It's been way too long since I've updated this. Really everyone- don't hesitate to poke me once in a while or give me a swift kick to the…

Awesome. New chapter. It's short but I'm getting there. ;)

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Chapter 5

Sarah ran down to the bottom of the hill and abruptly stopped, rocking back on her heels in surprise. A short, dwarven man stood with his back to her, urinating in a small garden pond surrounded by weeds.

"Excuse me?" she said, more to announce her presence to him before either of them were surprised further.

"Oh, excuse me!" he said, jumping, and quickly zipped up his pants and turned around to face her. "Oh, it's you," he said grumpily, bent to pick up a small spray can at his feet, and walked away.

"Excuse me," Sarah tried again, "but I have to get through this labyrinth. Can you help me?"

Ignoring her, the man eyed some bugs flying by like a cat looking at a newly-discovered mouse nest. Wondering why he would be so interested in bugs, Sarah squinted and saw they were not bugs, but fairies.

"Oh, how sweet.." Enchanted, she stared as one fairy flew by in front of her face.

"Fifty-seven!" The dwarf shot forward, wielding his spray can, and a fairy fell to the ground. Sarah gasped.

"How could you?" she scolded, and hunched down to pick up the dying fairy as the man sneered. "Poor thing," she said to the fairy, but glared at the man. "You monster. Ow!" she jumped and dropped the fairy. "It bit me!"

"What did you expect fairies to do?" the man sneered. This was fun.

"I thought they did nice things, like granting wishes," she explained, examining her hand. The skin wasn't broken, but it sure hurt.

"Huh? Shows what you know, don't it?" He eyed another fairy and chased after it. "Fifty-eight." Fifty-eight! The King would be pleased with that number; that's more than any other gardener had got in one day yet! And at two pence a fairy sprayed? That's.. a hundred and.. well, it's a lot more money than he's had lately. Pleased with himself, he nearly forgot about the girl behind him.

"You're horrible!" she said to him, still thinking about the fairy and his miserable attitude.

"Huh? No I ain't. I'm Hoggle." He stuck a thumb to his chest. "Who are you?"

"Sarah," she replied, quietly and almost defiantly.

"That's what I thought," he replied indifferently. Jareth had told him all about her..

"She's to be led in circles around the maze, but don't let her discover what you are up to, or she'll fight you. Have her wander for hours, take her back to the beginning, I do not care, but I want her kept away from the center of the labyrinth.." Jareth had instructed him. "She's a threat to my goals and right now that is something I will not tolerate."

Hoggle shivered at the memory of that meeting, then saw another fairy, and darted forward again.

"Fifty-nine." Almost there! He just needed one more!

"Do you know where the door to the labyrinth is?" Sarah persisted, following him.

"Maybe," he answered, looking for more fairies.

"Well, where is it?" Sarah demanded, growing impatient.

Hoggle ran forward, eager to get another fairy before it flew up out of his vertically-challenged range.

"Sixty! Woo hah!" he exclaimed, jumping in the air. Yes! He'll get that bonus two shillings now! And just as soon as he was paid, he was going straight down to the Junk Ladies in the Goblin District to see what baubles they had for sale this month. He was amassing quite a collection, he thought proudly as he patted the mass of trinkets at his side.

"I said, 'where is it?'" Sarah repeated herself, growing grumpier by the minute.

"Where is what?" Hoggle asked, looking around for more fairies.

"The door!" Sarah wanted to scream. This was so unfair.

"What door?" Hoggle asked playfully. This was really fun.

"It's hopeless asking you anything." She rolled her eyes, frustrated.

"Not if you ask the right questions." Hoggle replied, following the outer wall of the labyrinth as he looked for fairies. She'd never get anywhere if she kept up this way. Jareth didn't need him to lead her astray, she'd do it well enough on her own.

Resignedly, as if finally realizing Hoggle was her only chance at help, Sarah tried again. "How do I get into the labyrinth?"

Hoggle stopped suddenly, and straightened. Now she was starting to get it. He turned around and walked towards her, and pointed past her to the wall. "You gets in there."

Sarah turned and saw two large wooden door open in the wall where seconds ago there had been none.

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Please read and review. Jareth is determined that his side of the story get out so I'm typing as fast as I can!