Chapter 8
The Door Knockers
Sarah and Mark were wondering around the hallways again when they ran into Jareth. "Hey Jeff." Mark said with a smile. Jareth rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Why can't this mortal get my name right? Now I know how that dwarf Hegell feels…"
"Hey Jareth", Sarah said softly, "Did you want to talk to us about something?" Jareth looked up at the two. "Actually yes", he said, "I wanted to know why you sent that dwarf to help the runner." Sarah and Mark looked at each other. "How did you know?" Mark said. "I know everything that goes on in my castle and kingdom. I am king after all." Jareth said putting his hands on his hips. "It's because he's my friend and I trust him. He did get me to the castle when I ran and I know that he can do the same for Maggie." Sarah explained.
Jareth could tell that Sarah told the truth. That dwarf and her did create a good friendship which Jareth was always jealous of. Even now in the present, that dwarf was still her best friend and Jareth was, well, still the villain. Sarah may have been happily married now but can't they at least be friends?
"There you are." a woman's voice said. Avalyn came up to the gathering and put her arm around Jareth's. "Hunter ditched class again dear." she said as she looked at her husband. Jareth sighed. "I expect no less." he said. Avalyn turned to Sarah and Mark. "I was wondering if you two would like to join us for some drinks in the garden." she said. Sarah smiled. "That would be nice." Avalyn nodded and led the group out to the castle's main garden.
"How did ya escape that woman?" Nibgit asked as she and Maggie walked out of the vine walls and back into the hedges. "She dropped me in this terrible, horrible, disgusting place", Maggie explained as she remembered the bog, "I would have fallen into The Bog of Eternal Stench if it weren't for this dwarf that helped me. I just hope he's okay out there." "A dwarf, huh?" Nibgit said. "Yeah, he said his name was Hoggle." Nibgit rubbed her chin. "Hoggle….Hoggle…doesn't ring a bell." she said after a few moments of thinking. The two walked in silence for some time before they reached two doors with knockers. "Let's ask them if they know how to get to the castle from here." Maggie said as she started to walk up to the doors. Nibgit pulled on Maggie's leg to stop her. "Wait! What if we chose the wrong door again?" the goblin said worriedly. Maggie looked down at her.
"Oh, we won't."
"But what if we do?" Nibgit protested.
"We won't."
"What happens if we do though?"
The two doors watched the girl and goblin argue. "Are you going to keep arguing or are you going to come over here?" the first knocker with the ring in his ears said. Maggie and Nibgit stopped talking and looked at the doors. "Well", Maggie said as she walked up to them with Nibgit following, "I wanted to know if you guys know how to get to the castle…."
The second knocker with the ring in his mouth mumbled something. Maggie pulled the ring out of his mouth so he could talk. "Oh, thank you!", he said as he stretched his jaw, "If it's the castle you want to get to then just knock." Maggie looked down at Nibgit who shook her head and then back up to the second knocker. "Here, I wanna knock." she said as she tried to offer the ring back to the knocker.
The knocker looked at it and then back at Maggie. "You expect me to put that back in my mouth?" he said as he gave a laugh. "You should've never taken that out", the first knocker said, "Now he's never going to shut up." The second knocker stopped laughing. "Hey! You're the one who always talks around here!" he said. "Can't hear you!" the first knocker with the ring in his ears said. Maggie sighed. "Is this what usually happens?" she thought as she tried to offer the ring again. "Oh come on. Will you just take it? I said I want to knock."
"Nope. Not taking it." the knocker refused as he looked away. "Quit being stubborn." Maggie said. "Humph." the knocker said. "Fine then, be that way big nose." Maggie said. The knocker looked back at her. "Hey! I do not…." he said defensively as Maggie seized the opportunity to shove the ring back in his mouth and knock. The door grumbled something incoherent and opened. "Come on, we'll be fine." Maggie said as she and a nervous Nibgit entered.
Maggie looked around at the glittery forest. "Wow." she said took in the scenery. "I think we should go…." Nibgit said. "But look at it! It looks like a fun adventure!" Maggie said as she continued walking. "I don't wanna go though with…." Nibgit said as she stopped to look at a huge pink plant. "Oh, don't be a scaredy cat." Maggie said as she looked around with excitement in her eyes.
"What's there to be afraid of?" she said as she looked back to see Nibgit gone. "Nibgit?" Maggie said as she looked around. "She might have gone through the other door." she thought as she opened the door again. "Hey! What are you doing?" the first knocker said as Maggie walked out. "I wanna try the other door." Maggie said as she walked up to the knocker with the ring in its ears. "What?! You can't do that!" the knocker said. "Why not? You never told me that I couldn't." Maggie retorted.
The knocker thought for a second. "Yeah, but you just can't…." Maggie had already knocked though and the door reluctantly opened. "Thanks!" Maggie said as she walked through while the knocker rolled its eyes.
"Well this isn't as exciting." Maggie said as she stood on the grassy hill top. All around her were rolling grassy hills with little white and yellow flowers with clear blue skies. "Nibgit?" she called out as she started to walk down the hill. "Am I even in the Underground anymore?" Maggie said to herself as she looked around to see the labyrinth but could not. She frowned and turned around. The door had vanished. "What….?" Maggie said as she ran back to the spot where it use to be. "No, this can't be happening!" she exclaimed as she looked around to only see the hills.
Maggie took a deep breath. "Okay, just calm down. I'm sure there's a way out of here." she thought as she started to walk down hill again. She only walked half way down when she suddenly fell through yet another hole.