Helena
Often while reading a book one feels that the author would have preferred to paint rather than write; one can sense the pleasure he derives from describing a landscape or a person, as if he were painting what he is saying, because deep in his heart he would have preferred to use brushes and colors. Pablo Picasso
It appears to me that almost any man may like the spider spin from his own inwards his own airy citadel John Keats
Once more he stept into the street;
And to his lips again
Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;
And ere he blew three notes (such sweet
Soft notes as yet musician's cunning
Never gave the enraptured air)
Out came the children running.
All the little boys and girls,
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter The Pied Piper
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Goblin King had enough. Whether it was his tired body and mind or the rapid series of events that plagued his kingdom the last few days he knew he had to find some answers. Spreading his senses Jareth felt the ever growing forces over his kingdom like two tidal waves poised for destruction. It was getting to the point he no longer had to open up; the air was thick with expectancy like the coming of a thunderstorm.
The Labyrinth did not inform him of any threat so whatever he sensed was not perceived as hostile by it, if the Labyrinth felt it at all. He suspected that Sarah's appearance was entwined with all of this somehow but that was too vague to be of any help. There was one who could tell him what he needed to know, if he could find her and consequently survived the encounter.
Sarah exited the bathing room refreshed and looking almost normal with the Goth makeup toned way down. Hoggle turned and said, "Sarah..." but he never got to finish his sentence. The sickening shriek of a hooded one pierced the chamber as the phantom dove straight for her through the French doors. Sarah froze in shock and the specter was almost upon her when suddenly it dissolved into black swirling dust. Toad's face was set hard as he appeared in the room and stood over the remains of the hooded one, "From dust you rose and to dust you return black hearted one."
Hoggle stammered, "Youuus did that?" The jester looked up towards the dwarf, "Believe what you will, I am here to protect Sarah." A grim faced Toad walked up to Sarah, "The dragon comes with bile and honey." Sarah put her hand to her throat still staring at the black dust, "You mean Satan?" Toad continued gravely. "He draws closer like a wolf in the night to destroy and consume, gird yourself in the strength of the Lord." Sarah looked into Toad's blazing eyes and felt cold fear down in her bones.
The owl flew south over the Labyrinth until it was directly over the Forest Of Illusions. This section of Jareth's kingdom was uninhabited and forbidden to his subjects, rumors even had it that the hooded ones dwelled there. The Goblin King had been the source of the folklore, wanting to keep anyone from trespassing on this foul, evil place. Even he did not know all that existed here, he just knew it housed many things that were dormant and should remain so.
Although he had never seen Helena he knew the seer was here. Sometimes when all was quiet he could hear her whimpering in the still night air. No one else mentioned her except in legend and tales so he knew he was the only one who could hear her distress. Jareth questioned if it was even a voice he heard, maybe it was nore a sound in his mind. All he could be sure of was that Helena's tale ended in mystery and was almost as old as the Labyrinth itself.
Helena was a wicked spoilt child of a great Underground king. Never knowing adversity or want turned her to creaving that which she did not have, greater power than those around her. By the age of her maturity she sought the black arts to give her the sense of control she wanted, but it was in vain. Helena spread the word far and wide to magicians and wise men that she would give great gifts to anyone who would bestow onto her the ultimate power for which she yearned .
One day as she rested in her garden she heard an inhuman voice from behind a wall of bushes, "Helena, what would you give to be a seer of great power?" The impetuous girl said, "I don't know who you are but I would give anything to be a seer." The voice said, "I warn you the price is high, perhaps too high for someone as beautiful and delicate as you." Helena responded, I am strong enough to bear any burden to reach my true destiny." For the third time the voice spoke, "Are you willing to give up all that you know, have, cherish and hold dear to achieve such a dream?" With all of her heart she answered, "Whoever you are, angel or demon, spirit or sprite, I would pay the eternal fires of hell to have such power." These words sealed her fate for the voice belonged to the Spinner who took Helena and made her a seer of great power. No one knew what price she paid for she was never seen again by anyone who lived to tell about it.
If legend were true you were only allowed to question the seer if you gave the Spinner a gift; a song that pleased it. If you failed in your task you life was forfeit. Like most places in the Underground the Forest of Illusions had its own set of rules. Once a creature entered its domain all powers were left outside, in effect Jareth would be a defenseless human and nothing more.
The Goblin King stood just outside the boundaries of the dark woods twirling a lute in his gloved hand. He hesitated. Jareth's military conditioning did not like the idea of being so powerless and vulnerable without knowing what to expect on the other side. His need for answers overcame internal caution and he entered the forest.
