LABYRINTHTHENOVELIZATION

PublishedbyARCHAIATM

LABYRINTHTHENOVELIZATION

BasedontheJimHensonfilm

AdaptedbyA.C.H.SMITH

IllustrationsbyBRIANFROUD

LabyrinthisbasedonthemovieproducedbyJimHenson,GeorgeLucas,andEricRattray,directedbyJimHenson,withGeorgeLucasasExecutiveProducer,DavidLazerasExecutiveSupervisingProducer,screenplaybyTerryJones,andconceptualdesignbyBrianFroud.ThescreenplaybyTerryJonesisbasedonthestorybyJimHensonandDennisLee.WithaspecialthankstoLauraPhillips.

TypeLayoutbyScottNewmanCoverDesignbyFaceoutStudioAdditionalDesignbyEmiYonemuraBrownTheJimHensonCompanyArchivist,KarenFalkAssistantEditor,ArchaiaEdition,CameronChittockEditors,ArchaiaEdition,StephenChristy&RebeccaTaylor

ROSSRICHIECEO&Founder•JACKCUMMINSPresident•MARKSMYLIEFounderofArchaia•MATTGAGNONEditor-in-ChiefFILIPSABLIKVPofPublishing&Marketing•STEPHENCHRISTYVPofDevelopment•LANCEKREITERVPofLicensing&MerchandisingPHILBARBAROVPofFinance•BRYCECARLSONManagingEditor•MELCAYLOMarketingManager•SCOTTNEWMANProductionDesignManagerIRENEBRADISHOperationsManager•DAFNAPLEBANEditor•SHANNONWATTERSEditor•ERICHARBURNEditor•REBECCATAYLOREditorIANBRILLEditor•CHRISROSAAssistantEditor•ALEXGALERAssistantEditor•WHITNEYLEOPARDAssistantEditor•JASMINEAMIRIAssistantEditorCAMERONCHITTOCKAssistantEditor•HANNAHNANCEPARTLOWProductionDesigner•KELSEYDIETERICHProductionDesignerEMIYONEMURABROWNProductionDesigner•DEVINFUNCHESE-Commerce&InventoryCoordinator•ANDYLIEGLEventCoordinatorBRIANNAHARTExecutiveAssistant•AARONFerraraOperationsAssistant•JOSéMEZASalesAssistant•ELIZABETHLOUGHRIDGEAccountingAssistantSpecialThankstoBrianHenson,LisaHenson,JimFormanek,NicoleGoldman,MaryannePittman,MelissaSegal,CarlaDellavedova,JustinHilden,JillPeterson,KarenFalk,AshleyGriffis,andtheentireJimHensonCompanyteam,ForrestLighthart,CharlesBrock,TorreySharp,KellyVlach,andtheentireFaceoutStudioteam.

LABYRINTH:THENOVELIZATION,April2014.PublishedbyArchaia,adivisionofBoomEntertainment,Inc.LABYRINTH©2014TheJimHensonCompany.JIMHENSON’Smarkandlogo,LABYRINTHmark&logo,charactersandelementsaretrademarksofTheJimHensonCompany.AllRightsReserved.Archaia™andtheArchaialogoaretrademarksofBoomEntertainment,Inc.,registeredinvariouscountriesandcategories.Allcharacters,events,andinstitutionsdepictedhereinarefictional.Anysimilaritybetweenanyofthenames,characters,persons,events,and/orinstitutionsinthispublicationtoactualnames,characters,andpersons,whetherlivingordead,events,and/orinstitutionsisunintendedandpurelycoincidental.

BOOM!Studios,5670WilshireBoulevard,Suite450,LosAngeles,CA90036-5679.ISBN:978-1-60886-416-4,eISBN:978-1-61398-270-9

CONTENTS

I.TheWhiteOwl

II.What’sSaidIsSaid

III.Pipsqueak

IV.WhichIsWhich

V.BadMemories

VI.UpandUp

VII.TheMeaningofLife

VIII.AVeryLoudVoice

IX.AnotherDoorOpens

X.NoProblem

XI.WindowsintheWilderness

XII.AndNoBirdsSing

XIII.OnceBitten

XIV.OBodySwayedtoMusic

XV.TheTimeofHerLife

XVI.TheGatesofGoblinCity

XVII.SaintsandWhiskers

XVIII.Seeming

XIX.GoodNight

XX.BrianFroudIllustrationGallery

XXI.TwistsandTurns

XXII.JimHensonJournalExcerpt

LABYRINTHTM

THENOVELIZATION

CHAPTERI

THEWHITEOWL

Nobodysawtheowl,whiteinthemoonlight,blackagainstthestars,nobodyheardhimasheglidedoveronsilentwingsofvelvet.Theowlsawandheardeverything.Hesettledinatree,hisclawshookedonabranch,andhestaredatthegirlin

the glade below. Thewindmoaned, rocking the branch, scudding low cloudsacrosstheeveningsky.Itliftedthehairofthegirl.Theowlwaswatchingher,withhisround,darkeyes.Thegirlmovedslowlyfromthetreestowardthemiddleoftheglade,wherea

poolglimmered.Shewasconcentrating.Eachdeliberatesteptookhernearertoherpurpose.Herhandswereopen,andheld slightly in frontofher.Thewindsighedagaininthetrees.Itblewhercloaktightlyagainstherslenderfigure,andrustledherhairaroundherwide-eyedface.Herlipswereparted.“Giveme the child,”Sarah said, in a voice thatwas low, but firmwith the

courage her quest needed. She halted, her hands still held out. “Give me thechild,”sherepeated.“Throughdangersuntoldandhardshipsunnumbered,IhavefoughtmywayheretothecastlebeyondtheGoblinCity,totakebackthechildyou have stolen.” She bit her lip and continued, “Formywill is as strong asyours...andmykingdomasgreat....”Sheclosedhereyestightly.Thunderrumbled.Theowlblinked,once.“Mywill isasstrongasyours.”Sarahspokewithevenmore intensitynow.

“Andmykingdomasgreat...”Shefrowned,andhershouldersdropped.“Ohdamn,”shemuttered.Reachingunderhercloak,shebroughtoutabook.ItstitlewasTheLabyrinth.

Holdingthebookupbeforeher,shereadaloudfromit.Inthefadinglight,itwasnoteasytomakeoutthewords.“Youhavenopoweroverme....”Shegotnofurther.Anotherclapofthunder,nearerthistime,madeherjump.

Italsoalarmedabig,shaggysheepdog,whohadnotmindedsittingbythepooland being admonished by Sarah, butwho now decided that itwas time to gohome,andsaidsowithseveralsharpbarks.Sarahheldhercloakaroundher. Itdidnotgivehermuchwarmth,beingno

morethananoldcurtain,cutdown,andfastenedattheneckbyaglassbrooch.SheignoredMerlin,thesheepdog,whileconcentratingonlearningthespeechinthe book. “You have no power overme,” shewhispered. She closed her eyesagainandrepeatedthephraseseveraltimes.A clock above the little pavilion in the park chimed seven times and

penetrated Sarah’s concentration. She stared atMerlin. “Oh, no,” she said. “Idon’tbelieveit.Thatwasseven,wasn’tit?”Merlinstoodupandshookhimself,sensingthatsomemoreinterestingaction

was due. Sarah turned and ran.Merlin followed.The thunderclouds splatteredthembothwithlargedropsofrain.Theowlhadwatcheditall.WhenSarahandMerlinleftthepark,hesatstill

onhisbranch, innohurry to follow them.Thiswashis timeofday.Heknewwhathewanted.Anowlisbornwithallhisquestionsanswered.Allthewaydownthestreet,whichwaslinedonbothsideswithprivet-hedged

Victorian houses similar to her own, Sarahwasmuttering to herself, “It’s notfair,it’snotfair.“Themutterhadturnedtoagaspbythetimeshecamewithinsightofherhome.Merlin,havingboundedalongwithherontheshaggypaws,waswheezing,too.Hismistress,whonormallymovedatagentle,dreamypace,hadthisoddhabitoflikingtosprinthomefromtheparkintheevening.Perhapsthatowlhadsomethingtodowithit.Merlinwasnotsure.Hedidn’tliketheowl,heknewthat.“It’snot fair.”Sarahwasclose to sobbing.Theworld at largewasnot fair,

hardlyever,butinparticularherstepmotherwasruthlesslynotfairtoher.Thereshestoodnow,inthefrontdoorwayofthehouse,alldressedupinthatfrightful,darkblueeveninggownofhers,thefurcoatleftopentorevealthelowcutoftheneckline,theawfulnecklacevulgarlywinkingaboveherfreckledbreast,and—wouldn’tyouknow?—shewas lookingatherwatch.Not just lookingat itbutstaringatit,tomakegoodandsurethatSarahwouldfeelguiltybeforeshewasaccused,again.AsSarahcame to ahalton thepath in the frontgarden, she couldhearher

babybrother,Toby,bawlinginsidethehouse.Hewasherhalfbrotherreally,butshedidnotcallhimthat,notsinceherschoolfriendAlicehadasked,“What’stheotherhalfofhim,then?”andSarahhadbeenunabletothinkofananswer.“Half nothing-to-do-with-me.” That was no good. It wasn’t true, either.SometimesshefeltfiercelyprotectiveofToby,wantedtodresshimupandcarryhiminherarmsandtakehimawayfromallthis,toabetterplace,afairerworld,an island somewhere, perhaps. At other times—and this was one—she hated

Toby,whohad twiceasmanyparents inattendanceonhimas shehad.WhenshehatedToby,itfrightenedher,becauseitledherintothinkingabouthowshecouldhurthim.Theremustbesomethingwrongwithme,shewouldreflect,thatIcaneventhinkofhurtingsomeoneIdoteupon;orisitthatthereissomethingwrongindotinguponsomeoneIhate?Shewishedshehadafriendwhowouldunderstandthedilemma,andmaybeexplainittoher,buttherewasnoone.Herfriends at school would think her a witch if she even mentioned the idea ofhurting Toby, and as for her father, it would frighten him even more than itfrightenedSarahherself.Soshekepttheperplexitywellhidden.Sarahstoodbeforeherstepmotheranddeliberatelyheldherheadhigh.“I’m

sorry,” she said, in a bored voice, to show that she wasn’t sorry at all, andanywayitwasunnecessarytomakeathingoutofit.“Well,”herstepmothertoldher,“don’tstandoutthereintherain.Comeon.”

She stood aside, tomake room for Sarah to pass her in the doorway, and sheglancedagainatherwristwatch.Sarah made a point of never touching her stepmother, not even brushing

againstherclothes.Sheedgedinsideclosetothedoorframe.Merlinstartedtofollowher.“Notthedog,”herstepmothersaid.“Butit’spouring.”HerstepmotherwaggedherfingeratMerlin,twice.“Inthegarage,you,”she

commanded.“Goon.”Merlin dropped his head and loped around the side of the house. Sarah

watchedhimgoandbitherlip.Why,shewonderedforthetrillionthtime,doesmystepmotheralwayshavetoputonthisperformancewhentheygooutintheevening? Itwas sohammy—thatwasoneofSarah’s favoritewords, since shehadheardhermother’scostar, Jeremy,use it toputdownanotheractor in theplaytheyweredoing—sucharagbagofover-the-topclichés.Sherememberedhow Jeremy had sounded French when he said clichés, thrilling her with hissophistication.Whycouldn’therstepmotherfindanewwayintothepart?Oh,she loved the way in which Jeremy talked about other actors. She wasdeterminedtobecomeanactressherself,so thatshecould talk like thatall thetime.Herfatherseldomtalkedatallaboutpeopleathisoffice,andwhenhediditwasdrearyincomparison.Herstepmotherclosedthefrontdoor,lookedatherwatchoncemore,tooka

deep breath, and started one of her clichéd speeches. “Sarah, you’re an hourlate....”

Sarah opened her mouth, but her stepmother cut her off, with a little,humorlesssmile.“Pleaseletmefinish,Sarah.YourfatherandIgooutveryrarely—”“Yougoouteveryweekend,”Sarahinterruptedrapidly.Her stepmother ignored that. “—and I ask you to baby-sit only if it won’t

interferewithyourplans.”“Howwouldyouknow?”Sarahhadhalfturnedaway,soasnottoflatterher

stepmotherwithher attention, andwasbusywithputtingherbookon thehallstand, unclipping her brooch, and folding the cloak over her arm. “You don’tknowwhatmyplansare.Youdon’taskme.”Sheglancedatherownfaceinthemirrorof thehallstand,checking thatherexpressionwascoolandpoised,notoverthetop.Shelikedtheclothesshewaswearing:acream-coloredshirtwithfullsleeves,abrocadedwaistcoatlooselyovertheshirt,bluejeans,andaleatherbelt. She turned even farther away fromher stepmother, to check on howhershirthungfromherbreastsdowntoherwaist.Shetuckeditinalittleatthebelt,tomakeittighter.Herstepmotherwaswatchinghercoldly.“Iamassumingyouwouldtellmeif

youhadadate.Iwould like it ifyouhadadate.Afifteen-year-oldgirlshouldhavedates.”Well,Sarahwasthinking,ifIdidhaveadateyouarethelastpersonIwould

tell.Whatahammy—no,tacky—viewoflifeyoudohave.Shesmiledgrimlytoherself.PerhapsIwillhaveadate,shethought,perhapsIwill,butyouwillnotlikeit,notonebit,whenyouseewho’sdatingme.Idoubtyouwillseehim.Allyouwillknowabout it ishearing the frontdoor shutbehindme,andyouwillsneak to the window, as you always do, and poke your nose between thosehorridphony-lacecurtainsyouputupthere,andyouwillseethetaillightsofawicked dove-gray limousine vanishing around the corner. And after that, youwillkeepseeingpicturesinthemagazinesofthetwoofustogetherinBermuda,andSt.Tropez,andBenares.Andtherewillbenothingatallyoucanpossiblydoaboutit,forallyourfirmviewsonbedtimesanddevelopmentalpsychologyandmydutiesand rollingup the toothpaste tube from thebottom.Oh, stepmother,areyougoing tobe sorrywhenyou read inVogue about thecosmiccash thatHollywoodproducersareofferingusfor—Sarah’sfathercamedownthestairsintothehall.Inhisarmshewascarrying

Toby, clad in red-and-white-striped pajamas.He patted the baby’s back. “Oh,Sarah,”hesaidmildly,“you’rehereatlast.Wewereworriedaboutyou.”“Oh, leave me alone!” Afraid that she might be close to tears, Sarah gave

them no chance to reason with her. She ran upstairs. They were always soreasonable,particularlyherfather,solong-sufferingandmildwithher,soutterlyconvinced that theywerealwaysobviously in the right, and that itwasonlyamatter of timebefore she consented todo as theywished.Whydidher fatheralways take that woman’s side? Her mother never wore that look of painedtolerance.Shewasawomanwhocouldshoutand laughandhugyouandslapyou allwithin aminute or two.When she andSarah had a quarrel, itwas anexplosion.Fiveminuteslater,itwasforgotten.Inthehallway,herstepmotherhadsatdown,stillinherfurcoat.Wearily,she

wassaying,“Idon’tknowwhat todoanymore.She treatsme like thewickedstepmotherinafairytale,nomatterwhatIsay.Ihavetried,Robert.”“Well. . .”Sarah’s father pattedToby thoughtfully. “It is hard tohaveyour

motherwalkoutonyouatthatage.Atanyage,Isuppose.”“That’swhatyoualwayssay.Andofcourseyou’reright.Butwillshenever

change?”HoldingTobyinonearm,Robertpattedhiswifeontheshoulder.“I’llgoand

talktoher.”Thunderrumbledagain.Asquallofraindropsclatteredonthewindows.Sarahwas inher room. Itwas theonlysafeplace in theworld.Shemadea

pointofgoingallarounditeachday,checkingthateverythingwasjustwhereithadbeenandshouldbe.Althoughherstepmotherseldomcameinthere,exceptto deliver some ironed clothes or to give Sarah amessage, shewas not to betrusted.Itwouldbetypicalofhertotakeitintoherheadtodusttheroom,eventhoughSarahmadesurethatitwaskeptclean,andthenshewouldbeboundtomovethingsaroundandnotputthembackwheretheybelonged.Itwasessentialtowardoffthatdisturbingspirit.Allthebookshadtoremainintheirproperpositions,inalphabeticalorderby

author and,within each author’s group, in order of acquisition.Other shelveswerefilledwithtoysanddolls,andtheywerepositionedaccordingtoaffinitiesknownonlytoSarah.Thecurtainshadtohangexactlysothat,whenSarahwaslyingonherbed,theysymmetricallyframedthesecondpoplartreeinalinethatshecouldseefromthewindow.Thewastepaperbasketstoodsothatitsbasejuttouchedtheedgeofoneparticularblockontheparquetfloor.Itwouldbeunsafeifthesethingswerenotso.Onceletdisordersetin,andtheroomwouldneverbefamiliaragain.Peopletalkedabouthowupsettingitwastobeburgled,andSarahknew just how it must feel, as though some uncaring stranger were foolingaroundwithyourmost precious soul.Thewomanwho came in to clean three

timesaweekknewthatshewasnevertodoanythingtothisroom.Sarahlookedaftereverythinginthereherself.Shehadlearnedhowtofixelectricplugs,andtightenscrews,andhangpictures,sothatherfathershouldhavenoneedtocomeinexcepttospeaktoher.Sarahwasnowstanding in themiddleofher room.Hereyeswere red.She

sniffled,andchewedher lower lip.Thenshewalkedover toherdressingtableandgazedataframedphotograph.Herfatherandmother,andherself,agedten,gazed back at her. Her parents’ smiles were confident. Her own face in thephotographwas,shethought,slightlyoverthetop,grinningtookeenly.Allaroundtheroom,othereyeswatched.Photographsandpostersdisplayed

hermotherinvariouscostumes,forvariousparts.ClippingsfromVarietyweretapedtothemirrorofthedressingtable,praisinghermother’sperformancesorannouncing others she would give. On the wall beside the bed was pinned aposteradvertisingherlatestplay;inthepicture,Sarah’smotherandhercostar,Jeremy,werecheektocheek,theirarmsaroundeachother,smilingconfidently.Thephotographerhadlitthepairbeautifully,showinghertobesopretty,hesohandsome,withhisblondhairandagoldenchainaroundhisneck.Beneaththepicture was a quote from one of the theater critics: “I have seldom felt suchwarmth irradiatinganaudience.”Theposterwassigned,with large flourishingsignatures:“ForDarlingSarah,withallmylove,Mom,”and,inadifferenthand,“AllGoodWishes,Sarah—Jeremy.”Neartheposterweremorepressclippings,from different newspapers, arranged in chronological order. In them, the twostars could be seen dining together in restaurants, drinking together at parties,and laughing together in a little rowboat. The texts were all on the theme of“Romancingonandoffthestage.”Stillsnifflingfromtimetotime,Sarahwenttothesmalltablebesideherbed

andpickedupthemusicboxhermotherhadgivenherforherfifteenthbirthday.Thememoryofthatgorgeousdaywasstillvivid.Ataxihadbeensentforherinthemorning,butinsteadofgoingtohermother’splaceithadtakenheralongthewaterfronttowhereJeremyandhermotherwerewaitinginJeremy’soldblackMercedes.TheywentoutintothecountryforlunchbesideaswimmingpoolatsomeclubwhereJeremywasamemberandthewaitersspokeFrench,andlater,inthepool,Jeremyhadclownedaround,pretendingtodrown,tosucheffectthatanelderlymanhadrugthealarmbell.Theyhadgiggledinthecarall thewayback to town. At her mother’s place, Sarah was given Jeremy’s present, aneveninggowninpaleblue.Shewore it togowith themtoanewmusical thatevening,andafterwardtosupper,inadimlylitrestaurant.Jeremywaswickedlyfunny about every member of the cast they had seen in the musical. Sarah’s

motherhadpretendedtodisapproveofhisscandalousgossip,butthathadonlymadeSarahandJeremy laughmoreuncontrollably,andsoonall threeof themhadtearsintheireyes.JeremyhaddancedwithSarah,smilingdownather.Hekiddedherthataflashbulbmeantthatthey’dbealloverthegossipcolumnsnextmorning,andallthewayhomehedrovefast,toshakeoffthephotographers,heclaimed,grinning.Astheysaidgoodnight,hermothergaveSarahalittleparcel,wrappedinsilverpaperandtiedwithapalebluebow.Backinherroom,Sarahhadunwrappedit,andfoundthemusicbox.The tuneof“Greensleeves” tinkled, anda littledancer ina frillypinkdress

twirledpirouettes.Sarahwatcheditreverently,untilitbecameslowandjerkyinmotion.Thensheputitdown,andquietlyrecitedfromapoemshehadstudiedinherEnglishclass:

“Obodyswayedtomusic,Obrighteningglance,Howcanweknowthedancerfromthedance?”

It was so easy to learn poetry by heart. She never had any difficulty inremembering those lines, whenever she opened the music box. In fact, shereflected, it’s easier to remember them than to forget them. So why was shehaving such trouble in learning the speech fromTheLabyrinth? Itwas only agameshewasplaying.Noonewaswaitingforher torehearse it,noaudience,exceptMerlin,wouldjudgeherperformanceofit.Itshouldhavebeenapieceofcake.Shefrowned.Howcouldsheeverhopetogoonthestageifshecouldnotrememberonespeech?Shetriedagain.“Throughdangersuntoldandhardshipsunnumbered, Ihave

foughtmywayheretothecastlebeyondtheGoblinCity,totakebackthechildyou have stolen. . . .” She paused, her eyes on the poster of her mother inJeremy’sarms,anddecideditwouldhelpherperformanceifshepreparedforit.Ifyou’regoingtogetintoapart,hermotherhadtoldher,you’vegottohavetheright prop. Costume and makeup and wigs—they were more for the actor’sbenefitthanfortheaudience’s.Theyhelpedyouescapefromyourownlifeandfindyourwayintothepart,asJeremysaid.Andaftereachshow,youtakeitalloff, andyou’vewiped the slate clean.Everydaywas a fresh start.You couldinventyourselfagain.Sarahtookalipstickfromthedrawerinherdressingtable,put a little on her lips, and rolled them together, as hermother did. Her faceclosetothemirror,sheappliedalittlemoretothecornersofhermouth.Therewasa tappingonherdoor, andher father’svoicecame fromoutside.

“Sarah?CanItalktoyou?”Stilllookinginthemirror,shereplied,“There’snothingtotalkabout.”Shewaited.Hewouldnotcomeinunlesssheinvitedhim.Sheimaginedhim

standingthere,frowning,rubbinghisforehead,tryingtothinkwhatheoughttosaynext,somethingfirmenoughtopleasethatwomanbutamicableenoughtoreassurehisdaughter.“You’dbetterhurry,”Sarahsaid,“ifyouwanttomaketheshow.”“Toby’shadhissupper,”herfather’svoicesaid,“andhe’sinbednow.Ifyou

couldjustmakesurehegoestosleepallright,we’llbebackaroundmidnight.”Again, a pause, then the sound of footstepswalking away,with a slowness

measured to express a blend of concern and resignation.He had done all thatcouldbeexpectedofhim.Sarahturnedfromthemirrorandstaredaccusinglyat thecloseddoor.“You

reallywantedtotalktome,didn’tyou?”shemurmured.“Practicallybrokedownthedoor.”Onceuponatime,hewouldnothavegoneoutwithoutgivingherakiss.Shesniffled.Thingshadcertainlychangedinthishouse.Sheputthelipstickinherpocketandwipedherlipswithatissue.Asshewent

to throw it in thewastepaper basket, something caught her eye.More exactly,somethingthatwasnottherecaughthereye.Launcelotwasnotthere.Rapidly,sherummagedthroughhershelfoftoysanddollsandcuddlythings,

dogs and monkeys and soldiers and clowns, though she knew it would befruitless.Iftheteddybearwerethereatall,hewouldhavebeeninhisappointedplace.He had gone.The order of the roomhad been violated. Sarah’s cheekswerehot.Someone’sbeeninmyroom,shethought.Ihateher.Outside,thetaxiwaspullingaway.Sarahhearditandrantothewindow.“Ihateyou,”shescreamed.Nooneheardher saveMerlin, andhecoulddonomore thanhewasdoing

already,whichwastobarkloudly,inthegarage.SheknewwhereshewouldfindLauncelot.Tobyalreadyhadeverythingthat

hisbabyheartcoulddesire,hadsomuchmorethanSarahhadeverhad;yetmorewas given to him, every day,without question. She stormed into the nursery.The teddy bear was spread-eagled on the carpet, just tossed away, like that.Sarah pickedLauncelot up and clutched him to her.Toby, full ofwarmmilk,hadbeenalmostasleepinhiscrib.Sarah’sentrancearousedhim.

Sheglaredatthebaby.“Ihateher.Ihateyou.”Tobystartedtocry.Sarahshuddered,andheldLauncelotstillmoretightly.“Oh,”shewailed.“Oh,someone...saveme.Takemeawayfromthisawful

place.”Toby was howling now. His face was red. Sarah was wailing,Merlin was

barking outside. The storm delivered a lightning flash and clap of thunderdirectlyabovethehouse.Itrattledthewindowsintheirframes.Teacupsdancedinthekitchencupboard.“Someonesaveme,”Sarahbegged.“Listen!”saidagoblin,oneeyeopened.All around him, on top of him, beneath him, the nest of goblins stirred

sleepily.Anothereyeopened,andanother,andanother,allcrazedeyes,redandstaring.Someof thegoblinshadhorns,andsomehadpointed teeth,somehadfingerslikeclaws;someweredressedinscrapsofarmor,ahelmet,agorget,butallofthemhadscalyfeet,andallhadbalefuleyes.Higgledypiggledyinaheapthey slept, in their dirty chamber at the castle of theGoblinKing. Their eyeswentonopening,andtheirearsprickedup.“Allright,hushnow,shush.”Sarahwastryingtocalmherselfdownasmuch

as her baby brother. “What do you want? Hmm? Do you want a story? Allright.” With barely a moment’s thought, she picked up the thread of TheLabyrinth. “Once upon a time there was a beautiful young woman whosestepmotheralwaysmadeher staywith thebaby.Thebabywasa spoiledchildwho wanted everything for himself, and the young woman was practically aslavegirl.Butwhatnooneknewwasthis:theKingoftheGoblinshadfalleninlovewithher,andgivenhercertainpowers.”Inthecastle,thegoblins’eyesopenedverywide.Theywereallattention.The lightning and thunder crashed again, but both Sarah and Toby had

become quieter. “One night,” Sarah continued, “when the baby had beenparticularlynasty,thegirlcalledonthegoblinstohelpher.Andtheysaidtoher,‘Sayyourrightwords,andwe’lltakethebabyawaytotheGoblinCity,andthenyou’llbefree.’Thoseweretheirwordstoher.”Thegoblinsnoddedenthusiastically.Toby was nearly asleep again, with only a light protest remaining on his

breath.Sarah,enjoyingherowninvention,leanedclosertohim,overthesideofthecrib.Shewasholdingheraudienceinherspell.Launcelotwasinherarms.“But thegirlknew,”shewenton,“that theKingof theGoblinswouldkeep

thebabyinhiscastleforeverandever,andhewouldturnthebabyintoagoblin.Andsoshesufferedinsilence,throughmanyalongmonth. . .untilonenight,worn out by a day of slaving at housework, and hurt beyondmeasure by theharsh,ungratefulwordsofherstepmother,shecouldbearitnolonger.”Bynow,SarahwasleaningsoclosetoTobythatshewaswhisperingintohis

littlepinkear.Suddenlyheturnedoverinhiscribandstaredintohereyes,onlyacoupleofinchesaway.Therewasamomentofsilence.ThenTobyopenedhismouth,andbegantohowlloudlyandinsistently.“Oh!”Sarahsnortedindisgust,standingupstraightagain.Thethunderrolled,andMerlingaveitallhehad.Sarahsighed,frowned,shrugged,anddecidedtherewasnowayaroundit.She

pickedTobyupandwalkedaroundtheroom,jogginghiminherarms,togetherwithLauncelot.Thesmallbedside light threwtheirshadowson thewall,hugeandflickering.“Allright,”shesaid,“allright.Comeon,now.Rock-a-byebaby,andallthatstuff.Comeon,Toby,knockitoff.”Toby wasn’t going to knock it off just for being jogged. He felt he had a

seriousgrievancetoexpress.“Toby,”hissistersaidsternly,“bequiet,willyou?Please?Or—”Hervoice

lowered.“—I’ll...I’llsaythewords.”Shelookedupquicklyattheshadowsonthe wall and addressed them theatrically. “No! No! I mustn’t. I mustn’t. Imustn’tsay...‘Iwish...Iwish...’”“Listen,”saidthegoblinagain.Everyglowingeyeinthenest,everyear,wasopennow.Asecondgoblinspoke.“She’sgoingtosayit!”“Saywhat?”askedastupidgoblin.“Shush!”ThefirstgoblinwasstrainingtohearSarah.“Youshutup!”saidthestupidgoblin.Inthehubbub,thefirstgoblinthoughthewouldgocrazywithtryingtohear.

“Sh!Shhh!”Heputhishandoverthemouthofthestupidgoblin.Thesecondgoblinshrieked,“QUIET!”andthumpedthosenearesttohim.“Listen,” the first goblin admonished the rest. “She is going to say the

words.”The rest of them managed to silence themselves. They listened intently to

Sarah.

Shewasstandingerect.Tobyhadreachedsuchacrescendoofscreaming,redin the face, thathecouldscarcelydrawbreath.HisbodywasstrainingagainstSarah’s armswith the effort hewasmaking.Launcelot had fallen to the flooragain. Sarah closed her eyes and quivered. “I can bear it no longer,” sheexclaimed,andheldthehowlingbabyaboveherhead,likeasacrificialoffering.Shestartedtointone:

“GoblinKing!GoblinKing!Whereveryoumaybe,ComeandtakethischildofmineFarawayfromme!”

Lightningcracked.Thundercrashed.Thegoblinsdroppedtheirheads,crestfallen.“That’snotright,”thefirstgoblinsaid,witheringly.“Wheredidshelearnthatrubbish?thesecondscoffed.“Itdoesn’tevenstart

with‘Iwish.’”“Sh!”saidathirdgoblin,seizinghischancetobosstheothers.Sarah was still holding Toby above her head. Outraged by that, Toby was

screamingevenmore loudly thanbefore,whichSarahwouldnothave thoughtpossible. She brought him down and cuddled him, which had the effect ofrestoringhimtohisstandardlevelofscreaming.Exhausted by now, Sarah told him, “Oh, Toby, stop it. You little monster.

WhyshouldIhavetoputupwiththis?You’renotmyresponsibility.Ioughttobefree, toenjoymyself.Stopit!Oh,Iwish. . .Iwish. . .”Anythingwouldbepreferable to this cauldron of noise, anger, guilt, and weariness in which shefoundherself.Withalittletiredsob,shesaid,“IwishIdidknowwhatwordstosaytogetthegoblinstotakeyouaway.”“So where’s the problem?” the first goblin said with an impatient sigh.

