Chapter 20. The bait

January was over, as if it had never begun, it was over. The girls had worked hard on all their studies and the terms. Sarah had awoken on New Years Day to find herself in Jareth's lap, and that was the last she'd seen of him. He had not called nor had he sent her letters. He had left her parents home telling her there was a lot of lose ends he had to tie up, and not to worry if he was gone for some time.

Riha also seemed to be having man problems. She had come in on New Years Day, just as Jareth was leaving. She had rushed up to the bed room and refused to speak. Even after they had returned to school, she refused to discuss the problems she was having with the handsome young Mr. Channing.

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He paced, hands clasped behind him, and a riding crop held between them. He had been pacing for a very long time. He knew that because the goblins were not making any noise, they were perched on ledges and sills and watching. Mouths open and eyes popped, but watching. He would pause and they would take long drawn breaths. When he'd begin walking again the breaths were released sounding like leaking balloons.

It was a conundrum, what to do about the girl. When he was away from her, he came up with a myriad of plans on how to make her suffer. When he was with her, he had softened, fallen victim to her… what? She was beautiful, for a mortal, he'd give her that. She also possessed wit, and cunning. He liked that in a woman. He hated women who fawned, who could not carry on a conversation or be challenging. No one could ever accuse Sarah of not being a challenge. She was cruel; she had cut him to ribbons in the stair room with out a second though. Yet, he had seen a touch of remorse at the last moment before he transformed, hadn't he? He had seen her be kind as well, and generous. Had she not put herself in danger and taken time away from her quest to rescue Ludo? Had she not forgiven Hoggle for his betrayal of her and the quest? Yes, she could be most generous and loving and even faithful. She was a most complex woman.

He paced past the pit, and the little goblins watching him from its depths. In all the time he'd been alive, and that was a very long time indeed, he'd never met anyone like Sarah. She drove him to distraction. He unclasped his hands, and placed one on the Celtic knot she'd given him. What was it she'd said? That it called out to her? He stopped pacing and looked thunderstruck. The medallion had called out to her! His knees shook and threatened to buckle. Perhaps he'd gone about it all wrong from the start, could that be? Could it be that he was not meant to conquer her, but to be conquered by her? Jareth closed his eyes, and took a long breath.

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Sarah looked at the section of books Dr. Rygil had sent her off to. She'd been given a list of books to find and a cart to drag them back to him in. One title held her captive from the moment she spotted it. 'The world of the Goblin', she could not understand why she was so drawn to the book, until it fell open on the cart. There, on the old yellowed page was a woodcutting. It was a face, a face she knew well. It was Jareth. Her head began to pound, as if a hammer was trying to break out of her skull.

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Lilith sat looking at the view; she'd been here for a month now and loved the peacefulness. The sun was beginning its languid decent from the sky. Shadows played in the valley below, as well as across the mountains. In the pale gold light that enhanced the sunset she stood. Gilgamesh joined her with a goblet of wine. He passed the cup to her and watched as she sipped.

"This is truly a paradise." She said in the voice of one who was about to voice regrets.

The old Babylonian frowned. "Then why leave?"

"I've duties." She placed a hand to the face of the man who was now so important to her. "And I would like to believe you understand that."

"I understand," He whispered. "I had hoped, though…"

Lilith pursed her lips, "For something permanent? Come now, we both know that's not likely. Long-lasting relationships are far and few between among our kind."

Gilgamesh looked to the sunset. "You were never married."

"No." Lilith sighed, saddened by her own confession. "I never cared for anyone long enough to stay… I loved…. I was loved… and I had children…but no, I've never married."

"I was married." He said, trying not to make comparisons. "It is commitment, but it is worth it."

Placing her head on his shoulder she sighed. "Dearest King, I love you… I do…but …"

He kissed her forehead. "No more words, my dear." He resigned himself. "Just let us have this one last sunset."

