Witness to Destruction, Chapter Thirteen 

Ah  yes, lucky thirteen, well, here we go! I'd like to note that it may 
seem the interludes have jumped ahead in time. I'm actually just getting 
them caught up.<shrugs> You know  how inconsistent Labyrinth-time is.


Amalthya was humming to herself as she arranged the splendid bouquet of 
roses when she heard Jareth enter the room behind her. 

"Amalthya."

"Yes?" She called, not turning around. She was trying her best not to look 
to anxious, but she couldn't keep from wondering what he wanted. He walked 
up beside her. 

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." 

"Yeah. You know what, I've been thinking it over, and I'm not even sure why 
I left here in the first place. It seems so right, like I'm finally where 
I'm meant to be. I'm afraid I'm probably not making a terrible amount of 
sense here, but I just can't describe it adequately. It feels like home to 
me, more than any other place I've ever been."

"I want you to come with me. There is something I have to show you." His 
tone was serious, and she began to feel slightly nervous. They walked down 
a long series of twisting hallways, and she doubted very highly that she'd 
ever be able to find her way back to her room. Jareth stopped in front of 
two heavily carved wooden doors. He pushed them open and led her inside.
             The room was enormous. Every wall was lined with shelves, and 
there must have been almost a thousand books. Stone staircases went up to 
the second level, and on the main floor there several large wooden tables 
and an array of chairs and stools. He led her to one table and pulled out a 
chair for her. "Have a seat. What I have to tell you may take awhile." He 
walked to a nearby shelf and after studying the titles for a moment, pulled 
out a huge leather volume, brought it to the table, and set it down before 
her. "I want you to know that Gabriel told me what happened to you in that 
village. I didn't know, and I'm sorry. Circumstances beyond even my control 
had tied my hands. There was nothing I could have done."

"What..."

"It's not important now. We'll get to what kept me from helping you soon 
enough. But before I can do that, I need to teach you a little history." He 
opened the book and began to turn the pages, some filled with script and 
others containing beautiful pictures. "I haven't always been the King here, 
though it may seem that way to many of the Labyrinth's inhabitants.  This 
book contains the histories of many kings, of wars, the story of the 
Underground."

"I don't understand. Why is this important?"

"There is a chapter you may find of particular interest." He flipped 
through a large section. "I believe you are aware of the origin of the 
villagers in the forest?"

"Yes, Conner told me- Conner was this wonderful mouse I met- he told me 
that you let their ancestors come here."

"Well, not exactly. The mages came here long before I was king. They weren't
from Earth to begin with, but some other, long forgotten place. They used 
the Underground as a passage way between their world and yours. Many of 
them had families on your world, and those descendants are the ones I let 
live here. There is a picture I want you to see." He turned the next page. 
"Here."

She gasped as she took in the portrait. "He- he looks almost exactly like 
my father." She murmured. "Only my father wasn't blond."

"Amalthya, I'd like you to meet your great-uncle, Tristan."