Pedantically, he spelled it out. “‘Iwish the goblinswould comeand take youaway,rightnow.’Hmm?That’snothard,isit?”Inthenursery,Sarahwassaying,“Iwish...Iwish...”Thegoblinswereallalertagain,bitingtheirlipswiththetension.

“Didshesayit?”thestupidgoblinaskedbrightly.Asone,therestturnedonhim.“Shut,”theysaidirritably,“up.”Toby’s tornado had blown itself out. He was breathing deeply, with a

whimperat theendofhisbreath.Hiseyeswereclosed.Sarahputhimbackinhiscrib,nottoogently,andtuckedhimin.Shewalkedquietlytothedoorandwasshuttingitbehindherwhenheuttered

aneerieshriekandstarted toscreamagain.Hewashoarsenow,and louder inconsequence.Sarah froze, with her hand on the handle of the door. “Aah,” she moaned

helplessly.“Iwishthegoblinswouldcomeandtakeyouaway....”Shepaused.Thegoblinsweresostill,youcouldhaveheardasnailblink.“...rightnow,”Sarahsaid.Inthegoblins’nest,therewasanexhalationofpleasure.“Shesaidit!”Ina trice,all thegoblinshadvanished indifferentdirections, saveonly the

stupidgoblin.Hesquatted there,agrindawningonhis face,untilhe realizedthattheresthadlefthim.“Hey,”hesaid,“waitforme,”andhetriedtoruninseveraldirectionsatonce.Thenhe,too,vanished.Lightningflashedandthunderhammeredtheair.Tobygaveoutwithahigh-

pitched screech, and Merlin barked as if all the burglars in the world wereclosingin.

CHAPTERII

WHAT’SSAIDISSAID

The storm ragedonoverSarah’s house.The clouds boiled.Rain lashed theleavesonthetrees.Thunderwasfollowedbylightning.Sarahwaslistening.Whatshewaslisteningtowasanunnaturalsilencewithin

theroom.Tobyhadstoppedcrying,sosuddenlyitscaredher.Shelookedbackinside the nursery.The bedside lightwas out. “Toby?” she called.He did notrespond.Sheflickedthelightswitchbesidethedoor.Nothinghappened.Shejiggledit

upanddownseveral times, tonoeffect.Aboardcreaked.“Toby?Areyouallright?Whyaren’tyoucrying?”Shesteppednervouslyintothequietroom.Thelightfromthelanding,coming

though the doorway, threw unfamiliar shadows onto the walls and across thecarpet.Inthelullbetweentwothunderclaps,shethoughtsheheardahummingintheair.Shecoulddetectnomovementatallinthecrib.“Toby,”shewhisperedinanxiety,andwalkedtowardthecribwithherbreath

drawn.Her handswere shaking like aspen leaves. She reachedout to pull thesheetback.She recoiled. The sheet was convulsing. Weird shapes were thrusting and

bulgingbeneathit.Shethoughtsheglimpsedthingspokingoutfromtheedgeofthesheet,thingsthatwerenopartofToby.Shefeltherheartthumping,andsheputherhandoverhermouth,tostopherselffromscreaming.Thenthesheetwasstillagain.Itsankslowlydownoverthemattress.Nothing

moved.Shecouldnotturnandrunawayandleavehim.Shehadtoknow.Whatever

the horror of it, she had to know. Impulsively, she reached out her hand andpulledthesheetback.Thecribwasempty.Foramomentoranhour,shewouldneverknowhowlong,shestaredatthe

emptycrib.Shewasnotevenfrightened.Hermindhadbeenwipedclean.Andthenshewasfrightened,byasoft, rapid thumpingon thewindowpane.

Herhandsclenchedsotightly,herfingernailsscoredherskin.

Awhiteowlwasflappinginsistentlyontheglass.Shecouldseethelightfromthelandingreflectedinitsgreat,round,darkeyes,watchingher.Thewhitenessof its plumage was illuminated by a series of lightning flashes that seemedcontinuous.Behindher,agoblinbrieflyraisedhishead,andduckeddownagain.Another did likewise. She didn’t see them.Her eyeswere fixed on the owl’seyes.Lightningcrackledandflashedagain,andthistimeitdistractedherattention

fromthewindowbyshiningontheclockthatstoodonthemantelpiece.Shesawthatthehandswereatthirteeno’clock.Shewasstaringdistractedlyattheclockwhenshefeltsomethingnudgethebackofherlegs.Sheglanceddown.Thecribwasmovingacrossthecarpetonscalylegslikealizard’s,withtalonsfortoes,onelegateachcornerofthecrib.Sarah’slipsparted,butshemadenosound.Behind her, something snickered. She spun around and saw it duck down

again behind the chest of drawers. Shadows were scuttling across the walls.Goblinswereprancingandbobbingbehindher.Sarahwaswatchingthechestofdrawers. Like the crib, it had a scaly, clawed foot at each corner, and it wasdancing.She wheeled around, mouth open, hands clenched, and saw the goblins

cavorting.Theyduckedaway into the shadows, toevadehereyes.She lookedforsomethingthatwouldserveasaweapon.Inthecornerofthenurserywasanoldbroom.Shetookitandadvanceduponthegoblins.“Goaway.Goaway,”shewhimpered,tryingtosweepthemup,butthehandleofthebroomtwistedinherhandsandslitheredoutofhergrasp.The stormwind rose to a pitch. Lightningmade daylight in the room, and

scared faces suddenly began to vanish into cupboards, drawers, or down thecracks between floorboards. As the thunder boomed and the wind shook thecurtains,ablastofairblewthewindowopen.Betweentheflutteringcurtainsthewhiteowlentered.Sarahwrappedherarmsaroundherface,andscreamed,andscreamedagain.

Shewaspetrifiedthattheflappingowlwouldbrushacrossher.Shethoughtshewoulddieifitdid.She felt the wind blowing her hair around, but the flapping had ceased.

Betweenherfingersshepeekedout,toseewherethebirdwasperched.Perhapsithadflownoutagain.Aprolongedcracklingoflightningwasthrowingagiantshadowonthewall

facingthewindow.Itwastheshadowofahumanfigure.Sarahspunaround.Silhouettedagainstthestormyskywasaman.Heworea

cloak,whichswirledinthewind.Shecouldseethathishairwasshoulder-lengthandblond.Somethingglintedabouthisneck.Morethanthatshecouldnotseeinthedimlight.Shesaid,“Uh...,”andclearedherthroat.“Whoareyou?”“Don’tyouknow?”Theman’svoicewascalm,almostkindly.Lightningtracedtheveinsoftheskyandlituphisface.Hewasnotsmiling,

asonemightsmileongreetingastranger,norwashisexpressionfierce.HiseyeswerefixeduponSarah’swithanintensityshefoundcompelling.Whenhetookasteptowardher, intothelightshiningfromthedoorway,shedidnotretreat.Ifhiseyeshadnothypnotizedher,thegoldenchainaroundhisneckmighthave.Asickle-shaped ornament hung from it, upon his chest. His shirt was cream-colored,openatthefront,loose-sleeved,withsilkencuffsatthewrist.Overitheworeatight,blackwaistcoat.Hewasshodinblackboots,overgraytights,andonhishandswereblackgloves. Inoneof themheheld the jeweledknobofacuriouscanewithafishtailshapeattheend.“I...,”Sarahanswered.“I...”Thehummingthatshehadthoughtsheheardintheairwasnowquitedistinct,

andmusical.Thestrangersmiledatherhesitancy.Hewascertainlyhandsome.Shehadnotexpectedthat.Whenshespoke,hervoicewasawhisper.“You’re...him,aren’tyou?You’retheKingoftheGoblins.”Hebowed.“Jareth.”Sheresistedtheridiculousimpulsetoreturnacurtsy.“I have saved you,” he said. “I have liberated you from those bonds that

distressedyouandfrightenedyou.You’refreenow,Sarah.”“Oh,no.Idon’twanttobefree,”sheanswered.“Imean,Ido,but—Iwantmy

little brother back.Please.”Shegavehima tiny smile. “If it’s all the same toyou.”Jarethfoldedhishandsonthetopofhiscane.“What’ssaidissaid.”“ButIdidn’tmeanit,”Sarahrepliedquickly.“Didn’tyou,now?”“Oh,please.Whereishe?”Jarethchuckled.“Youknowverywellwhereheis.”“Pleasebringhimback,please.”Sheheardherselfspeakinginasmallvoice.

“Please!”

“Sarah. . .” Jareth frowned, and shook his head. His expression was allconcern for her. “Go back to your room. Read your books. Put on yourcostumes.Thatisyourreallife.Forgetaboutthebaby.”“No,Ican’t.”Foramoment,theyregardedeachother,adversariestryingtosizeeachother

upattheoutsetofalongcontest.Thunderrumbled.ThenJarethraisedhisleftarm,andmadealargegesturewithhishand.Sarah

lookedaround,thinkingthathewassummoningassistance.Whenshefacedhimagain,aglowingcrystalhadappearedinhishand.“I’vebroughtyouagift,Sarah,”hesaid,holdingitouttoher.Shepaused.Shecouldnottrusthim.“Whatisit?”“Acrystal,nothingmore.Exceptthatifyoulookintoit. . . itwillshowyou

yourdreams.”Sarah’s lips parted involuntarily. With a teasing smile, Jareth watched her

face,whilehespuntheshiningcrystalaroundinhisfingers.Herhandstartedtoreachoutforit.Hesmiledalittlemore,andwithdrewthecrystalfromher.Raisingthecanewithhisotherhand,hetoldher,“Butthisisnotagiftforan

ordinarygirl,onewho takescareofa screamingbaby.”Hisvoicewasquieternow,andhuskier.“Doyouwantit,Sarah?”Hehelditouttowardheragain.Thistimeherhandsremainedbyhersides,andshemadenoanswer.Hereyes

werefixedonthedancing,flashingglintsofthecrystal.Toseeherowndreams—whatwouldn’tshegiveforthat?“Thenforgetthechild,”Jarethsaidfirmly.WhileSarahhesitated, anotherbolt of thunder and lightning illuminated the

skybehindtheGoblinKing.She was torn. The gift was not only seductive, it was also the choice of

someonewhounderstoodher,someonewhocaredaboutthesecretplacesofherimaginationandknewhowinfinitelymuchmoretheymeanttoherthananythingelse. In return, she would have to trade her responsibility for an offensivelyspoiledchild,whomadeendlessdemandsuponherandnevershowedtheleastsign of gratitude; who was, after all, only her half brother. The crystal wasspinning,glowing.She willed her eyes to close. From behind shut eyelids, she heard a voice

answering.Itwasherownvoice,butitseemedtobeamemory.“I—Ican’t.Itisn’t that Idon’tappreciatewhatyou’re trying todoforme. . .but Iwantmy

babybrotherback.Hemustbesoscared...”Sheopenedhereyesagain.Jarethsnorted,and tossedhismaneofblondhair.Hehad lostpatiencewith

the girl. With a wave of his hand, he extinguished the crystal. With anotherwave,hepluckedalivesnakefromtheair.Hehelditwithastraightarminfrontofhim,sothatitwrithedandhissednearSarah’sface.Thenhethrewitather.“Don’tdefyme,”hewarnedher.Itwaswrapped around her neck. She clutched desperately at the thing, and

foundthatitwasnowasilkscarf.Shepulleditoff,lookedatit,andthesnakecameleapingoutofthescarf.Sheyelled,droppeditandjumpedaway.Whenithit the floor it shattered into a number of horribly ugly little goblins, whoscuttled, snickering, to the corners of the room. Other goblins crept from theshadows,orpoppedoutfromtheirhidingplaces,andstood,allaroundtheroom,brazennow,watchingtoseewhattheirkingwoulddotohernext.“Youarenomatch forme,Sarah.” Jareth sounded impatient. “Let thechild

alone.Takemygift.Iwillnotofferittoyouagain.”Before he could produce the crystal, Sarah told him, “No.” She paused.

“Thankyou all the same, but I can’t dowhat youwant.Can’t you see that? Imusthavemybrotherback.”“Youwillneverfindhim.”“Ah,”Sarahsaid,andtookadeepbreath.“Then...thereisaplacetolook.”Justforamoment,Jareth’sfaceflinched.Sarahsawit,themeresttraceoffear

fleetingacrosshiseyes.Was itpossible?Hisnostrils tightened,hegrippedhiscane,andappearedtohesitateslightlybeforeansweringher.Shecouldnotquitebelieveit,butthesuspicionthattheGoblinKingcouldbeafraidofher,evenifonlymomentarily,wasencouraging.“Yes,”hesaid.“Thereisaplace.”Andnow,withareallyhammygesturestraightoutofvaudeville,he twirled

hishandandpointedthroughthewindow.“There!”Lightning and thunder, right on cue, she thought. Shemoved past him and

staredintothenight.Onadistanthill,brilliant intheflashes,shesawacastle.Sheleanedonthewindowsill,tryingtoseemoreclearly.Thereweretowerswithturrets,massivewalls,spiresanddomes,aportcullisanddrawbridge.Thewholeedifice was built on top of a sharply rising mound. Around it the lightningflickeredandforkedlikesnakes’tongues.Beyondwasblackness.Fromjustbehindhershoulder, Jarethmurmured,“Doyoustillwant to look

forhim?”“Yes.”Sheswallowed.“Isthat...”Sherememberedthewords.“...thecastle

beyondtheGoblinCity?”Jareth did not answer at once, and she turned around. He was still there,

watchingherintensely,buttheywerenolongerinthehouse.Theystoodfacingeachotheronawindswepthilltop.Betweenthemandthehillonwhichthecastlestood was a broad valley. In the darkness she could not tell what was downthere.Sheturnedagain.Thewindblewherhairoverherface.Brushingitback,she

tookonetimidstepforward.Jareth’svoicecamefrombehindher.“Turnback,Sarah.Turnback,beforeit

istoolate.”“Ican’t.Oh,Ican’t.Don’tyouunderstandthat?”Sheshookherheadslowly,

gazingatthedistantcastle,andtoherself,quietly,repeated,“Ican’t.”“Whatapity.”Jareth’svoicewaslow,andgentle,asthoughhereallymeant

it.She was looking at the castle. It seemed to be a long way off, but not

impossiblyfartotravel.Itdependedonwhatshewouldencounterinthevalley,how easily it could be crossed. Was the darkness down there perpetual? “Itdoesn’tlookthatfar,”shesaid,andheardinhervoicetheeffortshewasmakingtosoundbrave.Jarethwasatherelbownow.Helookedather,withasmilethatwasicy.“It’s

fartherthanyouthink.”Pointingatatree,headded,“Andthetimeisshorter.”Sarahsawthatanantiquewoodenclockhadappeared in the tree,as though

growing from a branch. On it were marked the hours to thirteen, as on thenurseryclockinthelightning.“Youhavethirteenhours tounriddletheLabyrinth,”Jarethtoldher,“before

yourbabybrotherbecomesoneofus.”“Us?”Jarethnodded.“Forever.”Magic still hummed in the air. Sarahwas standing still, hair tossing in the

wind, looking out across the valley toward the castle.After awhile, she said,“TellmewhereIstart.”Shewaitedforananswer,andfinallysheheardhimsay,“Apity.”“What?”Sheturnedherheadtolookupathim,buthewasnotthere.Shespun

allaround.Hehadvanished.Shewasaloneinthenight,onawindswepthilltop.Shelookedacrossagainatthecastle.Thestormwaspassingaway.Bladesof

cloudsslicedacross themoon.She thoughtsheglimpsed the figureofanowl,highabove,wingsspreadwideontheair,asheflewsteadilyawayfromher.She took another step forward, down the hillside. But therewas no ground

beneathherfeet.Shebegantofall.

CHAPTERIII

PIPSQUEAK

Sarah feltherself toppling forward, into thedarkness.Onlybyswingingherarmswildlydidshemanagetokeepherbalance.Thehillsidewasverysteep.Hermouthhadgonedrywithfright.Carefully,shesatdown.Thatfeltsafer,

butshecouldnotaffordtosittherelong,withonlythirteenhourstogetthroughtheLabyrinthandfindTobyinthecastle.She tried slithering down the hillside on her bottom, but that was no good

either.Rocks and little shrubs impededher, and shedarednot standup togetpastthem.Itwassoblack,shemighthavebeentryingtofindherwaythroughaseaofink.Shefelttearsrising,butblinkedthemaway.Shewoulddoit.Therewere no limits to what she could do, given the determination (which shecertainlyhad),andtheingenuity(whichshehadneverlackedyet,admittedlyinmore humdrum predicaments), and maybe a little luck (which she deserved,didn’tshe?).Shewoulddoit,shevowed,asshesatontheblackhillsidewithnoideahowtomoveanotherfoot.Highaboveher,wheretheowlhadflown,sheheardalarksing.Shepeeredup

at it, andby takingher eyesoff theblacknessbelowshebecameaware that ahintof lightwas staining the rimof thedark sky.Shewatched the lightgrowbrighter,changingfromred topink,and thenpaleblue,andwhenshesawtheedge of the sun inch up over the horizon she shut her eyes and took a deepbreath.Shefeltthesunwarmingherskin.Shewoulddoit.When sheopenedher eyes again, Jareth’s castlewas shiningbefore her, its

spiresandturretsrimmedwiththereflectedsunlight.Anxiouslyshescrutinizedthevalley,which,likeadevelopingphotograph,tooklongertorevealitself.The first thing she could gauge was its width. The extent of land between

herself and the castlewas not so very great. I can run that far in a couple ofhours, she reckoned. It’s only a fewmiles. Jarethwas trying to hoaxme.Hethought Iwould be so scared in the darkness that Iwould give up and forgetaboutToby.Howcould I?Anyway, in thirteen hours I can be there andbackwithtimetospare.Shewondered if thirteenhours inJareth’s landwould take thesame time to

passasathome. If so,whatwouldher fatherand stepmother thinkwhen they

returned? They would probably call the police. Well, there was nothing shecoulddoaboutthat.ShedidnotexpecttofindatelephoneinJareth’scastle.Shesmiledwanly.The sunwas above the horizon, and color and shapewere seeping into the

valley.Therewasanawfullotofstuffdownthere;shecouldtellthatmuch.Shewentonwatching,andgraduallyshetookinthefullnatureofthevalley.Atfirstshecouldnotbelieveit.Asthesunrosehigheranddisclosedmoreto

her, her shoulders drooped and her face lost its smile. She shook her headslowly,dumbfounded.From the footof thehillsidewhere she sat, to thecastle andbeyond it, and

fromhorizon tohorizonon each side, there stretched avast, intricatemazeofwallsandhedges.“TheLabyrinth,”shewhispered.“SothatistheLabyrinth.”Shestudiedit,tryingtodeciphersomepatterntoit,someprincipleofdesign

that might guide her through it. She could see none. Corridors doubled, andwoundandcoiled.Gatewaysledtogatewaysleadingintogateways.Itremindedher of thousands of fingerprints laid side by side, overlapping eachother.Didsomeoneworkallthatout,shewondered,orhaditjusthappened?The impossibility of ever finding her way through the Labyrinth started to

overwhelm her. She stood up, clenched her fists, set her jaw, and cleared herthroat.“Well,”shesaid,“herewego.Comeon,feet.”Inthedawninglight,shecouldseebelowherapaththatzigzaggeddownthe

hillside.Shepickedherwaytoitthroughtherocksandshrubs.Atthefootofthepath,shecametoagreatwall,strengthenedwithbuttresses.Itstretchedasfarasshecouldseetotheleftandright.Doubtfully, she approached thewall,with no ideawhat shemight dowhen

she reached it.Asshegotcloser,amovement justat thebaseof it caughthereye.Therewasalittleman.Hewascacklingashegroundsomethingunderfoot.“Excuseme,”Sarahsaid.Thelittlemannearlyjumpedoutofhisskin.“Justgoing,”hesaid,beforehe

hadevenlookedaroundtoseewhoitwas.Whenhedidturn,hehadhisfacedownsothatheregardedherfromunderhis

thick, bushy eyebrows. “Well!” he exclaimed, looking cross and astonished atthesametime.“Well!”Itseemedthathehadneverbeforeseteyesonapersonlike Sarah. Or perhaps it was that no person like Sarah had ever caught himunawares.“Well!”hesaidagain.

We’llnevergetanywherelikethis,Sarahthought.He was an odd little person. His sprouting eyebrows clearly wanted to be

fierce,buthiswrinkledfacecouldn’tliveuptothatferocity.Hisexpressionwaswary now, not particularly friendly, but not hostile either. He seemed to beavoidinghereyes,andshenoticedthatwhenevershemovedherhandshisgazewould follow them.On topofhisheadheworea skullcap.From thebelt thatheldhisbreechesup,hehadachainofornamentsdangling,costumejewelryasfar as she could tell. She saw his mouth moving to say “Well!” again andinterruptedquickly.“Excuseme, but I have togo through theLabyrinth.Canyou showme the

wayin?”Hismouth frozen in the formationof aW,heblinkedatheronceor twice.

Thenhiseyesdartedtooneside.Herushedafewstepstowardabluebell,atthesame time pulling a spray can from under his jacket. As he aimed the spray,Sarahsawthatadiaphanouslittlefairywasemergingfromthebluebell.Hesprayedit,withacoupleofquickbursts.Thefairyatoncewilted, likea

shrivelingpetal.“Fifty-seven,”hesaidwithsomesatisfaction.Sarahwasshocked.“Oh,howcouldyou?”Heansweredwithagrunt.She ran to where the fairy was lying on the ground, wings quivering and

shriveling.“Poorthing!”sheexclaimed.Shepickeditupgentlyinherfingertipsandturnedaccusinglytothefairy-slayer.“Youmonster.”Shefeltasharppain,asfrombrokenglass.Thefairyhadbittenherfinger.“Oh!”Sarahdroppedthefairyandstuckherfingerinhermouth.“Itbitme,”

shemutteredaroundherfinger.“ ’Course she did,” the littleman chuckled. “What do you expect fairies to

do?”“I...”Sarahwasfrowning,perplexed.“Ithoughttheydid—well,nicethings.

Likegrantingwishes.”“Ha!”Hiseyebrowswentup,andhechortled.“Showswhatyouknowthen,

don’t it?”He raised his spray can and casually hit another bluebellwith it.Asecondshimmeringfairyfelldown,turningbrownlikealeafinautumn.“Fifty-eight,”hesaid,andshookhishead.“TheybreedasfastasIspray.”Sarahwasstillwincingasshesuckedherfinger.“Ooh,”shecomplained.“It

hurts.”Shetookherfingerfromhermouthandshookit.Hewalkedtoaplantnearlyastallashewas,toreoffoneofitsbroad,grayish

leaves,andhandedittoher.“Here,”hetoldher.“Rubthatonit.”Shegratefullydidwhathe toldher.Nosoonerhad she started rubbing than

shedroppedtheleaf,claspedherfingerwiththeotherhandandhoppedaroundinpain.“Ow!”sheshouted.“Thatmakesitworse.Muchworse.OWWW!”Hewasholdinghissideswithhispudgylittlehandsandroaringwithlaughter.

“ ’Course it do. Fancy rubbing one of them on a fairy bite. You don’t knownothing,doyou?”Her face screwedupwithpain,Sarah answered indignantly, “I thought you

weregivingittometomakeitbetter.Oh!Ooh!”“Youthoughtthattoo,didyou?You’vegotalotofopinions.”Hechuckled.

“Allofthemwrong.Andyou’vegotgrassallovertheseatofyourtrousers!”Inspiteofthepaininherfinger,shehadtoglanceoverhershoulder,andshe

sawthathewasright.Itwasfromslidingdownthathillside.Brushingoffwhatshe could, she realized that he was paying her back for having caught himunawares.“You’rehorrible,”shetoldhim.“No,I’mnot.”Hesoundedsurprised.“I’mHoggle.Whoareyou?”“Sarah.”Henodded.“That’swhat I thought.”Spottinganother fairy,hesquirtedher.

Tomake sure, he stepped on this one and ground his foot around. The fairysquealed.“Fifty-nine,”Hogglesaid.Sarahwasthinking,stillsuckingherfinger.Heseemedtoknowabouther.So

he must have something to do with Jareth, mustn’t he? Some kind of spy,maybe?Well,maybe.Yethewasnotherideaofaspy.Spiesweren’tgrumpy.Theydidn’tplaymeantricksonyou.Didthey?Ifallheropinionswerewrong,ashe’d said, then thisonemightbewrong, too.But in that case, she thought,supposing he is a spy, then it might be his job to persuade me that all myopinionsarewrongwhenreallytheyareallcorrect.Andiftheyareallcorrect,he isnotaspy.But thatwouldmeanhehadnomotiveforpersuadingmethatI’mwrong about everything, and soprobably I amwrong about this, too, andso...supposingheisaspy...“Oh!”sheexclaimed,inexasperation.Itwaslikeoneofthosedrawingsshehadseeninabookathome,wherethewaterseemstobe flowing uphill, and yet you can never put your finger on just where thedrawingistellingyoualie.Hoggle torea leaffromadifferentplantandofferedit toher,withasortof

twinklingscowlonhisface.Shetookherfingerfromhermouth.Thepainwaseasingnow.Sheshookher

head,andhadtosmilealittleatthatfunny,wizenedfaceofhis.Hisexpression,inanswer,wentdarkagain.Helookedathermistrustfully.He

wasnotusedtobeingsmiledat.Well,shethought,there’snothingelsetodo.Whetherornotheisheretospy

onme, he is the only person I can ask for help. So she tried. “Do you knowwherethedoortotheLabyrinthis?”Hescreweduphisface.“Maybe.”“Allright,whereisit?”Insteadofreplying,hedodgedtooneside,raisinghisspraycan.“Sixty.”“Isaid,whereisit?”“Whereiswhat?”“Thedoor.”“Whatdoor?”“ThedoorintotheLabyrinth.”“Thedoor!IntotheLabyrinth!Oh,that’sagoodone.”Helaughed,notkindly.Sarahwantedtopunchhim.“It’shopelessaskingyouanything.”“Not if you asks the right questions.” He was giving her a sidelong look.

“You’reasgreenasacucumber.”“Well,whataretherightquestions?”Hogglestrokedthetopofhisnose.“Itdependsonwhatyouwanttoknow.”“That’seasy.HowdoIgetintotheLabyrinth?”Hogglesniffed,andhiseyestwinkled.“Ah!Nowthat’smorelikeit.”She thought sheheard thatmusic in theairagain, themagicmusic thathad

hummedaroundtheGoblinKing.“Yougets in there.”Henodded, indicatingbehindher. “Yougot to ask the

rightquestionsifyouwanttogetanywhereintheLabyrinth.”Sarahhadspunaround.Now, in thegreatwall,shesawahuge,grotesquely

designedgate.Shestaredat italmostaccusingly.Shecouldhavesworn ithadnotbeentherebefore.“Thereain’tnodoor,see?”Hogglewasexplaining.“Allyougottodonowis

findthekey.”

Shelookedbackathimandthenallaroundher.Shesawatoncethatitwasgoingtobenoproblemtofindthekey.Nearherwasaverysmallmat,andfromeachendofitanenormouskeywasstickingout.“Well,”shesaid,“that’ssimpleenough.”Shewentovertothekeyandtriedtopickitup.Shecouldjustmanagetoget

oneendofitofftheground,ortheother,butthewholekeywastooheavyforhertoliftuptothekeyholeinthegate.SheglaredatHoggle.“Isupposedit’stoomuchtoexpectyoutogivemeahand?”“Yes,”Hogglesaid.Shetriedagain,strainingtoliftit.Itwashopeless.“Oh,”shesaid.“Thisisso

stupid.”“Youmeanyou’resostupid,”Hogglecorrectedher.“Shutup,yourottenlittlepipsqueak.”“Don’tcallmethat!”Hogglewasagitated.“Iamnotapipsqueak.”“Yes,youare,”Sarahsaid.Shewasuneasily remindedofherselfatamuch

younger age, at school, chanting cruel jibes at some tormented girl, but shepersisted.“Yes,youa-are.Rottenlittlenastyuglypipsqueak!”Hoggle was beside himself with rage. “Don’t call me that,” he said

hysterically. “You! Ha! You’re so stupid you are, you take everything forgranted.”“Pipsqueak!Pipsqueak!”“I’mnot.I’mnot.Stopit!Stopit!”“Nasty,creepylittlepipsqueak!”Hogglecollectedhimselfandwithsomedignity toldher,“Ifyouweren’tso

brainless,you’dtrythegate.”Thatstoppedhershort.Shethoughtforamoment,thenwenttothegateand

gaveitalittlepush.Itswungopen.“Nobodysaiditwaslocked,”Hoggleobserved.“Veryclever.”“You think you’re so clever,”Hoggle said. “You knowwhy? Because you

ain’tlearnednothing.”Sarahwaspeeringcautiouslyinsidethegate.Shedidnotlikewhatshesaw.It

wasdarkandforbidding in there.Themusichumming in theair seemed tobemoreintense.Therewasasmellofthingsrotting.

She gathered her courage and took two steps into the Labyrinth. Then shestoppedshort.Apassagewayranacrosstheentrance.Itwassonarrow,andthewallwassohigh,thattheskywasamereslitoverherhead.Inthegloom,sheheard a continual drip of water, echoing. She approached the farther wall,touchedit,andpulledherhandaway.Itwasdankandslimy,likemildew.Hoggle’sheadwaspokingthroughthegatewaybehindher.“Cozy,ain’tit?”Sarahshuddered.Hoggle’s manner had altered. He was quiet, and it was almost possible to

detectahintofconcerninhisvoice.“Youreallygoingtogointhere,areyou?”Sarah hesitated. “I. . . yes,” she said. “Yes, I am. Do you. . . is there any

reason why I shouldn’t?” She was clenching her fists. It did seem such adreadfullygloomyplace,insidethegate.“There’s every reason why you shouldn’t,” Hoggle replied. “Is there any

reasonwhyyoushould?Anyreallygoodreason?”“Yes,thereis.”Shepaused.“SoIsuppose...Imust.”“Allright,”Hogglesaid,inatoneofvoicethatimplied,onyourownheadbe

it.“Now,”heasked,“whichwaywillyougo?Rightorleft?”Shelookedonewayandthentheother.Therewasnoreasontochooseeither

one or the other. Both looked grim. The brick walls appeared to extend toinfinity. She shrugged,wanting some help, but too proud to ask for it. “Theybothlookthesame,”shesaid.“Well,”Hoggletoldher,“you’renotgoingtogetveryfar,then,areyou?”“Allright,”shesaidcrossly,“whichwaywouldyougo?”“Me?”Helaughedwithoutmirth.“Iwouldn’tgoneitherway.”“Someguideyouare.”“I never said I was a guide, did I? Although you could certainly use one.

