Chapter 15: The Return of the King
She went out and started up her battered blue Toyota, noticing with a grin that the tank was already full. "Well, thank you, Goblin King!" she murmured, putting the car into gear and starting out.
A dry, silvery voice answered, "You're welcome." Startled, her eyes shot over to stare at him in the passenger's seat. No longer dressed as a student, this was unmistakeably the Goblin King in her car. His hair was wild and spiky, his shirt was loose, his pants were tight, his boots were high, and the Goblin King's pendant sat proudly on his chest. She could tell by the tilt of his chin and the expression on his face that this was no longer just Jareth, her flirty new friend.
This was Jareth, King of the Goblins.
"Your Majesty," Sarah greeted warily, returning her eyes to the road. "To what do I owe the pleasure? You're not interested in my brother anymore, surely?"
He gave her a slow, haughty glance. "No, not your brother." He gave a humourless smile. "Not this time." He looked straight ahead, seemingly content to watch the scenery and not elaborate.
Sarah was not content for him not to elaborate. Trying to draw him out (and maybe bring Jareth back) she joked, "Well, if anyone's wished away my ex-step-mother you might have a hard time finding someone who's willing to run the Labyrinth for her!"
The Goblin King didn't bother answering, merely arched an eyebrow at her and looked away. Sarah knew not how to respond, so she decided to be direct. "So why are you here, Your Majesty? Have you come to take someone away, or are you just here to reminisce?"
"Sarah, Sarah," his voice was light and mocking, so like twelve years ago that it made her heart pound. "Don't you know who I've come for this time?"
Sarah's mouth went dry. She didn't know how to deal with this man, who seemed so different from Jareth, but who was actually just a different facet of him. Still determined to keep things light, she swallowed and replied, "Well, if you've come for me, I'm not sure how well I'll fit in as a goblin, Your Majesty."
His reply was a quick bark of laughter, then silence.
Sarah sighed. It was going to be a long, tense ride unless he lightened up! She decided to provoke him a little, by reminding him of what she'd seen that morning. "Uh, Your Majesty?"
"Yes?"
"I want to apologize for having spied on you this morning. It was completely inadvertent. I just woke up with this feeling that someone needed me, and then I looked in the crystal and saw you..."
The bitter look in his eyes made her stop speaking. "Yes," he said. "I was the one. I hadn't meant to disturb you with my brooding."
"You were the one, what?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't know what to think! Actually, if you want the truth, I'm just a little intimidated by having the Goblin King in my car as I'm driving to visit my family!" Sarah's voice had risen a little, but she was pleased that it hadn't gotten shaky. She certainly felt shaky, but knew that it was the kiss of doom to show weakness in front of this incarnation of Jareth. "I don't know what you want, and I don't know how to deal with you, and I'm a little worried that you're going to try something with my family!"
"I assure you, they are quite safe," he drawled, amusement colouring his tone.
"And me?"
"What about you?"
"Am I safe?"
"Have I ever hurt you?"
"Are you planning to, this time?" With the rapid-fire exchange, Sarah knew they were playing a new game. It was like the time she watched "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," when the title characters played a game of tennis using questions instead of racquets and balls. The first one to actually answer one of the questions lost a point.
"Now, why would I do that?" Now she knew the king had caught on.
"How should I know? You haven't exactly been forthcoming," Sarah paused long enough for him to start smirking before she added the tag question, "Have you?" She grinned, noting his sour expression. She'd tricked him.
"Isn't it more fun to guess?" he teased.
"How much depends on the outcome?" She demanded.
"How high do you want the stakes to be?" he countered, a smile beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth.
"How much can you afford?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Am I not a king?"
Sarah asked innocently, "Oh, are we talking about money, then?"
"What else have you to offer?" Yes, he was definitely smiling now as he glanced over and raked her frame with a sidelong look.
"What, me? Now, what would you want with me?" Sarah blushed, but was determined to see this game to the finish.
"Why don't you think you'd make a good goblin?"
"Well, aren't they a bit... stupid?"
"And you're not?" he grinned openly now.
Sarah laughed aloud, exhilarated by the game. "What does that say about you, considering that you lost to me?"
The king's laughter joined hers after a stunned moment as he acknowledged the point. Then he asked, "So if you're too smart to be a good goblin, why else would I be interested in you?"
"Masochism?" Sarah offered sweetly.
His brow furrowed in puzzlement. "What?" He sought clarification, but it was still within the unspoken rules of the game.
"Well, if you enjoy being defeated, wouldn't I be fun to have around?"
"What makes you think I enjoy being defeated, Sarah?" his scowl was back, and his voice, sharp.
"Why else would you have come back for round two?"
"You think you could defeat me twice?"
"Why, what have you done to the Labyrinth since I left?"
"Don't you wish you knew?" His smile was back, if a mocking one.
"Are you setting me up for a fall?"
"Why? Are you losing your balance?" he countered swiftly.
Sarah darted him a sharp look and muttered something under her breath -- being careful to phrase it as a question, just in case he overheard her.
He did, but made her repeat it anyway. "Pardon?"
"I said, 'Why do I get the feeling I'm being pushed?'" Sarah repeated.
The king's rich laughter filled the tiny car and he leaned back, victorious. "Statement, Sarah. I win."
"What? No, that was a question!" Sarah cried in outrage.
"Afraid not, my dear. When you repeated it, your question was contained within the statement of what you'd said. My game, I believe."
Sarah was silent, repeating the last few lines in her head, and then she groaned when she realized he was right. "Oh, damn," she muttered. "You were setting me up for a fall!" she accused.
His grin was mocking. "A slip, yes. Possibly even a tumble, but not a fall. Sarah, would you please pull over here?" He gestured with one hand, and a pull-off clearing appeared ahead on the right.
Sarah sighed, her mind turning over the implications of the word "tumble," and flipped on her blinker.
Author's note: Letylyf, thanks for your review. I hope the pace picks up for you as the story goes along, but if not, I do want to know about it. I didn't actually intend for mature to be a euphemism for dull, though I found your comparison of the two fairly amusing considering how true that is in real life. Sorry if it's coming across that way! Hope your opinion changes as the story progresses…but I'm still not going to have anybody getting slapped:)
Everyone else, thanks for the reviews—you guys are great. Sorry about the typos in the previous two chapters; I'm breaking in a new (split) keyboard and sometimes the space-bar hasn't been registering. As many as I've found have been corrected, thanks to those who brought it to my attention. Do keep on reviewing, please!