Sarah awoke abruptly the next morning. She was not given the protection of a slow awakening, something that would have lessened the shock. She awoke suddenly and found herself laying in the huge, ornately carved bed in her room within Jareth's castle. Instantly the pain of separation from her family hit her. She wondered if her father was worried, if Toby missed her.
Worried? she thought, allowing herself a wry, unhappy smile. Daddy is probably frantic. He probably has all the police at the station out looking for me. He may even have search parties going. If Toby could only talk... he would tell them what had happened. But it will probably be another year before he talks in full sentences. By then, he probably won't even remember me.
"Oh," Sarah said softly, tears filling her eyes. The idea of being forgotten by her baby brother was new, and hurt worse than a scraped knee. The realization that she would miss Toby growing up made her throat hurt, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I'm here forever," she whispered. "Forever. Toby will grow up and he won't remember me. Daddy and Adelle will grow old and d... die. And... and I w-won't be there."
The tears came in earnest then, sliding down her cheeks to drip onto the bedspread. She gave herself a few minutes to weep before sighing, wiping her face, and rising from bed. Her white Renaissance gown, which she had removed to go to bed the night before, was laying over the back of the chair at her vanity table. The smudges of dirt and wrinkles from the day before were gone. The dress was as beautifully pristine white as if it had never been worn before.
"Well, I guess a magick castle would have magick washing machines. Or washing women. Washing goblins." Sarah shrugged, and pulled the dress on. She had a huge wardrobe against one stone wall, but had no desire to go through it. The white dress was all she had left of her old life, and she was unwilling to give it up--not so soon.
After a brief conversation with the door to make sure the castle understood she wanted to go to the dining hall, Sarah went out into the hallway. However, instead of being a hallway, it was a wide open room, somewhat like an indoor courtyard, with large glass windows overhead that showed the dull red of the sky. Directly across from the door of her room was another door, cracked open slightly in invitation.
"I guess I go that way," Sarah murmured. She'd almost grown used to talking to herself now--she was alone so often here in the castle. The sound of her voice helped lessen the ringing silence that always seemed to surround her. Her feet made scarcely any noise in her plain brown loafers as she padded through the open room to the door and passed into a long, straight hallway. At the end of the hallway was an enclosed staircase. As she descended, she noticed she could see the dining hall table through the arched doorway at the bottom of the staircase.
How odd, she thought, crouching a bit to make sure she really did see the table. Yesterday at breakfast, I would have sworn that there was only one great doorway that led into the dining hall, and no staircases at all. It looks like the exact same table--I recognize the lion's paw feet on the table legs. Well, I guess a magick castle can put staircases anywhere it wants.
Jareth was waiting in the dining room when Sarah appeared. His face looked almost as pale and drawn as hers had in the mirror that morning. He was wearing a simple cream colored poet shirt that morning, and plain black breeches. He stood as she approached, and Sarah looked up into his face, trying to force a smile; Jareth was the only other person in the entire Labyrinth, and she would have to make the best of a bad situation and try to keep her temper with him, despite her misgivings.
"Good morning," Jareth said, his voice soft.
"You have your hair back today," Sarah responded, noticing with a small shock. The long, golden filaments of hair that usually fell over his shoulders had been pulled back into a low tail. He looked surprisingly good like that.
"Yes," Jareth said softly, standing next to his place at the head of the table, waiting. Sarah hesitated, then walked boldly over and sat down at his right hand. Jareth's eyebrows arched faintly at her boldness, then he sat too.
"Jareth, I don't like you," Sarah said, trying to get straight to the point. The air was full of tension, and after a second she realized she could have put her statement more delicately, but she rushed on brazenly. "You tricked me into coming here, and now you're keeping me as a prisoner. But you're the only human around here, and I thought we should try to make the best of it and at least be acquaintances."
"Human?" Jareth repeated, smirking. "You think I'm a human?"
"Oh. Well. What are you then?"
"You don't know?" Jareth's eyes shone at her with a cruel expression, and his smirk grew haughtier.
"Would I have asked if I did?" Sarah replied, annoyed at his toying with her.
"You will soon enough," he responded, gesturing briefly with a hand. Instantly her plate was filled with steaming food. Sarah hesitated, wanting to pursue the conversation, but the scents drifting up to her soon overcame her curiosity, and she set to eating with a single-mindedness Jareth found vaguely amusing. He ate very little, preferring to watch her and sip from an ornate glass filled with a dark liquid.
"Well," Sarah said presently, pushing her plate back with a satisfied sigh. "What are we going to do today?"
"We? Then you want to spend time with me?"
"It's either you or the goblins." Sarah hesitated, then asked carefully, "Unless you could get Hoggle or Ludo or Sir Didymus to visit?"
"I doubt they'd want to," Jareth replied dryly. "Though I could send you to them. I warn you, though, it will be quite a walk, even if I do twist the Labyrinth to shorten it."
"You couldn't just float me there or something? I mean, you have all this magick at your disposal. Wouldn't it be easier to just snap your fingers and make me appear where they are?"
"I could," Jareth said slowly, drawing the words out. "But it would not be pleasant for you. The magick is not made to be used like that, and the experience could drive you mad."
Sarah's eyes widened, and Jareth smiled at her fear. "But... then how did you get Toby here? I'm sure he didn't walk."
"That's different, Sarah. Toby is young."
"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, confused.
