(Oops...ok I know I said "tomorrow" which now constitutes as "next week". Here's the next bit. Hope you all had a great Easter. Thanks to applekrisp14, yes splendidly is a word :D and thanks especially to ac-bworm for telling me to allow anonymous reviews. I dunno why I ticked the box in the first place! Again, a thank you to all you wonderful reviewers! I'm trying to get at least 100!!! *hints*)
Chapter XVII
The wise man stared at Sarah for quite some time from his position on the narrow bridge. His familiar animated hat clicked its beak and cocked its head as it studied the human armed with a goblin spear.
"The young girl!" he said eventually.
"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked with impatience, noticing the old man continued to carry his wooden 'contribution box', just visible beneath his overgrown beard.
"Well..." the wise man started, a start that seemed to drag on for an unbearable length of time. "I was looking for-."
"Anadda pretty lady to cheat outta shiny objects," interrupted the bird-hat.
"I've told you time and time again," the con wise man scolded. "You always butt in and talk and-."
Sarah's tolerance snapped.
"Both of you, shut up!" she yelled, the blood symbol on her face gleaming freshly.
Man and hat silenced. The former looked at her in surprise, the latter turned away haughtily.
"Obviously Señorita does not want her ring back," the bird-hat muttered.
"I really don't have time for this," said Sarah. "If you could be a little more helpful than before, it would be so much easier for all of us." Somehow she doubted this.
"Now see here-."
"Do you want your ring back or not?" the bird-hat called above the old man's attempt as Sarah tried to lever Hoggle's chain from the ground with her spear-point. "We seenk we should give eet back, after all, you won de Labyrinth." Sarah continued to ignore it. "Such a pity."
She paused.
"What did you say?"
"I said eet would be a pity if you didn't want eet back. Eet is pretty ring, yes?" answered the bird-hat, which proceeded to lean down and chirrup something in the old man's ear. "If not your ring, maybe Señorita would like thees..."
Something clattered to the floor behind her and rolled past her feet.
"Oh no," she breathed.
Sarah watched the crystal glide across the platform, away from her and Hoggle, and into the hands of a lone goblin. The curious creature's eyes glittered malignly before he gave a sneeze and sent the glass orb exploding in a shower of glitter. As the sparkling particles rained down, they revealed a multitude crouched around the room, their tiny green hands all bearing crooked weapons.
Sarah knew that the wise man and his hat would not be there when she turned. She knew now that it had been the leader of this ambush playing a disguise. She knew that he was staring right into the back of her skull. What she did *not* know was the visible deterioration in his usually immaculate presence.
"Enough now, Sarah. The game is finished."
Finally, she turned to face him, and was taken aback. The Goblin King was pale and gaunt, his cloak torn and ragged, making the illusion of the raven old and decrepit. His wild hair, nicotine-toned, covered one side of his face like latticed straw.
"You started it," Sarah replied quietly and with a distant light of humour.
Jareth bowed his head slightly, a shiver running from his shoulders to the centre of his spine, bestial to the last essence of his sanity.
"And now you must forfeit," he said. "You will do so because you are outnumbered and you will-."
"You can't keep me here, Jareth," Sarah announced calmly, sending a chilling wave of whispers amongst the goblin horde as she dared to interrupt their king. Even he faltered in his thoughts to approach her, her strength paralysing his nerves. "This game ends when I choose it to."
The Goblin King regained his self-control and stepped onto the great platform, closing and opening his eyes when a strand of his hair stung a glistening line of blood at his cheek.
"Does Sarah have a plan?" he asked, showing no reaction to her obvious concern.
Sarah gripped her spear and moved closer to her enchained friend.
"Sarah does," she answered, then raised her voice. "Now!"
Chapter XVII
The wise man stared at Sarah for quite some time from his position on the narrow bridge. His familiar animated hat clicked its beak and cocked its head as it studied the human armed with a goblin spear.
"The young girl!" he said eventually.
"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked with impatience, noticing the old man continued to carry his wooden 'contribution box', just visible beneath his overgrown beard.
"Well..." the wise man started, a start that seemed to drag on for an unbearable length of time. "I was looking for-."
"Anadda pretty lady to cheat outta shiny objects," interrupted the bird-hat.
"I've told you time and time again," the con wise man scolded. "You always butt in and talk and-."
Sarah's tolerance snapped.
"Both of you, shut up!" she yelled, the blood symbol on her face gleaming freshly.
Man and hat silenced. The former looked at her in surprise, the latter turned away haughtily.
"Obviously Señorita does not want her ring back," the bird-hat muttered.
"I really don't have time for this," said Sarah. "If you could be a little more helpful than before, it would be so much easier for all of us." Somehow she doubted this.
"Now see here-."
"Do you want your ring back or not?" the bird-hat called above the old man's attempt as Sarah tried to lever Hoggle's chain from the ground with her spear-point. "We seenk we should give eet back, after all, you won de Labyrinth." Sarah continued to ignore it. "Such a pity."
She paused.
"What did you say?"
"I said eet would be a pity if you didn't want eet back. Eet is pretty ring, yes?" answered the bird-hat, which proceeded to lean down and chirrup something in the old man's ear. "If not your ring, maybe Señorita would like thees..."
Something clattered to the floor behind her and rolled past her feet.
"Oh no," she breathed.
Sarah watched the crystal glide across the platform, away from her and Hoggle, and into the hands of a lone goblin. The curious creature's eyes glittered malignly before he gave a sneeze and sent the glass orb exploding in a shower of glitter. As the sparkling particles rained down, they revealed a multitude crouched around the room, their tiny green hands all bearing crooked weapons.
Sarah knew that the wise man and his hat would not be there when she turned. She knew now that it had been the leader of this ambush playing a disguise. She knew that he was staring right into the back of her skull. What she did *not* know was the visible deterioration in his usually immaculate presence.
"Enough now, Sarah. The game is finished."
Finally, she turned to face him, and was taken aback. The Goblin King was pale and gaunt, his cloak torn and ragged, making the illusion of the raven old and decrepit. His wild hair, nicotine-toned, covered one side of his face like latticed straw.
"You started it," Sarah replied quietly and with a distant light of humour.
Jareth bowed his head slightly, a shiver running from his shoulders to the centre of his spine, bestial to the last essence of his sanity.
"And now you must forfeit," he said. "You will do so because you are outnumbered and you will-."
"You can't keep me here, Jareth," Sarah announced calmly, sending a chilling wave of whispers amongst the goblin horde as she dared to interrupt their king. Even he faltered in his thoughts to approach her, her strength paralysing his nerves. "This game ends when I choose it to."
The Goblin King regained his self-control and stepped onto the great platform, closing and opening his eyes when a strand of his hair stung a glistening line of blood at his cheek.
"Does Sarah have a plan?" he asked, showing no reaction to her obvious concern.
Sarah gripped her spear and moved closer to her enchained friend.
"Sarah does," she answered, then raised her voice. "Now!"