"Cor, she's calling me again. I ain't never ignored 'er before." The old
dwarf stared off to the side his eyes focused on nothing.
"Then go to her." Jareth, usually so confidant and sure of himself now sat leaning against the outer door of the labyrinth with his head back and eyes closed. His voice was low, as if he could not summon enough enthusiasm to bark out his commands as normal.
"Look, Jareth, you need to go back and..." Hoggle swallowed a knot of fear as Jareth snapped forward like a tightly wound spring.
"I will not have you telling me what I should or should not do, and you will address me as your majesty, can you understand this or do I need to use smaller words?" he snarled at him.
"I ain't gonna do no such thing." Hoggle wasn't sure where he managed to find the courage to shout back at the man who could send him headlong into the bog of eternal stench. "Seems like you've already given up, so I don't gotta call you nuthin, Jareth." He placed one hand one his hip, one stubby finger of his other hand pointing at the taller man admonishingly. "You was the one that wanted to go see her, the least ya coulda done is say why."
Jareth narrowed his eyes and stalked forward towards the little man. Hoggle backed up a pace until his back was against the wall of the Labyrinth. "What do you mean, given up? What do you know, Hoggle?" His voice was low and dangerous.
Hoggle wished that Jareth had messed up his name again. At least when he was calling him by the wrong name, it meant he wasn't focused on him enough for him to be in trouble. While he was at it, he also wished that he had kept his mouth shut. But you can't change the past. "I knows what I knows is all." He mumbled. "There was a fella' came 'round earlier before I sees you. Said that you and he had a bit o' a wager, and that if you lost, he'd be king of the labyrinth. He said there was no way that you would win, but if anyone helped you to fail, they'd be treated with a reward." He almost continued, but figured that was all he really needed to know so he decided to take his earlier wish now and kept his mouth shut.
"So, he was trying to make me fail already...." Jareth stepped away, his face clouding over with thought. "Go back to her Hoggle. Talk to Sarah. She will listen to you. Tell her.....tell her I want to make a request of her this time, and that I will be willing to compensate her for her time."
Hoggle had a fair idea that Jareth wanted to ask for Sarah's help, although he would never phrase it quite that way. The goblin king needed no help, especially from little mortal girls. Still, Hoggle thought that he could talk to Sarah, and at least get her to agree to talk to the Goblin King again. It was worth the shot. "Fine, I'll go talk ta the lil' miss and see if she'll talk to you. If she don't though, I ain't gonna ask her again. You shoulda' asked her in the first place."
He knew he was walking a dangerous line being so flippant with the goblin king, but he figured he was in deep enough already, and he liked the feeling of standing up to the bully, although he was not quite brave enough to wait around for Jareth's reaction. Before Jareth could do or say anything, Hoggle had gone back to talk with Sarah.
Sarah stretched out on the couch watching images flicker across the TV. She couldn't really claim to be watching the program, as her mind refused to pay attention to what was happening. For now though it was movement and sound that filled in the quietness of the room.
She had moved the vase with the lilies to the coffee table where they currently sat right at the edge of her vision. Why had he come here? And why leave her the peach, was he mocking her?
Of course he was mocking me, she thought. Does that man know how to do anything else? The arrogant, self absorbed, pompous...
"I know you're mad at me, and you gots good reason, but I had good reason to bring 'im here too." Hoggle was standing at the end of the couch, his eyes cast glumly down at the floor. He had always hated doing anything that might upset her, and it was evident in the guilt written on his face.
"Hoggle!" Sarah scrambled off the couch landing on her knees next to him and grabbing him a giant bear hug. "Oh you're alright! Did he hurt you? What did he say? If he threatened you again, I'll...."
Hoggle jumped a bit as she hugged him. He had been sure that she was going to yell at him. Well, he knew she was going to, he just didn't expect to be hugged first. "He ain't done nuthin' to me, and I even stood up to him before coming back here" His gruff voice held just a tinge of pride at that.
"I'm glad, it's about time." She leaned back, taking his hand and pulling him over to the couch. "Sit down then and tell me, what did he do to make you bring him here."
Hoggle took a moment to climb up onto the couch and comfortable with his legs stretched out, feet just barely over the edge of the cushion. "Well.....ya see....he didn't really do anything...he just....sorta.....asked."
Sarah stared at him, letting the words and realization that went with them sink in. "You mean, he didn't do anything, you just LET him come here? Hoggle! Why would you do that? You know I didn't want him to even know where I was. How could you?" She stood up and walked across the living room, turning to face him with her arms crossed over her chest as she spoke."
Hoggle took off his cap and absently wrung it in his hands. He still couldn't quite look at her. "It's complicated Sarah. Ya sees, Jareth....he's needing help, and....I know how you feel for him, but I thought, maybe....just maybe, you could help."
"What?"
