The raucous roar of Goblins in every state of amusement filled the tawny hall to the extent that reasonable communication was strictly theoretical.
Sarah found herself in the same clothes she'd been wearing for days. Her throat still unbelievably parched. Hair was slowly knotting into a rat's nest, and the goblins swarming at her sides made every effort to accelerate the process.
One pinched her rudely on the buttocks and made a lewd comment. Sarah yelped scornfully and tried to swat him away.
Jareth chided from across the room, "Now, now don't molest the creature..." With a rap of his cane and a pivot on his hips he looked back from over his shoulder with a devious light in his eyes, "That'll be my job," he added darkly.
The entire gaggle of goblins let loose in a piercing uproar. Tears practically burst from their eyes. Some grabbed their little round guts and rolled around on the hay and dust smattered floor, bumping into the odd frazzled chicken.
Truly, the scene was a madhouse.
Jareth was very pleased with his handiwork. In fact, he'd almost put out of mind how strong Sarah had seemed but a few hours ago when she faced him and provoked him to this challenge.
Amidst the demeaning snickers of Jareth's foul-mannered minions, Sarah did her best to swallow her indignation and look defiant. But it was hard to feel like she should be taken seriously given the state of her person. She was an absolute wreck and there was simply no denying the fact of it.
Jareth let the time stretch and draw out, savoring each time Sarah had to pick out bits of hay or feathers a goblin had decided to cunningly insert into the tangled mess of her hair. He didn't know why he loved to see his heart's desire in this state, yet somehow it gave him pleasure to watch her struggle through the tide of annoyances and mockery assailing her from every angle. Yes, pleasure.
At last, Sarah would stand for it no longer. Threatening the nearest crowd of goblins with her brandished foot, she then stomped, harrumphed and locked her arms akimbo before clearing her throat to shout across the open space to her adversary.
"Jareth, I think it's time the trial begin. I agreed to standing trial after all, not to swimming like a ragdoll in a goblin circus."
He knew her point was valid and well stated. Pausing a minute or so longer, pretending he'd only half heard her plaint, Jareth at last rapped his cane ceremoniously and called the burgeoning sea of goblin faces to attention.
"Now what brings us here today...is a trial," he stated with histrionic flare. Little goblin gasps punctuated his pauses.
"Not the trial of a fae or a goblin...rather the trial of a human heart."
The giddy feeling in Sarah's chest began to rise and press against her skin, making her tingle all over.
"And you, my filthy subjects, have been granted the honor of assisting me in my final verdict."
A chorus of oooh's and aaah's swelled through the throng of dark eyes and warty noses.
"Now, " Jareth started...
Immediately, a particularly talkative one took the initiative to seek clarification.
"Does that mean we get to ask her questions?"
"Yes," Jareth hissed in assent. He didn't like being interrupted.
One question led to a flock of new voices climaxing in a cacophony of completely irrelevant queries.
"Can we ask her about chickens?"
"...Do we get to climb on top of her?"
"When will they serve lunch?"
"What are the regulations on bugger sling shot contests?"
"Enough! Silence!" The goblins quivered and grew quiet. The few that were still caught up in the inertia of proffering random questions to no one in particular were quickly hushed by their more sagacious compatriots.
Jareth was clearly in no joking mood. His humor was turning particularly foul. Any goblin would be a total idiot to try his patience now. Of course goblins weren't that smart, but still, they all knew what the Bog of Eternal Stench smelled like.
"I will select from among you and call those selected one by one to question the convict."
Sarah let out a cry of protest and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Since when am I a convict? We haven't even started yet. And what am I convicted of? Where I come from you can't convict somebody till after a verdict's been reached. Until then you're just the accused. But what on earth am I accused of?"
The goblins snickered at Sarah's hotheaded outburst. She should know better than to cross the Goblin King.
"Everything!" He stated flatly and without hesitation.
"Everything?" Sarah shot him a quizzical glance.
"My dear Sarah, now listen closely...and DO NOT interrupt. Your well-being depends on it. Understand, you a trespasser of my land are accused of all the capital crimes in goblin history: negligence to the crown, espionage, blatant irreverence, and treason! To top it off, you are incurably cold to me." At this his eyes flashed daggers into hers.
"How am I a trespasser? Did you not bring me here in the first place?"
"Not you, as in your person. But your heart...yes your heart has trespassed into the labyrinth of my own. How's that for spying?"
"I'm sorry, this makes no sense," Sarah shook her head in bewilderment.
"There's no backing out now, Sarah. You have agreed to my trial, my terms. Now fulfill your obligations or I will charge you with yet another infraction!" His irises were blazing now. Sarah didn't understand if this was a game or if this rage was real that she saw pouring from him.
"What do you want me to do?" she finally responded.
"Answer the question. How's that for spying?"
"I don't know what you mean. I am not a spy."
"You're not a spy then, are you? Then why do you look at me with those eyes?"
"How do I look at you?" she was breathlessly confused.
"No one looks into my eyes and sees further than I want them to see. Why is it you dare to pry behind my mask?"
"I only see what it is I see. I have never pried. I just see. It's not spying if it's in plain sight."
"To top it off you say you desire me, you care for me, that you even love me! Ah you swear you'd spend eternity with me and yet you neglect me. What sort of vile hypocrisy is this?" Jareth countered heatedly with a new prong.
Sarah's heart skipped a beat as she processed these last words. Jareth didn't give her time to formulate a response, however. He continued.
"And if it is true, that you simply see and do not spy into the internal workings of my heart, then why can't you see well enough to grasp your own hypocrisy? Is it not callous of you to behold the softened center of my love and then do nothing?"
"I...I...did what I could. I came back. I called for you."
"Even then you were cold, could not humble yourself to walk into my awaiting embrace. While you were wandering the labyrinth feeling sorry for yourself like some adolescent, who was sitting crushed in his castle hoping you would go and seek him out?"
"I'm here now," was all she could manage.
"Yes, well, let's see how long you last."
Sarah wrung her wrists and took a deep breath. She really didn't know where this was going. Her stomach ached with pent up emotions. Still, she stood firm.
"Look at you even now, how you fail to reverence the grace and favor I have bestowed upon you! Not even a tear of remorse for your uncalled for cruelty."
Sarah swallowed hard, fighting back the wetness in her eyes, "But you always mocked me when I appeared weak to you. I thought you needed me to be strong. So that's what I tried to do. Be strong for you."
"Oh, really?"
Sarah nodded almost sheepishly, eyes ducking to the floor.
The sight of her defenses crumpling softly before him nearly undid his composure. Nevertheless, he banked on the welling resolution in his soul and pushed mercilessly forward.
"Strong for me? Or did you mean to use your strength to cut me down? Betray the one heart that beat only for you! If you loved me, why did you cut me so?"
"How," she could barely speak, a tear streaked down her cheek, "how did I ever betray you?" She wanted to say 'my love' at the end, but her throat closed shut over the words.
"I offered you everything. You rejected it. I gave you another chance, you spat on it. I presented my heart to you on a plate, and what sort of welcome did it receive? Contempt, contention, coldness, indifference! You walked away from me..."
"I'm sorry, Jareth, if you felt that way. I never meant..."
"Forget it," he waved his regal hand dismissively. "It is time for the goblins to start with the cross examination."