You’ll probably end up back where you started, given your record for beingwrong.”“Well,”Sarahsnappedathim,“if that’sall thehelpyou’regoingtobe,you

mightaswellletmegetonwithit!”“Youknowyourproblem?”Hoggleasked.Shetooknonotice,buttriedtolookdeterminedtosetoutinonedirectionor

the other. Left, right, shewas thinking, that was the normal order. So in thisabnormalplace,shemightaswelltrygoingtotheright,mightn’tshe?

“I told you, you take toomany things for granted,”Hogglewent on. “ThisLabyrinth, for instance. Even if you get to the center, which is extremelydoubtful,you’llnevergetoutagain.”“That’syouropinion.”Sarahmovedtoherright.“Well,it’sabetteropinionthananyofyours.”“Thanksfornothing,Hogwart.”“Hoggle!” His voice came echoing from the gateway, where he remained.

“Anddon’tsayIdidn’twarnyou.”Herjawset,shestrodeout,betweenthedampanddirewalls.Shehadgoneonlyafewstrideswhen,withamighty,reverberatingclang,the

gateclosedbehindher.Shestopped,andcouldnotresistreturning,toseeifthegatewouldopenagain.Itwouldn’t.Hogglewasshutoutside.TheonlysoundsintheLabyrinthnowwerethedrip

ofwater,andSarah’squickbreathing.

CHAPTERIV

WHICHISWHICH

Sarahtookadeepbreathandsetoffalongthepassagewayagain.Aclumpoflichenonthegatepostopeneditseyesandwatchedhergo.Theeyes,ontendrils,had an anxious look, andwhen she had gone some distance away the clump,swivelingitseyes towardeachother,commencedtogossipamongitself.Mostofitdisapprovedofthedirectionshehadtaken.Youcouldtellthatfromthewaytheeyeslookedmeaningfullyintoeachother.Lichenknowsaboutdirections.When she had beenwalking for awhile between the toweringwalls of the

apparently endless passageway and gotten nowhere that looked different, shewent onwalking for awhilemore, and itwas all the same.Another hundredsteps, she told herself, and if I’m still getting nowhere I’ll thinkof somethingelsetodo.One,two...ninety-eight,ninety-nine.Thewallsstretchedtoeternity.“Is thiswhata labyrinthis?”shesaidaloud,for thecompanyofhearingher

ownvoice.“There’snotasingle turn,orcorner,or—anything. It justgoeson,and on.”She paused, thinking ofwhatHoggle had said to her. “Butmaybe itdoesn’t,” she reasoned. “Maybe. . . I’m just taking it for granted that it does.Becausethat’sallit’sdonesofar,goonandon.Itcoulddothatforever—andIhaven’t got forever.” She wished she knew how much of the thirteen hoursremainedtoher.Itwasn’tfair,notknowing.Takinganotherdeepbreath, shebegan to run.Theonlydifferencenowwas

thatthewallsrevealedtheirendlessnessmorequickly.Sheranfaster,skiddinginmud, banging against the brick sides of the passage, faster and faster, and thewalls stretched out ahead of her without turning or feature or end, until theybegan to spin above her head and she realized that she was collapsing,exhausted,tearsrunningdownhercheeks.She lay in a heap, sobbing. A clump of lichen nearby stared down at her

sympathetically,itseyesboggling.Whenshehadrecovered,sheopenedhereyesveryslowly,hopingshewould

seesomethingdifferentthistime:acorner,adoor,evenherownbedroom.Alltherewastoseewerethetwowalls.Withalittleyelpoffrustration,shebeatherfistsupononeofthewalls.

As though answering a doorbell, a tiny wormlike creature with large eyespopped its head out from between the bricks where Sarah had pounded. “’Allo?”itaskedinacheeryvoice.Woebegone,Sarahlookedattheworm.Atalkingworm,shereflected;yes,I

shouldneverhavetakenitforgrantedthatawormcan’ttalk.Sheshrugged.Ifaworm could talk, perhaps it could give her some advice. In a low voice, sheaskedit,“DoyouknowhowtogetthroughtheLabyrinth?”“Whome?”Itgrinned.“No,I’mjustaworm.”Sarahnodded.Shemighthaveexpectedasmuch.“Comeinsideandmeetthemissus,”theworminvitedher.Shemanagedafaintsmile.“Thankyou,”shetoldtheworm,“butI’vegotto

getthroughtheLabyrinth.Andtherearenoturnings,oropenings,oranything.”Sheblinkedawayhottears.“Itjustgoesonandon.”“Ooh,”thewormsaid,“youain’tlookingright,youain’t.It’sfullofopenings.

It’sjustthatyouain’tseeing‘em,that’sall.”Sarahgazed around indisbelief.Thewalls stretched away forever on either

side.Therewasnologictoit.Ormaybetherewasnothingbutlogic,andthatwas

thetrouble:alllogicandnoreason.“There’sanopeningjustacrossthere,”thewormwenton.“It’srightinfront

ofyou.”She looked. Brick wall, dampmildew, clump of lichen, nothing else. “No,

thereisn’t.”Thewormsniffed,andinakindvoicesaid,“Comeinandhaveanicecupof

tea.”“Thereisn’tanopening.”Sarah’svoicewasinsistent.“You try walking that way, over there,” the worm said, with a nod of

encouragement.“You’llsee.Butfirst,whynothaveanicecupoftea?”“Where?”Sarahlookedattheblankwallagain.“Igotthekettleon.”Theworm’shospitalitywaswastedonher.“That’s justwall,”shemuttered.

“There’snowaythrough.”“Ooh,” thewormobserved, “this place, oh dear.Things aren’t alwayswhat

they seem, you know, not here.Not here, no. So don’t you take anything for

granted.”Sarahgavethewormasharpglance.Howwasitthathehadthesamescriptas

Hoggle?AndinhermindsheheardHoggle’svoiceagain.“Me?Iwouldn’tgoneitherway.”Neitherway.Rightinfrontofyou.Whatelsewastheretodo?Shewouldtry

it. Very tentatively, flinching in anticipation, she walked into the wall, andthroughit,intoanotherpassageway.Sarahwas delighted.This passageway, too, stretchedout infinitely to either

side,butatleastitwasadifferentone.Sheturnedbackgratefully.“Thankyou,”shesaidtotheworm.“Thatwasincrediblyhelpful.”She had begun to walk along the new passageway when she heard a little

shout from behind her. “And don’t go that way!” the worm was calling. Helookedupat the lichen,whose eyeswereworried as theywatchedSarah.Theworm gave the lichen a cheerful grin, but the lichen just went on bogglinganxiouslyafterthegirl.Shehalted,andthencamebackpanting.“Whatdidyousay?”“WhatIsaid,”thewormtoldher,“was,don’tgothatway.”“Oh,”Sarahnodded.“Thanks.”Shesetoffintheotherdirection.Thelichenwatchedhergoagain,andsighedwithrelief.“Whew.”Thewormrolledhiseyes.“Thatwasclose.Ifshe’dgonetheother

way,she’dhavewalkedstraightintothatdreadfulcastle.”

In the stone chamber of the Goblin King, Toby, still in his red-and-white-stripedpajamas,hadhismouthwideopenandwashowling.Hislittlefistswereclenchedtight,hisfacewasscarlet,hiseyeswereshut,andhewasputtingoutadinthatwouldhavemadeSarahgroanaloud.Jarethwatchedhimwithanamusedsmile.Inthatplacenooneelsetookmuch

noticeofToby.Hornedorhairyorhelmetedgoblinsracketedaroundtheplace,acrossthefilthyfloor,overthestepsofthethrone,upontheledgesoftheroom,somechasingchickensorablackpiginahelmet,somesquabblingoveratidbit,somepeeringintoanyvesselinthehopeoffindingsomethingtoeat,somejustsitting and gnawing on bones, others staring balefully at all the rest throughcrazed eyes. The place was littered with half-finished platefuls of food, androttingbitsofmeatandvegetablematter,garbageandjunk.Asmallpterodactylflapped around, taking its chances. The curved crown mounted heraldically

abovethethrone,decoratedwithram’shorns,hadbeenappropriatedbyavulturefor its nest. Or perhaps Jareth had installed the vulture there for his ownamusement.Heneededsomethingtokeephimamusedhere.Thegoblinswere,frankly,a

bore. They were so stupid they couldn’t find their own way through theLabyrinth.Theywerewithoutwisdomorwit.Intheolddays,whenmanybabieshadbeenofferedtohim,Jarethhadbeenmoretolerant,reckoningthatsoonhewould certainly find onewho could be trained as aworthy companion to thethrone, one whose young blood would serve to refresh Jareth’s, whose highspiritswoulddispelthethoughtsofagingthatoppressedtheKingoftheGoblins.As calls upon him to steal a child became rarer, so Jareth sank deeper intodejection.Heavoidedmirrorsandreflectingwater.Hecouldfeelthatthecornersofhismouthhadtightened,andheneedednoproofofthewrinklesthatcreasedhisbrowwhenhedidnotdeliberatelynarrowhiseyestotautenhisskin.Lounginginhisdrapedthrone,whichwasintheformofaninterruptedcircle,

JarethlookedatthebawlingfigureofToby.Withanyluck,hemightgrowuptobeanintelligentgoblin.Hemightmakesomejokes,oranywayseethepointofJareth’s.Hemightbeofsomehelpinrulingthisramshackleempire.Attheveryleast, he might have some fresh ideas about mischief. Two-headed sheep,curdled milk, banging pans, snatched nightclothes, barren fruit trees, shiftedtables,moldybread—Jarethhadseenitall,muchtoooften.Butthislot,rootingand pratfalling around all day, still found such tired old clichés a perfect rioteverytime.Pitiful,theywere.Jareth yawned, and looked wearily around the room. The walls had been

decoratedwithskullsandbats.Deargod,hethought.Skullsandbatsyet.Howjejune could you get? He looked hopefully at the clock. Half past three, thesword-shapedhands indicated.Anothernineandahalfhours towait,until thegoblin striker struck the thirteen.Hewould have to do something to pass thetime.Hestoodupfromthethrone,stretchedhisarmsandpacedrestlessly.Another

goblincamedashingpast.Jarethreacheddownandpickedhimupbythescruffoftheneck.Thegoblin’seyesboggledathis.“You’reabogglinggoblin,”Jarethsaid,withaforcedlaugh.Therestofthegoblinshowledwithmerriment.JarethhadbeentheirKingfor

aslongastheycouldremember,whichwasaboutfoursecondsatbest,andtheyhopedhewouldbeKingforevermore.Jarethwincedwiththepainofitall.

Sarah was wandering along brick corridors. They were still high andforbidding,butatleasttheydidn’tstretchouttotheendofspaceandtime,andsometimestherewasaflightofsteps,whichmadeanicechange.Whenevershecametoaforkoraturningandmadeachoice,shehadfoundasensiblewayofensuringthatshedidnotwanderincircles:withthelipstickshehadputinherpocketathome,shemadeanarrowonabrickateachjunction,toshowwhereshe had come from. Andwhenever she put the lipstick away and walked offdown her new corridor, a little creature would lift the marked brick, turn itupsidedown,andreplaceit,sothatthearrowwasnotvisible.Aftershehadmarkedeighteenarrows,apieceofthelipstickbrokeoffasshe

wasdoingthenextone.Determinedtoremaincalm,shescrewedanotherlengthout,andwentonherchosenway,upsomesteps,intoachamber.Acrosstheendof thepassagebehindherasquadofgoblinsrustledby,butSarah’seyeswerefixedonwhatlayaheadandshedidnotseethem.The chamber was a dead end. She peeked in every alcove and behind the

buttresses,but therewasdefinitelynowayout.Sheshrugged,andretracedherstepstothenineteentharrow.Whenshereachedthecorner,shelookedforherarrowandcouldnotseeit.That’sodd,shethought.I’msureitwasrighthere,atthiscorner,onthatbrickthere.Thebrickswereblank.Shefrowned,andlookedabouther.Onthefloorshespottedthebroken-offpieceoflipstick.Shelookedagain,hard,andstillcouldseenoarrow.Thatprovedit, then.Somethingfishywasgoingon.Shethrewdowntherestofthelipstick.“Someone’sbeenrubbingoutmymarks,”shesaid,loudly,certainthattheculpritmustbecloseenoughtohearher.“Whatahorridplacethisis!It’snotfair!”“That’sright,”avoicebehindhersaid.“It’snotfair!”Shejumped,andwhippedaround.Behindher,inthechamberthathadbeenadeadend,shenowsawtwocarved

doorsinthewall,andaguardpostedinfrontofeachdoor.Atleast,shethoughtthey must be guards, since they stood foursquare and were emblazoned witharmor. But as she studied them shewas not so sure. Theywere quite comic,really.Theirenormousshields,whichwerecuriouslypatternedwithgeometricalfiguresandscrollsanddevices, lookedextremelyheavy,whichwouldaccountfor thestraddle-leggedstanceeachof themhad.Poor things,she thought, theyhave tostand like thatall the time just tostayupright.Theone toher lefthadincrediblyshiftyeyesbeneathhishelmet,andshesaidtoherselfthatshewouldcallhimAlf,afteranuncleofherswitheyeslikethat;butthenshereflectedthathisnot-quite-identicaltwintoherright(shecouldn’tseehiseyesatallbecause

hishelmetwas toobigforhim)should thereforebecalledRalph(RforRight,you see), and somentally shecorrected the spellingof the firstone’sname toAlph (not that it mattered to anyone, because she wouldn’t be writing theirnamesdown).Having settled, in her mind, the business of names, she noticed the most

remarkable thing of all, which was that from underneath each shield peeredanotherface,upsidedown,alittlelikeajackofspadesgonewrong.Theupside-downcharacters,whomshenamedJimandTim(thefirstrhymedpairthatcametohermind), seemed tobehangingon to theiruncomfortablepositionsby thegreatgnarledandhornyhandsshecouldseegrippingthebottomoftheshields.Theymust have added yetmore to the burdens underwhichAlph andRalphstaggered.Itwas JimUpsideDownwhomadeher jumpbyaddressingher.Headded,

“Andthat’sonlyhalfofit.”“Halfofwhat?”askedSarah,twistingandduckingherheadtogetagoodlook

atJim’sface. Itwould,shefelt,havebeenfaintlyrude toremainupright.Youhadtoadjusttopeopleyoumet,evenhere.“Halfoftwiceasmuch,”Jimreplied.“Twiceasmuchaswhat?”Sarahwasexasperated.“Twiceasmuchashalfofit.”“Look.”Sarah raised a finger and pointed to the backwall of the chamber.

“Thiswasadeadendamomentago,”shesaid.“No.”ItwasTimUpsideDownspeakingnow.“That’s thedeadend,behind

you.”Shestooduprightagainandturnedaround.Hewasright.Thewaybywhich

she had come in here was indeed now barred by a solid wall. “Oh!” sheexclaimed indignantly. “It’s not fair. This place keeps changing. What am Isupposedtodo?”“Itdependswho’sdoingthesupposing,”Jimsaid.“Nothalf,”Timagreed.“Tryoneofthedoors,”suggestedJim.“Oneofthemleadstothecastle,”Timtoldherinacheerfulvoice,“andthe

otheroneleadstocertaindeath.”Sarahgasped.“Whichiswhich?”Jimshookhisupside-downhead.“Wecan’ttellyou.”

“Whynot?”“Wedon’tknow!”Jimcrowedtriumphantly.“Buttheydo.”TimnoddedconfidentiallyatAlphandRalph.Thattooksome

doing,upsidedown,Sarahthought.“ThenI’llaskthem,”shesaid.Before she could say anything more, Ralph was speaking in a very slow,

pedantic voice. “Ah!No, you can’t ask us. You can ask only one of us.”Heappearedtohavedifficultyingettingthewordsoutatall,especiallytheC’sandK’s.“It’sintherules.”Alph’svoicecamefastandsneering,andatthesametime

hiseyesshifteduneasily.Hewastappingafingeronsomeciphersonhisshield,whichwerepresumablytherules.“AndIthinkIshouldwarnyouthatoneofusalwaystellsthetruth,andoneofusalwayslies.That’sarule,too.”HisglanceflickeredatRalph.“Healwayslies.”“Don’tlistentohim,”Ralphsaid,sententiously.“He’slying.I’mtheonewho

tellsthetruth.”“That’salie!”Alphretorted.Jim and Tim were snickering behind their shields, rather insolently, she

thought. “You see,”Tim toldSarah, “even if youaskoneof them,youwon’tknowiftheansweryougetistrueorfalse.”“Nowwaitaminute,”shesaid.“Iknowthisriddle.I’vehearditbefore,but

I’veneverfigureditout.”SheheardRalphmutteringtohimself,“He’slying.”“He’slying,”Alphreplied.Sarahwasscratchingherbrow.“There’sonequestionIcanaskanditdoesn’t

matter which one of them I ask it.” She clicked her tongue, impatient withherself.“Oh,whatcoulditbe?”“Comeon,comeon,”Timsaidtetchily.“Wecan’tstandaroundhereallday.”“What do you mean, we can’t?” Jim snapped. “That’s our job. We’re

gatekeepers.”“Oh,yes.Iforgot.”“Bequiet,”Sarahordered.“Ican’tthink.”“Itellthetruth,”Ralphdeclaredpedantically,fromunderhishelmet.“Ooh!”Alphansweredmechanically.“Whatalie!”

Sarah was trying to work it out logically for herself. With a fingerthoughtfully in the air, she reasoned, “The first thing to do is find out whichone’stheliar...but,no,there’snowayofdoingthat.So...thenextthingtodoistofindaquestionyoucanputtoeitherone...andgetthesameanswer.”“Oh,that’sagoodone,”Timwasguffawing.“Oneofusalwaystellsthetruth

andtheotheronealwayslies,andyouwanttofindaquestionwe’llbothgivethesameanswerto?Oh,that’llbetheday.That’sagoodone,thatis.Oh.”Sarahnarrowedhereyes.She thought shemighthavegotten it. “Now,” she

said,“whomshallIask?”AlphandRalphpointedateachother.Withalittlesmile,SarahsaidtoRalph,“Answeryesorno.Wouldhe,”and

she pointed at Alph, “tell me that this door,” she pointed at the door behindRalph,“leadstothecastle?”AlphandRalphlookedather,thenateachother.Theyconferredinwhispers.Ralphlookedupather.“Uh...yes.”“Then theother door leads to the castle,” Sarah concluded. “And this door

leadstocertaindeath.”“How do you know?” Ralph asked slowly. His voice was aggrieved. “He

couldbetellingyouthetruth.”“Thenyouwouldn’tbe,”Sarahreplied.“Soifyoutellmehesaidyes,Iknow

theanswerwasno.”Shewasverypleasedwithherself.RalphandAlphlookeddejected,feelingthattheyhadobscurelybeencheated.

“ButIcouldbetellingthetruth,”Ralphobjected.“Then he would be lying,” Sarah said, allowing herself a broad smile of

pleasure.“Soifyoutellmethathesaidyes,theanswerwouldstillbeno.”“Waitaminute,”Ralphsaid.Hefrowned.“Isthatright?”“Idon’tknow,”repliedAlphairily.“Iwasn’tlistening.”“It’sright,”Sarahtold them.“Ifigureditout. Inevercoulduntilnow.”She

beamed.“Imaybegettingsmarter.”ShewalkedtothedoorbehindAlph.“Very clever, I’m sure,” Jim remarkeddisappointedly, and stuckhis tongue

outather.She stuck hers out back at him as she pushed open the door. Over her

shoulder,assheleftthem,shesaid,“Thisisapieceofcake.”

Shesteppedthroughthedoorway,andfellstraightdownashaft.Sarahscreamed.Thetopoftheshaftwasafast-dwindlingdiskoflight.

CHAPTERV

BADMEMORIES

Asshescreamed,droppingbackwarddowntheshaft,Sarahrealizedthatherfall was being slightly impeded by things brushing against her. Large, thickleavestheymightbe,orsomesortoftoughfungussproutingfromthewallsofthispit.Whatevertheywere,shetriedtograbholdofone,tosaveherselffromtheterriblesmashsheexpectedeveryinstant.Shewasfallingtoofast.Then,byblindchance,herwristlandedsmackinoneofthethings,whichat

once closed firmly. With a jolt that almost disjointed her, she found herselfdangling by one arm. “Oh!” she gasped in relief, and felt herself heaving forbreath.Shelookeddowntheshaft,toseehowcloseshehadbeentobreakingevery

bone.Allshecouldseewasalongtunnel,linedwiththethingsthathadbrokenher fall.She lookedup.Thedoorway throughwhichshehadentered the shaftwasveryhighaboveher.Ashereyesadjustedtothegloomylight,shesawwhatitwasthathadcaught

holdofher:ahand.Allaroundher,protrudingfromthesidesoftheshaft,handsweregropingintheair,likereedsunderwater.Her reliefgaveway toasickfeeling:shewas in thegripofahandwithno

arm or body attached to it, and she had no apparent means of ever releasingherself.Perhaps theywerecarnivoroushands,or like thosespiders that simplydissolved you away over a long period of time. She looked nervously up anddowntheshaftagain,thistimetoseeiftherewereanyskeletonsdanglingthere,asinajungletrap.Shesawnone.Andnowshefeltotherhandsreachingforherandfindingher,takingholdof

herby the legs and thebody.Therewerehandsonher thighs, her ankles, herneck. She shuddered, and shouted, “Stop that!” Knowing it was futile, shecalled,“Help!Help!”Shewrithed,tryingtoshakethemalloff,andwithherfreehandreachedoutforahold,inadespairingattempttoclimbaway.Allshecouldsee tograspholdofwasyetanotherhand.Hesitantly sheputhers in it, and itresponded immediately, grasping her hand firmly. With the idea of perhapsclimbingupthehandsasthoughonaladder,shetriedtofreeherwristfromthefirsthand.Itwasnogood.Nowshewasmoretightlyheldthanever,stuckina

webofhands.“Help!”shewhimpered.Shefeltataponhershoulder,andturnedherheadtoseewhatitwas.Toher

bewilderment, she saw that hands to one side of her contrived to formthemselvesintoafaceofsorts,withfinger-and-thumbcirclesforeyesandtwohandsworkingtogethertofashionamouth.Andthemouthspoketoher.“What do youmean, ‘Help’?” it said. “Weare helping.We’re theHelping

Hands.”“You’rehurting,”Sarahtoldthem.Itwasnotquitetrue.Fear,ratherthanpain,

waswhatafflictedher.Nowtherewereseveralmorefacesofhandsaroundher.“Wouldyoulikeustoletgo?”oneofthemasked.Sarahglanceddowntheshaft.“Uh...no.”“Well,then,”oneofthemouthssaid.“Comeon.Whichway?”“Whichway?”sheasked,nonplussed.“Upordown?”“Oh...”Shewasmoreconfused.“Er...”Shelookedbackuptheshafttoward

the light, but that would be a kind of retreat. She looked down, into theunknown,unfathomableabyss.“Come on! Come on!” an impatient voice urged her. “We haven’t got all

day.”Haven’tyou?Sarahthoughttoherself.“It’sabigdecisionforher,”saidasympatheticvoice.“Whichwaydoyouwanttogo?”askedaninsistentone.EveryoneintheLabyrinthwassoperemptory.I’vegotgoodreasontobeina

hurry, Sarah felt. I’ve only got thirteen hours to find my baby brother, andheavenknowshowmuchtimehasalreadygoneby.Butwhyareallthesepeople—ifyoucancallthempeople—sobossy?“Comeon!Comeon!”“Well,er...”Sarahstillhesitated.Upwaschicken,anddownwasdreadful.Many faces were watching her indecisiveness. Several of them were

snickering,coveringtheirmouthswithanotherhand.Shetookadeepbreath.“Well,sincethat’sthewayI’mpointed...I’llgoon

down.”“Shechosedown?”Sheheard thesnickerersbehind theirhands.“Shechose

—down!”“Wasthatwrong?”Sarahinquiredtimidly.“Toolatenow,”saidoneofthehandfaces,andwiththattheystartedtohand

herdowntheshaft,notroughly.Sheheardthemsingingsomethinglikeashanty.

“Down,down,down,down,Down,handherdown,boys.We’llallgototown,boys.Down,down,down,down,Down,handherdown,boys,Neverafrown,boys,Down,down,down,down.”

Anddownshewent,fardown,untilshefoundherselfheldmomentarilyaboveamanhole,whileHelpingHandsremovedthecoverofit.Thenthelowesthandsletgoofher,droppingherneatlydownthemanhole,andthelastshesawofthehandswastheirwavinggoodbye,helpfully.Asshelandedonthestonefloorofadark,smallcell,thecoverwasreplaced

onthemanhole,withaclunk.Inpitchdarkness,Sarahsatdown.Herfacewasblank.

ThepictureofhersilentfacewasclearlybeamedtoacrystalinthechamberoftheGoblinKing.“She’sintheoubliette,”Jarethobserved.Thegoblinscackledwickedly,dancingandprancingaround.Theirjawsgaped

withmerriment,andtheyslappedtheirthighs.“Shutup,”Jarethtoldthem.They froze.Theirheads twitchedaround to lookat theirKing.Aslygoblin

inquired,“Wronglaugh?”“Sheshouldn’thavegottenasfarastheoubliette.”Jarethwasstillstaringat

thepictureofSarah’sfaceinthecrystal.Heshookhishead.“Sheshouldhave

givenupbynow.”“She’llnevergiveup,”saidakeengoblin.“Ha.” Jareth laughed mirthlessly. “Won’t she? She’ll give up soon enough

whenshehastostartallover.”ItpleasedhimtothinkofhisLabyrinthasaboardgame;ifyougottooclose

tothewinningsquare,youmightfindasnaketakingyoubackto thestart.Noonehad,andveryfewhadgottenasfarasthisdisturbinggirl,whowastoooldtobeturnedintoagoblin.Jarethexaminedherfaceinhiscrystal.Toooldtobeagoblin,buttooyoungtobekeptbyhim,damnherinnocenteyes.Shehadtobesentbacktosquareoneimmediately,beforeshebecameaseriousthreattoToby,andheknewthesnakeforthejob.“Hoggle!”hecalled,spinningthecrystal.Hoggle’sfaceappearedinit.“She’sintheoubliette,”Jarethsaid.“Getherbacktotheouterwalls.”Hogglecockedhishead,grimacing.“She’squitedetermined,yourMajesty.It

won’tbeaneasy—”“Doit.”Jarethflippedthecrystalintotheair,whereitvanishedlikeabubble.Hechuckled,imaginingSarah’sfacewhenshefoundherselfbesideHoggle’s

pondagain.Thenhethrewbackhisheadandroared.Thegoblinswatchedhimuncertainly.Wasitallrighttolaughnow?“Well,goahead,”Jarethtoldthem.Withthesimplegleethatisnaturaltoevil-heartedfolk,thegoblinslaunched

themselves into their full routine of cackles and snickers. The keen goblindirected them, like a conductor, bringing them up to a crescendo of malignmirth.

Sarah sat on the floor of the black cell wishing she had asked theHelpingHandstotakeheruptheshaft,towardthelight.Whatcouldshehopeforinthisplace?Fourofhersensessharpenedinthedarkness;shedetectedalittlescratching

sound.“Who’sthere?Who’stherewithme?”Herbodywastensewithalarm.“Me,”agruffvoicereplied.Therewasanothernoiseofscratching,followedbyaglareoflightasamatch

ignited, and in turn set a torch aflame. Hoggle was sitting there, on a roughbench,holdingthetorchupsothatheandSarahcouldseeeachother.

“Oh,”shesaid,“Iamgladtoseeyou,Hoggle.”Shewassorelievedshecouldhavehuggedhim.“Yes,well,”Hoggle saidbrusquely,as thoughhewere slightlyembarrassed

bythesituation.“Well,nicetoseeyou,too.”Sarahwenttostandbesidehim,inthetorchlight.“Whatareyoudoinghere?

Howdidyougethere?”Hoggleshrugged,andhalfturnedaway.“Iknowsyouweregoingtogetinto

troublesoonasIseesyou.SoI—I’vecometogiveyouahand.”Ahelpinghand,Sarah thought, and shivered.Shehadhad enoughof them.

“Youmean,”sheasked,“you’regoingtohelpmeunriddletheLabyrinth?”“Unriddle the Labyrinth?” Hoggle answered scornfully. “Don’t you know

whereyouare?”She looked about her. In the circle of torchlight she saw stonewalls, stone

floor,stoneceiling.Oneroughwoodenbenchwastheonlyluxury.“Oh, she’s looking around now, is she?” Hoggle’s scorn had turned to

sarcasm.“Isupposethelittlemisshasnoticedthereain’tnodoors—justtheholeupthere?”Sarahpeeredashardasshecouldintotheshadows,andrealizedthathewas

right.“This,”Hogglewassaying,“isanoubliette.TheLabyrinth’sfullofthem.”Shewasstungbyhisknowing,mockingtoneofvoice.“Really?”shereplied,

matchinghissarcasm.“Now,fancythat.”“Don’t try tosoundsmart,”he toldher.“Youdon’tknowwhatanoubliette

is.”“Doyou?”“Yes,” Hoggle said, with a touch of pride. “It’s a place you put people to

forgetaboutthem.”SherememberedherverbsinFrenchclass,and,pleasedwithherself,said,“Of

course.ItcomesfromtheFrenchverboublier,toforget.Butyoualreadyknowthat,naturally.”Hoggle raised his chin to scratch it, at the same time letting his eyes roll

portentouslyaroundthecell.Whathehad saidbegan to sink in, andSarah lookedat the flickering stone

wallsandshuddered.Toforgetaboutthem.. .WasthatwhatJarethwasdoing

withher?Justforgettingabouther?Shebegantofeel indignant. Itwasn’tfair.Hehadchallengedhertothiscontest.Alltheoddswerestackedagainsther,butshehadmadeabraveenoughstart—hecouldn’t,now,justdumpherinheretorot.Couldhe?Hogglehadtakenthetorchandwaddledintoonecorneroftheoubliette.He

beckonedhertofollow.Shedid,castingagreatshadowacrossthewalls.Lyingin thecornerwasaskeleton,on itsback,kneesbent,headproppedagainst thewall.Sheputherhandtohermouthandwasabouttoscream,thenthoughtbetterof

it.Shewouldforceherselftoremaincool.“Yousee?”Hogglewas squintingupather. “ThisLabyrinth isadangerous

place.Noplaceforalittlegirl.”Shelookedathim.Whowashecallinglittle?Henoddedattheskeleton.“That’showyou’llendupifyoukeepgoing.Inan

oubliette, likehim.LotofbadmemoriesintheLabyrinth,Icantellyou.Whatyougottodo,littlemissy,isgetoutofhere.“ButImustfindmybabybrother.”“Forgetallthat.Nowitsohappens,”Hogglesaid,scratchinghischeekwitha

forefinger,“thatIknowsashortcutoutofthewholeLabyrinthfromhere.”“No,”shesaidatonce.“I’mnotgivingupnow.I’vecometoofar.I’vedone

toowell.”Henodded,andinasmoothvoiceassuredher,“You’vebeenwonderful.”He

shookhishead,andmadeasuckingnoiseonhisteeth.“ButthisisonlytheedgeoftheLabyrinth.You’vehardlystarted.Fromhereonin,itgetsworse.”There was something in his confidential tone that made Sarah suspicious.

