Oh, What Tangled Webs We Weave

She was a child and I was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
I and my Annabel Lee. Edgar Allan Poe

I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.
David Bowie



Both Hoggle and Glasis jumped when Jareth appeared next to Sarah's bedside. "I really wish you wouldn't do that." Glasis said holding his hand over his heart. "I beg your pardon." Jareth whispered.

Jareth looked down at the young woman lying still on the bed. Sarah looked alarming ill with a deathly pallor and large dark circles under her eyes. Even in this state Jareth noticed her matured features were even more attractive than when she was a girl. She held no candle to Sonya with her absolute perfection, but she had her own attractiveness with, or even because of her imperfections.

Had she been on her feet Jareth knew terms like, witch, vixen, beast and destroyer would have been the first thoughts he would have had at the sight of her. She didn't look like any of those right now. More importantly Jareth felt oddly protective towards this frail human.

Glasis bent over Sarah with one hand above her forehead and the other over her heart and closed his eyes. Underground healers used body auras to diagnose illness but Sarah was human and he wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for. He didn't even know if this malady, "Mazeitis" would show in the aura.

Jareth addressed Glasis by his formal title, "Learned One, I have brought you a book on human anatomy, it might prove useful." As Jareth spoke he thrust the book in the healer's direction. Glasis gratefully took the book and quickly left the room to study it...he couldn't sense anything at all wrong with her aura, but just looking at her he knew she had to be close to death, any fool could see that.

Sarah's eyes opened wide and looked at the Goblin King, "Father." She cried and then seemingly went into semi-consciousness again. "Tsk, Tsk," Hoggle shook his head, "She's been like this...not recognizing anyone, speaking nonsense." Apprehensive at her delirium and obvious distress Jareth took her hand and sat next to her on the bed. And to think he almost didn't come...he mentally cursed himself for his hesitation.

Hoggle whispered, "Yer majesty, if you will stay with her for a moment I will see to the Healer, if he needs anything." Jareth nodded and Hoggle quietly left the room. Hoggle smiled inwardly to himself, "That Sarah is quite an actress and I'm not doing too bad myself!"

Sarah moaned and thrashed a little for good measure as Jareth spoke soothing reassurances and petted the hair away from her face. Unaware of a presence hovering near her Sarah was about to be surprised. Ready to give another Oscar winning performance she sat straight up and stared at him, but with words and a voice not her own said, "The Almighty will remember you my son. Be prepared."

Jareth jumped off the bed. WHAT was she saying? Those were his mother's words. In shock, Sarah froze, eyes wide, mouth open doing fish lip movements. The frightening sight of Sarah lips making strange movements but no sound made Jareth even more convinced she was taking a turn for the worse, but being stunned by his mother's words he was also frozen to the spot. For what was only a moment but seemed like an eternity they were both immobilized, staring dumbly at each other. Sarah recovered herself first and fell back moaning, only she wasn't faking this time.

Sarah's movement startled Jareth into action, now convinced Sarah was so close to death she was in contact with the other side, he turned to rush to the healer and bumped into Hoggle. "Oomph...what the....Haggle! Well? OUT with it man, can the healer DO SOMETHING?" Jareth shouted flapping his arms. The Goblin King's screeching voice and bird impression completely destroyed any image of a dignified superior being. Hoggle thought "I don't know what Sarah did but she's got this tiger by the tail" but what he said was, "No, not yet, yer majesty." and he threw in a look of concern for good measure.

The hooded one left the castle and sped on it's way to Hoggle's cottage. Sonya's spell was specific. It was under a devour command for one human, that human's name was Sarah.

"Healer have some good news for me." Jareth commanded as he hovered over Glasis's shoulder. The healer looked up from his reading,"I cannot find any reference to the disease. Your highness, you must take her Aboveground to her own healers immediately." Glasis emphasized the word immediately, fearing the girl might have little time left from the look of her.

Hoggle walked in on the rapid exchange and thinking fast said, "Oh no, yer majesty, Sarah told me she has the cure, shes just gots to get to it. It's in her potions at home. I'll just tell her you'd be taking her there right away." With that he ran back into the guest room just in time to quickly whisper the turn of events to Sarah. She was shaking her head at Hoggle and frantically mouthing, "No No" and then hearing Jareth coming went limp.

Carefully lifting the unconscious Sarah into his arms and producing a transportation crystal Jareth said, "Higwhat, get word to my bride what has transpired and that I will return to her shortly." With those words echoing in the room he and Sarah faded. Hoggle finally let go of the breath he was holding, "Cor, I've never seen him in such a state, I hope shes can handle him. Good luck Sarah."

Just as Hoggle was ready to leave the room a slight wind made the most of the candles go out as a floating specter entered through the window. A disembodied voice asked, "Where is the human, Sarah?" Hoggle shook, he had never been so close to a hooded one before, "She's gone back to the Aboveworld." Reading Hoggle's mind and seeing the truth the phantom slowly turned and left the way it came.