Chapter Eleven ____________________________ I need me You need you We want us to live forever Don't let the curtain fall Measure after measure of writing on the wall That burns so brightly It blinds us all. -Closer to Believing Emerson, Lake & Palmer ___________________________ The three travelers had been walking for two days when they finally reached the edge of the woods. "I'm afraid I have to part company with you now." Gabriel said. "I have things I need to get back too. Good luck." "Thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it." "Yeah, thanks." Added Conner. "It was no trouble." He bowed, then headed back into the woods. "I can't believe our luck, Conner. We should be to the edge of the Labyrinth in no time. I can almost see it." She set out a brisk pace, with nothing but her goal in mind. Jareth sat on his throne, looking around the room agitatedly. The goblins were making enough noise to wake the dead. With a twist of his hand, he conjured a crystal out of the air. He stared into it a moment, brow furrowed in concentration. "Such a pity. I wish you would let me help you, Amalthya. I wish you'd let me help us both." A movement in the door way caught his attention. He banished the crystal, and turned to face the man. "Gabriel?" "Yes, Lord" "Did you find her?" "Well..." "Do not lie to me." "Yes. Yes I found her. Look, what are you planing? I won't let you harm her." "*You* won't let *me*?" Jareth cocked an eyebrow. "I want your reassurance that you won't hurt her." "Very well. You have it. But I'll have you know that harming her is the furthest thing from my mind. Just bring her here. I don't care how you do it, just make sure she doesn't know where you're taking her." "Yes, Your Majesty." The messenger left the room silently. Several of the goblins had stopped their revelry to look at Jareth. They might have been dull-witted, but they had enough sense to tell something had changed profoundly. He lept up on the throne in one fluid motion and peered down at them with a scathing look. "Well, what are you staring at? Haven't you anything better to do?" Several of the goblins began to back out of the nearest doorway. "You." He said, pointing a black-gloved finger at one of them. "Prepare a guest room. We're going to have a visitor. Now to make sure she doesn't escape." He mumbled to himself, calling up another crystal. She continued down the stone corridor, getting more and more frustrated. "Look at that, Conner." She said, pointing to a lightning-blasted tree just visible over the walls.. "We've been going around in circles!" With an inarticulate cry of anger, she threw herself on the ground. "I give up!" Hot tears streamed down her face. "I wish I'd never even heard of Jareth or his stupid Labyrinth. Do you here me?" she screamed to the air. Conner sat a few feet off, watching her worriedly. She turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry. I've been so inconsiderate of you this whole trip. I bet you have family or friends you want to see after being down in those tunnels for all that time. I just dragged you along, never even asking..." "No. I'd never go of an' leave you 'ere. It ain't safe." "No, go on. I don't think I'll be needing your protection. I'm going back to the castle. "What?" "You heard me. There is no way I'm ever going to make it out of here. Might as well get it over with." She laughed mirthlessly. "I don't even know why I wanted to go home in the first place. Even if Jareth throws me in the dungeon it'll probably be better than going back. Or maybe I've just lost my mind. Who cares!" She laughed again. "If yer sure..." "Yes. Go on Conner. Thank you, you've been a true friend." "You too." With that, the mouse scampered around the corner, and out of her life. "Well, I'm back at the beginning again. Best be off." She started down the path again, feeling strangely confident in her new decision. It was almost certainly suicide, but heck, that hadn't stopped her before had it? She had set out to meet Jareth; he hadn't been what she'd expected. But she hadn't been what he was expecting either, she wagered. Definitely not her mother's daughter. She'd lived a real life, learned real lessons. She was ready to confront him. Lost in these thoughts, she almost crashed into a figure rounding the corner in front of her. "Gabriel!" "Hello Amalthya." "Weren't you going back to your village?" She eyed him suspiciously. "Well, no. I came to find you." "To take me to the castle." "Unfortunately, yes. He's promised not to hurt you, though." "Ha! I'm not afraid of him." It wasn't a *compleat* lie, was it? "In fact, I was just heading there myself." "What?" "Conner said the same thing. Don't ask me why, because I'm really not sure, I just feel I have to do it." "Are you all right?" He pressed a hand against her forehead. "You're burning up. You're not well, Amalthya. We'd best get to that castle." "Now that you mention it, I'm not felling to well. Which way to that castle?" She collapsed on the ground. "Just great. Jareth is going to kill me!" ---- "She *what*?" "Collapsed on the ground, right at my feet. She was disorientated, and she has a fever." "Stay put. I'll come retrieve her. I knew no good would come of this." Jareth sighed and disappeared in a swirl of garments and glitter. She sat up with a start. "Wha- where am I?" "With me of course." Came a cool reply from the shadows. Jareth stepped forward with all the liquid grace of a natural born predator. "What happened?" Her head was pounding, she felt sick. "You're unwell. You should never have gone out into the woods so ill-equipped." He gave her a ferocious smile. "Rest now." He left the room as stealthily as he had come and she was to tired to even attempt to figure out his perplexing mood. She sank back into the pillows and fell asleep.