"See, there's this fella, don' quite know his name, but.....he's trying to take the labyrinth from Jareth. Jareth is a mean bully, but this guy..." He couldn't suppress a shiver. "He's evil, Sarah."
Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"
"This fella, he came by earlier, before I saw Jareth. He was tellin' people that he and Jareth had a wager, one Jareth couldn't win. Jareth is going to have to run the labyrinth himself. He said any that got in Jareth's way would be rightly rewarded. And he said that any that helped Jareth would be..." He trailed off.
"Would be what, Hoggle?"
"Jareth's cruel. If ya annoy him, you end up in the bog." His voice dropped to a whisper. "But at least yous still alive." He cleared his throat and finally looked up at her. "Ya remember the firey's?"
She nodded mutely.
"They ain't never liked people telling them what's they to do. And they said they just might help Jareth. And this fella....he some how shredded 'em. Soon everyone knew what's he had done. And no one else wanted to mess with him."
Sarah moved back over to the couch. "Hoggle, Jareth isn't going to let anyone take the Labyrinth from him. I'm sure that he knows it backwards and forwards. You won't have to worry about this guy."
He shook his head. "It's differn'. He's out to show he can control the labyrinth better than Jareth. He's re-orderin' it. It's gonna be dangerous. When yous was there, there weren't nuthin' that could really hurt ya. This time, there will be. And another thing, you made it through cause you had me and Ludo and Didymus. No one else ever made it to the center, because no one else ever had help. You can't do it alone. That's the trick of it."
Sarah was angry. "But he's already made it so no one will help Jareth. That's not fair!"
Hoggle smirked. "What'd you been told about saying that missy? Of course it ain't fair, but he don't have to play fair."
"So you want me to go and help him get through this new labyrinth?"
"Sorta. I tol' him that I'd talk to you, and see if you'd listen to him. He's gotta ask you himself for help. If he don't then he ain't as serious about this as he needs ta be. Make him ask ya Sarah." He slid off the couch and pulled his cap back over his head.
"What about you Hoggle?" She took both of his hands in her own, crouching down to look him in the eyes. "Is he going to hurt you for helping Jareth?"
Hoggle didn't answer, he only shrugged a little and pulled his hands out of hers.
"Alright. Go and tell Jareth that I'll talk to him, but make sure he knows he better ask nicely." She would make Jareth squirm until she answered him, but she had already made up her mind. Whoever this new person was that wanted to take over the Labyrinth, she wouldn't let him hurt her friends!
"Then go to her." Jareth, usually so confidant and sure of himself now sat leaning against the outer door of the labyrinth with his head back and eyes closed. His voice was low, as if he could not summon enough enthusiasm to bark out his commands as normal.
"Look, Jareth, you need to go back and..." Hoggle swallowed a knot of fear as Jareth snapped forward like a tightly wound spring.
"I will not have you telling me what I should or should not do, and you will address me as your majesty, can you understand this or do I need to use smaller words?" he snarled at him.
"I ain't gonna do no such thing." Hoggle wasn't sure where he managed to find the courage to shout back at the man who could send him headlong into the bog of eternal stench. "Seems like you've already given up, so I don't gotta call you nuthin, Jareth." He placed one hand one his hip, one stubby finger of his other hand pointing at the taller man admonishingly. "You was the one that wanted to go see her, the least ya coulda done is say why."
Jareth narrowed his eyes and stalked forward towards the little man. Hoggle backed up a pace until his back was against the wall of the Labyrinth. "What do you mean, given up? What do you know, Hoggle?" His voice was low and dangerous.
Hoggle wished that Jareth had messed up his name again. At least when he was calling him by the wrong name, it meant he wasn't focused on him enough for him to be in trouble. While he was at it, he also wished that he had kept his mouth shut. But you can't change the past. "I knows what I knows is all." He mumbled. "There was a fella' came 'round earlier before I sees you. Said that you and he had a bit o' a wager, and that if you lost, he'd be king of the labyrinth. He said there was no way that you would win, but if anyone helped you to fail, they'd be treated with a reward." He almost continued, but figured that was all he really needed to know so he decided to take his earlier wish now and kept his mouth shut.
"So, he was trying to make me fail already...." Jareth stepped away, his face clouding over with thought. "Go back to her Hoggle. Talk to Sarah. She will listen to you. Tell her.....tell her I want to make a request of her this time, and that I will be willing to compensate her for her time."
Hoggle had a fair idea that Jareth wanted to ask for Sarah's help, although he would never phrase it quite that way. The goblin king needed no help, especially from little mortal girls. Still, Hoggle thought that he could talk to Sarah, and at least get her to agree to talk to the Goblin King again. It was worth the shot. "Fine, I'll go talk ta the lil' miss and see if she'll talk to you. If she don't though, I ain't gonna ask her again. You shoulda' asked her in the first place."
