Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
"Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric moved:
To rear me was the task of power divine,
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I shall endure.
All hope abandon, ye who enter here."
-Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, The
"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."
(Ezekiel 28:13-17 KJV)
Turning her head to look at him he lazily waved his hand and a beautiful scantily clad woman appeared. "Lydia." Sonya gasped. Lydia sneered as she stepped next to Sarial and took his offered arm, "Yes sister dear, Lydia." Looking at her king Lydia said, "Can't you get rid of this hideous creature so we can be alone?" Wordlessly Sarial motioned and Sonya found herself in her palace amid hundreds of mirrors.
As soon as Jareth left Sarah's chambers Hoggle started to rapid-fire questions, "What happened? Why are yous here?..." Sarah made a shushing sound and glanced around the room. Hoggle got it...someone might be listening; they had to continue to play their roles. Clearing his throat Hoggle stood straight up as if he were speaking to an audience, "Ha Humfp..and just how are yous Missy." Sarah rolled her eyes; Hoggle was hamming it up so she shot him a narrowed look. Seeing Sarah's disapproval Hoggle drooped back to normal voice and posture, "I mean how are yous Sarah?'
Sarah replied in the weary tone she had adopted for this role, "A little stronger, I think the potion is already doing me some good." Hoggle winked, "Glad to hear it, yous gave me quite a scare." Then Sarah pointedly said, "His majesty insists I stay here so he can monitor my recovery. I'll need some things I left at your cottage." Hoggle knew this was a message...some things...Ohh, her makeup. Hoggle nodded as he repeated to her knowingly, "Some things, right, some things that I will bring to yous tomorrow." Sarah sighed, "I have to eat this soup or face his majesty's pinched look again. Given a choice I'll eat the soup."
Glasis held up and considered the strange looking packet with the smiling pitcher on the front. Humans must be rather slow in the mind to need pictures to tell them good medicine from bad. The healer chuckled to himself, "Whatever did they put on bad potions? A skull and crossbones?"
The healer carefully opened the package and peered inside. He smelled a bitter strawberry scent wafting up from the red powder. "Hmmm, if it tastes as bitter as it smells his majesty wasn't exaggerating." He slowly poured the red powder into a pitcher of water and marveled at how quickly it dissolved turning the water blood red. Concentrating on stirring vigorously a little of the mixture spilled out on the white tablecloth and Glasis quickly tried to dab it up. To his surprise the cloth was permanently stained red. "This is very potent medicine to leave behind such a mark," He would make sure to study this curious medicine further and see what other powers it possessed.
The large room was now deserted except for one yawning Goblin King draped across his throne. Jareth needed a few quiet moments to absorb all that had transpired in a single evening. A few hours ago he was engaged to one of the most beautiful and desirable women in the Underground, then the village bell rang and his world turned upside down. In a very short span of time he transported to Hoggle's cottage to help Sarah, heard his mother's voice from the grave, transported Aboveground to get a potion, came back to a missing and perhaps nonexistent fiancé and now had Sarah as a houseguest. He thought sarcastically, "Nobody declared war today, but the night is young." Jareth stifled another yawn with his gloved hand, "I'd better be off to see how Sarah is faring before I fall asleep right here."
There was a knock on Sarah's door and Glasis walked in carrying a glass of red Kool Aid. He noticed the young human grimaced at the sight of it. "His majesty gave me the instructions of how to mix the potion for you"; he said handing it to her. Sarah was very sorry she didn't think to add sugar to the formulation and promised herself that the next time she found herself in a similar situation she would. After she drank it Glasis took the glass and sat down on the side of the bed, "Young woman, I am curious – stick out your tongue." After a surprised look Sarah complied. At the sight of the beet red tongue Glasis made a mental note that the potion also possessed the power to leave a mark on skin as well as cloth, he wondered if it too would be permanent. With his interest in chemistry he started to speculate what would happen if he heated the potion in one of his beakers? Well that might come later, right now he had healing work to do. "Sarah I have some questions to ask you about Mazeitis. Hoggle, would you leave me to my patient?" Hoggle was also tired and jumped at the chance to go home, "Sure, In fact I best be getting on now that I knows Sarah's in good hands with you and Jareth and all. I'll sees you tomorrow Sarah."
