Chapter Twenty - Confrontation
The sun rose over the city, casting its dirty pink glow through the dark clouds over the
endless avenues of identical buildings. It was too early for anyone to notice, but there
were any witnesses they would have seen a white barn owl perch in one fluid motion
on top of the sign to Algar Road and glare coldly at the house opposite with its huge,
saucer-like eyes.
Arian had eventually given up trying to sleep. She had received the terrible misfortune
of sharing a room with Hoggle whose snoring was on the same decibel level as a fog
horn. Instead, she had silently crept into the tiny dining area and steadily worked her
way through Sarah's bookshelf. She was half way through a battered copy of Orwell's
1984 when Sarah came downstairs for breakfast. The young woman jumped at the
sight of the strange girl framed by two tall piles of books.
"How long have you been up?" she asked.
"Since one in the morning." Arian replied "Don't worry. I'm not much of a sleeper.
The Goblins had a nasty habit of sneaking up on me when I was asleep. They stopped
after a while but I'm still vigilant out of habit."
"Oh."
"This is an interesting book. Was it really like that in 1984?" the girl asked.
"No. It was just a prediction the author made if the world were fall under a totalitarian
regime." said Sarah.
"Oh, I see." said Arian. There was a short pause "Um...Sarah, I was just thinking, you
know, about that school where you work."
"What about it?"
"Do you think I could be able to go?"
The question took Sarah by surprise. The Goblin King's daughter wanting to go to
school! The whole idea was too surreal.
"I've thought about it since the moment I got here." explained Arian "I know I've only
been here for a day but I never want to leave." the natural light through the window
darkened and a distant roll of thunder growled quietly from somewhere far away. "I
feel I belong here. This place has something familiar about it that the Labyrinth never
came close to." An unusually strong wind howled across the tiny garden out side. "I
want to learn how to be part of it and meet people and make friends my own age... I
want to be..." she continued. Lightening flickered on the opposite wall and filled the
room with a cold buzzing energy with a deafening crash. Sarah had felt that energy
before and was beginning to get nervous. What made her even more nervous was that
the same, raw power seemed to be radiating off the girl in front of her in equal
measure to the storm outside.
"...Normal?" said Sarah uneasily, finishing Arian's sentence for her.
"Yes. Normal." said the girl sadly "I don't want to go back to the Labyrinth!" Another
roll of thunder, louder this time. "I don't want power, or magic, wealth! And I don't
care if the place is dying, I want to be normal!"
And then the world crashed out of focus as an unnaturally blue bolt of lightening
struck so close it made their eyes ring. Hundreds of little grotesque shadows skittered
across the walls and floor. And there it was, the white owl. Flapping against the
French window trying impatiently to enter. Sarah stood up with fright while Arian
groaned and buried her face in her hands. The window crashed open and the gale
carried the heavy raindrops across the laminate flooring. Arian felt her stomach lurch.
Saying all those things did not seem very clever anymore as she gazed intently at the
pair of riding boots that stepped in from the half light, not daring to look her father in
the face.
"Arian. So this is where you've been hiding." said Jareth casually and eyed the room
with distaste. Arian forced herself to hold her head up and to remain calm. Her face
said nothing but the dark spacescapes of her eyes smouldered with a dangerous
concoction of anger and fear. The Goblin King held out his hand to her. "Come. We
must leave."
Then something snapped inside the young girl. She had been avoiding this
confrontation for too long now but something in the air of this new world gave her a
new confidence. She was where she belonged and no one was going to spoil it...
"No." she said quietly but with perfect clarity and courage. Scared whispers erupted
from the shadows.
"Arian. I've been more than lenient with you up till now but it is time for us to go."
said Jareth dangerously.
"Lenient? I think negligent describes it better!" Arian spat "I bet you didn't even
realise I was gone until I didn't show up for your precious magic lessons!"
"You know that's not true!"
"And you're only interested in me because I can save your kingdom from the mess you
made of it and leave me in charge so you can bugger off and enjoy yourself."
"Arian, you're beginning to test my patience."
"I don't care! I'm not leaving!" shouted Arian and grabbed her notebook before
running into the living room and slamming the door behind her. Jareth quickly
followed but the girl had already written some quick notes about an impenetrable
room and the Goblin King was pushed violently backwards as soon as he touched the
door handle. He tried to force his way in with some of the most powerful spells in the
Underground but nothing could break the fortress Arian had built. Jareth had to admit
it was impressive but grew more and more frustrated as every attempt to open the door
failed. He turned angrily to face the terrified drama teacher who had been accidentally
left in the room with him...