He knew he was walking a dangerous line being so flippant with the goblin king, but he figured he was in deep enough already, and he liked the feeling of standing up to the bully, although he was not quite brave enough to wait around for Jareth's reaction. Before Jareth could do or say anything, Hoggle had gone back to talk with Sarah.
Sarah stretched out on the couch watching images flicker across the TV. She couldn't really claim to be watching the program, as her mind refused to pay attention to what was happening. For now though it was movement and sound that filled in the quietness of the room.
She had moved the vase with the lilies to the coffee table where they currently sat right at the edge of her vision. Why had he come here? And why leave her the peach, was he mocking her?
Of course he was mocking me, she thought. Does that man know how to do anything else? The arrogant, self absorbed, pompous...
"I know you're mad at me, and you gots good reason, but I had good reason to bring 'im here too." Hoggle was standing at the end of the couch, his eyes cast glumly down at the floor. He had always hated doing anything that might upset her, and it was evident in the guilt written on his face.
"Hoggle!" Sarah scrambled off the couch landing on her knees next to him and grabbing him a giant bear hug. "Oh you're alright! Did he hurt you? What did he say? If he threatened you again, I'll...."
Hoggle jumped a bit as she hugged him. He had been sure that she was going to yell at him. Well, he knew she was going to, he just didn't expect to be hugged first. "He ain't done nuthin' to me, and I even stood up to him before coming back here" His gruff voice held just a tinge of pride at that.
"I'm glad, it's about time." She leaned back, taking his hand and pulling him over to the couch. "Sit down then and tell me, what did he do to make you bring him here."
Hoggle took a moment to climb up onto the couch and comfortable with his legs stretched out, feet just barely over the edge of the cushion. "Well.....ya see....he didn't really do anything...he just....sorta.....asked."
Sarah stared at him, letting the words and realization that went with them sink in. "You mean, he didn't do anything, you just LET him come here? Hoggle! Why would you do that? You know I didn't want him to even know where I was. How could you?" She stood up and walked across the living room, turning to face him with her arms crossed over her chest as she spoke."
Hoggle took off his cap and absently wrung it in his hands. He still couldn't quite look at her. "It's complicated Sarah. Ya sees, Jareth....he's needing help, and....I know how you feel for him, but I thought, maybe....just maybe, you could help."
"What?"
"See, there's this fella, don' quite know his name, but.....he's trying to take the labyrinth from Jareth. Jareth is a mean bully, but this guy..." He couldn't suppress a shiver. "He's evil, Sarah."
Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"
"This fella, he came by earlier, before I saw Jareth. He was tellin' people that he and Jareth had a wager, one Jareth couldn't win. Jareth is going to have to run the labyrinth himself. He said any that got in Jareth's way would be rightly rewarded. And he said that any that helped Jareth would be..." He trailed off.
"Would be what, Hoggle?"
"Jareth's cruel. If ya annoy him, you end up in the bog." His voice dropped to a whisper. "But at least yous still alive." He cleared his throat and finally looked up at her. "Ya remember the firey's?"
She nodded mutely.
"They ain't never liked people telling them what's they to do. And they said they just might help Jareth. And this fella....he some how shredded 'em. Soon everyone knew what's he had done. And no one else wanted to mess with him."
Sarah moved back over to the couch. "Hoggle, Jareth isn't going to let anyone take the Labyrinth from him. I'm sure that he knows it backwards and forwards. You won't have to worry about this guy."
He shook his head. "It's differn'. He's out to show he can control the labyrinth better than Jareth. He's re-orderin' it. It's gonna be dangerous. When yous was there, there weren't nuthin' that could really hurt ya. This time, there will be. And another thing, you made it through cause you had me and Ludo and Didymus. No one else ever made it to the center, because no one else ever had help. You can't do it alone. That's the trick of it."
Sarah was angry. "But he's already made it so no one will help Jareth. That's not fair!"
Hoggle smirked. "What'd you been told about saying that missy? Of course it ain't fair, but he don't have to play fair."
"So you want me to go and help him get through this new labyrinth?"
"Sorta. I tol' him that I'd talk to you, and see if you'd listen to him. He's gotta ask you himself for help. If he don't then he ain't as serious about this as he needs ta be. Make him ask ya Sarah." He slid off the couch and pulled his cap back over his head.
"What about you Hoggle?" She took both of his hands in her own, crouching down to look him in the eyes. "Is he going to hurt you for helping Jareth?"
Hoggle didn't answer, he only shrugged a little and pulled his hands out of hers.
"Alright. Go and tell Jareth that I'll talk to him, but make sure he knows he better ask nicely." She would make Jareth squirm until she answered him, but she had already made up her mind. Whoever this new person was that wanted to take over the Labyrinth, she wouldn't let him hurt her friends!