“Whyareyousoconcernedaboutme?”sheaskedhim.“What?” Hoggle sounded aggrieved. “I am. That’s all. Nice young girl. . .

terribleblackoubliette...”“Listen,”Sarahinterruptedhim,“youlikejewelry,don’tyou?”Hepursedhisface.“Why?”heaskedslowly.“You’vegot someverynicepieces.”Shepointed to thechainofornaments

dangling fromhisbelt. In the torchlight shecouldnotbesure,but she fanciedthatasmirkinglittleblushwasonhiswhiskerycheek.“Thankyou,”hesaid.

“Ifyou’llhelpmethroughtheLabyrinth...”Shetookabreath.“...I’llgiveyou...”Sheslippedherbraceletoff.Itwasonlyacheapplasticthing,notoneofthe specialones thathermotherhadgivenher, andwhich sheworewhen shewasgoingout.“...this,”sheconcluded,holdingitouttohim.“Hm.”Hogglelickedhislipsandeyedthebraceletappraisingly.“Youlikeit,don’tyou?”Shecouldseethathedid.Healsohadaneyeforthe

ringonherfinger.Thathadnointrinsicvalueeither,thoughSarahwasfondofitbecausehermotherhadwornitwhenplayingHermioneinTheWinter’sTale.“So-so,”Hoggle said. “Tell youwhat.You giveme the bracelet and here’s

whatI’lldo.I’llshowyouthewayoutofthewholeLabyrinth.How’sthat?”“Youweregoingtodothatinanycase,”shepointedout.“Yes,”hereplied.“That’swhatwouldmakeitaparticularlynicegestureon

yourpart.”Heheldhishandout.“Oh,no!”Sarahwithdrewthebraceletabruptly.“Forthisyoumustshowme

thewayin.Thewholeway.”Hoggle snorted. “What makes the little miss so certain I knows my way

throughit?”“Well,”sheanswered,“yougothere,didn’tyou?”“What?”Hoggleclucked,shakinghishead.“Yes,yes,but...Itoldyou,this

is just the fringe of it all. You’ve got nowhere yet. Come on, where’s yourcommonsense?Youdon’twanttogofartherthanthis.Really.You’vedoneallyoucan,andmore.Youhaveprovedyou’reasmart,bravegirl,andyoudon’tdeserve what would become of you in here.” He glanced pointedly at theskeleton,whichseemed tobe jiggling in the flickerof the torchlight. “No,no,youdeserve tobe saved from that. I’ll say thatmuch foryou.So—howaboutit?” He gazed up at her with eyes of piggy shrewdness from beneath hissproutingeyebrows.Shelookedbackathimcandidly.Whateverhisgamewas,heplayeditbadly.

Shehadtobiteherliptostopherselffromgigglingathim.“I’lltellyouwhat,”she said, narrowing her eyes. “If you won’t takeme all the way through theLabyrinth, just takemeas farasyoucan.And then I’ll try todo the restof itmyself.”Helookeddisgustedwithher.“Tcha!OfalltheheadstrongnumbskullsIever

cameacross...”Sarah dangled the bracelet before his eyes. “Fair deal,” she offered. “No

strings.Onebracelet.Hmm?Howaboutit?”

The bracelet danced in her hand, and his eyes were dancing with it.Grudginglyheasked,“Whatisthis,anyway?”“Plastic.”Hiseyesshone.ThenheraisedhisstumpyarmforSarahtoput thebracelet

onto hiswrist.He looked at it there and could not conceal his pride. “I don’tpromisenothing,”hesaid.“But”—hegruntedresignedly—“I’ll takeyouasfarasIcan.Thenyou’reonyourown.Right?”“Right,”Sarahagreed.He nodded. His eyes were still shining as he looked at the bracelet on his

wrist.“Plastic!”hemurmured,thrilled.“Comeon,then,”Sarahurgedhim.Hoggle sprang into action. He seized the heavywooden bench and, with a

strengthSarahwouldn’thavesuspectedinhissmallandround-shoulderedbody,heupended it so that theseatwasflatagainst thewall.Sarahwassurprised toseetwodoorknobsontheundersideof theseat,oneontheleftandoneontheright, and she was disconcerted when Hoggle turned one knob and the seatbecame a door into the stone wall. That’s not fair, she thought. With amischievousgrin—becausehewasenjoyinghimself,showingoff to theyoungmiss—Hogglewalkedthroughthedoorway.She was about to follow him when she heard a crashing and clattering.

Broomsticksandbucketsfelloutofthedoorwayintotheoubliette.Shegrinned,recognizingtheoldbroom-closetjoke.“Oh, damn!” she heard Hoggle say, within the cupboard. He came out

backward,andavoidedhereyeashethrustthebroomsandbucketsbackinsideandclosedthedoor.Stillsheepish,hegraspedtheotherdoorknob.“Can’tberightallthetime,can

we?”hemuttered.This time,heopened thedoor rather lessboldly.Hepeeredthrough.“Thisisit,”hetoldher.“Comeon,then.”She followedhim into adimly lit corridorwithwalls of grotesquely carved

rock.They were working their way along the corridor when a voice boomed,

“DON’TGOON!”Sarah jumped violently, and looked all around her. She sawno one, except

Hoggle.Andthensherealized:carvedinthestonewallwasamouth.Standingbackfromit,shesawthatthemouthwaspartofahugeface.Similarfaceslined

bothsidesofthecorridor.AssheandHogglepassedthem,eachintonedadeeplyresonantmessage.“Gobackwhileyoustillcan!”“Thisisnottheway!”“Takeheedandgonofarther!”“Beware!Beware!”“Itwillsoonbetoolate!”Sarahputherhandsoverherears.Thewarningsseemedtobeechoinginside

herhead.Hoggle, bustling onward, looked around to seewhere she had gone to, and

saw her standing. “Pah.”Hewaved his hand. “Don’t take no notice of them.They’rejustPhony-Warnings.YougetalotlikethemintheLabyrinth.Itmeansyou’reontherighttrack.”“Oh,no,you’renot,”afaceboomed.“Doshutup,”Hogglesnappedbackatit.“Sorry,sorry,”thefacesaid.“Onlydoingmyjob.”“Well,youdon’tneedtodoit tous,”Hoggleanswered,andled thewayon

downthepassage.Thefacewatchedthemgo.“Shrewdcookies,”itmurmuredappreciatively.The passageway twisted and turned, but on the whole Sarah had the

impression that they were moving forward, if such a direction existed in theLabyrinth,andshefeltencouraged.Theypassedanothercarvedface.“Oh,beware!”thefacedeclaimed.“For—”“Don’tbother.”Hoggleflappedhishanddismissively.“Oh,please,”thefacebegged.“Ihaven’tsaiditforsuchalongtime.You’ve

noideawhatit’slike,stuckhereinthiswall,andwith—”“Allright,”Hoggletoldit.“Butdon’texpectustotakeanynotice.”Thefacebrightenedup.“Oh,no,ofcoursenot.”Itcleareditsthroat.“Forthe

pathyoutakewillleadyoutocertaindestruction!”Itpaused.“Thanks,”itaddedpolitely.While the face was droning on, a small crystal ball had been rolling and

skippingdownthepassagefrombehindSarahandHoggle.Itovertookthemastheyturnedacorner,andtheysawitbounceonaheadofthem.Ablindbeggarsquattedwithhisbacktothewall,hishatupturnedonthegroundinfrontofhis

feet.Thecrystalballhoppedsmartlyintothehat.SarahheardHogglegroan.Shelookedathim.Hismouthwasopen,andhis

eyeswerestaringatthehatontheground.Thebeggarturnedhisfacetowardthem.“Sowhathavewehere?”heasked.“Uh,nothing,”Hogglespluttered.“Nothing?Nothing?!”Thebeggarroseup.Hogglefroze.Sarahgasped.ItwasJareth.“Your Majesty. . .” Hoggle bowed so obsequiously that he was at risk of

performing a forward roll. “What. . .” he swallowed, and smiled haggardly,“what...whatanicesurprise.”“Hello,Hedgewart,”saidtheKingoftheGoblins.“Hogwart,”Sarahcorrectedhim.“Hoggle,”Hogglesaid,grittinghisteeth.“Hoggle,”Jarethsaid,inakindlyconversationalvoice,“canitbethatyou’re

helpingthegirl?”“Helping?”Hoggleprevaricated.“Inwhatsense?Uh...”“Inthesensethatyou’retakingherfartherintotheLabyrinth,”Jarethsaid.“Oh,”Hogglereplied.“Inthatsense.”“Yes.”“Oh,no,no,yourMajesty.Iwasleadingherbacktothebeginning.”“What!”Sarahexclaimed.Hoggleforcedhis lips intoaningratiatingsmileforJareth.“I toldher Iwas

going to help her unriddle the Labyrinth—little trickery on my part. . .” Heguffawedandgulped.“Butactually...”Jareth, smiling pleasantly, interrupted him. “And what’s this plastic trinket

aroundyourwrist?”“This?I. . .”Hoggle lookedwide-eyedat thebracelet,whichsomeonemust

have slipped onto his wrist when he was snoozing and which he hadunaccountably not even noticed there until thismoment. “Why,” he stuttered,“er,mygoodness,well,Inever,wheredidthiscomefrom?”“Hoggle.”Jarethspokelevelly.“IfIthoughtyouwerebetrayingme,Iwould

beforcedtosuspendyouheadfirstintheBogofEternalStench.”“Oh, no, yourMajesty.”Hoggle’s kneeswerewobbling. “Not that.Not the

EternalStench.”“Oh,yes,Hoggle.”JarethturnedandsmiledatSarah.“Andyou,Sarah—how

areyouenjoyingtheLabyrinth?”Sarahswallowed.Besideher, sheheardHoggle’s feetshuffling.Determined

nottoallowJarethtointimidateher,sheaffectedanonchalanceshewasfarfromfeeling.“It’s...”shehesitated.“It’sapieceofcake.”Jarethraisedoneeleganteyebrow.Hoggle’seyesclosedindismay.“Really?” Jareth sounded intrigued. “Then how about making it a more

entertainingchallenge?”Helookedup,andinthespaceofairbeforehiseyesthethirteen-hourclock

appeared.Hegesturedgracefully,andthehandsvisiblybegantoturnfaster.“That’snotfair,”Sarahsaid.“Yousay that sooften. Iwonderwhatyourbasis forcomparison is.” Jareth

took thecrystalball fromhishatand tossed itbackdown the tunnelagain.Atonce, from the darkness, came a noise: a crashing, whirring, trundling noise,distantasyet,butgettingcloserallthetime,andlouder.Hoggle’sfacewasamaskofpanic.Sarahfoundherselfinstinctivelyshrinking

awayfromtheapproachingdin.“TheLabyrinthisapieceofcake,isit?”Jarethlaughed.“Well,nowwecan

seehowyoudealwith this little slice.”Whilehismocking laughstill rang,hevanished.Sarah and Hoggle stared along the passageway.When they saw what was

comingatthem,theirjawsdroppedandtheytrembled.Asolidwalloffuriouslyspinningknivesandchoppingcleaverswasbearing

inexorablydownuponthem.Dozensofkeenbladesglitteredinthelight,everyone of them pointing forward and whirring wickedly. The wall of bladescompletely filled the tunnel, like a subway train, and itwould chop them intolittle pieces in the blink of an eye.And, Sarah noticedwith horror, along thebottomoftheslashingmachinewasabusyrowofbrushes,fortidyingupafteritself.“TheCleaners!”Hoggleshrieked,andtookoff.“What?”Sarahwassoterrifiedshewasmesmericallyrootedwhereshestood.

“Run!” Hoggle’s shout came echoing back from some distance away andbroughthertohersenses.Shedashedafterhim.The slashingmachine came clanking and trundling remorselessly onbehind

them.Allitneededforthestorytofinishnowwasthattheyshouldcometoadead

end.Aroundacorner,theyfoundone.Aheavilybarreddoorclosedthetunnelinfrontofthem.

CHAPTERVI

UPANDUP

Sarahgasped.Thewhizzingbladeswererapidlydrawingnearer.Hogglewaspawingpatheticallyatthegreatdoorandmumblingtohimself.ButSarahwasn’t listening tohim.Shewas lookingaround for an escape—

above,below.Shedashedalong thesidewalls, lookingforahandleorbutton.Therehadtobesomewayout.ThatwashowtheLabyrinthworked.Therewasalwayssometrick,ifonlyshecouldfindit.The clanking, whirring, seething, brushing noise was louder. She glanced

momentarilyatwhatHogglewasdoing.Hewasstilljustscrabblingatthedoor.Itwasnousetrustingtohim.Whatcouldshedo?What?Hereyefellonapartofthewall,toonesideofthedoor,thatlookeddistinct

fromtherest,apanelofmetalplates.Shepushedatitandfeltitgivealittle.“Hoggle!”sheshoutedabovetheechoingdin.“Sarah!”heanswered,hammeringhispudgyfistsagainstthedoorandkicking

at it, as though it could be expected to relent in the face of such frustration.“Don’tleaveme!”“Getoverhereandhelpme,”sheyelledbackathim.Hoggle joined her. Together they shovedwith all their weight at themetal

plates.“Comeon,”Sarahtoldhim,“push,youlittledouble-crosser.Push!”Hogglewaspushing.“Icanexplain,”hepanted.“PUSH!”Thepanelcavedinsuddenly.Theyfellthroughthespaceitleftandsprawled

flatonit.Behindthem,themachineslashedthroughtheairjustbesidetheirfeet.When

it reached the great barred door, there was a terrible crunching sound as theknivesandcleaversbit throughthewood,spittingitoutassplinters,whichthewhirling brushes swept up neatly. The machine was cranked along by fourgoblins, standingonaplatformbehind thewallofknives.Theyweregruntingandsweatingwith theeffortof turninghandlesandworkinglevers tokeepthe

contraption whirring. The racket clattered onward, through the demolisheddoorway,andoffintothedistance.Sarah lay on her back, recovering her breath. Hoggle looked down at her.

“He’s throwing everything at us,” he said, and shookhis headwith a trace ofadmiration.“TheCleaners,theEternalStench—thewholeworks.Hemustthinkalotofyou.”Sarahansweredwithafaint,forcedsmile.“He’sgotsomefunnyideas.”Hoggle was busy again. Eyes darting left and right beneath his bushy

eyebrows, he clumped around in the shadows until he found what he waslookingfor.“Thisiswhatweneed,”hecalled.“Followme.”Shesatupandlooked.There,onthefloorofthetunneltheyhadentered,she

sawthebaseofaladder.Itledupintodarkness.“Comeon,”Hogglewascalling.Thefirstrungwastoohighforhimtoreach,

andhewashoppingaroundtryingtojumpuptoit.Sarahwentovertohim.Theladderlookedunsafetoher.Itwasconstructedof

anoddassortmentofbitsofwood,planks,andbranches,patchedtogetherwithendsofropeandhalf-drivennails.“Comeon,givemeahand,”Hoggleurged.Shestoodwithonehandholdingtheladder.“HowcanItrustyou,”sheasked,

“nowthatIknowyouweretakingmebacktothestartoftheLabyrinth?”“Iwasn’t,”Hoggleprotested,andstaredfiercelyatherwiththosepiggyeyes

ofhis.Asa liar,hewassobaditwasquite touching.“I toldhim Iwas takingyoutothestartoftheLabyrinth,tothrowhimoffthescent,d’yousee?Heh-heh.Butactually—”“Hoggle.” Sarah smiled reproachfully at him. “How can I believe anything

yousay?”“Well,”hereplied,screwinguponeeye,“letmeputitthisway.Whatchoice

doyouhave?”Sarahthoughtaboutit.“Thereisthat.”“Andnow,”Hogglesaid,“themain thingis togetbackup.”Andhestarted

againtotryandhopuptothefirstrungofthericketyladder.Sarahgavehimalegup,watchedhimstart,andfollowed.Atanymomentshe

thoughtthethingmightcollapse;butthen,asHogglehadsaid,whatchoicedidshehave?Withoutturninghishead,Hogglecalledout,“Theothermainthingisnotto

lookdown.”“Right,”shecalledback,and,asthoughitwereaplaygrounddare,shehadto

snatcha little lookpasther feet. “Ooooh!” she cried.Theyhadclimbedmuchhigher than she would have thought possible in the time. The wobbly ladderseemed to stretchdownbelowher forever.Shecouldnot see thebottomof it,norcouldshesee thetop.Shefeltunable toclimbanotherrung.Clutchingthesidesoftheladder,shestartedtoshake.Thewholeladdershookwithher.Above, Hoggle clung desperately to the shaking ladder. “I said don’t look

down,”hemoaned.“Orperhapsdon’tmeansdowhereyoucomefrom?”“I’msorry,Ididn’trealize...”“Well, when you’ve done all the shaking you want, perhaps we could

continue.”“Ican’thelpit,”Sarahwailed.Jumpingaroundlikeamonkeyonastick,Hogglemanagedtoanswer,“Well,

we’lljusthavetostayhereuntiloneofusfallsoff,orweturnsintowormfood.”“Iamsorry,”Sarahtoldhim,stillshaking.“Oh, good. She’s sorry. In that case, I don’t mind being shaken off tomy

certaindeath.”Breathingdeeply,andlookingresolutelyupward,Sarahforcedherselftothink

ofhappy,securethings:Merlin,herroom,lovelyeveningsoutwithhermother,multiplication tables. Itworked.Shegained control of herbodyand started toclimbagain.Hogglefelthercoming,andhewenton,too.“See,”hecalledtoher,“you’ve

gottounderstandmyposition.I’macoward,andJarethscaresme.”“Whatkindofpositionisthat?”“Averyhumbleone.That’smypoint.Andyouwouldn’tbesobrave,either,

ifyou’deversmelledtheBogofEternalStench.It’s...it’s...”Itwashisturntopauseontheladder,andcontrolhisshakes.“Whatisit?”“Itmakesmefeeldizzyjusttothinkofit.”“Isthatallitdoes?”Sarahasked.“Smell?”“Believeme,that’senough.Oh,dearme.Youwait,youjustwait,ifyouget

thatfar.”“Can’tyouholdyournose?”

“No.”Hoggleshudderedagain,butstarted toclimb.“Notwith thissmell. Itgetsintoyourears.Upyourmouth.Anywhereitcangetin.”Sarah thought she could see the top at last. There were chinks of daylight

aboveherhead.“Buttheworstthing,”Hogglecontinued,“isifyousomuchasgetasplashof

themireonyourskinyouwillnever,neverbeabletowashthestenchoff.”Hewason the toprungnow.Hereachedup, fiddledwithaslidingboltand

pushedopenawoodenhatchway.Outsidewasaclearbluesky.Sarahhadneverseenanythingsobeautiful.

CHAPTERVII

THEMEANINGOFLIFE

Sarah joinedHoggle on the top rung of the ladder, gratefully clutching thesideoftheopenhatchway.Itfeltlikefirmlandafteravoyageatsea.Theywerelookingatagarden,wherebirdsweresinging.Itwassurrounded

by well-trimmed hedges—box hedges, she thought, and indeed they ran sostraight,withneatlycutopeningsinthem,andturnedsuchpreciserightangles,andthelawnwassoflatandtidy,thatthegardenwaslikeagreenbox,withtheblueskyforalid.Butthatwasnotwhytheywerecalledboxhedges,wasit?Itwasaratherformalgarden,withcarefullypositionedstonemonuments.Onthestoneswere runic carvings, and a few faces—more of those Phony-Warnings,Sarahdecided,preparingherselfforgloomypredictions.Thehatchway throughwhich theyhademergedwas itself the topofa large

ornamentalurn,setuponamarble table.Whataridiculousarrangement,Sarahreflected, as they clambered out of the urn and stepped down to the lawn.Nothingwaswhatitseemedtobe.Itwaslikealanguageinwhichallthewordswere the same as your own, but where they meant something quite differentfromwhatyouwereused to.Fromnowon,shewould takenothingat its facevalue. She lookedwith suspicion at the urn, and then down at the grass. Shesteppedcarefully.Itcouldturnouttobethetopofsomeone’shead.Hogglespreadhishands.“Herewearethen.You’reonyourownfromhere.”“What?”“ThisisasfarasIgoes.”“You...”“SaidIdidn’tpromisenothing.”Heshrugged,callously.“Butyou...”“Andyousaidyoudidn’tneedanyonetosaveyou.”“Youlittlecheat!”Sarahwasoutraged.“Younastylittlecheat!”“I’mnotacheat.IsaidI’dtakeyouasfarasIcouldgo.Well,thisisit.”“You’relying.You’reacowardandaliarand—and—”Hesniffed.“Don’ttrytoembarrassme.Ihavenopride.”

“Pipsqueak!”“Don’tsaythat.”Hoggletightenedhisfists.“Nastydouble-crossinglittleruntycheatingno-goodpipsqueak!”“Isaid,don’tsaythat!”Hiseyebrowsbeetled.Sheleanedtowardhim,andwhispered,“Pipsqueak.”“Arrgh.”Hoggle’s body clenched.He bared his teeth, then opened them to

scream.Withhisfeettogether,hejumpedintheair,thumpingthegroundashelanded.Thenhelosthisbalance,androlledonthegrass,beatinghisfistsintheair,kickinghisstumpylegs.Hisvoicealternatedbetweenagrowlandascream.“Itwasyou insistedongoingon. I said I’dgetyouout,butoh,no,you’re soclever.Youknewbetter,didn’tyou?Arrgh.Well,nowyou’reonyourown,andgood luck to you, and good riddance.” He closed his eyes, and rolled on thegrassagain.Sarah watched him, her mouth open in amazement. She had never seen

anyonesoangry,notevenToby.EventuallyHogglesubsided,andlayforawhile,hiseyesstillclosed,hisbody

twitchingoccasionally.Sarahwonderedifheneededsomesortofhelp.Shefeltguilty.Shehadprovokedallthatwithjustheroneword,whichwasclearlymorehurtfulthansticksorstones.Hoggle opened his eyes. He did not look at her as he stood up, brushed

himselfdown,andpretendedhehadenoughdignity left to turnawaywithhishead held high. “Hoggle won’t be coming back to save you this time,” heinformedher.“Oh,yes,hewill,”Sarahmutteredunderherbreath.Andbeforehecouldget

away,shedartedforwardandsnatched thechainofbroochesandbadges fromhisbelt.Shehadtotugquitehardtogetitoff,andhestaggeredforward.“Hey!”heprotested.“Ha-ha!”Sheheldhispreciousjewelrytoohighforhimtoreach.Hedanced

aroundbeneaththedanglingchain,tryingtojumpupandgrabit.Itwasnogood.“Givethatback!”heshrieked.“No.YoucanhaveitbackwhenIgettothecenteroftheLabyrinth.”“ButyouheardJareth,”Hogglewhined.“ThecenterisfartherthanIcango.

No!No!”Hiswhinehadrisentoashrillwhimper.“UpsidedownintheBogofEternalStench,”hesaid.Hiseyesclosed,andheshuddered.“Now there’s the castle,” Sarah said, in a deliberatelymatter-of-fact voice,

oneaparentmightusetoachildafteritstantrum.Overthehedges,shecouldseethe castle’s spires and turrets and towers gleaming in the sunlight, and shepointedtothem.“Whichwayshouldwetry?”“Idon’tknow.”Hogglehadturnedsullen.“Liar.”“Giveitback!”Hogglewastryingtoleapupandgrabthechainagain.“Give

itback!”She ignored him. “Let’s try this way,” she proposed, and walked smartly

throughoneofthegapsinthehedges,intoahedgedalley.Hogglefollowedherreluctantly,hischinonhischest.She led the way down the straight alley, and soon came out into another

garden,veryliketheonetheyhadjustleft.Indeed,itwassolikethefirstgardenthat...itwasthesameone,sherealized.Shewenttotheurn,andliftedthelid,tocheck.Yes,therewastheladderleadingdownward.Shefrowned.“Isn’tthistheplacewejustcamefrom?”Hogglewaspayingnoattentiontoanythingbuthisstringofbaubles.“You—

you. . .” He leaped, but could get nomore than half an inch off the ground.“Giveitback!”hebellowed.“I’msureit’s thesameplace.”Sarahstaredat thehedgesanddecidedtotry

anothergap.“Comeon,”shetoldHoggle,“let’strydownhere.”Hetrottedmiserablyafterher.Again the alleyway ran geometrically straight, at a right angle to the hedge

borderingthegarden,andagain,withinafewstrides,theyemergedintoagardensoverylike...Sarahgroaned.“Oh,no.”Theyhadcomeoutthroughagapdirectlyfacingthe

onetheyhadentered.“Givememythings.”Hogglewastryingonatoneofmenace.Itwaseasyto

ignore.“Comeon,”Sarahsaid,undaunted,andtriedadifferentgap.Theresultwasthesameasbefore.Theywerefacingthegaptheyhadentered,

andHogglewaswatchingnothingbuthisjewelry.Sarahscratchedherhead.“Idon’t believe it,” she muttered, and looked around the garden. “Which onehaven’twetried?”Hogglepointedatagap.

“Well,let’strythatone,then.”Sheplungedintothegap.Thistime,Hoggledidn’tfollowher,butwaited,armsfolded,onthelawn.It

wasonlyamomentbeforeshereappeared.“Oh,”shegroaned,“it’simpossible.”“She’ssoclever,isshe?”Hogglesneered.“Thinksshecandoitall.Andshe’s

lostbeforeshe’sevenstarted.”Sarahturnedonhim.“There’snopointinsoundingsosmug.Ifyoudon’thelp

me,youwon’tgetyourstuffback.”“But...”Hoggle’sfacefell.“Idon’tknowwhichwaytogo,”headmitted.“Thenyou’llhavetohelpinsomeotherway,won’tyou?”“Themismyrightfulproperty,”Hogglecomplained.“It’s—it’snotfair.”“No, it isn’t,” Sarah conceded. She found herself smiling, and it took her a

momenttorealizewhy.Thenshesawit,likeaconundrumthatwouldneverfoolher again. Nothing was fair. If you expected fairness, you would be foreverdisappointed.SheturnedabroadgrinuponHoggle.“That’sthewayitis.”Atthatmoment,shespottedacuriousrobedfigurestrollingacrossthelawn,

apparentlydeepinthought.Wherehadhecomefrom?Hewasanoldman,witha longwhitemustache andwhite eyebrows, but themost striking thing abouthimwashishat,whichwastoppedwiththeheadofabird,withasharpbeakandeyesthatweredartingglanceseverywhere.“Excuseme,”Sarahcalled, runningacross the lawnafter theoldman.With

hisslowstride,furrowedbrow,benthead,andhandsclaspedbehindhisback,heappeared very wise. Surely he could be of more help to her than the runtypipsqueakshehadhadtorelyupontillnow.Hewassettlinggravelydownonagardenbenchassheapproached.“Please,”shesaid,“canyouhelpme?”The Wise Man didn’t really register Sarah’s presence. It was true that he

raisedhisfacetowardher,butonlyasonemightgazeatatree,afly,oracloudwhile lost in thought. Rather than her, he seemed to be seeing a far horizonbeyondher,sofarbeyondthatfewmortalshadeverscannedit.Thedepthandrangeofhisthinkingwasclearlyvast,whateverthesubjectof

his thoughtsmightbe.Hewasprobablyponderingdeeplyuponsomeproblemthat Sarah had never even imagined.Was itmathematical, shewondered, likethe square root of negative two? Or philosophical, the meaning of meaning,perhaps?Butno,thosewerethingsshe’datleasttriedtoimagine,whenshehadread about them. Those great eyes gazing right through her weremore likelypreoccupiedwithsomequestionofphysics,orbiochemistry,orlinguistics,orall

ofthatatonceandmore.“Please?”sherepeatedtimidly.Thebird’sheadontheWiseMan’shatsuddenlyspoke.“Goaway!Can’tyou

seehe’sthinking?”TheWiseManslowlyraisedafinger,androlledhiseyesuptowardthebird,

andspoke.“Sh,”hesaid.Sarahclosedhermouthapologetically.Shestoodaside,andwaited.“Anddon’tstare,”thehatreprimandedher.“You’llputhimoff.”“I’msorry.”TheWiseMan’s lips opened slowly, and his eyes turned upward again, to

addressthehat.“Silence,”hecommanded.ThehatlookedwrylyatSarah.“ThisisthethanksIget,”itsaiddisgustedly.“WherewasI?”theWiseManwasasking.“HowshouldIknow?”thehatchirped.“You’retheBigThinker.”TheWiseMannoticedSarah.“Ah,ayounggirl.”Sarahreturnedapolitelittlesmile.TheWiseMan’sgazetraveleddownward,andsettledonHoggle.“Andisthis

yourbrother?”“Oh,no,”Sarahanswered.“He’sjustafriend.”HogglehadbeenabouttoexpostulateatbeingtakenforSarah’sbrother,but

nowhestopped,andlookedsidewaysatSarah.Itwasthefirsttimeanyonehadcalledhimafriend.Hefrowned.TheWiseMan took a long breath. “Andwhat can I do for you?” he asked

Sarah.“Please,”shesaid,feelingshyandalittleconfusedtobeconversingwithan

ancient sage about what must seem to him so trivial a matter, “can you tellme...we—er,thatis,Imustgettothecastle...ButIcan’tevengetoutofthisgarden.EverytimeI try to leaveIfindmyselfrightbackhereagain.Icanseethecastleoverthere,but...canyoutellme,please,howIcangettoit?”“Ah.”TheWiseMannoddedslowly,closinghiseyes.Afterawhilehesaid,

“Soyouwanttogettothecastle.”“How’sthatforbrainpower?”demandedthebright-eyedhat.“Quiet,”theWiseMancommanded.“Nuts,”thehatreplied.