The trees and foliage grew more thick and wild and slowed Jareth's pace as he penetrated deeper into the woods. He curiously observed that except for the sound of his rustling the forest was deathly quiet. Where were the birds and why didn't he see any signs of wildlife? He also had the eerie feeling of being watched, no, not just watched – surrounded by something that waited.
Pushing through dense foliage he came to a fallen tree trunk at least twice his height. He was about to scale it when an inhuman hiss echoed all around him, "Goblin King of the Labyrinth, what do you want here?" Jareth answered, "Spinner, I seek answers of the oracle." The hiss continued but with warning, "You risk much human, for here you wear no crown. My price is a song worthy of me or your life is forfeit. Those are the rules." Jareth impassively responded, "I am King, I know the rules."
"Come forward then mortal child and play your gift for me." Jareth stored the lute in his belt and carefully found footholds in the decaying trunk but it was covered in a slimly substance and he kept slipping. He finally struggled to the top and saw a horror he would never forget. In a shallow gorge was a struggling splayed woman bound in a huge web, beside her was the Spinner. As the eight-foot araneida tenderly petted the withering female it jealously hissed at Jareth, "Do not forget the rules, she is mine forever."
Looking again at the web Jareth knew what happened to the wildlife and watched him in the forest. Dozens of the monster's children were moving throughout the threads wrapping prey, eating, discarding husks or tending to Helena as she twisted in vain from their touch. Moans escaped her lips as she endured the continuous nightmare. When one of them crawled across her neck she opened her sightless opaque eyes and whimpered. "She's blind" Jareth exclaimed. The Spinner turned its deadly eyes towards Jareth, "She sees what you cannot - I wonder what your basis for comparison is."
Jareth was stunned at his own words coming from the Spinner, did it read minds? He could feel strong cold intelligence and probing as he gazed into the black eyes that were intensively trained on him. "I cannot read minds but my telepathy picks up fragments of past imprints." The Goblin King looked again at Helena and stepped toward the monster, "Have you no mercy?"
The beast hissed, "This was her dream, I granted her wish. You above all should know there is a price for dreams. Now human, give me your gift." As if on a silent command all the children stopped activity and waited to hear the song. Jareth put the instrument to his lips and "Greensleeves" piped clear and beautiful through the silent forest. The trees and shallow gorge walls provided a resonant haunting echo that gave the notes an overlapping effect as though there were two lutes playing instead of one. Jareth finished the last note and dropped his arms to his sides in despair at the plight of the woman before him.
The beast moved back, "I accept your gift. You may ask your questions." Jareth approached the bound female, "Poor Seer, tell me what encroaches upon my kingdom." Helena spoke in a voice graveled from countless screams. "Divided one, the same duality that rests in you comes to resolution. The time has come for your soul to make a choice. Forces draw to the final battleground.' Jareth continued, "Does this have anything to do with Sarah?" The sightless eyes opened and looked at him, "A champion is in your walls. She was sent by IAM to guide you towards the light." Jareth went further, "Was anyone sent by the Dark One?" Helena answered, "The Queen of the North failed in her mission and the Beast takes her place. You will meet with him soon enough." Jareth had to know, "Is Sarah or my kingdom in danger?" Helena closed her eyes, "She is protected by the Lord, even the Curese one of God cannot harm her. Your kingdom is not in danger but the future of its king rests on your choice."
Jareth had many emotions to deal with but this was not the time or place. Years of training took over as he turned to the monster, "Spinner, the seer has done well and with you permission I would like to leave her a gift." Suspicious by nature the monster hissed in a threatening tone, "Be careful human, you do not try my patience." Jareth gracefully unfurled his arm towards the Spinner; "I would like to leave her my lute so she can play music for you and your children." The beast could see no harm in such a gift and with a grace it should not have possessed retrieved the lute without touching Jareth's opened hand. Turning in the web it placed the lute in the threads next to Helena's face so she could reach it with her mouth.
Her twisting stopped as she found the lute with her lips and blew a single note. Telepathically directed by Helena one of the children crawled to the lute and became a graceful hand using it's eight legs to cover and uncover holes in the instrument. The song Helena played was beautiful and heartbreakingly sad as years of pleading and torture were released. When it was finished the monster turned to Jareth, "We accept your gift, leave King she tires from her pregnancy." Jareth's eyebrow shot up, "She is going to give birth?" The monster hissed, "Yes my sac is ready to hatch." The Goblin King looked at Helena's midsection and saw a slight bulge, fighting vertigo he realized where the Spinner put its sac.