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Megan looked at Ellen, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure; she went white as a ghost." Ellen said with excitement. "She's losing it!"

"I told you that phonied up picture in that book would get her!" Megan laughed. "We'll have old kooky Williams begging for mercy."

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Tommy looked at the two girls sitting up in the gallery looking glummer than two teens had a right to feel. He brought coffee up personally to the table and sat down. "Riha, you look like you just lost your best friend." He turned to Sarah, "You don't look much better."

The Irish girl was quietly removing her Claddagh ring. "I have." She admitted. "Conner and I are… no more." She pushed the ring away.

Sarah forgot her own woes, "Riha, you should have said something!" She reached a hand out. "What happened…I thought…"

"So did I," Lamented the Irish girl. "But I should have known better… my fate is sealed and there's not a thing to be done about it…when spring comes I go back to Ireland, alone."

Tommy frowned. "Conner just up and left you?"

"No, Tommy, darlin' man… he made a demand I could na give him." The girl was embarrassed and didn't want to say more.

Sarah waited until the man had left the table. "Ri, you said something a long time ago… something about caring about Conner, but that your fate was spoken for…."

Nodding the girl sighed. "Tis true…." She smiled softly at her cousin and held out a hand. "But tis not yer problem cousin mine."

Sarah felt a chill go though her when she held Riha's hand. "You're not well." She said softly. "Are you?" Riha shook her head, and Sarah tightened her hold. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Say what, Sarah? Oh by the way I'm dying…." Her voice took on a sarcasm Sarah had never heard. And bitterness soaked her words. "I tried to grab onto a moment's happiness… more fool I!" She shook it off. "Enough… I'll not have what time I've left here in this country colored with tears and sorrow…"

Sarah nodded.

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Jareth sat in his throne, his hands clasped between his legs and his head down. That is how his mother found him.

"Young scoundrel!" she admonished. "What are you doing sitting here brooding?"

Mismatched eyes ventured upward, "Mother, would you say I'm a good man?"

"A good man?" she moved forward. "What do you mean a good man?"

"A good man!" He roared. "Am I a good man?"

"No." She said quickly. "You are not a good man. You are a brooding, spoiled and powerful Fae who wreaks havoc!"

Defeated he fell back. "Then I don't deserve a second chance with Sarah."

"Nonsense." She muttered. "Boy what does being a good man have to do with it?'

"Sarah deserves a good man." He lamented. "A man who can protect her, and uphold her faith, a man who strives…."

"You asked the wrong question." Lilith announced. "You should have asked me if you were a good King…. One whose concerns are for his Kingdom and his people. One who strives to rule with justice… One who has always protected the little ones…. One who upholds a faith older than recorded time!" He looked up at her and straightened up. "You are a good King! A spoiled man, but a good King…. And Sarah deserves the man she dreamed of since she was a child….A King…"

Jareth smiled, stood up and kissed his mother's cheek. "Ah thank you mother." He looked more at peace. "I'm going to go to her…. Reveal myself and take my chances."

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Sarah held the book 'The world of the Goblin' in her hands as she entered the office of Dr. Rygil. She handed it to him with the page she was concerned with marked. "What do you know about this?" she asked.

Rygil took the book, opened the page and looked, his face changed. "Where did you find this?" He asked turning the book over and over. "Sarah, where did you find this?"

"It was on the list you gave me to look for…" She said in answer.

He shook his head, "No, I never asked for this…." He looked at the woodcutting. "Sarah this book is a fake… There's never been a book by this title. Look at the pages… they are… made to look old but they are… new. And this woodcutting? Look, it's too crisp…" He handed the book back to her. "I don't know where you got it, but it does not belong in our collection."

Frowning Sarah asked. "Who has access to the list you leave me?"

"I have no idea, why?"

Sarah opened the page and looked at the woodcutting. "This is a good likeness of the man I'm seeing… a man someone does not want me to see…but who?"

