would let the poor thing be from time to time.
"And why is that, Sulpik?" Jareth bellowed, taking everyone but Gànak by surprise. Lara just shifted to a better position and slept on.
"You-your highness. . ." the goblin stuttered, "We did no see you."
"No you wouldn't now would you. . ." he said in a sarcastic tone. Walking over to the throne he turned around and sent them his best glare.
"Well! I asked you a question." His voice cracked like a whip, and the goblin spoken to winced just as one had struck him.
"Well. . . yes. . . eh. . ." the king enjoyed the terrified look on creatures features. ". . . you see. . . she no cry commin' here. Only looks at us an'. . . giggle. . ." it pressed out, trying to mouth the excuse in his mind. Jareth only raised an eyebrow as it continued, "an then it goes to your high place and snooze. . ."
"I see," Jareth cut off, "And how exactly did you com the conclusion that little Lara here is an evil being?" he inquired though he already knew the answer.
"Is it because she didn't cry at the sight of you? Maybe she has seen things worse, or then she just isn't afraid of you. Can that be the reason she's not afraid of you. . .?" letting the words sink in among the goblins, he saw that it was only Shunter who looked embarrassed over what they had been doing.
'Yes that one will probably get to be very much like Gànak if only stimulated. . . I better see to that some time soon. . .'
he continued then in a harsher tone.
"Could that be the reason, Sulpik? Or do you fear her for being much wiser than what you are, since she'd rather sleep on a softer, warmer and cleaner place than the pit in the floor?"
turning around so his cape billowed, he got to the throne, picked the child up as gently as possible, and sat down, placing her as comfortably as possible on his lap.
"Gànak. What should we do with our. . . dear friend?" he emphasised the word "dear" and laced it with acid. He was getting really sick of Sulpik, and wanted to give him a punishment that sent him away for some time. "Not the Bog. That would be cruel."
"It certainly would, sire." Gànak agreed.
"Perhaps sending him gardening?" Jareth asked, turning his attention towards Lara who had opened her bright green eyes, and smiled to him.
The old goblin smiled inside at the sight of the king playing with the child on his lap.
"If you don't mind, your highness. but I believe I have a better suggestion." he looked at his king who looked back at him with a wry smile. He was well aware Gànak could figure out the most amusing, and or practical punishments so far.
"Go on." he urged his friend.
"Well. since the High Court is coming for a visit in three months, I suggest that Sulpik here could go through the Labyrinth and. well clean it."
The both of them felt the strain in their face muscles at the sight of the goblin in question, and the expression he had on his face. The rest of the goblins had a look of relief and disgust at the thought. Goblins hated to tidy, and had something like a phobic relationship to soap.
"You know. Clearing and scrubbing the paths along with the doors, gargoyles and statues. all in all; a good old fashioned cleaning. . ." the goblin continued with a thoughtful voice, and a glint in his eyes.
Jareth pretended to give the idea some serious consideration, and brushed off some invisible dust from Laras shoulder and picking some none existent straw from her hair, he nodded slowly. He had already decided what to do, the moment he had seen Sulpiks face. Producing a crystal he prepared to throw it at him, but stopped.
"Gànak. . . wouldn't it be awfully lonely doing that work?" looking down at the perfect orb he continued, "Shouldn't we sent someone along with him?"
Lara had taken the crystal and seemed to be mesmerised with it,
"Perhaps those who fetched this girl who wasn't to be gotten. . ." no sooner had his words left his mouth and five other goblins had been pushed forward along with Sulpik. The rest of them didn't want any punishment, and Jareth was glad to see that Shunter wasn't one of the five.
"Aah. so these are the culprits." he took a grab for the orb in the childs hands, but she pullet it away with the words;
"Noo. lem'me!" Jareth blinked at the request.
"You do understand what this is all about?"
Nodding vigorously the girl just smiled and gave her rolling laughter.
"Uh-huh. you're gonna punish those 'cause they're bad. The ball makes them do chores that is their punishment."
She stopped to check if it had come out somewhat correctly. Finding the mental spell check being somewhat ok she nodded to herself and looked back up at the kings face.
"And you want to be the one punishing them?" he asked with raised eyebrows only to be met by a broad grin.
"You had to ask?" came the low amused voice of his friend.
"Alright then. You just make sure you throw it straight at the ground in the pit. . ."
grabbing the orb with both hands, and raising them high above her head, Lara threw it with as much force as she could muster into the pit where the six culprits stood huddled.
As the glass broke, they were enveloped in a small storm of light and glittery dust. The next moment the glitter was blown out through the window, and the spot they had been standing on was now empty.
~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¨
At the beginning of the Labyrinth six goblins, all dressed in frilly floral aprons with loads of pockets stuffed with cleaning supplies, and three wagons filled with even more cleaning supply, along with a huge bucket of clean soapy water (which never got dirty), a garbage bag (which never got filled, but spat out things that weren't rubbish i.e. other living creatures and so on.), and a mop and a broom in their sizes.
They stood there really bewildered over their outfits and jumped really high as someone said;
"Oh. You have GOT to be kidding me!" The voice came from the closed door behind them and then they saw the eyes looking down at them.
"And what on, above and below earth are you supposed to be then.?" the old gateway said gloomily.
----------------------------------------------------'
AN/: Well. firstly I would like to thank Labyris to notify me about the shitty layout on the first posting. For you who didn't get it now, this is the second and somewhat improved one.
Yes, there will be more in the times to come. But you will be having to bear with me. I do't have an internet connection at my flat in Bergen, so I'll either have to use the one available while babysitting this abnoxious little brat, who luckily sleeps tight when I'm there. Or to travel home to my parents' house, and go on the net there. But since I forgot the power and internet cable in Bergen I can't do too much before the battery ends. So again: Bear with me. . .
Read and review, As I like to do the same to you. . .
TL
)O(