The sun rose over the city, casting its dirty pink glow through the dark clouds over the
endless avenues of identical buildings. It was too early for anyone to notice, but there
were any witnesses they would have seen a white barn owl perch in one fluid motion
on top of the sign to Algar Road and glare coldly at the house opposite with its huge,
saucer-like eyes.
Arian had eventually given up trying to sleep. She had received the terrible misfortune
of sharing a room with Hoggle whose snoring was on the same decibel level as a fog
horn. Instead, she had silently crept into the tiny dining area and steadily worked her
way through Sarah's bookshelf. She was half way through a battered copy of Orwell's
1984 when Sarah came downstairs for breakfast. The young woman jumped at the
sight of the strange girl framed by two tall piles of books.
"How long have you been up?" she asked.
"Since one in the morning." Arian replied "Don't worry. I'm not much of a sleeper.
The Goblins had a nasty habit of sneaking up on me when I was asleep. They stopped
after a while but I'm still vigilant out of habit."
"Oh."
"This is an interesting book. Was it really like that in 1984?" the girl asked.
"No. It was just a prediction the author made if the world were fall under a totalitarian
regime." said Sarah.
"Oh, I see." said Arian. There was a short pause "Um...Sarah, I was just thinking, you
know, about that school where you work."
"What about it?"
"Do you think I could be able to go?"
The question took Sarah by surprise. The Goblin King's daughter wanting to go to
school! The whole idea was too surreal.
"I've thought about it since the moment I got here." explained Arian "I know I've only
been here for a day but I never want to leave." the natural light through the window
darkened and a distant roll of thunder growled quietly from somewhere far away. "I
feel I belong here. This place has something familiar about it that the Labyrinth never
came close to." An unusually strong wind howled across the tiny garden out side. "I
want to learn how to be part of it and meet people and make friends my own age... I
want to be..." she continued. Lightening flickered on the opposite wall and filled the
room with a cold buzzing energy with a deafening crash. Sarah had felt that energy
before and was beginning to get nervous. What made her even more nervous was that
the same, raw power seemed to be radiating off the girl in front of her in equal
measure to the storm outside.
"...Normal?" said Sarah uneasily, finishing Arian's sentence for her.
"Yes. Normal." said the girl sadly "I don't want to go back to the Labyrinth!" Another
roll of thunder, louder this time. "I don't want power, or magic, wealth! And I don't
care if the place is dying, I want to be normal!"
And then the world crashed out of focus as an unnaturally blue bolt of lightening
struck so close it made their eyes ring. Hundreds of little grotesque shadows skittered
across the walls and floor. And there it was, the white owl. Flapping against the
French window trying impatiently to enter. Sarah stood up with fright while Arian
groaned and buried her face in her hands. The window crashed open and the gale
carried the heavy raindrops across the laminate flooring. Arian felt her stomach lurch.
Saying all those things did not seem very clever anymore as she gazed intently at the
pair of riding boots that stepped in from the half light, not daring to look her father in
the face.
"Arian. So this is where you've been hiding." said Jareth casually and eyed the room
with distaste. Arian forced herself to hold her head up and to remain calm. Her face
said nothing but the dark spacescapes of her eyes smouldered with a dangerous
concoction of anger and fear. The Goblin King held out his hand to her. "Come. We
must leave."
Then something snapped inside the young girl. She had been avoiding this
confrontation for too long now but something in the air of this new world gave her a
new confidence. She was where she belonged and no one was going to spoil it...
"No." she said quietly but with perfect clarity and courage. Scared whispers erupted
from the shadows.
"Arian. I've been more than lenient with you up till now but it is time for us to go."
said Jareth dangerously.
"Lenient? I think negligent describes it better!" Arian spat "I bet you didn't even
realise I was gone until I didn't show up for your precious magic lessons!"
"You know that's not true!"
"And you're only interested in me because I can save your kingdom from the mess you
made of it and leave me in charge so you can bugger off and enjoy yourself."
"Arian, you're beginning to test my patience."
"I don't care! I'm not leaving!" shouted Arian and grabbed her notebook before
running into the living room and slamming the door behind her. Jareth quickly
followed but the girl had already written some quick notes about an impenetrable
room and the Goblin King was pushed violently backwards as soon as he touched the
door handle. He tried to force his way in with some of the most powerful spells in the
Underground but nothing could break the fortress Arian had built. Jareth had to admit
it was impressive but grew more and more frustrated as every attempt to open the door
failed. He turned angrily to face the terrified drama teacher who had been accidentally
left in the room with him...