Sarahputahandoverhermouthtoconcealagiggle.TheWiseMancomposedhishandstogetheronhislap.“So,youngwoman,”

he told her, pursing his lips in thought. Nodding, he explained, “The wayforwardissometimesthewayback.”Hishatpulledaface.“Willyoulistentothiscrap?”TheWiseManwasglaringupwardandclenchinghisfingers.Heclearedhis

throat. “And sometimes,” he continued, gazing earnestly at Sarah again, “thewaybackward—”“Isthewayforward,”thehatinterrupted.“Canyoubelieveit?Iaskyou.”“Will you be quiet!” theWiseMan ordered his hat, profoundly.He looked

againatSarah.“Quiteoften,young lady, it seemswe’renotgettinganywhere,wheninfactweare.”Sarahlookeddespairinglyaroundthegarden.“Well,I’mcertainlynotgetting

anywhereatthemoment.”“Jointheclub,”saidthehat.“Perhaps,”theWiseMansaid,“perhapsitonlyseemslikethat.All...isnot

always. . .what. . .” It appeared thathewasdriftingoff intoa reverie,on thenatureofgoodandevil,possibly,orfour-dimensionalcalculus,andheonlyjustmadeittotheendofhissentence,“...itseems.”ThehatpeereddownovertheWiseMan’sforehead,thenlookedperkilyupat

Sarah and Hoggle. “I think that’s your lot,” the hat said. “The sum total ofearthlywisdomstrewnatyourfeetfortheasking.Pleaseleaveacontributioninthebox.”SarahnoticedforthefirsttimethattheWiseManhadabsentmindedlydrawn

a collection box,with a slot, from the folds of his robe, and nowwas sitting,quiteabstractedincontemplation,withtheboxonhisknee.Asshelookedatit,hegaveitadiscreetlittleshake.Whatwasshetodo?Shehesitated,thenhadtheideaofdonatingoneofthe

badgesfromHoggle’sstring,whichshewasstillholding.Hereadhermind.“Don’tyoudare!”Hogglebarked.“Them’smine.”Sarah paused, and finally slid her mother’s costume ring off her finger.

Hogglewatchedherdropitinthecollectingboxandlookedgreen.He’dthoughthewasgoingtogetthattoo.“Thankyousokindly,”thehatsaid,soundinglikeafairgroundbarker.“Move

along,please.”

As theywalked away, across the garden,Hoggle said, “You didn’t have togivethataway.Hedidn’ttellyounothing.”“Well,” Sarah said reflectively, “he said something about the way forward

beingsometimesthewaybackward.Wehaven’tgottenanywheresofartryingtogooutforward,sowhydon’twetrywalkingoutbackward?Itmightwork.”Hoggle’s expression was skeptical, but he humored her by doing as she

suggested. They walked backward through the gap in the hedge from whichSarahhadlastemerged,andthegardenremainedinpeacefulsilence,decoratedwithbirdsong.The hat was watching where they had gone. When they did not return, it

chirped.“Well,whatdoyouknow!Theytookyouradvice.”“Zzzzzz,”theWiseMansaid,havingdozedoffaftersomuchmentaltravail.Hishatcockedaneyedownathim.“It’ssostimulatingbeingyourhat.”“Zzzzzz,”theWiseManconcurred.

CHAPTERVIII

AVERYLOUDVOICE

Once theyhad left theWiseMan,Sarah andHoggle found that bywalkingforwardtheycouldmoveahead.Itmadeanicechange.Not,however,anymorethananicechange,because themazeofhedges turnedthemleftandrightandback again so often that it was impossible to make any progress toward thecastle.Frequentlyitcouldbeseen,itsspiresandturretsloominginthedistanceabovethehedges,butnomatterhowfarandfasttheywalked,itremainedinthedistance.Sarahwasstill thinkingabout theWiseMan.“Hoggle,”sheasked,“howdo

youtellwhensomeone’stalkingsenseandwhenhe’stalkingrubbish?”Hoggle shrugged impatiently. “How should I know? All I knows is we’re

goingtogetourselveswellandtrulylostinthisplace.Letmegoback.”“Not on your life. You’re stickingwithme now until we get there,” Sarah

said,wonderinghowmuchtimeshehadleft.Hogglesaid,“Huh,”rathernoncommittally,shethought.Well, she stillhadhisprecious stringofbaubles.Hewouldn’tget thatback

until she had found Toby, and she judged that nothing would induce him toabandonherwhileshestillhadhistreasure.Alley,turning,alley,deadend,stonepillar,alley,ornamentalshrub,turning,

onitwent,leadingnowhere.Sarahwonderedwhetheritwasn’taclosedsystem,noexitbutitsentrance,thaturn.ItwasjustthekindofpuzzlethatJarethwouldset,towastewhattimeshehadleft.Butifthatwereso...Sheshuddered.Wouldshehavethecouragetogobackintotheurn,anddownthatladder,andstartoverinthatawfulsubterraneanpassageway?Down,down,down,down...She remembered the hands, and the oubliette, and that terrifying slashing

machine, and Jareth in the beggar costume. She recalled a sentence that hermother had once read aloud to her from a book, as she liked to do whensomethingcaughtherfancy:Mindwhatyousaytoabeggar,itmightbeGodindisguise.Whenshesawhermotheragain,shewouldtellher:OritmightjustbetheKingoftheGoblins.

Sheshrugged.HowcouldshebeexpectedtohaveanyrespectforJareth?Hewasdangerousandpowerful,obviously,buthewastooawareofit—ashowoff,really—andmean,acheat.Hehadacertainstyletohim,shecouldconcedethatmuch. He was not unattractive. But how could you respect, still less admire,someonelikehim?Thebestwordshecouldthinkoftodescribehimwascad.Alley, turning, alley. . . on they trudged. Hedged in as they were, they

couldn’tseethattheywerenotcompletelyaloneinthemaze.Theheadandcoilsofaseaserpentrodealongaboveahedgequiteclosetothem,thoughhadtheyactuallyencounteredthebeasttheymighthavespottedthreelittlepairsofgoblinfeet running along beneath it, and heard the grunts of goblins supporting theparts of the serpent. Several times they narrowly missed meeting a mountedgoblin,withlanceandflag,whohadbeensentoutbyJarethtolookforthemandspentanhourgallopingatrandom.Hogglewasquietforsometime.Thenheasked,“Whydidyousaythatabout

mebeingyourfriend?”“Becauseyouare,”shetoldhimcandidly.“Youmaynotbemuchofafriend,

butyou’retheonlyoneI’vegotinthisplace.”Hogglethoughtaboutitforawhile.Thenhesaid,“Iain’tneverbeennoone’s

friendbefore.”An enormous blood-curdling roar from somewhere nearby froze the two of

themintheirtracks.Hogglespunaround.Pausingonlytosay,“Keepthestuff!”hestartedtorun

back,awayfromtheroar.Sarahranafterhimandseizedholdofhissleeve.“Waitaminute,”shesaid

angrily.“Areyoumyfriendornot?”WhileHogglehesitated,anotherair-tremblingroarmadeuphismindforhim.

“No! No, I’m not. Hoggle ain’t no one’s friend. He looks after hisself. Likeeveryonedoes.”Hewriggledhis sleeve free. “Hoggle isHoggle’s friend,” sheheard him yell, as he dashed in the opposite direction from the roaring andvanishedintothemaze.“Hoggle!”Sarahcalled.“Youcoward!”She heard another frightful roar, but stayed where she was. The monster,

whateveritwas,didnotseemtobegettinganyclosertoher.“Well,”shesaid,speakingoutloudtoreassureherself,“I’mnotgoingtobeafraid.Thingsarenotalways what they seem in this place—that’s what the Wise Man said.” Thesoundcameagain, likeaprideofstarvinglionsroaringinunison.“Itcouldbe

some tiny creature,” Sarah told herself, “perfectly harmless. . . just that ithappens to have a very loud voice. . .”After all, by far the loudest person athomewasToby,andhecouldn’tdoyouanyharm.Wastheresomelawshehadnevergrasped, something todowith the smallest creaturesmaking the loudestnoise? Did dinosaurs roar? She decided not. They would have made a lowgrowlingnoise.Butwhataboutants,then?Probablytheymadeaterriblenoise,somewherebeyondtherangeofhumanhearing.Asshewasnotgoingtorunaway,theonlyalternativewastoproceedinthe

direction they had been going, with some shred of faith that forward meantonward.Andso,crossingherfingersfor luck,shemovedtentativelyalong thehedgealley.When she reached a gap in the hedge and peered cautiously through it, she

saw that things were, indeed, not always what they seemed. The roar wascoming from a terrifyingly huge beast, but the animal was upside down,suspended by one leg lashed to a tree. Itwas roaringwith pain, because fourgoblins were tormenting it with nipper sticks, long poles with small, fiercecreaturesontheendofthemthatbitlikepiranhaswhenevertheyweregiventhechance.The great beast, who was covered with shaggy, ginger hair, flailed out

haplesslyatthegoblins,buttheonlyresultwasthatitsbodyswungtoandfro.Thatimprovedthegameforthegoblins,givingeachofthemtheopportunitytodartinaheadoftheothersandgetinacruelthrustwiththenipperstickbeforethe bellowing, frantically swatting beast had completed its swing back. Theywereclearlyhavingthetimeoftheirlives.Theyviedwitheachotherinhowsoftapartof thebeast’sbody theycould reach, andhow long theycouldhold thenipping teeth in there before theyhad to jumpout of thewayof its desperatearms.Soabsorbedwere they thatSarahwasable to leave thehedgeandcomecloserwithoutanyriskoftheirnoticingher.Shewasappalledbythescene.“Thelittlebeasts!”shemutteredtoherself.Shelookedaroundforaweaponandfoundsomesmallrocks.Shepickedone

up, tookcarefulaimand threw it at thenearestgoblin. Ithithimon thehead,knockingthevisorofhishelmetdownoverhiseyes.“Hey,”thegoblinexclaimed.“Whoturnedoutthelights?”Helurchedaroundsightlessly,stillswingingandthrustingouthisnipperstick.

Theviciouscreatureontheendofthestickwasgladtobiteanythingwithinitsreach.Whenitmadecontactwithanothergoblin,itsteethsankin.“Ouch!Ouch!”thebittengoblinshrieked.“Hey,stopthat,you.”

“Stopwhat?”askedthefirstgoblin,stillproddingoutunseeingly.Thesecondgoblinwasnowunderfuriousassault.“Aargh.Dogweed!Rat’s

meal!”Spitefullyheretaliatedbydeliberatelyusinghisnipperstick.Itwastheblindedgoblin’s turntowail.“Help!Who’sattackingme?Where

arethelights?”Theother twogoblinshadpaused in their tormentingof thebeast.Thiswas

evenbetterfun.Theynudgedeachotherandsnickeredastheywatchedthefight.“Gotoit!”oneofthemshouted.“Gethim!”yelledtheother,hoppingupanddowninhisexcitement.Sarahhad armedherselfwith another little rock, andnow she threw it. She

wasastonishedathowaccurateheraimwastoday.Therockhitoneoftheothergoblins on the helmet, knocking down his visor. He staggered into hiscompanion,andthatone’svisorslammeddown,too,withtheimpact.“Help,”criedone.“It’sgonedark,”squealedtheother.“What’shappened?”“Lights!Wherearethelights?”Meanwhile the first goblin, still visoredandunable to seewhowasnipping

him,decidedthathisonlyrecoursewas to take tohisheels.Runningblind,hecrunchedstraightintothetwoothers,whowerebothstaggeringnow.Hisnipperstickseizeditsopportunity.Sarahwatchedwithtearsoflaughterinhereyesasthreegoblinsdueledwith

each other, helmets over their faces, while the fourth went on cursing hiswounds.“Ouch!I’mbeingnipped.”“Help!Lights!”“Ow.Stopit!”“Wormrot!Teazelrash!”Theuproarfadedasthepackofthempursuedeachother,yellingandyelping,

crashingintohedges,fallingoverroots.Sarahwipedhereyes,andherfacebecameseriousasshegazedat thegreat

danglingbeast.Havingdelivereditfromits tormentors,shehadhalfamindtoleavewellenoughaloneandstealaway.Butthepityshehadfeltforthemonsterwasstillworkinginher.Sheapproacheditcautiously.

Whattheshaggybrutesawwasanothertormentorcoming.Itletoutaterribleroarandaimedagreatblowather.Shewascarefultoremainjustoutofreach.Allthesame,eventostandthere

andfacethegigantic,invertedcreaturetookmorecouragethanshethoughtshehad.Sherememberedhavingreadsomewherethatyouhavetospeakfirmlyandwithconfidencetowildanimals.So,inhermostperfectschoolteachervoice,shetoldit,“Now,stopthat.”Anothergreatroarwasonitswayfromthedepthsofthemonster’sbody,but

the beast stopped inmid-roar when it heard itself thus addressed. “Murh?” itsaid.Sarahclickedher tongue.“Is thatanyway to treat someonewho’s trying to

helpyou?”Themonsterstillhaditsdoubts.Ittrieddeliveringanotherbellowandaimeda

swipe,buttherewasnotmuchconvictioninit.“Stopit,doyouhear?”Sarahwasbeginningtoenjoyherself.Itwasaroleshe

playedwell,havinghadplentyoftimetostudythosewhoplayediteverydayintheclassroom.Itwasoneofthepartsshehadlikedtoperformforhermother’samusement.Themonsteranswered,“Huh?”“Nowdoyouordoyounotwantmetogetyoudownfromthattree?”Themonster hung in there for a bit, reflecting onwhat its optionswere. It

craned itsneck to lookupat its tetheredankle, reflectedagain, then turned itsfacetoSarah.“Ludo—down,”itsaid.Itsvoicehadbecomealmostdeferential.Itsfacewasstillfearsome,though—

oxlikehornsonitshead,sunkeneyes,anenormousjawwithafangprotrudingateachend,andabroadgapingmouththatlookedgrim.Sarahsteeledherselftoapproachclosely.Shefeltitswarmbreathonherface

asshestoodbeside thebeastand twistedherselfdownfrom thewaist togetalookatittherightwayup.Whatshesawsurprisedher.Thegreatmouththathadlooked so grim, with its turned-down corners, had actually been, of course,smiling sweetly at her.Gosh, she reflected, itmust oftenbe like that for poorToby,whenpeopleleanoverhimfromthepillowofhiscrib.Notonlywas themonstergrinningather, itnowblinked inagoofy sortof

way, which just could mean, I-am-in-a-pickle-aren’t-I-but-allthe-same-how-d’you-do-and-thanks-for-being-nice-to-me.Sarahreturnedacautioussmile.She

wasnotgoing tocredit thismonsterwithbeing,uniquely in thisplace,what itseemedtobe.“Ludo—down,”itrepeated.“Ludo,”Sarahasked,“isthatyourname?”“Ludo—friend.”“Uh-uh.I’vehadpeoplesaythattomebefore.SoI’mnottakinganythingfor

granted. But. . .” She shook her head and, more to herself than to Ludo,concluded,“YoureyesarejustlikeMerlin’s.”Feeling safer now, she ruffled Ludo’s ginger head, between his horns. He

smiled,andsighed.ShestraightenedupandlookedattheknottetheringLudo’slegtothebranch.

Itwasa simplebowline,whichshecould releasewithone tug.Withherhandraised,shepaused,andlookeddownatLudo,“Idohopeyou’renotgoingtoturnbackintoaragingmonsterthemomentIletyoudownfromhere.”Ludo’sresponsewasanotherroarthatmadetherockstremble.Sarahleapedback.“Iknewit!Ican’ttrustanyoneinthisplace.”ButthenshesawthatLudo,farfromaimingablowather,wasusinghispaws

to rub one or two of themost tender placeswhere the goblins had bitten himwiththeirnippersticks.“Ludo—hurt,”hemoaned.Sarah looked more closely at him. He was covered with little bleeding

wounds,underhisfur.“Oh,”shecried,“youpoorthing!”Quicklyshereachedup,tuggedattherope,andreleasedhim.Hehitthegroundwithamightythump.Withdeeplittlegroans,hesathimselfup,andbegantorubhiswoundedhead

andthesoresinflicteduponhim.Shewatchedhim,evennowuncertainwhethersheshouldexpecthimtothankheroreather.“Goblins—meantoLudo,”hegrimaced.“Oh,Iknowthat.”Shenodded,withmoreassurancethanshefelt.“Theywere

terriblymean toyou,” she toldLudo.Shemovedcloser tohimandpattedhisarm.“Butit’sallrightnow.”He sniffled, still rubbing. Then his face broke into the most endearing big

dumb smile she had ever seen, bigger and dumber even than in any cartoon.“Friend!”Ludodeclared.“That’sright,Ludo.I’mSarah.”“Sarah—friend.”

“Yes,Iam.”Shecouldn’tsmilebiganddumblikethat,butshegavehimthebestshecoulddo.“And,”sheadded,“Iwanttoaskafavorofyou,Ludo.”“Huh?”“Ihave toget to thecastleat thecenterof theLabyrinth.Doyouknow the

waythere?”Ludoshookhisgreathead,stillbeamingather.Sarahsighed,andhershoulderssagged.“Youdon’tknowthewayeither?”Again,heshookhishead,withasmallfrownofapology.“IwonderifanyoneknowshowtogetthroughtheLabyrinth.”Sarahrestedherchininherhand,philosophically.Hewasadearmonster,and

likelytoprovemuchmoretrustworthythanthatrunty,cowardlypipsqueak,butshe couldhavedonewith a guide.Well, if noonewasgoing tohelpher, shewouldfindoutwhatshecoulddoonherown.Shestoodup.Ludostoodwithher,massivelytoweringoverher.Hemaybe

noguide,shethought,butit’snicetohavehimonmyside.

CHAPTERIX

ANOTHERDOOROPENS

Sarahwalked past the hanging tree.Ludo,wincingwith the soreness of hisnippedbody,followed.Behind the tree, twohighdoorwayshadappeared, set intoa stonewall that

seemedtobepartofaroughforesthedge.Oneachdoorwasanironknocker.“Well, lookat these,”sheremarked,gladtohaveacompanionagain.Itwas

morefunthantalkingtoherself.Theyapproachedthedoorwaysandlookedmorecloselyattheknockers.Each

hadtheformofarepulsiveface,witharingsetinit.Theknockertoherlefthadtheringcomingoutofitsears.Theoneontherightheldtheringinitsmouth.Shelookedfromonetotheother.Whichtochoose?Shealwaysfoundchoices

hard tomake; if therewere two kinds of cake at a birthday party, shewouldcontrivetohaveabitofeach,atadecentinterval,naturally,andhopingthatnoonenoticed.Nowshe lookedaround theglade, to see if therewas someotherway past this wall. There wasn’t, and so she examined the knockers. “Well,Ludo,”sheasked,“whichoneofthesetwouglycharactersshallwechoose?”“It’sveryrudetostare,”saidthefirstknocker,theonewiththeringsetinits

ears.Sarah jumped, still not accustomed to the habit that normally inarticulate

thingshad,intheLabyrinth,ofspeakingtheirminds.“I’m sorry,” she said, though she felt that she was scarcely to blame for

assuming that a door knocker would have no mind to speak, let alone bluntopinions on acceptable social behavior. “I was just wondering which door tochoose,that’sall.”“What?”thefirstknockerasked.Sarah was about to reply that, where she came from, to say “What?” was

thoughtjustasrudeasstaring.Butbeforeshecouldopenhermouth,sheheardamumblingnoisefrombehindher.Itwas thesecondknocker,with thering in itsmouth. Itsaidsomething like

“Mmmglimgany.”“Don’ttalkwithyourmouthfull,”thefirstknockersaidprimly.

“Kerglimpfwrtmblemblemble...”Sarahaddressedthesecondknocker:“Idon’tunderstandwhatyou’resaying.”

Thensherealizedwhattheproblemwas.“Ah,”shesaid,“waitamoment.”“Whatwasthat?”thefirstknockerinquired.Sarahtookholdoftheringinthesecondknocker’smouthandpulled.Itcame

away easily. The face looked tremendously relieved. It exercised themusclesarounditsjawandchinwithevidentpleasure.“It’ssogoodtogetthatthingout,”itsighed.“Whatwereyousaying?”Sarahasked.Thefirstknocker,behindher,said,“Huh?”The secondknockernoddedat the first. “I said it’s nogood talking tohim.

Oh,dearme,no.He’sdeafasapost,thatone,Icantellyou.”The first knocker said, “Mumble, mumble, mumble, that’s you. You’re a

wonderfulconversationalcompanion,Imustsay.”“YOUSHOULDTALK!”thesecondknockeryelledback.“ALLYOUDOIS

MOAN!”“It’snogood,” thefirstknockersaid, inamatter-of-factvoice.“Ican’thear

you.”Sarahlookedatthesecondknocker.“Wheredothesedoorslead?”sheasked

it.“What?”askedthefirstknocker.“Searchme,”thesecondoneansweredher.“We’rejusttheknockers.”“Oh,”Sarahsaid,reflectingthatsheoughttohaveknownbetterthantoexpect

asimpleanswer.Well, shehad to tryeitheronedooror theother.Shechose thesecondone.

Having engaged in discourse with it, however slightly, she felt it wouldsomehowhavebeendiscourteousto turnherbackandchooseitsneighbor.Ontheotherhand,itcouldbethattheknockerswouldprefertheirdoorsnottobeopened.Sheshouldn’ttakeitforgrantedthattheknockerswouldlikepeopletomakeuse of them.Everyeither had itsor. If sheweighed the implications ofevery alternative,would she everget tomake a choice at all?Whenonedooropens,sodoesanotherone.Shehadcommittedherselftotheseconddoorbynow,withherhandsagainst

it,soshewentaheadandpushed.Itdidn’tbudge.Shepushedharder.Sheleaned

her shoulder against the door. It was as solid as the wall it was set in. Shethought of asking Ludo to help her. His gigantic bulk would surely open thedoor.Butshewasn’tsureitwastherightdoortochoose,andso,instead,sheasked

anotherquestion.“Howdowegetthrough?”“Huh?”saidthefirstknocker.Thesecondone,withanarchsmile,replied,“Knockandthedoorwillopen.”“Ah.”Shelookedat theringsheheld,andwenttoput itbackinthesecond

knocker’smouth.Hemadeaface.“Uh-uh,Idon’twantthatthingbackinmymouth.”Andhe

clampedhis lips tightlyshut,and refused toopen themevenwhensheput theringagainsthismouth.“Oh,comeon,”Sarahsaidencouragingly.“Iwanttoknock.”Heshookhisheadstubbornly.“Hmmm,”commentedthefirstknocker,moroselyasusual.“Doesn’twantthe

ringbackinhismouth.Can’tsayasIblamehim.”“Then,”Sarahsaid,puttingdownthering,“I’mafraidI’llhavetobotheryou

instead.”Shewalkedovertothefirstknockerandtookholdofitsring.“Ow!Ooh,”thefirstknockerprotested.Sarahtooknonotice.Sheknockedtwiceupontheheavydoor.Itswungopen.Cautiously, sheputherhead through thedoorway, to seewhatwasbeyond.

She heard giggles, splutters of suppressed laughter, honks and hoots.Instinctively she started togrinherself, andwent farther through thedoorway.Sheturned,waitingforLudotofollowher.Heremainedinthedoorway,shakinghishead.“Comeon,Ludo.”Heshookhisheadagain.“Well,”shethought,“itcan’tdoanyharmtoseewherethismightlead.”She

wouldcomebackforLudoifshespottedthecastle.Shewas in a sunlit forest,with clumps and banks of flowers, daisy-decked

hillocks,dinglesanddells,shadytreesallaround.The laughterwas infectious.Giggling, she looked hard for the creatures who were enjoying all thismerriment.Allshecouldseeweretheforestplants.“Whoisit?”shecalledout,chuckling.

From right behind her came a laughing snort. She spun around and saw atree’sbranchmovingtocoverahollowinitstrunkthatjustmighthavebeenitsmouth.“Itwasthetree,”shedeclared.“Tree,wasn’tityou?”Thatsparkedoffa tinkleofgigglesather feet.She lookeddownandsawa

clusterofbluebellsshiveringandshakingtogetherwithamusement.“Oh,look!”sheexclaimed,fallingtoherkneesandgigglingwiththem.They

werebesidethemselveswithhilaritynow.Thetreeabovehercouldholditinnolonger.Itexplodedinabellowofmirth.

Sarahthrewherheadbackandjoinedin.Itwasthesignalforageneraloutburst.Atreestumpnearbywaslaughingina

deep,crackedvoice.Birdsonabranchwerehoppingandcackling.Anothertreewasrocking.Fernswavedabout,squirrelsandmicepeepedfromtheirholeswithtearsintheireyes.Sarahwashelplesswith laughing.Catchingabreath, shepanted, “What are

welaughingat?”“Idon’tknow!”thetreeaboveherroared.“Ha-ha-ha-ha!”Thewholeforestshook.Eventhegrassonthegroundwastrembling.Sarahwasfeelingfaint.Shesatdown.“Oh...please...please,Imuststop.”

Sheclutchedhersides.Inresponse,thelaughteraroundherredoubled.Itreachedapitchofhysterical

shrillness.“I’veneverlaughedsomuchinmylife,”Sarahgasped,flatonherback.Birdsconvulsedwithmirthfelloutof the treesandhit thegroundheadfirst.

She saw their eyes were mad, with pinprick pupils. Other creatures camescreaming from under the roots of trees, and as they approached her shemanagedtositup,alarmedbytheirsinistergapingmouthsandcrazyeyes.Stilllaughing,shemoaned,“Oh,please,please!Imuststop.”“Shecan’tstop!”thetreehowled,andthewholeforestscreechedinreply.Shegottoherfeet.Herbodyandmouthwereshakinguncontrollably,buther

eyeswerehaggard.“Stop!”shewhispered.“Stop!”Shestaggeredback towardtheopendoorwayandcollapsed.Shriekinghysteriaapplaudedthat.Sheraisedherhead.ShecouldseeLudojustoutsidethedoor,andheldupher

handforhelp.Helookedveryuneasyandwouldn’tcomeinsidethedoor,buthe

heldhisarmout towardher,andnoddedhisgreatheadinencouragement.Hereyesfixedonhim,shedraggedherselfacrossthelastfewyards,untilhecouldbenddown,pickherup,takeheroutside,andshutthedoor.Thelaughterstoppeddead.Thebreezeintheleavesofthemazeoutsidewas

thesweetestsoundshe’deverheard.Ittookhersometimetorecover.Ludowatchedoverheranxiously.Whenshe

stoodup,sniffed,andgavehimasmallsmile,hesaid,“Ludo—glad.”“Sarah—glad,”sheanswered,andruffledhishead.Therewas nothing for it but to try the other door. Shewalked across to it,

pickingupthering.“I’m sorry,” she said, and pushed the ring against the knocker’s lips. He

pursedhismouthandresistedher.“Oh,comeon,”shesaid,andtriedagain.Theknockerfrownedandsqueezed

hislipstogetherevenmoretightly.Then she had an idea. With her finger and her thumb, she squeezed the

knocker’snose.Heheldoutforawhile,scowlingmoreandmorefiercely,butintheendhehadtoopenhismouthforbreath.“Damn!”hegasped.Inaflash,shehadtheringbackinhismouth,andknockedonthedoor.Hewasprotesting.“Kgrmpf.Mble.Mble.Mble.Grmfff.”“Sorry,”Sarahsaid.“Ihadtodoit.”“That’sallright,”thefirstknockertoldher.“He’susedtoit.”Thedoor swungopen to reveal a forbidding forest.On this sideof thewall

they were in sunshine, but through the doorway was a dismal and broodingprospect.Ludo was growling and trying to draw back, but Sarah was not going in

without him this time. “Come on,” she said, and braced herself. “There’s nootherwaywecango.Exceptbackwherewecamefrom,andI’mnotdoingthat.”She stepped through the doorway and waited for Ludo to join her. He

followed her, reluctantly. The door swung shut of its own accord, with aresoundingthud.Theecholastedalongtime.Sarahshivered.Theskywasthecolorofcastiron,andtheforestplantslooked

shriveled, as though the sun had never shone on them since their first day onearth.Shefeltterriblydispiritedafterjustaminuteinthisplace,andshelookedforLudotoheartenher.Hisexpressionwasunhappierthanherown.

“Oh,comeon,Ludo,”shesaid,tryingtosoundcheerful.“Fancyagreatthinglikeyoubeingsoscared.”Ludoshookhishead.“Not—good.”Sheshrugged,withaheavyheart, turnedaroundagain,andwonderedwhich

waytogo.Apathraninfrontofherintotheforest,buthowcouldanyonetakeitforgrantedthatapathwasthewayyouwantedtogo?“Idon’tknowwhichwaythecastleis,”shesaid.AgainshelookedatLudo,hopingthatfromhisheighthewouldbeabletoseeit,buthehadhisheadsunkresolutelyonhischestandtooknonotice.Shetriedstandingontiptoe.Thatwasnogood.Nothingwasanygood.Shefelta tearofdespair rimhereyeandbrushed it

irritablyaway.“There’snothing tobe scaredof,” she said,and felt shehad totakesomeinitiative,ifonlytopersuadeLudotobuckup.Shepeeredupinto thebranchesofa tree.Whatshedidnotsee,behindher,

wasthattheearthopenedupbeneathLudoandswallowedhimintoagreathole.He had no time to uttermore than the first tremor of a roar before the earthclosedagainabovehishead.“MaybeIcouldclimbup there,”Sarahwassaying.“ThenImustbeable to

seethewaytothecastle.”Shetookholdofthelowestbranchandputherweightonit.Itsnappedoffin

herhand,withadrycrack likechina,andbeforeshecouldregister that itwasdeadthewholetreecollapsed.Lyingbeforehershesawapilenotofdeadwoodbutofbones.Thethingshewasholdingwasabone.Withashuddershethrewitaway.Therewasadry,rustlingnoisegoingonallaround,andindismayshesawthewholeforestwascollapsing,likeaseriesofdinosaurskeletons.Onebonetreeaftertheotherclatteredtotheground,eachbringingdownthe

next, like dominoes, until the entire landscape had been reduced to heaps ofbones,alljumbledtogether.AndSarahknewitwasallherfault,thedestructionofthisdelicatebalance.Shehadsnappedoffthebranch.Itwastoomuchtobear.Sheburstoutweepingandsanktotheground.Shecouldn’tdoanythingright.Itwasallhopeless.Quitehopeless.Shecriedandcried,withherhandsoverherface.Eventuallyshelookedtosee

ifLudowas crying, too. “Ludo?”She looked all aroundher.Hewasn’t there.Distractedly,sheinspectedthebonesonthegroundtoseeifanyhadgingerfuronthem.“Ludo!”Sherushedaroundthespotwherethetwoofthemhadbeen,looking

inapanicforanysignofhim.Shesawnone.Above, theskyhadgrowneven

darkerandmoremiserable.“Ludo!”shescreamed, feelingutterlyalone in thisdesolatebonescape.“Whereareyou?What’sgoingon?”She ran, to get away, anywhere. If she stayed there she would be bones

herself.Sheran throughtheheapsofbonesand intoanotherpartof theforest,alsogrim.Hugegnarledrootsstretchedacrossthepath.Thetreeshadtrunksliketightfists.Fallenbranchesanddeadleavescoveredtheearth.Hereandthereabriefvistabetweenthetreesofferedawayon,butalongeachonethatshetookcobwebsclothedherface.Fromclumpsofferns,cloudsofdarkmothsflittedupather.“What’sgoingon?”shewhimperedassheran.The forest got darker as she ran deeper into it. She stumbled into a glade

above which the trees were so close that she could not see her feet in thedarkness.Stillsheran,untilaterrifying,bright,savagefigureleapedoutinfrontofher.“Yeah!”itscreeched.“What’sgoingon?”Sarah’smouthandeyesformedcircles.Shescreamed.