"Do you have any enemies?" Rygil asked softly, taking the book again to look at the woodcutting.

"The only one I can think of who hates me this much is Megan…." Sarah drew a long breath. "Soon as Jareth returns I'd better let him know."

Dr. Rygil handed the book back to her.

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Ellen raced to where Megan was sitting having coffee. "We've got trouble."

"We do?" Megan asked without concern. "What kind?"

"Sarah Williams…." Ellen looked around making sure she was not overheard. "She showed that phonied up book to Dr. Rygil…"

Megan's face took an angry turn. "Shit! I suppose that old geezer told her it was a fake." When Ellen nodded, Megan shoved her coffee aside. "Well then that leaves me only one alternative. I've a little Valentines gift for Sarah." She pulled a notebook out of her large bag she carried. Out of the note book dropped several sheets of paper with the King Industries header. Megan made a face that spoke of evil victory, "A little note from lover boy for her to meet him at their secret place."

"They have a secret place?"

"Indeed they do…" Megan began to write, using a copy of Jareth's actual handwriting for a model. "He has a track of land up in the old mining hillside… I followed them once… and I went back when no one was there…. I found a lovely old shaft… and that's where we are going to put Miss Williams… down a mine shaft!"

Ellen squirmed in her seat. "That's a bit drastic isn't it?"

"What do I care?" Megan growled.

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Sarah looked at the note, she was glad that at last she was hearing from the man but wondered why he had not just come to see her. The invitation to come up to their hillside was one she was only too happy to receive. She felt all the misery of missing Jareth dissipate with the anticipation of seeing him. Leaving the note on the table, she pulled on her coat and headed out the door. The work crew was just calling it a day. Sarah called out to one of the men, one she'd come to know in the months she'd lived in Bell hall. "Tim! Oh Tim, can I hitch a ride?"

Tim smiled; "Where to?"

"There." She pointed to the hillside, "Up near the ski lodge."

"Sure, I have to make a run up there anyway." Tim opened the passenger's door on his truck. "The boss wants some supplies delivered up there."

"Have you seen Jareth?" She asked as she lumbered into the cab of the truck.

"Nope, not for weeks…" Tim said. "But that's not unusual….he's very busy you know."

"Yes, I know." She pulled her gloves on tighter.

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Riha picked up the note, read it and looked out the window to see Sarah getting in a truck. She read the note again and shook her head. She pulled on her coat and moved down toward the few workers who were getting ready to leave. "Does anyone know where Sarah Williams was going?"

One man looked up, "Sarah?" He looked and saw Tim's truck had left. "She must have hitched a ride with Tim up to the old camp."

Riha looked from them up toward the hillside. "I don't like it…" she whispered. "No, I don't like it at all." The trucks were pulling out and she flagged down the one that contained the man who'd seen Sarah leave. "Would you mind giving me a lift that way?"

"Sure, hop in."

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The hillside was slippery; the snow had melted into slush that was like slime. Sarah found herself fighting to keep her footing. "Jareth!" she called. "Jareth!" She looked down and saw boot prints, large ones. She smiled thinking it must be his, and she followed the prints. They ended at a large gapping dark hole in the hillside. "Jareth." She called cautiously. She moved closer and looked into the darkness. "Jareth?"

Hands, belonging to an unseen assailant shoved her from behind. She never saw it coming, but she heard the maniacal laughter as she plunged into the darkness.

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Riha exited the truck and thanked the driver. "Sarah!" She called out, but received no reply. Fear welled up, and she moved quickly sipping on the mush beneath her feet. "Sarah!" Seeing the two sets of boot prints she followed. When they ended, she frowned. There was a muddy mess at the opening of the dark hole. She moved closer. "Sarah? Sarah, are you in there?" She heard a moan and she cried out. "Sarah?" Hands grabbed her, and shoved her with force down into the pit. The last thing Riha heard was laughter and a voice saying. "That's one less dirty foreigner we have to worry about."