After Hoggle left Glasis turned back to Sarah and said, "Tell me all you know about Mazeitis." Sarah sighed, "All I really know about it is that it strikes my kind suddenly, especially after traveling. The person can get very sick and even die if not given Kool Aid three times a day. Recovery is usually quick, within hours or days. Doctors prescribe rest, liquids and light exercise as strength returns. No one knows if the disease is contagious to other humans, and that is all I know." Glasis was satisfied with Sarah's description, especially the curative phases. He could make sure the human followed the regime she needed. He had only one more question for now, "Does a patient ever have a relapse during this time?" Sarah could answer truthfully, "No human has ever had Mazeitis a second time." Especially since they don't get it a first time, she thought to herself.
Sarah felt guilty misleading this obviously well intentioned healer, but she knew she did it for a higher purpose and that held her guilt in check. "I hope you are resting comfortably Sarah." Jareth said from the other side of the bed. His unexpected voice and appearance made Glasis and Sarah jump. Glasis growled at Jareth, "I asked you not to do that." Breathing rapidly with her hand on her heart Sarah's eyes narrowed at the Goblin King as she rasped, "Wear a bell or something."
Trying to make light of it Jareth quipped "Ah, yes, well, a little pumping of the blood will do you good." The silence and glaring looks he received made him realize his posturing was like that of a bull in a china shop. For a moment Jareth rocked up and back on his heels with his arms locked behind his back. Trying to regain some dignity he drawlingly inquired, "How is your patient faring healer?"
Glasis was not so quick to let Jareth off the hook; "She'll recover with rest and care, that is if she survives you." Jareth knew better than to respond. Satisfied that he got the last word Glasis lifted from his seated position and turned to Sarah, "I will see you in a few hours, rest well." Looking at Jareth he said, "She seems to be out of immediate danger but I would like a nurse to stay with her tonight, just to be on the safe side." Jareth nodded, "It will be done." Glasis bowed and departed.
Sarah was beginning to feel her room was like an airport with all the comings and goings. Jareth sauntered to the side of her bed Glasis just vacated, "I see you followed my instruction and ate all of your dinner." Sarah just looked at him and didn't respond. Holding her dark circled eyes with his he then said something he didn't plan on saying, "I'm pleased you are here Sarah." The sentence came out of his mouth before he could stop it. What had possessed him to say that? Caught off guard Sarah said the first thing that came into her mind, "I'm glad I'm here too."
Immediately they both felt embarrassed and quickly looked away from each other. Neither one seeing the other, both rolled their eyes at themselves for their part in the exchange. Jareth quickly put his unreadable mask back on and faced Sarah, "I will send the nurse to you directly, sleep well." Without another word the Goblin King turned and swiftly left the room.
Sarah fell back in the bed hoping a hole would open up and swallow her. She smiled sardonically to herself when she realized she was in the "Underground" and a hole had indeed swallowed her. "Be careful what you wish for." Another knock on the door and a gravelly female voice announced, "Nurse here asking permission to enter." In exasperation Sarah waved her arms aimlessly, "Come on in, everyone else has."
As Jareth briskly strode away from Sarah's room he berated himself for his unintended words. "I'm pleased you are here Sarah...tra la la." What the hell had come over him? He rationalized that he was just tired, that's all. Finding an answer he could live with Jareth relaxed as he entered his chambers - ahhh a few hours of needed sleep. At a cock of his head he was in sleeping clothes, the fireplace lit itself, the bed turned down and all the candles extinguished. Slipping under the covers he assumed his normal sleeping position and expected to fall right off, after all, he was exhausted.
Sleep did not come; in fact his eyes were wide open blankly staring into the dimly lit room. "Now what?" he growled at himself. Shifting positions he closed his eyes but within seconds they were back open. He knew he was fighting a losing battle and sat up, he would not be able to sleep until whatever was on his mind was resolved.
Sarah was on his mind. Jareth knew he had to admit his feelings for the demon child or he would never sleep. Dare he ask himself what kind of thoughts roamed around in his tired deluded mind? Opening up his carefully controlled emotions he discovered he was attracted to the girl on some inexplicable level. The Goblin King's snooty side sniffed, "Stooping to humans... Really....what will it be next? Scullery maids?" It was a good try but the "superior being" defense didn't work, he was still very much attracted to the girl. Jareth raised his eyebrow; evidentially his feelings for Sarah weren't going to be so easily dismissed. Accepting this fact the bigger question remained; what, if anything, he was going to do about it?