CHAPTERX

NOPROBLEM

Hogglewashogglingaroundthehedgemazestill,mindinghisownbusiness,andmostofallmindingthatthatgirlhadgottenhisjewels.He’dtriedtopleasebothherandJareth,and that’swhatyougot for trying topleaseeveryone.Nobaubles.WhenSarahscreamed,heheardher.Itstoppedhiminhistracks,whichwere

heading for the start of the Labyrinth. He listened, heard a second scream,wrestledwithhisrudimentaryconscience,cametoadecision,andbegantoruninherdirection.Heknewhiswayaroundthisplacebetterthanthestupidgoblinsinthecastle.“I’mcoming,missy,”heshouted.Hegallopedaroundthecornerstraightintoapairofknees.Jarethwaswearinghiscloakandlookingquitehandsomelyfiendish.“Well,”

hesaidpleasantly,“ifitisn’tyou.”“Itisn’tme,”Hoggletoldhim,trembling.“Andwhereareyougoing,hmm?”“Ah...”HogglewasstaringatJareth’sboots.“Ah...,”hesaidinadifferent

tone of voice, to hold his audience’s attention. Then he spent a little whilescratchinghisbackside,suggestingthatapersoncan’tbeexpectedtoansweraquestionwhilehe’splaguedwithanitch.Jarethwascontenttowait,withasmileonhislips.“Er. . .”At lastHoggle cameupwith it. “The littlemissy, shegiveme the

slip...er...butIjusthearshernow...”Jareth’seyesnarrowed.“SoI’m...er...er,I’mgoingtofetchherandthenleadherstraightbackto

thebeginning.Justlikeyoutoldme.”HewishedtheKingoftheGoblinswouldkickhim,orpelthimwithslugs,ordoanything,anythingbutsmilethatnerve-racking,pleasantsmile.“Isee,”Jarethnodded.“Ithoughtforamomentyouwererunningtohelpher.

Butno,youwouldn’t.Notaftermywarnings.Thatwouldbestupid.”“Ha-ha,”Hoggleagreed,withatremblingheart.“Oh,ha-ha-ha.Stupid?You

betitwouldbestupid.Me?Helpher?Afteryourwarnings?”

Jareth elegantly inclined his head to examineHoggle’s belt. “Oh, dear,” hesaid,seemingconcerned,“poorHoghead!”“Hoggle,”Hogglegrowled.“Ijustnoticedthatyourlovelyjewelsaremissing.”“Uh...”Hogglelookeddownathissadlyunadornedbelt.“Oh,yes.Sothey

are.My lovely jewels.Missing.Therenow.Better find ’em,eh?But first,”hepromisedinaprofoundlyreliablevoice,“I’mofftofetchthelittlemissybacktothebeginningof theLabyrinth.”Hethoughtof tryingtowink,butdecidednotto.“Justlikeweplanned,”hesaid,andstartedtomarchobedientlyaway.“Wait,”Jarethtoldhim.Hogglefroze.Hiseyesclosed.“Ihaveabetterplan,Hoggle.Giveherthis.”With awave of his left hand, Jareth produced a bubble from the air. In his

handitbecameacrystalball.HewaitedforHoggletoturnaroundandtosseditto him. Hoggle caught it. It had become a peach. Hoggle looked at it,dumbfounded.“Wha—whatisit?”“Apresent.”Hoggle’seyebrowsbeetled.“It...itain’tgoingtoharmthelittlemissy,isit?”

heaskedslowly.“Oh.”Jarethplacedhishandoverhisheart.“Now,whytheconcern?”Hogglepursedhislips.“Just...curious.”“Giveittoher,Hoggle.That’sallyouhavetodo.Andallyouhavetoknow.”Hogglewas tornbetween fearfulobedience,whichwas familiar tohim,and

affection,towhichhecouldnothaveputaname.“I...”Hestoodmoreerect.“Iwon’t do nothing to harm her.”He reckoned that such amoment of defiancemighthaveearnedhimapintofearwigsdownhisbreeches,atleast.Instead, Jareth repliedwith thatpleasant smile that bynowwas likebroken

glass on Hoggle’s nerves. “Come, come, come, Hogbrain,” the Goblin Kinglaughedteasingly,“I’msurprisedatyou.Losingyouruglyheadoveragirl.”“Iain’tlostmyhead,”Hogglescowled.“Youdon’timaginethatayounggirlcouldeverlikearepulsivelittlescablike

you,doyou?”Hogglewasstung.“Shesaidwewas...”Hestoppedhimselfinmid-blurt,but

itwastoolate.

Jarethgavehimacoy,sidewaysgrin.“What?Bosomcompanions?Wasthatit,Piggle?Piggly-Wiggly?Friends,areyou?”Hoggle, red-faced, was blinking at his boots again. “Don’t matter,” he

muttered.Jareth’svoicecamebackcrisply.“Yougiveherthat,Hoggle,orI’llhaveyou

tippedstraightintotheBogofEternalStenchbeforeyoucanblink.”Inmiserableobedience,Hogglenodded.“Yes.”Hehadstartedtohurryonhisway,assumingtheinterviewwasover,whenhe

heardJareth’svoiceagain.Hestopped,rigid,notdaringtoturnaround.“I’lltellyouwhat.”Jarethhadhisheadbackandwaslookingdownhisnose

atHoggle.“Ifsheeverkissesyou—I’llturnyouintoaprince.”Hoggleknewtherewasgoingtobeacatch.“Youwill?”Therewasacatch.“PrinceoftheLandofStench.”Jareththoughtthatwasacapitaljoke.Hewasstilllaughingashedisappeared.Hoggle remained standing still, staring at the peach in his hand. His face

registeredseveralemotionsatonce.Amusementwasnotamongthem.

Thebright, savage figure that had leapedout in frontofSarahwas aFirey,andtheFireysarewild.Aretheyever.Theyarewildabouthowwildtheyare.Shescreamedasecondtimeandshrankawayfromthecreature,handsfolded

acrossherself.Itwasabitlikeascrawnyfox,withalongsnoutthatopenedverywide, and a bushy tail. Its fur was red-pink-purplish. It walked, or ratherbounded,ontwochickenlikelegs.Itsstaringeyeswereblue,withredpupils.Ithadverylongfingers,whichseemedtobeperpetuallydrumming.“What’shappening?”itdemanded.Sheshookherheadandopenedhermouthtoframesomesortofanswer,but

allthatcameoutwasasob.“Nowcutthatoutrightnow,youhear?”theFireytoldher.“Yeah,” agreed another one from behind her, making her start around in

fright.“Thatain’tgonnadonogood.”“No,sir!”hollereda thirdone,prancingfromthetreesandleeringwildlyat

her.“No,sir.”Afourthoneappeared.

Andafifth.“Hey!”itsaidtoher,rousingly,“Comeon,now.”Shelookedaroundatthemallingreatalarm.“Whatdoyouwant?”“Wa-hoo!”onereplied,rappingoutafastrhythmwithhisfingersonarock.“Hoot!”anothersaid,settingupacross-rhythm.“What,us?”askedathird.Sarahnodded.“Why,we’rejustafterhavin’ourselvesagoodtime.”“Oh,”Sarahsaid,confused.“Isee.”Theyallslappedtheirsidesatherdemurereplyandlaughedmaniacally.One

letoutawhoopandhithishandonalog.“Shesees!”ithowled.“Yeeeahhh!”“Hey-ey!”“Youcan’tstickaroundlikethat,”onetoldher.“No,”saidanother.“Yougottashakeitlooseabit.”“Yeahhh.Quitcrying.Letitallhangout.”They leaped around, hooting and clapping. One struck his finger on the

groundandit ignited, likeamatch.Heusedit tolightabonfire, thenblewhisfingeroutnonchalantly.Sarahwasstilltimidlybackingaway.“Oh,yeah.Whatyouneedisalittlemess-around.”“Yes,sir!”AFirey jumpedoverapairof treestumpsandstartedusing themasdrums.

The rest broke into an up-tempo dance number, clicking and drumming theirfingersastheycircledaroundher.Sarahwatchedinastonishment,standingnear thebonfire.Shecouldn’thave

fled ifshe’dwanted to,with themcaperingallaroundher,but inanycaseshewasrootedtothespotbytheirantics.ShewashorrifiedtoseeoneoftheFireyspluckouthiseyes,shakethemlike

dice,andthrowthem.“Yeah,”theothersallcheered,crowdingaroundtolookatthem.“Snakeeyes!”Thentheowneroftheeyessnatchedthemup,tossedthemintheairlikepeanuts,andcaughttheminhiseyesockets.Therestwerehootinganddancingandclapping.

Asthoughtooutdothefirst,anotherFireytookhisheadoffhisshouldersandthrewitintheair.Itwaskickedandheadedaroundlikeasoccerball.Anothertookhis legoff, andwithadelicatechipshothit theheadbackonto itsbody.Theyallcackledandslappedtheirthighs.Thedrummerwentwild.Meanwhile,therestcrowdedaroundSarahandtriedtopersuadehertojoinin

thedance.After seeing theirwildpastimes, shewas shyandnervousof them.Butshethoughtshehadtheirnumbernow—justcrazygood-timers,outoftheirskulls—and shewas no longer frightened, not evenwhen one tried to lift herheadfromhershoulders.“Hey!”sheprotested.“Ouch!”“Itdon’tcomeoff!”theFireyexclaimed.“What?”Therestwereastonished,andtheyallgatheredaroundintheattempt

todecapitateher.“Ow!”shesaid,moresternly.“Stopit!”“You’reright!It’sfixedon!”“Ofcourseit’sfixedon,”shetoldthem.“Whereyougoin’withaheadlikethat,lady?”“Well, I’m. . . oh!”Thehopelessness of her predicament floodedback, and

shestartedtosobagain.ShewasmissingLudoterribly,andHoggle,too.“Hey!Nowwhat’sup,littlelady?”Sarahhiccupped.“Oh!I’mtryingtogettoJareth’scastleatthecenterofthis

Labyrinth...”“HolyMo!”“Yousureyouknowwhatyou’redoin’,lady?”“Yes,”Sarahsaidfirmly.“Well,hotdog!Howaboutthat!”The drummer shouted, “She knows what she’s doin’,” and he gave her a

drumrollonthetreestumps.“Yeah,”theotherssaid,grinningandbopping.“ButI’veonlygotafewhoursleft,”Sarahtoldthem.Shewonderedhowfew.TheFireyswhistledandgrinnedateachother.“Well,thatain’tnoproblem.”Sarah lookedupat them throughher tears,withaglintofhope inhereyes.

“Isn’tit?”“Why,shoot!No!”“We’lltakeyouthere.”“Yeah,”anothersquawkedwildly,wavinghis fingersabovehishead.“How

aboutuscomin’alongalittle,hey?”Therestcavortedinafrenzyofexcitement,hootingandscreeching.“Acastle,oh,wow!”“Well,”Sarahsaiddoubtfully,“it’skindofyou,but...”“Youthinkwe’rejusttoowild?”TheFirey’sheadroseupfromhisshoulders

ashespoke,andhehadtograbitinhishandsandpressitbackintoplace.Thedrummerdidabigroll.“Why,shoot.Weain’tthatwild.”“Oh,yes,weare,”anothercalled.“Hey!”Heformedhimselfintotheshapeof

anostrich,rantwosteps,andexploded.Asheputhispiecestogetheragain,theresthowledandclapped.“Cool,man!”“Now look, little lady,youcan’t justgowalkin’ through thisplaceonyour

ownsome.”Sarahsniffedsadly.“Well,Ididhaveafriendjust—”“Hey!Fellowwithclotheson,right?”“Hoggle?”“ThatHoggle,yeah!Oh,wow!EveryonearoundthesepartsknowsHoggle.”“Really?”Sarahasked.“Sure.Hogandme,we’relikethat.”TheFireycrossedhisfingers.“Oh.Well...”Beforeshecouldsayanymore,Sarahfeltherselfbeingpropelledalongbythe

Fireys.Allshecouldseeaheadofthemwasarockywilderness.“Nowthecastle’sjustdownalongaroundthisway,”oneassuredher.“AreyousureyouknowhowtogettothecenteroftheLabyrinth?”sheasked

nervously.Shehadpreciouslittletimetowaste,andshethoughtshewouldhavepreferredtobeleft tofindherownway.ButtherewasnoescapingtheFireys,who had hold of her clothes in their long fingers and were hoppingenthusiasticallyalongwithherintow.“DoweknowhowtogettothecenteroftheLabyrinth!”

Theyallburstoutlaughing.Theirheadsflewupintheair,andtheirarmshadtodetachthemselvestocatchtheheads.“Why,lady!”onescreeched.“Wemaybewildbutwesureknowwherewe’re

goin’.”“Yeahhh!”therestconcurred.“Youwanna go to the castle?We’re takin’ you to the castle.Ain’twe just

doin’thatthing?”“Yeeeahhh!”“So you come on along with us, little lady, and you ain’t gonna have no

problem.”

JarethwaswatchingSarahfromthecastle.Inhiscrystalhesawherdistraughtfacelookingaroundforawaytoescape.HeheldTobyupinfrontofhissister’spicture.“Look,Sarah,”hemurmured.

“Isthiswhatyou’retryingtofind?”TobygapedatSarah’sfaceinthecrystal.Heheldahandouttotouchit.Jarethchuckled tohimselfandputhisarmsaroundToby.“Somuch trouble

for such a little thing,” Jareth said, shaking his head. He looked at Toby’spuzzledface.“Butnotforlong.Soonshe’llforgetallaboutyou,myfinefellow.JustassoonasHogglegiveshermypresent.She’llforget—everything.”

CHAPTERXI

WINDOWSINTHEWILDERNESS

TheFireyswerehaulingSarahalongasthoughshewereareluctantdonkey.Shewascertainlyreluctant.Shecouldnotseethecastleanywhere,andwhensheasked themhowfaraway itwas theyansweredwithwhoopsandcackles.Theclock was ticking toward thirteen all the time. So perhaps she was indeed adonkeyforhavinggotherselfintothismess.Shetriedtofigureoutwheresheshouldhavemadeadifferentchoice.Itwas

impossible. Suppose she had not approached Hoggle, right at the start, butwalked theotherwayaround thatgreatwall?Might shenot,bynow,bebackhome, with Toby safe in his crib? Perhaps. How would she know? Whatevidencehadshebeengiventhatanyofherchoicesweretherightones?Iftherewererightones;ifitwasn’tallacruelhoaxbywhichJarethtormentedherwiththeillusionthatTobycouldberescued.She blinked back rising tears. Shewould not start that again. If she hadn’t

beenacrybaby,perhaps thesecreaturesshewaswithnowwouldhave leftheralone.She concentrated onwhat could be evidence, however flimsy, that she had

gotten some things right. Her brief friendship with Ludo, poor Ludo—thatcouldn’tbemeaningless,couldit?Thehappy,goofysmilehe’dgivenherwhenshe had rescued him—was that a gratuitous event in a storywith no ending?Even Hoggle, flawed character though he was, had unwittingly helped her tofindoutthatshewascapableofdoingmorethanshehadknown.Tohavegottenthisfaratall,inspiteofthehideoustrapsJarethhadsetforher—surelythatwassomekindofevidenceinherfavor?Perhaps. But it wouldmean nothing at all unless she could get to Toby in

time,andsavehimfrombeingturnedintoagoblin.Shehadtogetawayfromthisbunch,whowerejustpassingthetime—hertime.“Hey!Ain’tthatitoverthere?”oneyelled.“Noo-h,”anothersaid.“That’sjustarock.”“How’boutthat?Thatacastle?”“Noo-oh,that’sjustthestumpofanol’tree.”

“Well,”shriekedanotherofthem,“how’bout that?Thatgottobeacastle.”Hewaspointingatapond.“Nohow,”thewiseronesaid.“Acastle’sgotwindowsandallthat.”Aneelpoppeditsheadabovethesurfaceofthepondandlookedatthem.The

effectwasasthoughthey’dstruckoil.“Itisacastle.”“Doggone,” conceded the wiser one. “Well, whaddya know? We must be

there.”“Ye-eaahh!”“Hey!”“Wow-eee!”Sarahlookedcoollyattheirwhoopingsandleapings.“That’snotthecastle,”

shetoldthem.“Itgotwindows.Thatol’eelmust’velookedoutasomethin’.”“Well,”Sarahanswered,“it’snot thecastle Ihave to find.Please letmego

now.”“Now,you,”theeelpiped.“What’reyoudoing?”“We’rejusthavin’ourselvesagoodoldtime.”Theywerecaperingabout,slappingtheirthighs.“Hey,eel.Youacastle?”“No,Iain’t,”theeeltrilledtartly.“Nowgetalong.”“Hey,eel.Sowhyyougotwindows?”“So’sIcantellyoutoscat,”theeelreplied,andvanishedwithaplombanda

plop.“Hot dog!” They were unaccountably delighted with everything that

happened.Setbackorsuccess,itmadenodifference.“Please,”Sarahsaid,“Iwanttogo.”“Ain’tyouhavin’agoodtime?”“Yes,”sheliedpolitely.“ButImustgettothecastle.”“Wenearlyfounditforyou.”“Itdidhavewindows.Well,one,anyway.”“Wewanttohelpyou.”

“Yeah!’Causewelikeyou.”Sarah sighed. “But you’ve got no more idea of where the castle is than I

have.”“Wehavetoo!”“Noyouhaven’t.”“It’sjustoverthisherehill.”“Yeah,youtellher.”“Comeon!Whatwewaitingfor?”Boppingand raving, theydraggedSarahon through thewilderness, andon,

untileventheybegantolookexhaustedandalittledowncast.AsforSarah,herbodywaswiltingandherspiritwasexasperated.“Thesecastlesaresurehardtofind.”“Maybeit’sasmallone,”anothersuggested.“Uh-huh.Goodthinkin’.”Whereupontheyallstartedtopickuplittlestonesandpeerbeneaththem.“No,”Sarahtoldthemwearily.“Castlesarebigthings.”“Maybe it’sover thehill,”one said toanother. “Justhavea look-see ifyou

canspotthecastlefromupthere.”Hepointedtoafirtree.“Surething!”saidtheother.He took his head off and ran, bouncing it.When he arrived at the tree, he

tossedhisheadneatlyontothetopmostbranches.“Canyouseethecastle?”“Yeah,”theelevatedheadanswered.“Icanseethecastle!”“Whatdoesitlooklike?”askedSarahsuspiciously.“Well,itlookskindalike...er...likea...likeahippopotamus!”“Wow!”“That’ssomecastle.”“We’reasgoodasthere.Comeon!”“Waitforme,”calledoutthehead,whilehisbodyscrambledtoreachhim.“I’mgoingback,”Sarahannounced.“Lady!Youheardhimsayheseesthecastle.”“Abigone!”

“Likeahippopopotamus...mus.”Theywerewhoopingandjiggingaroundsofrenetically thatshe thoughtshe

mightbeabletoslipawayfromthemwithoutbeingnoticed.Shewalkedslowly,lettingthemallgetonaheadofher.Thensheturnedandquietlywalkedbackinthedirectionfromwhichtheyhadcome.Ofcourse,theywereathersideagaininaninstant,andtheyalltoiledonthroughthewildernesstogether.Sarahwasaimingtogetbacktowheretheyhadstarted,butthensherealized

thefutilityofthat,sinceshewouldhavenoideawheretogonext.Shewonderedwhatwasthepointofdoinganything.Shemightaswellgothisway,orthat,orstandstill,orcry.Maybejusthavin’yourselfagoodtimewasthebestanyonecouldhopefor.Sheshookherheadandhalted.Whateverthepointwas,allthiswasbesideit.

She could do nothing until she had rid herself of the Fireys. As they jiggedhappilyabouther,shelookedaroundthewildernessforanidea.Anyidea.She noticed, in the distance and to one side of them, a wooded bluff. She

knewwhatshehadtodo.She turned and addressed the Fireys. “Wait a minute. None of you knows

wherethecastleis.Youdon’tevenknowwhatacastlelookslike.”“Just’causewe’rewilddon’tmeanwedon’tknowwhatacastleis.”“Weain’tstupid,we’rejustwild.”“Yeah,wild,”theyallagreedenthusiastically.Shewaited.Assheanticipated,oneof themshowedhowwildhewasbypickinguphis

headandtossingitintheair.Asitcamedown,Sarahgrabbedit,andthrewitasfarawayasshecould.“Hey.That’shishead,lady.”Twomore heads had leaped up to seewhere the first one had gone. Sarah

grabbedthemtoo,andhurledthemindifferentdirections.“That’smyhead!”oneoftheheadsprotestedasitflewthroughtheair.Pandemoniumbrokeout.“Hey,waitaminute.”“Lady,whatareyoudoing?”“Youthrewtheirheads!”“Yeah,you’reonlyallowedtothrowyourownhead,right?”

Whiletrunkswerepursuingheads,gettingthewrongonesandchuckingthemaround,Sarahbolted.Shemadeforthebluff.“Stopher,someone!”“Wegottatakeyourheadoffnow.”“Yeah,wegettothrowyourheadaround.”“Youcan’tquitnow.”“I’lltakeherheadoff.”“Hey,littlelady!”“Heythere,comeback.”“Wegottahelpyou.”“Comeon,everybody!”Theygave chase andgainedonher, but her initial advantagegot her to the

bluffbeforetheyhadcaughtup.Slippingbetweentrees,aheadofhershesawacreviceinahighrockface,andsprintedintoit.Shefoundherselfinanalleywayrunningmazily through the rock.As she ran on, she heard the Fireys’ voicesbehindher,echoing.Shehadhopedshe’dshakenthemoff.“Hey,lady,youwanttotakeyourheadoff,don’tyou?”“Sureshedoes!”“It’slotsoffun.”Sheranon,oblivious,untilthealleywayreachedadeadend.Hereyeranup

the rockface wall patterned with mosses and lichens, and saw no holds forclimbing.Atthetop,thewallhadbeencrenellated,likethebattlementsofanoldfortress.Sheheardthemcomearoundthelastbend,behindher.Therewasnoescaping

them.“Theresheis!”“Hey,lady,wefoundanothercastle!”“Likealunchbox!”“No,likeawheelbarrow!”“Wow-eee!”“Wait,lady!”Sarahclosedhereyes.Somethingtickledhernose.Sheopenedhereyesandsawarope.Shethrew

herheadback.Leaningovertheparapet,highabove,wasaface.Hoggle’sface.“Grabit!”hecalleddowntoher.Shegrabbedit.Hogglehauled.TheFireysdoveather.Theyweretoolateby

inches.Theyleapedup,snatchingatherfeet.Shefeltfingersbrushhershoes.“Hey,don’tyouwanttolooklikeus?”“Comeon,takeoffyourhead!”“Offwithherhead!”“Getasaw.”“Itwon’thurt.”Hogglehauledon.Headsbegantoflyupbesideher.“Nowcomeondown,lady.”“Comeon—we’llletyouplayifyoutakeoffyourarm.”“Howaboutaleg?”“Anear!Justtakeoffyourear,lady.Youdon’tneedtwo.”Oneafteranothertheheadsrosebesideher,yammered,andfell.“Wewanttohelpyou.”“Ain’twea-showin’youagoodtime?”“Yeah!Youcomedownandstrutyourstuff.”“Letitallhangout,littlelady.”“Aw,c’mon,it’sfun.Let’slookforsomethin’else.”Hogglehadhauledhertothetop.Hehelpedherclamberoverthebattlements

andbrushedhishandattheflyingheadsasiftheywerepesteringflies.“Shoo!”hebadethem.“Goaway.”Sarahwaslookingaround,laughinginherrelief.Theywerestandingontop

ofa turret.Toeithersideof themthestoneplatformof theGreatGoblinWallranas far as shecould see, risingand falling, turning, crenellatedall theway,turretedatregularintervals.Sheturnedtofacehim.“Hoggle!”shesaidwarmly.Heignoredher,continuingtobeathishandsatthelastfewdespondentheads

that roseupbeyond thebattlements. “Down!”hebarked at them. “Goon, getawaywithyou.”Whentherewerenomoreheads,hehadtoturnbacktofaceSarah,whowas

stillbeamingathim.Thelookhereturnedwasasgrumpyasever,but itcould

notpuncturethedeep,affectionategratitudeshefelt.Hekepthiseyeslowered,maybe checking his baubles,which she had strung fromher belt.On his ownbelthungapouchinwhichhecarriedthepeachJarethhadgivenhim.Sheheldoutherarms.“You’vecomebacktohelpme.Thankyou,Hoggle.”

Shecaughtholdofhimandleanedovertowardhisface.“No!”hewailed,andtriedtobrushherofflikeoneoftheflyingheads.“No!

Don’tkissme!”Butshehaddoneit,andtheearthmovedbeneaththem.

CHAPTERXII

ANDNOBIRDSSING

Thepaving stones onwhich theywere standing flipped open like trapdoorsandprecipitatedthemintoadarkchute.Theyskiddedhelplesslydownit.To have gotten this far had required Sarah to be persistent in threading her

way through themazes and in resolvingparadoxes.Thatwasnothing,Hogglewould have told her, had he not been skating down the chute on his back,waving his arms and legs in the air like an unhingedwood louse. JarethwasKingoftheCastle,andhewouldtoleratenodisplayofemotionhere,nogestureof friendship or sentimentality. With her kiss, Sarah had fulfilled Jareth’smenacingpromise toHoggle—thatHogglewouldbecome“Princeof theLandofStench.”EveryoneinJareth’srealmwasanisland.Ifyoudidsomethingforsomeone

else,itwasneveranactofkindnessbutofcalculation,aninvestmentthatwouldreturn a percentagewhenyou calledon it.Theverb “to give”was consideredobscene, and was scrawled on lavatory walls. The verb “to love” connotednothingbutdesire.Youstoodonyourowntwofeet,andifyoucouldstandonsomebodyelse’sfeetatthesametimeandreachhigherinthefruittree,youweredoingall right,whichwasbetter thandoinggood.Howmuchenvyyoucouldcommandfromotherswasthemeasureofyoursuccess.EveryoneinthecastleenviedJareth.Allhisquestionswereanswered.Hewasgoingtokeepthingsthisway.Thechute skittered themdown toa sortofvent, and they tumbledoutof it

onto a narrow ledge, about halfway up the immense inside face of the GreatGoblinWall.Hogglecameoutfirst,landingsideways,andasaresultherolledover the edge. Sarah, arriving just behind him, luckily landed on her feet.Thrownforwardontoherhandsandknees, shewas justable tograbHoggle’shandbeforehedropped.Swingingdizzilyabovethesheerfall,Hogglesquealedforamoment.Thenhe

stopped.Amorepotentemotionthanfearwasworkingonhim,particularlyonhisbulbousnose.Hewrinkledit.Thenheshuthiseyesandsaidwithapuckeredmouth,“Urrrggh!”Sarah’s reaction was similar. In spite of their precarious perch, all her

attention was concentrated on her sense of smell. Nothing like it had everassailed her, nothing had even suggested that such a stink could be generatedwithintheuniverse.“Urrrrggggh!”Hogglegroaned.“Blech!”“Whatisit?”Sarahasked,agonized.The face thatHoggle turned back up to Sarah’swas haggard. “It’s. . .,” he

gasped.“It’s...the...Bog...of...,”heswallowed,“...ofEternalStench.”She remembered Jareth’s threat toHoggle, in that terrible passageway, and

Hoggle’sexplanationtoher,lateron,thatshouldonedropofthatquagmireeverstainyouitcouldneverbewashedaway,norwouldthestinkeverabate.Atthetimeshehadnottakenitseriously.Shedidnow.“Urghh!” shemoaned. “I’venever smelledanything. . . It’s like. . . like. . .

urgghhh!”“It doesn’tmatterwhat it’s like,”Hoggle toldher sharply. “It is theBogof

EternalStench.”And in quite a small voice, so that he did not have to inhaledeeply,headded,“Help.”She recalled that she was holding Hoggle up. Straightening her knees, she

managedtohaulhimalongsideher,ashehadrecentlyhauledherontherope.Farbelowthem,atthefootofthewall,wasavastmire.Itwasdarkishkhaki

incolor.Allacrossitssurface,bubblesoffetidair,havingforcedtheirwayupthrough the viscous sludge, were gently popping.As they popped they cast alittle spray of filth in a ring around them, and it took severalminutes for thedropletstosettlebackagain.The noise was indescribably disgusting. The seldom used adjective

borborygmusisinadequate.Othercommentatorshavebeendriventothecoinageevisceral,afterfindingthatglairyormucilaginousdidnotarouseintheirreaderanythingliketheappropriatedegreeofrevulsion.But if it is scarcely possible to describe the noise, what hope is there of

finding in any dictionary an adjective for the smell? One writer tackled theproblemthus:“Ifyoucalltomindthethreeworststinksthathaveevermolestedyou,sensitive-nostriledreader,imaginethemraisedtothepowerofseven,thenintensivelydistilledintoasmallbutcuriouslypowerfulpumpheldaninchawayfromyourfaceanddrivenbyafan,yououghtnottohavereachedtheendofthissentenceforthetearsinyoureyes,suchistheiniquityofthatodor.”The ledge on which Sarah and Hoggle were standing was narrow, but the

pathwayitofferedineitherdirectionalongthewallwasnarroweryet.Notonly

that;Sarahcouldseethatmanystonesintheledgewereinsecure,justbalancedoneachother,themortarperished.Thethoughtofgoingtenstepsalongitwasfrightening,letalonegoinghoweverfararoundthewallitranbeforeitofferedsomeescape.Shecouldnotseetheendofitineitherdirection.Veryprobablyitwouldhavenoendatall,butjustbringyoubackhereagain.Notthatyouwouldhavetheslightesthopeofgettingthatfarbeforeitcrumbledbeneathyou.EvenasSarahandHogglestoodwonderingwhichwaytotry,somesmallstonesundertheirfeetbrokeoffandwentcascadingdownintothemirefarbelow.Hogglewas lookingfar fromgrateful forbeingsavedbySarah.Hescowled

upather.“Whatdidyougoanddothatfor?”“What,recueyou?”Shewasbewildered.“No.Youkissedme.”Shelookedathim.“Don’tpretendtobesohard.Youcamebacktohelpme.

