I was an overly polite teenager, and it didn't serve me particularly well....I felt uncomfortable being looked at. I thought, 'I'm just not cut out for this. I don't want to be watched. I just want to disappear. Jennifer Connelly
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
The Little Prince
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Two figures and a horse stood on top of the windswept hill that overlooked the Labyrinth. Jareth and Sarah were motionless and for a few heartbeats it seemed time had stopped. The Goblin King had a decision to make but first he needed to clear up where Sarah stood. He began to care for the girl and needed to figure out how she may or may not fit into his decision. How did she feel about him? When Sarah didn't answer his question Jareth walked a few paces towards her and said, "I named this hill "Revelations" because this is where I confront matters of importance. It is a place where I face all truths. Sarah, why are you here?"
Pushed by Jareth's questioning Sarah retorted in frustration and anger, "I don't know exactly why I'm here, ok? I don't know why I should help you when you would have done one of the most evil things I can think of by turning my brother into a mindless goblin. Maybe I'm not here for you at all, maybe I'm here for me." Taking a step closer Jareth lost patience and demanded, "What do you mean?" Tired of running from the demons that haunted her Sarah didn't critique what she was saying she just let her feelings take over, "You accused me of cruelty, don't you think I've accused myself of that everyday since I wished Toby away? Oh, it was easy to blame you, the dark villain, a King of the Goblins, what about me? What was my excuse? How do I redeem myself from my own darkness and cruelty? Maybe, just maybe, if I found something good in you to save I could also forgive and save myself."
Sarah buried her face in her hands and wept hard as years of pent up emotions overwhelmed her. Jareth knew she spoke the truth but still hadn't answered what he needed to know. A new emotion appeared unbidden within the Goblin King, empathy. For the first time he attempted to see a situation through another's point of view and it felt awkward at first. How would he feel if he wished his bratty, screaming, spoiled brother away? Probably justified at first, but then if he cared for him, incredibly guilty if it actually happened.
Now logic took over in his mind, Sarah didn't know it would happen, she thought it was just a story. She couldn't be blamed for what she had done in ignorance. She was being too hard on herself, really.
Used to being in charge of situations the Goblin King said what come naturally, "I command you to stop crying immediately." At his lack of understanding and compassion Sarah only cried harder. Jareth saw that telling her what to do like one of his goblins didn't work so he dug deeper inside himself for answers. The memory of his mother holding him close when he was a frightened child came to mind. He just couldn't take her in him arms and comfort her; it would be premature in their relationship for expressions such as those. Instead he walked past her weeping form and gently placed his back against hers, lending her closeness and support without familiarity. Her weeping slowed and a short time later stopped altogether. After a moment he asked, "And have you found anything good in me to save?" Sarah was taken off balance and started laughing, "Yes your majesty, I found some good in you to save." For now that was all Jareth needed to know.
Sarah crawled into bed emotionally spent but feeling stronger than she had in a long time. After all, confessions were good for the soul. Caught up in her own emotions she didn't notice until now that Jareth had been a little less arrogant on the way back to the castle. Was it possible that Mr. Freeze Pop actually had emotions other than pride and haughtiness....naw. He had "saved her life" from the dreaded Mazitis, but that was his duty, nothing more. So what exactly did she find in him redeemable? Looking at the Goblin King on the surface she could not answer that question, but her intuition told her somewhere in Jareth there was good and therefore Sarah knew it to be true. Yawning from the long evening Sarah turned over and got comfortable. Tomorrow was the first of the thirteen days and she'd better get some sleep if she was to be of any use at all.
The Goblin King didn't go to bed. He politely took Sarah to her door and bid her good night then purposefully walked out of the castle through the Goblin City into the Labyrinth. Jareth's pace slowed as he entered the maze, he wanted to feel the familiarity of its power surge through him breaking the isolation he felt inside. Since his mother's death the Guardian was the only entity he felt close to and trusted. Within its walls he felt free, strong and in control – here he was unencumbered by the judgments of God and man.
Jareth came to his favorite section of the Labyrinth, the formal garden. The well-manicured hedges and clean lines suited his taste and strong sense of order. He often came here to rejuvenate when the chaos of the goblins became too much for him to bear. The Goblin King stopped in front of the book chair and patiently waited for the Wiseman and his hat to make their appearance.
Sarial relaxed on the plush divan in Sonya's dim dressing room. She had finally tired of feeling sorry for herself and vainly insisted on making her distorted form as attractive as possible. Since there was nothing she could do about her wizened body and voice, at least she could decide which shroud to wear. In front of a dim mirror she clapped her gnarled hands and the veils changed to various colors and styles as she grunted her approval or disapproval. She was very careful that at no time did she see herself under the veiling.
Sarial chuckled watching her, "That's what I like about you Sonya, you never give up." She grunted noncommittally in reply. Sonya knew he was only here to taunt her; it certainly wasn't due to her raving beauty. Seeing that his barb didn't get a response Sarial changed tactics, "I met with Jareth tonight and he asked about you." Sonya froze. Seeing her reaction Sarial studied his fingernails and nonchalantly continued, "I told him you weren't the woman he knew anymore." Sonya rasped, "Did you say anything else?" Pausing to let her sweat it out he finally replied, "No my sweet, not yet."
Finally Jareth heard the shuffling of the Wiseman making his way towards the book chair as the hat squawked, "Looky who's here, the Goblin King." The Wiseman moaned as he took his seat and demanded, "Would you be quiet?" The bird turned its beak up indignantly, "I can't say anything anymore." The Wiseman rolled his eyes and sighed in response. The Goblin King chuckled; he always enjoyed watching the antics of the Wiseman and his hat.
Turning his full attention on Jareth with widened eyes the Wiseman kindly asked, "What brings you here your majesty?" The Wiseman was not what he seemed; he was a manifestation of the Labyrinth's power and wisdom, a projection of the Labyrinth itself.
Jareth came to the point, "Why did you leave a way for the girl to return and didn't tell me?" The hat couldn't control itself and said, "You didn't ask." Before the Wiseman could speak Jareth walked up to the bird, nose to beak and drawled, "Perhaps your hat would like to take a trip through the bog of eternal stench." The hat blinked and replied, "I don't think the hat would like that at all." Knowing the hat would remain silent the Goblin King stepped back and resumed waiting for the Wiseman to answer. "It was her destiny, to go forward she had to come back. But it was a choice she alone could make." Jareth put his hands on his hips and inquired, "You know of the decision I have to make?" The Wiseman slightly nodded, "I do." Searching the Wiseman's eyes Jareth asked, "Do you have any advice for me?" The Wiseman responded, "Follow your heart."