"Human minds tend to seize up as they get older, grow strained and atrophied. When they're young, though, they can accept almost anything. Toby could accept being transported magickally from one place to another because he hasn't been alive long enough to know that isn't normal. His mind is still malleable. When he gets older, his mind will begin to atrophy too. Human minds can't handle the abnormal. They tend to crack at the edges, and the odder the occurrence is, the larger the cracks. You were able to accept the Labyrinth because your mind is more willing to accept the odd and unmundane than most peoples'. However, it would not be able to handle transportation. That is why you passed out when I brought you here yesterday--I used my magick to influence the creeping unconsciousness that was trying to claim you. I helped it along. Had you stayed conscious through the transportation, I think you would now be a drooling, cringing, mindless creature. Transportation is completely unlike anything you have ever experienced before. You would most definitely go quite mad."
"Oh. Never mind then. A walk could be pleasant." She hesitated, then spoke slowly, "Are you sure you won't come?"
"You aren't inviting me because you want me to go along, Sarah. You're inviting me because you're kind. I think I'd rather wait for an invitation you mean."
"Then you'll be waiting awhile," Sarah said, unable to resist a jab at him. Jareth's mouth pinched in annoyance, and Sarah rose from the table. "I'd like to go see Hoggle. I'll be back for lunch."
She walked out then, leaving Jareth sitting at the table. He frowned down at his glass for a long moment, then with a guttural sound he lashed out with a hand, smacking the glass solidly, sending it flying across the room to clatter against a stone wall, spilling the dark liquid as it went. He rose, shifting the Labyrinth quickly to give Sarah the easiest possible path. He summoned up a crystal, and stared into it darkly, waiting until Sarah appeared. He stared at her image in the ball with a savage expression on his face, then whispered softly, "I will have you yet." With that said, he settled into his chair to watch her as she navigated his Labyrinth. There were things in the Labyrinth that she would do well not to run into.
I won't watch her conversation with Hoggle, Jareth promised himself, mentally shifting a wall around to shorten Sarah's path even more. I doubt anything she'd have to say to him about me would be something I'd want to overhear.
The walk was not as hard as Sarah had thought it would be. Her feet were getting used to walking so far and so often, and the pain had receded to a dull ache. She soon found herself standing just outside the wall that circled the Labyrinth. In the distance, she saw a small figure spraying fairies. With a yelp of joy, Sarah dashed forward.
"Hoggle!" she cried. He turned, surprise evident on his small, homely face. As soon as she got to him, she lifted him into an ecstatic hug.
"What are you doing here?" Hoggle cried in his gravelly voice as soon as Sarah put him down. "You were home last night. Ain'tcha still at home? Am I imagining this?"
"No, unfortunately," Sarah said, making a face. "I wish I were still at home but... well, Jareth kidnapped me."
"He did what?!" Hoggle's small body went rigid with fury, and Sarah made a quelling motion with her hands.
"Let's sit down somewhere and talk."
Hoggle led her at a slow limp over to a few large boulders and they seated themselves. Sarah took her own sweet time telling her story, and for once Hoggle proved to be a good listener, hardly interrupting at all. When she finished, Hoggle was frowning, shaking his head. Her scratched his chin, then sighed.
"I wish I knew what to do, but I don't. You know I can't fight Jareth. I never could."
"Of course not," Sarah said kindly, touching the back of one of his hands gently. "I didn't come hoping you would."
"No, I didn't think so." Hoggle shrugged. "This here is Jareth's world, Sarah. He controls it. I'm just one of the things he allows to stay here. He tolerates me. I'm not very loyal, and I'm too big a coward to be of any use. The only things I fights is fairies. Jareth knows that." He paused again, rubbed a hand across his mouth pensively, and sighed. "As I see it, Jareth had every right coming into your home. You did invite him, as much as I wish you hadn't. And he didn't really trick you into coming here."
Sarah made an offended sound, and Hoggle spoke quickly.
"Let me finish! He didn't. He offered you what you wanted, and you accepted. I don't know much about magick, and I ain't that smart, but I do know that acceptance of a magick offer can't be broken. He has you now."
"Don't you have any advice?" Sarah asked, exasperated.
"Only that you should keep your eyes and ears open. Jareth ain't perfect. He's pretty far from it, from what I've seen. Keep watch, and eventually he'll slip up. You just have to be patient until then. I wish I had better advice, Sarah, but I'm just a gate-keeper."
"Oh, Hoggle, that's wonderful advice," Sarah said warmly, leaning to hug him again. "Thank you so much. If you see Didymus or Ludo, please tell them where I am. I'd love if they'd come visit me at the castle--you, too. You're my only friends here, and I need my friends now." Sarah stood, brushing her skirt off. "I have to go now. It took me awhile to get here, and I have to find my way back to the castle before lunch--I told Jareth I'd be back."
Hoggle rose clumsily from his rock, touching the back of her hand gently with his stubby fingers. "You watch yourself, Sarah," he said awkwardly, bushy brows lowering. "Be careful of Jareth. I don't know what he's thinking of doing with you, but I don't think it's good."
"Thank you, Hoggle." Sarah gave him a sweet smile, then turned. The doors to the Labyrinth opened immediately, and Sarah stepped through, turning around to wave to Hoggle before the doors slowly grumbled shut again. Though he wouldn't believe it even if she said so, Hoggle's advice was precious to Sarah. It was wise, and she took it to heart. Jareth had to slip up eventually... and when he did, she would be ready.