Don’tdenyit.Youaremyfriend.”He blew out his cheeks. “Did not.Am not. I just come to getme property

back,thatyoufilchedfromme.”Hereacheddownandtookholdofthepeach.“And...to,er...togiveyou...uh,giveyou...”“Givemewhat?”Hoggleshiftedhisweightontohisotherfoot,nervously.Itwasenough.The

stoneonwhichhewasstandinggaveway,andfell.Othersbesideit,whichhadbeen supportedby it, followed.Then theentire sectionof the ledgebrokeoff,andHogglewentdownwithit,snatchinguselesslyatapieceofrockthatcameawayinhishand.Too late,Sarah tried tograbhim.Offbalance, she teeteredmomentarilyon

onesaggingstone.Thensheplummetedafterhim.Shelandedonsomethingthatfeltlikeabig,furrycushion.ItwasLudo.Hoggle,havingrolleddownLudo’sback,wasnowtrappedbeneathhisgreat

bulk,bellowinginterror.Sarahgasped.“Ludo!”Ludoputhisheadback,andhowled.“S-M-M-E-L-L-L-L-L-L!”He was crouched on a little shoal beside the bog, which had been

imperceptible from the height of the ledge. From only a few feet away, thestenchoftheputridmorasswascubedinintensity.Sarahputherhandsoverherface.“Oooh!Aaarghh!”

HogglewasstrugglingtogetfromunderLudo.“Help!”heshouted,inspiteoftheintakeoffoulairthatshoutingentailed.“Letmeout!”Sarah could not see where Hoggle was trapped. She assumed he was just

frightened.Shereassuredhim.“It’sallright,Hoggle.He’safriend,too.ThisisLudo.”“S-M-M-E-L-L-L-L-L-L-L!”Ludowailed.Sarah found that ithelped if shepinchedhernose tightlyandusedonly the

cornerofhermouthtobreatheandspeak.“Youcanputmedownnow,Ludo,”shesaidgratefully.Hecomplied,withagentlecareremarkableinsolargeabody.Then Sarah saw Hoggle’s plight. “Ludo,” she said. “Let him get up. It’s

Hoggle.”Crawling out,Hoggle at once resumed his testy tone. “What do youmean,

he’syourfriend?I’myourfriend.”“You’rebothmyfriends,”Sarahsaid.“Ineedyou.”“Not as much as I need me,” Hoggle answered, shuddering at the lake of

muck.“You’reimpossible,”Sarahmutteredfromthesideofhermouth.“No, I’mnot. I’m just aspossibleasyouare.Morepossible, if the truthbe

told.”Sarah shrugged. She turned toLudo,wanting to know how he had reached

herefromtheforestofbones.ButLudohadbeenusinghiseyeswhiletheothertwowerebickering,andnowhepointed.They looked, and saw a rustic bridge. It ran from a point farther along the

shoaltheywerestandingon,acrossanarrowneckofthebog,whereafewsick-lookingtreesgrewoutofthemire,andfinishedontheoppositeshore.Beyonditstretchedaforest.More forest. Sarah shook her head resignedly. Well, whatever perils or

paradoxes that forestmighthold, itofferedmorechanceof travelingon to thecastle thantheyhadonthisside,with thevastcliffandtheGreatGoblinWallbehindthem,andthebogafewyardsinfrontofthem,bubblingandfermenting.“Comeon,”shesaid,andledtheway.“Let’sgetacrossquickly.”The threeof thempicked theirwayalong thenarrow shoal.The stones and

pebbleswere loose beneath their feet, and an incautious step could skid themintotheloathsomemire.

With Sarah in the lead, they approached the bridge. The sticks ofwood ofwhichitwasconstructedwereprettymuchthesamecolorasthebog,asthoughtheyhadbeenimpregnatedbyit.Theveryairseemedtintedandheavywiththeodor.Thebridgestoodonpiersofstone.Theywereonlyafewstepsawayfromthe

nearestpierwhenabelligerentlittlefigurecamerunningoutfrombehinditandconfrontedthem.“Stop!”hesaid,withanairofauthority,as though therewerenothingmore

thatneededtobesaid.Hewascourtlyinappearance,wearingasmartjerkin,cutinthemilitarystyle,

andacapwithaplumeinit.Hismustachewaswhiteandaristocraticallylong,and his legs, though thin,were held still and apart.A bushy tail rose proudlyfrom beneath his jerkin. His right hand held a staff. Altogether he gave theimpressionofacharacterwho,thoughdiminutive,wasusedtocommandingandtobeingobeyed.Sarah,bynowreducedtopinchinghernoseandholdingthesleeveofhershirt

overhermouthtokeepoutthepervasivestench,mumbled,“Oh,please!We’vegottogetover—”“Withoutmypermissionnoonemaycross.”“Whoareyou?”Sarahasked.Hebowedbrisklyfromthewaist.“SirDidymusismyname,milady.”“Please,SirDidymus,”Sarahbesoughthim.“I’veonlygotalittlemoretime

left.”Hogglenoddedineageragreement.“Wegottogetoutofthestench.”“Smmelllll,” Ludo moaned, frowning so expressively that his eyes

disappearedbeneathhisbrowandthecornersofhismouthreachedtheedgesofhisjawbone.“Stench?”SirDidymusinquired.“Ofwhatspeakestthou?”“Thesmell!”Sarahremovedahandfromhermouthtopointattheair.SirDidymustookseveralkeensniffs,sampledtheminhisnostrils,andshook

hishead,puzzled.“Ismellnothing.”“You’rejoking,”Hoggletoldhim.Politely, Sir Didymus applied himself to understanding their problem.

Holdinghimselferect,heventilatedhisnostrilswithseveralcubicfeetofair.Heshookhisheadagain.“Ilivebymysenseofsmell.YetIdetectnothing.”

Theothers,nauseatedanddumbfounded,staredathimwhilehecontinuedtoinhaledeeply. “Theair,”hepronounced, “is sweet and fragrant.”Grippinghisstaffheadded,“Andnonemaypasswithoutmypermission.”Ludothrewbackhishead,andhowled.“S-M-M-E-L-L-L-LB-A-A-D!”Hogglebarked,“Getoutoftheway!”andattemptedtorushpastandoverthe

bridge.SirDidymusraisedhisstaffandstoodintheway.“Iwarnthee.Iamswornto

domyduty.”Hogglewasdesperate.Heputhisheaddownandcharged.ButSirDidymus,

moving agilely on his feet, arrested him with the point of his staff heldintimidatinglyatHoggle’sbreast.Ludo,bemusedbythewholeaffair,wasgalvanizedintoactivitywhenhesaw

onewhomSarahcalled“friend”being threatened.Headvancedhisgreatbodytoward Sir Didymus, pointed at Hoggle, and in a voice of reproach declared,“Friend.”“Then have at thee, too.” With reckless gallantry, Sir Didymus launched

himself at Ludo, flashing his staff in a dazzling series of thrusts. Ludo wasforcedtoretreat.HoggletooktheopportunitytodivearoundbehindSirDidymus,andmakea

runforthebridge,butthedauntlessdefenderofthetruefaithwasreadyforhim.Inaboundhewasbackinposition,hisstaffleveledatHoggle.WhileHogglescreechedtoahalt,thentookseveralcarefulstepsawayagain,

Sir Didymus was flaring his proud nostrils and taking deep breaths. Heappreciatedthefreshair,butmostofallhewasenjoyingtheexercise.Notmanytravelerspassedthatway,andfewerstillwerepreparedtotesthisknightlyskillsby trying to force theirway over the bridge. In fact, no one had ever tried itbefore.SirDidymushadpracticedhis staffplay, ready for thismoment.Now that it

hadarrived,itwasadelicioustreat.Hisbloodthrilledandhissinewsstiffenedasheenactedthechivalriccodeofcourageagainstallodds.Thiswasthelife.Thiswaswhathehadbeenbornforandswornmostsolemnlytouphold.Hewouldgladlyhave foughtoff ahundredHoggles anda thousandLudos, had suchanarmycometrampingalongandventured thecrossingofhisbridge.Hewisheddevoutly that such a hordewould come, properly armed for the combat.Howmightaknightprovehisvalor,exceptitbetested?

Sarahwalkedforward.Inareasonabletoneofvoice,shepleaded,“Oh,look,letuscrossyourbridge,won’tyou?”SirDidymusansweredherwithhisstaff,lungingforwardwithonekneebent

and brandishing the stick several times in front of her, using his wristdexterously.Sarahrecoiled.ThatwasmorethanLudocouldstandtosee.Withagreatroarofangerheset

aboutSirDidymus.Thetinyknightrespondedvigorously,withlungeandthrust.DeftfootworkdancedhimoutofreachofLudo’smassiveswipes.SirDidymusmade adroit use of the terrain, skipping on and off the parapet of the pier,trippingnimblyalongtheverybrinkofthebog.AsforLudo,hehadnofinesse,but his ire and the strength of his bulk kept him shuffling after his adversary,ignoringthebruisesthatwereinflicteduponhim.HadjustoneofLudo’sblowslanded,itwouldhavebeenenoughtoknockSirDidymuscleanoverthebog.While the fight went on and on, Hoggle craftily seized his opportunity to

scuttleacrossthebridge.Sarahwatchedhimwithdismay.Hewasjust lookingafterhimselfagain.Therewaslittlethathe,orshe,coulddotoassist,butshefeltstronglythattheyowedLudotheirmoralsupport.Bits of the bridge fell off as Hoggle pounded over it. The whole structure

shookandrattled.At leastHogglehad thedecency tostop,whenhereached the farbank,and

watch the rest of the epic battle. Sarah had expected him to vanish into theforest.PerhapsshewaswinningthebattlewithHoggle’sthickskin.Gradually,shewasgettingthroughtohim.Thepresentbattlewasstilllocked.Holdinghernose,SarahcheeredLudoon,

but therewas no sign of victory for either side. SirDidymus swung his staff,Ludograbbed it andwrenched. Insteadof beingdisarmed,SirDidymus clungon, andwas carried up in the air, legs kicking.Ludo lost hold of the twistingstick,andSirDidymusthuddedtotheground.Hewasupandatitagainlikearubberball,thwackingawayatLudo’sshaggylegs.Surprisedbytheminusculemartinet’sferocity,Ludostoodoffforamoment,

whereupon Sir Didymus took the opportunity to dive between his opponent’slegs,crawluphistail,asthoughstormingabattlement,andbelaborthebackofLudo’shead.Witha jerkofhisneck,Ludo threwSirDidymuscleanoverhishead,thenpeeredleftandrightforhispluckyopponent,whowasholdingontoLudo’swhiskersanddanglingbeneathhischin.Ludofeltanitchandraisedhishandtoscratchit.HegotSirDidymus’steethinhisfinger.Withahowl,Ludoflickedhishand.SirDidymuswasshakenoffandflewthroughtheairuntilhe

hit thecliff.Hewasbouncingback ina trice,buzzingwith thechanceall thiswasgivinghimatlasttoprovehismettle.NowLudohadfounda logandwascrashingitdownatSirDidymus,but it

wasliketryingtoswataflywithaclub.Allitdidwasmakepitsintheshoal.SirDidymus tookcoverunder the exposed rootsof amangy tree.Ludoadvancedandbroughtthelogdownwithsuchforcethathesmashedtherootsandthetreekeeledover.Foramoment,therewasstillness.Ludogaped.Hehadkilledthelittleknight.

Hesighed,feelingwretched,tillSirDidymusdartedoutofaholeinthetrunkofthetree.Bothof themwere exhaustedbynow.SirDidymus’s legswere too tired to

riskgettingcloseenoughtowoundLudo.LudocouldnotswipefastenoughtohitSirDidymus.Eventuallyitwasthediminutivechevalierwholeapedbackintohisposition

onthebridge,raisedhisstaff,sanspeuretsansreproche,andgasped,“Enough!Thoufightestasatrueandvaliantknight.”Ludogratefullyacceptedthetruce.Hesatdownonhishaunches,panting,and

whenhehadrecoveredhisbreathheusedittobellow,“S-M-M-E-L-L-L-L!”Sir Didymus regarded him with admiration. “Before this day,” quoth he,

“neverhaveImetmymatchincombat.”HesmiledruefullyatSarah.“Yetthisnobleknighthasfoughtmetoastandstill,quite.”Sarah’sconcernwasallforLudo.“Areyouallright?”sheaskedhimtenderly.

“Ludo?”Ludowasstillrecovering.“Uhhh...”Sir Didymus marched, wearily but still smartly, to confront his equal in

combat.“SirLudo,if thatbethyname,”hedeclared.“HereIyieldmystafftothee.”Hehelditoutbeforehim.Ludoglancedatthestaffwithoutmuchinterest.Hewaspreparingtoutteryet

another howl about the stench, in the hope that someone could do somethingaboutit.Heopenedhismouth.SirDidymuscontinuedhisspeech.“Letusbebrothershenceforth,andfight

fortherightasone.”Ludo’smouthremainedopen,buthepostponedthehowl.Hisface,beaming,

camedowntoregardSirDidymus.“Ludo—get—brother?”Thepocket-sizedpursuivant,bushytailerect,wenttoclaphisbrother-in-arms

ontheshoulder,whichhecouldjustreachsinceLudowasalmostprone.“Wellmet,SirLudo.”“Ludo—sir?”Sarah thoughtshewouldsoondie ifshehad togoonbreathing in this fetid

air.Shewas tryingnot tobreatheatall.Seeing that the twonobleknightshadapparentlyreachedasatisfactoryagreement,shesaid,“Good.Comeon,then.”Shemadeforthebridge,butSirDidymuswastherebeforeher,blockingthe

way. “Hold!” he cried. “You forgetmy sacred vow,milady. I cannot let youpass.”Itwasn’tpossible.Sarah thoughtshemightpick the littlefigureupandhurl

himfarintothebog.Buthehadraisedhisstaffagainandwasholdingittowardher. “Oh. . .”Shemadeanoiseof frustration throughherpinchednose. “YousaidLudowasyourbrother.Surelyinthatcase...”SirDidymus repliedwitha firmshakeofhishead. “Ihave takenanoath. I

mustdefendittothedeath.”“SMELL!”Ludobayed.Sarah closed her eyes and gave it some thought. “Okay,” she said, “let’s

handlethisthinglogically.Whatexactlyhaveyousworn?”SirDidymusraisedhisstaffhighabovehisheadandgazedupatitdevoutly.

“With my lifeblood have I sworn, that none shall pass this way without mypermission.”Sarah nodded. “Ah,” she said, and considered the point. “Then,” she asked

slowly,“maywehaveyourpermission?”Completesilencefollowedherquestion.SirDidymuswasthunderstruck.He

triedlookingatthepropositionfromoneside,thenfromtheother.Heturneditupsidedownandinsideout.Hewentawayfromitandcamebacktotakeafreshlook at it.Nomatter howhe tried it, he could see no flaw inwhatSarah hadsuggested.Finally,heshrugged,drewhimselfupstraight, lookedfromSarah’sfacetoLudo’sandbackagain,anddeliveredhisconsideredconclusion.“Yes.”“Good,” Sarah said, trying not to breathe deeply with the relief. “Shall we

go?”ShegesturedpastSirDidymustothebridge.AtthefarsideofitshecouldseeHogglestillwaiting.SirDidymusexecutedagallantbow,andofferedherthebridgewithaflourish

ofhishand.“Milady.”“Well,thankyou,noblesir,”Sarahsaid,andsteppedontothericketybridge.

CHAPTERXIII

ONCEBITTEN

ThemomentSarah’s foot landedon thebridge, thewhole structure creakedandsettleddownacoupleofinches.Shejumpedoffagainquickly.“Haveno fear, sweetmadam,”SirDidymus reassuredher. “Thisbridgehas

stoodathousandyears.”Sarahlookedwarilyatthebridge.“Ijusthopeitstandsanotherfiveminutes.”

Sheputherfootonitagainandfeltitswaybeneathher.Gingerly,withahandheldoutforLudotograbifneedbe,sheputherwholeweightonthebridge.Itsettledagain,withanoiselikeaverydryhinge.Acoupleoffragmentsfelloff,withapuffofdust,andploppedintothebubblingbog.Onehandonthericketyhandrail, theotherarmoutstretchedlikea tightrope

walker,Sarahadvancedastep,thenanother.Therewerenoisesofsqueakingandcracking at everymovement shemade.Behind her she heard a dull splash.Astoneinthepier,loosenedbyherweight,hadfallen.Shefelttheplankbeneathherfeetgiveanotherinch.Theonlythingthatmadehergoonwasthecertaintythatshehadnoalternative.SirDidymus, incontrast,hadnoqualms.Hewasgivingnomore thought to

thebridge,infact.Hisbrainwasglowingwiththeprospectof,atlast,submittinghimselftothesupremetestofthechivalriccode—aquest.Hehadnoideawhatthesepeople’spurposewas,but itwasclear that theymusthaveone, fromthesense of urgency that his trained eye had detected in the damsel. It was,moreover, a purpose of such high import that her courtiers were willing toengageinunarmedcombatwithawarriorsuchashimselfinordertoachieveit.HisskintingledandhiseyesflashedasheturnedtoLudo,andsaid,“Sincethouartmybrother,Iwillcomewiththeewhate’erthyquest.Leadon!”Withalittlebow and a flourish of his hand, he invited Ludo to follow Sarah across thebridge.Ludoshookhishead.“Ludo—wait!”And even as Ludo eyed the bridge suspiciously, another large chunk of

masonrycrumbledoutofthepierandrolledintothebog.Thebridgesuddenlysaggedandswayed.Sarahgrabbedholdofthehandrailwithbothhands.Otherstonesandloosecementwerefallingfromthepier.Inthemiddleoftheshaking,

sinkingbridge,Sarahwas stranded.She looked around inhorror, saw that thewholethingwascollapsing,andmadearunforittotheotherside.Too late. With a screeching, rending noise, the rotten timbers gave way

beneathher.Thevilemuckbubbledovertheedgesoftheplanksinfrontofher.Sarah leaped for the overhanging branch of an ailing, leafless tree beside thebridgeandmanagedtogetbothhandsontoit.Swingingthere,lookingdownatthe crust of scum bubbling beneath her feet, and at the remains of the bridgefloating on the bog, shemoaned at the thought of being stained and stinkingforever. With each swing she heard the branch tearing away from its trunk.“Help!”shecriedpitifully.“Ludo!Hoggle!SirDidymus!Help!Dosomething!”SirDidymuswastransfixed.Hisbridgehadbeenerasedfromthelandscape.It

tookhimalittletimetoaccustomhimselftothenewview,andalittlemoretoacceptthattherolehehadalwaysplayedsodevoutlyhadnowbeenabolished.Thenherememberedthathehadjustdedicatedhimselftothesepeople’squest.“Fearnot,fairmaiden,”hecalledouttoSarah.“Iwillrescuethee.”Helooked

aroundgiddilyforthemeans.“Somehow,”hecalledencouragingly.Sarah,feetswinging,hearingthebranchsplitting,gurgled,“Help!”SirDidymusheldhisstaffouttowardSarah.Itbridgedaboutathirtiethofthe

gapbetweenthem.“Here!”heshouted.Hoggle,onthefarbank,justclosedhiseyes.Ludosatbackonhishaunches,threwbackhishead,openedhishugemouth

and howled ten times more loudly than he had when the goblins had beentormentinghim.Sir Didymus gaped round at the amazing noise. “By the saints in their

stockings!”heexclaimed.“CanIbelievemyears?”Sarah felt the branch starting to lower her and screamed, but none of the

otherscouldhearheraboveLudo’searth-shakingroar.Sir Didymus was shocked. “Sir Ludo, my brother!” he said reproachfully.

“ArtthouthemanlyknightIfoughte’ennow?Canstthousitbyanddonomorethanhowlwhenyondamselstandsinneedofourmostgallantassistance?”“HOOOOOWWWWWLL!”Ludocontinued.Sarah’s feet were by now wriggling only inches above the khaki-colored

slime.Shebentherkneesuptopostponethedreadfulmomentofcontact,butshecouldfeelthatthebranchwastearingitslastfibers.Fromthefarsideofthebog,arumblingnoisecouldbeheard,growinglouder

as it approached. A huge rock was rolling itself across the ground. Hoggle,hearingthenoisebehindhim,hadtojumpoutoftheway.Theboulderwentpasthim, slipped itself gently into the bog, and came to rest, breaking the surface,immediatelyunderneathSarah’sfeet.Asitarrivedthere,thebranchcrackedoffthe tree. Sarah landed on the dry rock, curled up and crumpled. She lay theresobbingwithrelief,butnearlyasphyxiatedbythestenchafewinchesfromhernose.Ludo’showlinghadnotbeenacryofuselessdismay.Thestonesoftheearth

had saved him not long since, when Sarah’s aim at the tormenting goblins’helmetshadprovedsoaccurate.Nowhewassummoningthemagain.SirDidymuswasopenmouthed.Hekept turninghis head, looking from the

bouldertoLudoandbackagain,unabletodecidewhichelementofthemiraclemoredeservedhisattention,causeoreffect,brotherorrock.Ludowas not done.His headwas still back, and he sustained his howling.

Thistimehewasansweredbyrocksdwellingbeneaththemire.Onebyonetheycametothesurface,sheddingtheslimeasthoughitwereeggwhite.Theystoodthemselves side by side, until they had created a perfectly flat causewaystretchingfromSarah’srocktoeachsideofthebog.Sarahstoodup.ShegazedatLudoandshookherheadinwonder.Thenshe

smiled,gratefullyblewhimakiss,andranacrossthecausewaytothefarshore,whereHoggleheldouthishandtohelpherontothedryground.“Oh!”SirDidymussighedina low,respectfulvoice,andlookedardentlyat

thismostpotentknight,theflowerofchivalry,hisbrother.Inalmostawhisper,heasked,“Canstthouthensummonuptheveryrocks,SirLudo?”“Rocks—friends.”Ludostoodup,andcharged joyfullyacrosshiscauseway

torejoinSarah.“SirLudo!”SirDidymuscalledafterhim.“Waitforme.”Hedidnotwantto

lose this noble company.He looked around and barked out. “Ambrosius!Mynoblesteed!”Frombehindatree,awoolyOldEnglishsheepdogpokedhisnosewarilyout.

Whenhesawthatitwassafe,hetrottedobedientlyuptohismaster,pantinginanticipation.Sarah, waiting on the far side of the bog, was incredulous when she saw

Ambrosius.HewastheidenticaltwinofMerlin(who,shethoughtglumly,wasprobably still confined to the garage). “That’s your steed?” she called to SirDidymus.

“Indeeditis,”SirDidymuscalledback,mountingup.“Andnoknighthasonebetter—fleetandsurefootedinbattle,loyalandobedientinpeacefultimes,heisa flawlessmount.Exceptwhenhe sees a cat.”He squeezedAmbrosius in theribswithhisheels.“Onward,”hecommanded.Ambrosius carried him at a trot over the causeway. There, Sir Didymus

dismountedandledhissteed,walkingbesideSarahandLudo.Thevaliantknightwas agog to hear how perilous their quest was to be, but he contained hisimpatienceliketheperfectgentlemanthathewas.SarahlookedaroundforHoggle.Thedwarfwasstillhangingaroundtheedge

of the bog. Could he have gotten to like it there? “Come on, Hoggle,” Sarahcalled.Hogglewasvacillatinginahogglishdilemma.Hishandwasinthepouchthat

hung from his belt, fingering the peach. If he gave it to Sarah, he would bebetrayinghisheart.Ifhedidnotgiveittoher,hewouldbedumpedheadfirstintheBogofStench.Hebroughtthepeachoutandhelditoverthebog.Hehadnotquitereached

hisdecisionyet,buthereckoneditwouldbewisetobepreparedtoactinstantlyonce he had, with no time to change his mind. The peach might even slipaccidentallyfromhisfingersandrelievehimoftheresponsibilityofmakingthechoice.Hewasstillholdingthepeachoverthefetidscumwhenheheardavoicein

theairabovehishead.“Iwouldn’tdothatifIwereyou,”itsaid.Hoggle was so startled that he almost dropped the peach. But his fingers

tightenedaroundit.Heclosedhiseyesinanguish.Jareth,whereverhewas,waswatchinghim.“Please,”Hogglewhispered,“Ican’tgiveittoher.”Hefelthisfeetslidingtowardthebrinkofthebog.“No!”Hogglesquealed.“No!Allright!”Heputthepeachbackinthepouchandwalkedmiserablytowardtheothers.SirDidymus had been fretting at the delay.When he saw thatHogglewas

following at last, he decided that the expeditionneededbrisker leadership.Hewastheonetodoit,as longas theywouldtellhimwheretheywantedhimtoleadthem.HemountedAmbrosiusagainandheadedintotheforest,sinceitwasobvious that they all had some unfathomable aversion to the bog. Ludo andSarahfollowedhim.Hoggletrailedsomewaybehind.Forawhile,theywentalonginsilence.SirDidymusfrownedandsuckedhis

teeth, reflecting on the travails and perils throughwhich he andSirLudo, his

legendary brother, would be expected to lead the company. But withal, hethought, spurringonAmbrosius, thus is it andmust always be in the knightlyvocation.Bethouafraidoreasilydeterred,thenlettheeneverbowthykneetoreceivetheswordofhonoruponthycravenshoulder.Ludo,walkingbehindSirDidymus,wasthinkinghowgooditwastobreathe

sweetairagain,andhowhungryhewas.Sarahsharedthosethoughts,butmostlyshewaspreoccupiedwithhowToby

wasfaring,andwithhowmuch timemight remainof the thirteenhoursJarethhadgivenher.Hoggle was thinking of the choice he had not made, and of what, in

consequence, he now had to do to Sarah. If she knew, he thought, she couldscarcelyblameme,couldshe?HowwouldsheliketobesuspendedheadfirstintheBog?No,it’sallJareth’sfault.I’mjustobeyinganorderthatIcan’trefuse.SarahrealizedthatshehadnoideawhereSirDidymuswasleadingthem.She

askedhim.“Whithersoever thy quest demandeth,” he answered. He had never felt so

happy.“Doyouknowthewaytothecastle?”“To anysoever castle thou namest, fair and gentle damsel. The Castle of

Perseverance?TheCastleofTintagel?TheCastle—”“Jareth’scastle.”“Ah. InGoblinCity.”SirDidymusnodded.Hehadbeenhopingforaquest

thatwouldtakesevenyearstoperform,buthedidnotshowhisdisappointment.Perhaps this was a trial, and something more enduring would come of it.“Ambrosiusknows thesewoodswell,”he said. “Weshall reach the townwellbeforedaydothbreaktomorrow.”HegaveAmbrosius’sreinsabriskshakeandtrottedpurposefullyahead.Tomorrow,Sarahwasthinkinganxiously.Tomorrowwillbetoolatetosave

Toby, assuming that the sun takes twenty-four hours, ormaybe twenty-six, tocyclearoundhere.Shelookedat thesky, throughtheforestbranches,andsawthat itwasevening.Pinkandamber ribbonsofcloudwere litby thedecliningsun.“Howmanyhourswillthatbe?”sheasked.Sir Didymus shrugged. “I know not hours, sweet maiden. A knight must

perforcereckonhislifebyintervalsofsevenyears.”“Oh.” Sarah looked at Ludo, but knew that he would know nothing about

clocks.

Ludocaughtherglance.“Hungry,”hesaidsadly.“We can’t stop,” Sarah told him, “but maybe there are some berries or

something.”ShelookedforHoggle.Perhapshemighthavesomeideaofthetime.Hogglesawherlookingbackforhim,andwaitingforhimtocatchup,andhe

knewthatthetimehadcome.Heforcedhimselftoalterhisdemeanor,switchedonaglassysmile,drovehis feet intoaperkystride, andcameswaggeringup,good old Hoggle, trusty friend. “Missy,” he said, beaming, and held out hishand.In it Sarah saw themost luscious peach, so rich and ripe and tantalizingly

juicythatitappearedtobeglowing.SherealizedthatLudowasnottheonlyonewhowashungry.Oh,kindHoggle!Hemusthaveheardthemtalkingaboutfood.Sheheldherhandouttowardthepeach.Itlookedsolargeanddeliciousthat

theycouldeachhaveamouthfulof it.“Hoggle,”shesaidgratefully,“you’realifesaver.”Shewondered ifsheshouldpolitelyoffer theothers firstbite,butbynowit

wasinherhand,andHogglewaslookingsopleasedtohavegivenittoherthatshefeltitwasexpectedofhertotakeabite.Sheraisedittoherlips,thenhelditawayagaintolookatit.Thescentwasbeautiful.Hoggle, fists clenching, glanced up at Ludo and SirDidymus and saw that

theyhadnotstopped,butwereadistanceaway.Thatwassomething.Sarah looked at the peach almostwith regret. It was a pity to spoil such a

lovelything.Althoughthatwasthepoint,wasn’tit?Apeachmadeitselflovelyjustsothatsomeonewouldspoilit.Butifthatwerethecase,itwasclevertoberepulsive,andrattlesnakesmightruletheearthoneday.Wasthatwhattheyhadinmind?Shebitintothepeach.The sound of her bitingmadeHoggle tremble.Hewanted to put his hands

overhisears.Sarah’s facewas rapt. “This tastes. . . so strange.”She lookedat thepeach,

andfoundthathereyeswouldnotfocusonit.Shebegantosway.Feelingthatshemight be going to faint, she took a step towardHoggle, for support. Shestumbled.Withonehandshewipedherbrowwhile,withtheother,sheheldthepeach out at arm’s length, trying to look at it properly. Then she understood.Slowly,shelookedatHoggle.Hewasablurred,shimmeringshape.“Hoggle,”shesaidquietly.“Whathaveyoudone?”

In a strangled voice, Hoggle cried out, “Damn you, Jareth! And damnme,too!”TurninghisfaceawayfromSarah,heranheadlongintotheforest.NowSarahwastottering.Shemanagedtostaggertoatree,andleanedagainst

it.ShehadalreadyforgottenHoggleandLudoandSirDidymusandToby,andwhere shewas andwhy.All her thoughtswere for Jareth, and her eyeswerelookingupatthesky.“Everything’sdancing,”shewhispered.

CHAPTERXIV

OBODYSWAYEDTOMUSIC

Jarethheldfourcrystalballsclosetohisface.Hestaredintoeachoftheminturn,catchingthelight.Itseemedasthoughhewerechoosingamongthem.Hetookoneofthemandswirledit intotheair,withaflickofhiswrist.Itfloatedaway from him, became a bubble. Then it drifted through the open windowbesidewhichhewasstanding,andaway through thedarkeningsky.Theotherthree followed in turn, coldly beautiful bubbles floating through the dusk,turningandgleaming,mesmericglobesglowinginthedyinglight.Sarahwas still leaning limplyagainst the tree, toodizzy tomove,when the

four bubbles approached her in the sky. She stared at them, entranced. Shewatched as the dazzling spheres floated toward her, slowly descending. Theywere dancing with the light, and she could hear music, an aching, hauntingmusic, solemn, like a pavane. She was rapt. Her lips parted in wonder. Thebubbleswerecloseenoughnowforhertoseethatwithinthefirstofthemwasthe dancer from hermusic box, twirling pirouettes. In each of the other threebubbleswasanotherdancer,movingwithsinuouselegance.Sarah’sbodyswayedhypnoticallyintimewiththemusic.Shewasthemusic

and the dance. She was inside a bubble, dancing, dressed in a ball gown.Enchantedandenchanting, shedanced slowlyacross the sky in companywiththeotherdancers.A congregation ofmany bubbles crossed the night sky, eachwith a dancer

withinit.Theywereapproachingonegreatbubble,asthoughattractedbysomemagneticforce.Insidethegreatbubblewasamagnificentballroom.Jarethwasalreadydancingthere.

Sir Didymus and Ludo had come to the edge of the forest, and now theylookedoutacrossthebare,dry,crackedplaintothedistantwallsofthecastle.Sir Didymus patted Ambrosius, who had found the way. “Good work, oh

loyalsteed,”hetoldthedog.Hehalfturnedhisheadtocallbehindhim,withatraceofsmugness,“Yonderliesthecastle,mylady.”HeheardnoanswerandturnedfullyaroundtoseewhereSarahwas.Ludotoo

turned around, a growl of suspicion in his throat. Together they stared back

downthetrailtheyhadfollowed.Sarahhadvanished.“Mylady?”SirDidymuswasshouting.“Mylady?”Abovetheirheadsabubblefloatedpast,movinginthedirectionofthecastle.

The ballroom had known opulence. Between glittering cornices were hungmanylongchandelierswherethewax,drippingforahundredyears,hadformedstalactites. The silk covering of the walls had faded and, in places, wornthreadbare. Bubbles decorated the room, and the whole of it was containedwithin the iridescent skin of one great bubble.A tall, gilt, thirteen-hour clockstoodinacorner.Itwasalmosttwelveo’clock.Sarah watched the dance, and the dancers watched her, from behind their

masks.Themensportedsilkenshirtsopentothewaistandtightvelvetbreeches.Some of them wore wide-brimmed, plumed hats; others had capes or carriedstaffs.Thewomen’sgownslefttheirshouldersbareanddovelowbetweentheirbreasts.Theyhadtheirhaircoiffedhigh,andmanyworelonggloves.The dancersmoved in a ring around the ballroom,with a kind of lethargic

brilliance,as though thepartyhadbeengoingonallnight.Menwhowerenotdancing lounged indolently against the columns, or in a cushioned pit in thecenteroftheballroom,inthecompanyofwomen.Maidsandfootmen,withskinthecolorofoldparchment,served themtraysoffruitandrefilled theirgobletsfromdecanters.Andalwaysthedancerswerewatchingthroughtheeyeholesintheir cruelhalf-masks, fromwhich snoutsprojectedandhorns sproutedabove.Moving together or elegantly reclined, they watched Sarah, or watched eachother watching, and beneath the masks the mouths smiled at each other likeknives.Sarah’s gown was silvery, the color of mother-of-pearl, with puffed short

sleeves.Shehadapearlnecklaceon, andherhairwasbraidedwith stringsofpearls.Hereyeswerewide.Shewas thepictureof innocence in thatsetting,apicturethatexcitedthedancers,whonevertooktheirmaskedeyesoffher,whiletheymovedwithwearygracetothecadenceofasinisterlybeautifultune.She walked slowly around the room. Two gorgeously gowned women

snickeredbehindtheirfansather.Sarahpausedbesideatallmirrorandlookedatherimage.Thepeoplepassingbehindher,inthemirror,werewatchingherlikeravishing

birdsofprey.Thedancersswayedandswirled.ThenSarahsawsomethinginthe

mirrorthatmadehergasp.ShehadcaughtaglimpseofJareth,entwinedwithavoluptuouswoman,dancingpast.Shewhirledaround,buthehadvanished.Shestoodthere,peeringthroughthe

throngforhimsointentlythatshedidnotnoticetheyoungmanleaningagainstthecolumnbesideher.Hehadhisheadheldbackandwas staringbrazenlyather.He relishedher face, thenherwhiteshoulders,herbreasts,hips,and legs,and moved closer to her. He murmured into her ear, “You are remarkablybeautiful,mydeargirl.”Sarahspunaroundtofacehim,hermouthopen.Atthemixtureofsurpriseand

pleasure on her face, the young man threw back his head and laughed. Shesmiledbackathimnervously.Hiddenbehindanotherman’scape, Jarethhadwatched it all,butSarahhad

notseenhimwatching.HiseyeswerefollowingSarahwherevershewentinthecorruptballroom.Shewas tense now, self-conscious, among people she could not understand

but who behaved as though they knew something that she didn’t know. ShemovedhurriedlyaroundtheballroomlookingforJareth.Shedidnotknowwhyshewantedtofindhim,orwhatshewouldsaytohim.Shejustknewthatitwasvitallyimportantthatsheshouldfindhim.Whenshesawhim,hewaswhisperingsomethingtohisbeautifulpartner,who

responded by smiling knowingly from beneath hermask and licking her lips,slowly,withthetipofhertongue.Sarahblushedandturnedawayinembarrassment.Shefoundherselflooking

into another of the tall mirrors around the room. Behind her she saw Jareth,standing alone.Hewas a resplendent figure, upright and blond, in amidnightblue frockcoat,diamantéat theneck, shoulders, andcuffs.Ruffsofpalegraysilk at his throat andwrists set off the pallor of his skin.On his legs hewaswearingblacktightsandblack,shinyboots.Hewasholdingahornedmaskonastick,buthehadlowereditnow,tolookstraightatSarahinthemirror.Behindhim,dancerswerewhirling.Heheldhishandout.Sheturnedaround,notexpectingthathewouldreallybethere.Hewas,and

hewasstillholdingouthishandtoher.Shetookit,feelingdizzy.HerdizzinessceasedwhenshewentspinningaroundtheballroominJareth’s

arms. Shewas the loveliestwoman at the ball. She knew it, from theway inwhichJarethwassmilingdownather.Allhisattentionwasonher.Thetouchofhishandsonherbodywasthrilling.Todancewithhimseemedtheeasiestandmostnaturalmotion.Whenhetoldherthatshewasbeautiful,shefeltconfused.

“Ifeel...Ifeellike...I—don’tknowwhatIfeel.”Hewasamused.“Don’tyou?”“Ifeellike...I’minadream,butIdon’tremembereverdreaminganything

likethis!”Hepulledback to lookatherand laughed,but fondly. “You’llhave to find

yourwayintothepart,”hesaid,andwhirledheronaroundtheroom.Shesmiledupathim.Shethoughthowhandsomehewas,butonedidn’ttella

mansuchthings,didone?Morethanthat,therewassomethinginhisfacethatwasopenlyenjoyingthemoment,withoutthemockingorsecretivenessthatshehadseenonotherfaceshere.“Andwhenyou’ve foundyourway in, stay inyour dream,Sarah.” Jareth’s

eyeswerelookingstraightintohers.Hissmilewasserious.“Believeme.Ifyouwanttobetrulyfree,whollyyourself—youdowantthat,don’tyou?”Sarahnodded.“Thenyouwill findwhatyouwantonlyas longasyoustay inyourdream.

Onceabandonit,andyouareatthemercyofotherpeople’sdreams.Theywillmake of you what they want you to be. Forget them, Sarah. Trust to yourdream.”Sarahwasspellbound.“Trusttome,”Jarethsaid,movinghisfaceclosetohers.“Canyoudothat?”Shenodded,andlookedupathimwithanticipation.Hewasgoingtokissher.

Sheshuthereyes.Thatwasthewaytodoit.Somethingmadeheropenhereyesagain. Itwas thesilence.Themusichad

stopped.Shesawthat theyhadbeensurroundedbyall theotherdancers.Theywereleeringandnudgingeachother.Shesawthembitingtheirlipstoholdbacktheirlaughter.Jarethseemedtobeunperturbed,butsheturnedherfacesharplyawayfromhis,horrified.Heheldhermoretightly,andinsistentlysoughtherlipswithhis.Suffusedwithdisgust,shewrenchedherselffreeofhim.Theclockstrucktwelve.Sarah pushed her way through the jostling, jeering crowd. A man smiled

foxilyatherbehindhismaskandthengraspedatherbody.Shesmelledhisevilbreathonher face.Sheshovedhimawayangrily.Agroupofgigglingwomenrushedbetweenthem,chasedbymerrilyguffawingmen.Sarahwasknockedoffbalance and stumbled against a column. Crouching, frightened, she made herway out of the crowd, until she saw the shimmering membrane of the great

bubblejustinfrontofher.Beside herwas a small, painted chair. She picked it up in both hands, and

hurleditatthebubble.Thechaircrashedthroughit.Asthebubbleburst,Sarahwassuckedthrough

it.Shewas flying through space. Below, on the ground, she saw the faces of

LudoandSirDidymuslookingupather.Theirmouthsweremoving,asiftheywere calling out to her, but all she could hear was the thrum of rushing air.Behind her, the ballroomhad collapsed and crumbled to junk. Strange things,andpiecesofthings,andthingsofpieces,werewhizzingthroughspacewithher,someovertakingher,somereceding.She started to recognize objects.The dancer fromhermusic box pirouetted

past,upsidedown,followedbyseveralofherfavoritebooks, inrandomorder,theirpages flapping loose in thewind.Launcelotwasnot faraway in thesky,andbeyondhimSarahsawsomegossipcuttings,andthespoonandeggcupshehad used when she was a baby. It was an aerial Sargasso Sea formed ofeverything she had ever seen or imagined but rearranged in improbablecombinations.Ifthisisthedebrisoftheballroom,shethought,thenallmylifemusthavebeenatthatball,indisguise.Thefloatingjunkroomofhermindstretchedfromhorizontohorizon.Itwas

allspeedingup,andbeginningtospinaround,fasterandfaster,inamaelstrom,Sarahwithit.Therushofairbecameascreeching,untunedmusic.Itstopped.Sarahwasontheground,inherownclothesagain.Inherhandwas

the half-eaten peach. She held it up to examine itmore closely. Its fleshwasrotten.Amaggotcreptoutfromthepit.Sarahgasped,andflungthepeachaway,andfainted.

CHAPTERXV

THETIMEOFHERLIFE

Sarahwokeupinnowhere.Sheopenedhereyesandabovehersawasombersky,butthebaregroundbesideherwasharshlylit,likepicturesshehadseenofthemoon.Perhapsshewasonthemoon,forallsheknew.Shehadbeenataball,thatmuchshecouldremember.Whereitwas,andhow

she had gotten there, and why—nothing came back to her; just the ball. Sheclosed her eyes at the memory of Jareth, hot with shame at how she hadsuccumbed to his charm. She felt soiled bywhat had ensued in the ballroom.Somehow,ithadallbeenherfault.Thosemenwhopawedher,Jarethtryingsorudely to force a kiss upon her—had she been truly innocent, theywould nothavebehavedlikethattowardher,wouldthey?“WhatwasIdoing?”sheaskedaloud.Shesatupandlookedabouther.What

she sawwas an utterly desolate landscape, a desertwhose only featureswereheaps and scraps of junk. Sarah’s face was blank with despair. There wasnothing todohere, nothing.Noone in sight. Itwas aplacewhereyouwouldsoonforgetyourownname.Withaneffort,shestoodup.Thefirststepshetooklandedonasmallpileof

rags.Theragsmoved,suddenly,beneathherfoot.Shejumpedback.“’Ere!”saidanoldwoman’svoice.“Gitorfmyback!”“Sorry,”Sarahapologized instinctively,withoutknowingwhomorwhatshe

wasaddressing.A sectionof the rags roseup.Sarah saw that itwas actually apileof junk,

stackedupon thebentbackof a littleoldgoblinwoman.At the same time itdawned on her that othermounds of garbagewere in reality (if anything herewasreality) loadson thebacksofotherpeople,whoweremovingveryslowlyacross themoonscape.Shespotted thepaintedchair from theballroomnot faraway,surmountingapilethatsomeonehadcollected.Thejunkwoman’spuckeredfacewasstaringcrosslyatherfrombeneaththe

loadofbentandbatteredmetalobjects,discardedclothes,chippedcrockery,andbrokenfurniturethatshebore.“Whydon’tyoulookwhereyou’regoing,youngwoman?”“Iwaslooking,”Sarahanswered,slightlyaggrieved.

“Thenwhereareyougoing?”“Oh...er...well,Ican’tremember.”The junkwoman sniffed. “You can’t look where you’re going if you don’t

knowwhereyou’regoing.”Sarah thought that they could have argued the point, but she decided

politenesswould serveherbetter.She lookedaroundandsaid, “Imean, Iwassearchingforsomething.”Thejunkwomanchuckled,mollified.“Well,ofcourseyouwas,dearie.We’se

allsearchingforsomething,ain’twe?Butyergottohavesharpeyesifyergoingto find anything. Nowme, I found lots of thing.” And she glanced upward,indicatingtheburdenofjunkpileduponherback.Sarah looked harder at the woman’s rubbish trove and found it curiously

interestedher.“Why,”sheexclaimed,“soyouhave!”Thejunkwomangruntedwithsatisfaction.“There’sacookie tin,”Sarahobserved,“andacolander,andsomepiecesof

candle...”“Oh,yes.”The junkwomanwasnodding.“It’shard tofindclassystuff like

thisnowadays.”“Isupposeso.”Sarahwaslookingpasttheoldwoman.Occasionallyapileof

junk would arise on the back of someone who wandered across to try thepickings inanothermound.Allof themwereheading,desultorily, in thesamedirection,asthoughmakingforhomeattheendoftheday.“But don’t you worry, dearie.” The junk woman had become like a

grandmother to her now. “I’ll give you a few things, to get you started, like.How’sthat?”“Oh,”Sarahsaiduncertainly,“thankyou.”The junk woman had started to trudge along in the same direction as the

others.Sarahwalkedalongbesideher.Asshewent,theoldwomanrummagedwithonehandamongthepileofjunkonherback,feelingforsomething.Sarahwatchedher anxiously, fearing that thewhole loadcouldcomecrashingdownaround her feet if she pulled out one item. Eventually the junk woman said,“Ha,”andextractedwhatshewanted.ShehandedittoSarah.ItwasLauncelot.Sarah swallowed, and smiled with childish joy. “Launcelot!” she cried,

hugging him. “Thank you,” she told the junkwoman, “Thank you.” Itwas as

thoughshewereagainthelittlegirlbeinggiventheteddybearbyherfather.“That’swhatyouwaslookingfor,ain’tit?”theoldwomanasked,kindly.Sarahnodded eagerly, claspingLauncelot. “Yes. I’d forgotten.”She sighed,

andgavetheteddybearakiss.“Now,” the junkwomansaid,“whydon’tyougo in thereandsee if there’s

anythingelseyou’dlike?”Shewaspointingtoasortoftenttheyhadcometo,ascolorlessastherestofnowhere.Thewomanbentdownandpulledbackaflapofthetent.Sarahtookastepforward,sawwhatwasinsidethetent,andopenedhereyes

andmouthwide.Itwasherownroom.

Sarahwaslyingonherbedathome,claspingherteddybear.Itwasnighttime.Shewasstilldressed.Shesatuprightslowly,andlookedaroundtheroom.Everythingwaswhereit

shouldbe.Sherubbedherforehead.“Oh,itwasjustadream.”Shelookedattheteddybear.“Idreameditall,Launcelot.”Sheshookherhead,wonderingly.“Itwas so—so real, and so. . .” She gave Launcelot a squeeze. “I’m still a bitnervous.”Shetiptoedacrosstothedooroftheroom,stillholdingLauncelot.“Iwonder

if Daddy’s back?” she whispered. Cautiously, in case they were asleep, sheopenedthedoor.The junk woman was standing outside, peering concernedly at her. “Don’t

you like them fings, dearie?” Behind the old woman, the bleak, harshly litmoonscapestretchedaway.Sarahslammedthedoorshutinthewoman’sface.Sheranacrosstoherbed

andburiedherheadinthesheets.AfterawhileshelookedatLauncelotandsaidfirmly,“Itisadream.”Sheclosedhereyes,andforcedherselftobreathecalmly.“It’sadream,”shesaid,andnodded.SheheldLauncelottight.“Itisadream.”Shestoodup,takingadeepbreath,andwalkedconfidentlytothedoor.Whensheopened it, she saw the junkwomanstillwaiting there.This time,

shewas in the room before Sarah could shut the door again. “Best to stay inhere,dearie,”thejunkwomantoldhercomfortingly.“There’snuffinkyouwantoutthere.”ThewomangaveSarahawinkandaconfidentialsmile.Sarahhadremainedquitestill,besidethedoor.“Launcelot,”shewhispered.ThejunkwomanwasbustlingaroundSarah’sroom,pickingthingsfromthe

shelvesandexaminingthem,asthoughshewereclearingoutahouse.Butwhenshefoundsomethingthatcaughtherfancy,insteadofaddingittoherownpilesheplaced it inSarah’s arms. “Look, here’syournice fluffy rabbit.You likesyour rabbit, don’t you?AndRaggedyAnn!”Thewoman smiled fondly. “YourememberRaggedyAnn.”Sarahwas distractedly following thewoman along the line of shelves.That

the woman could know and name these familiar possessions of hers wasbewildering. Below the bewilderment, something elsewasworking at Sarah’sfeelings, somethinggrayand listless, likedespair.She recognized it,butcouldnotbesureofitscause.Whatwas it, this lowfeeling?Ithadtodo,shesuspected,with thewaythis

oldwomanwasfussingoverher.ThejunkwomanwasheapingmoreandmorethingsintoSarah’sarms.“And

here’syourshoebox—lotsofpencilsandelasticbands—youwantallthose.Oh,and look! Here’s your panda slippers. You know how you loves your pandaslippers...neverwantedthemtogetthrownaway.”Sarah sank down onto the chair in front of her dressing-table mirror. She

spreadalltheobjectsinherarmsuponthetableandstaredatherself.“Ooh,andhere’satreasure!Youwantsthat,don’tyou,dearie?”Thewoman

handedSarahherbrokenlipstick.“Goon.Putiton.”Sarahtookthelipstickfromherandobedientlystartedtoapplyit.Meanwhile, the junkwoman began to load evermore objects upon Sarah’s

back.Peculiarly,theystuckthere,oneontopoftheother.Perhapsitwassometrickofthetrade.“Andhere’syouroldhorsie.Youlikesyourhorsie.Horsie,horsie,don’tyou

stop, just letyourfeetgoclippety-clop.Heh-heh.Andall theBadgerbooks. . .Oh,andhere’sdearoldFlopsy.Andtheprintinggame.Andyourtoyshop—it’sstill got the little candies in jars.AndTheWizard ofOz.And there’s the firstknittingyoueverdone,justlook.Youwantthat,don’tyou,dearie?”In themirror,Sarahsaw that thepileof stuffonherbackwasgetting tobe

almost as tall a burden as the old junk woman herself bore. Moreover, hershoulders had started to look bowed. As if mesmerized, she stared into themirror, intoherowneyes,and inadistantvoicesaid,“TherewassomethingIwaslookingfor...”“Don’t talk rot,” answered the oldwoman. “It’s all here, everythingyou’ve

evercaredabout.”

Sarahlookedaroundatthejunkwoman,whowasstillhappilypokingamongthe shelves. She turned back to the mirror and went on applying the brokenlipstick.“And here’s your ducky book,” the woman was chanting. “You haven’t

forgottenhowitgoesupanddownandquacks...”Sarahstoppedlistening.Shehadto,orshewouldhaveweptwithhumiliation.

She looked around for something to take her mind off the junk woman’scondescending litany.On the far sideof thedressing tablewasTheLabyrinth,whereshehadleft it.Sheputdownthelipstick,openedthebookandbegantoreadaloud.“Throughdangersuntoldandhardshipsunnumbered,”sherecited,“IhavefoughtmywayheretothecastlebeyondtheGoblinCity,totakebackthechildyouhavestolen...”Shelaidthebookinherlapandlookedaroundtheroom.Theoldjunkwoman

wasstillprattlingon,butsuddenlySarahhadrisenaboveit.“Thechildyouhavestolen...”Sherememberedwhatitwasshehadbeenlookingfor.Toby!Everythingaltered.Theroomwasthesameasithadalwaysbeen,nightand

morning,dayafterdayforaslongasSarahcouldremember,butshewasseeingit with new eyes. It was all fabricated from pieces of scrap, everything wasrubbish,relics.Allherthings,thefurniture,eventhewalls,thewholeroomwasagarbageheap,adeadshrinetoaspiritthathadfled.The junk woman had noticed the new expression on Sarah’s face and was

asking her, in a concerned voice, “What’s the matter, dearie? Don’t you likeyourtoys?”“It’salljunk.”The woman was taken aback. She stuck out her lower lip and made a

grumbling noise to herself, as she shuffled around the room, looking forsomething, poking in drawers and along shelves. Eventually she found it andhelditupdecisively.“Whataboutthis?”shedemanded.“Thisisn’tjunk.”Itwas her trump card, themusic box. She gave Sarah a knowing look and

turnedthekey.“Greensleeves”tinkledthroughtheroom,soundingstrangelylikethehauntingmusicoftheballroom.“Yes, it is!”Itwasjunklikeeverythingelse there, thelitterofa timeofher

lifethatshenowpassionatelywantedtoleavebehind.Sheknewwhatthegraydespairhadbeen.Thisroomwasaprison,andshewasherownjailer.Andsoshehadthekeytoreleaseherself,togoanddothethingthatmattered.“I’vegottosaveToby!”shecried.

Faintly, from somewhere beyond the room, she could hear her name beingcalled.“Sarah,Sarah!”Sherecognizedthevoices.ItwasLudoandSirDidymuscallingtoher.Shestoodup,hurlingfromhershouldersallthestufftheoldjunkwomanhad

beenstickingonher.Atthesametime,thewallsoftheroomstartedtovibrate.Thingstumbleddownfromshelves,handlesrattled.Thentheverywallsbegantofallapart,asthoughitwerealljerry-builtjunk.Sarah looked around to see what was happening. Through the crumbling

ceiling, twopairsofhandsappeared, reachingdown.Sheseizedholdof them,andthehandsatoncehauledherup,outoftheroom.Sherosefromapileofjunkandwassetdownonthefirmground.Ludowas

smiling;SirDidymuslookedbriskandcourteous.“Fairmaid,”hesaid.“Atlastthouartwithusagain.”Behindthem,shecouldseeagreatpairofgrotesquegates.Beyondthegates

wasJareth’scastle.

CHAPTERXVI

THEGATESOFGOBLINCITY

Sarahlookedatthegrotesquegatesanddidnotdaretobelievewhatshesaw.“Wherearewe?”sheasked.AllLudocoulddowasbeamwithjoy.“Sarah—back,”hestartedtosay.SirDidymus interrupted him. “We are at the gates of theGoblin City, fair

damsel.Beyondthoucanstdescrythecastle,theobjectofthyquest,didstthounotsay?”“That’sright.”SirDidymus lookedwistful. “Thouart sure, art thounot, that thoudost not

seekacastlethatrequirethfourteenyearsofknighterrantrythroughtravailsandperilsand—”“O,SirDidymus.Ludo.IhavetogoquicklyintoJareth’scastle,orI’ll lose

Toby.”“Toby?”SirDidymusqueried.“Mylittlebrother.”“Toby—Ludo—brother,”Ludobeamed.“Ah! Sir Tobias, our brother-in-arms,” Sir Didymus exclaimed. “Then

forward!”Heraisedhisstaff,spurredAmbrosiusandchargedtowardthegatesofGoblinCity.SarahandLudohurriedafterhim.Theydidnotseeashadowyfigurelurking

behindajunkpile.ItwasHoggle,andhewaswatchingeverymovetheymade.Outsidethegates,agoblinguardwasleaningonhisspear,soundasleep.Sir

Didymustooknonoticeofhim,butrushedstraightatthegreatgatesandbegantohammeronthemwithhisstaff.“Openup!”hebellowed.“Openthegates,inthenameofallthatis—”Sarah, catching up with him, put her finger anxiously on her lips and

whispered,“Sh!Quiet,SirDidymus.”Shepointedtothesleepingguard.SirDidymusglancedcontemptuously,andshouted,“Pshaw!Igivenota fig

forsuchgoblins.”Herepeatedhisclatteringonthegates.“Openup,Isay!”“Please,”Sarahentreatedhiminanurgentwhisper.Shesawtheguardgrunt

andstirinhisdeepsleep.SirDidymuswasindomitable.“Letthemallwakeup.Ishallfightthemtothe

death.”Andagainherainedblowsupontheresoundinggates.Theguard’seyelidswereflickering.Sarahgrabbedthetinychevalierbythesleeve.“Please!Please,SirDidymus.

Formysake,couldyoupleasetrytomakenonoise?”From his saddle, Sir Didymus bowed so low that his mustache swept the

ground.“Butofcourse,”heassuredher.“Forthee,fairestofmaidens,forthee,anything!” He put his mouth to her ear, and whispered, “But I am not acoward?”“Oh,no,”shewhisperedback.Ludoshookhishead,too,withgreatconviction.Sir Didymus had one more point concerning his knightly prowess that he

wishedtosettle.“Andmysenseofsmelliskeen?”“Oh,yes,”Sarahtoldhim.SirDidymusdrewhimselfupproudly,andhisvoiceroseagain.“ThenwillI

fight anybody or anyone, at any time, anywhere.” He thought, and shouted,“Withanyweapons.”Sarahwas pressing her finger to her lips again. “We know,we know,” she

whispered.“Nowplease,SirDidymus,shusheththeeup.”“Right,”hesaidwithalacrity.Meanwhile,Ludohadgoneuptothegatesandgivenoneofthemalittlepush.

Itswungopen.Thethreeofthemsneakedinside.Assoonastheyhaddoneso,theyheardthe

gatesslamshutbehindthem.Aheadofthemwasanotherpairofgates.Thispairwasalreadyopen.“Ah!”SirDidymusexclaimed,withaproudtossofhishead.“Theydarenot

shuttheirgatesagainstthemightofSirDidymus.”And,holdinghisstaffaloft,theflowerofchivalryledhisintrepidbandonward.The inner pair of gates, however, swung shut before Sir Didymus reached

them. And the appearance they now presented was a thousand times moredaunting thanmeregates.Eachdoorwashalf agiant suitofarmor.When thetwo halves of the gatemet with a thunderous clang, they formed one titanic,mailed warrior, whom the goblins called Humongous. His cavernous mouthutteredanunearthlymetallicbellow;hiseyesglowed.Inonehandhewieldedan

enormous,doubleheadedax.Sarah whimpered. She felt the ground tremble as Humongous, ax raised,

detached himself from the doors and stamped toward them. Beside her, sheheardLudo roar, but itwas amerepiping sound in comparison to the terriblenoisemadebythisGoliathgoblin.Ambrosius tookone look and sensiblybolted.SirDidymus, dumpedon the

ground,furiouslyorderedhissteedtoreturn.Ambrosiuswashavingnoneofit.Helurkedbehindabuttress.“Pshaw!”SirDidymusclickedhisfingersinirritation.“Wereyonwarriorand

Itojoustwithlances,Iwouldmakeshortworkofhim.”Humongouswasnotyonnow.Hehadcomecloseenoughtoaimamassiveax

blowatthetrio.Itmissedthem,butgashedagreatwoundinthestonewall.Afountainofsparksspurtedfromthesteelaxhead.The three dodged pastHumongous’s feet, but he jerked rapidly around and

smashedhisaxdownagainwithbothhands.Screaming,theyleapedapart,andthe ax hammered the ground between them, burying itself among shatteredpaving stones. The giant withdrew it effortlessly, and now, crouching, hedeliveredascythingswingatthem.Theythrewthemselvesflat,andheardtheaxwhizoverthemwithanoiselikeanignitedrocket.Theysaw theax raisedhighagain, and scuttled forcover to thewallof the

courtyard.Thedescendingaxcarvedasliceoffabuttress.Blowfollowedblow.Eachonewouldhaveleftnomoreofthemthanthereisofamosquitosquashedon awall. All that had saved them so farwas the inflexible, jerkymotion ofHumongous’sattack,whichgavethemasplitsecond’sforewarningofwherethenextannihilatingcrashwasaimed.Itwasonlyamatteroftimebeforetheygotitwrong,andHumongousseemedtohaveallthetimeheneeded,tramplingafterthem around the closed courtyard and evidently not wearied by the atrociousenergyofhisonslaught.In a brief moment between one blow and the next, Sir Didymus spotted a

movementalongtheparapetofonewall.“Look!”hepanted,andpointed.Itwasnearlyfatal.“Watch out!” Sarah screamed, and the three of them dived simultaneously

sideways as the ax whistled and crashed down again, raising a spray offragmentedpavingstones.While Humongous was lining up his next swipe, Sarah saw what the

movement on the parapet was. Hoggle was running nimbly along the

battlements,towardthearchovertheinnergates.“Hoggle!” Sarah yelled in encouragement, before sprinting between

Humongous’sfeetandoutoftheway.It was obscure what assistance Hoggle could bring them, but he was

scramblingsourgentlyupthearchthatheclearlyhadsomepurposeinmind.Humongous shifted his feet, like armored tanks, to get in his next blow. In

doingso,hepositionedhimselfwithhisbacktotheinnergates.SarahsawHoggle,nowontopofthearch,crouching,preparedtojumpdown

onthehornedhelmetofthegiant.Shecoveredherfacewithherhands,terrified,andpeepedthroughherfingers.WhathopelessheroismitwasinHoggle,likeaflyattackingalocomotive.Withatriumphantshriek,HogglelandedonHumongous’sshoulders.“Hoggle!” Sarah whispered, as she took off to avoid another thunderous

stroke.Hogglebalancedononeleg,andkickedthegiant’shelmet.Thetophalfofit

flewopen, on ahinge. InsideHumongous’shead, a tinygoblin in awhite labcoat, with eyes staring madly through thick lenses, was feverishly working abankoflevers.Hogglereacheddown,grabbedthegoblinunderthearmpits,andhurled him away. He landed haplessly on the flagstones of the courtyard andgropedforhissmashedspectacles.AlreadyHogglehadjumpeddowninsidethegiant’shead,andwasoperating

theleversthereasthoughhehadalwaysbeentheengineer.Perhapshedidknowwhathewasdoing,orperhapshe tugged the leversat random.The resultwasthatHumongous,elbowsbyhissidesandarmsraisedroboticallylevel,wentintoaconvulsion.Hisfeetdidashufflingsortofdance,historsoswayedfromsidetoside,theaxjerkedrapidlyupanddown,andhisneckswiveledfasterandfaster.Hoggle pulled more levers and then had to make a wild jump for it, asHumongous went careering off blindly, with his ax oscillating and steamspurtingfromhisjoints.HogglelandedinaheapatSarah’sfeet.Shehelpedhimup,buthadnotimeto

speak tohimyet.Humongouswasnowrampagingaround thecourtyard likeamad bull, bouncing off thewalls.His axwas lashing up and down on a longvertical axis,pulverizing thepaving stoneswhen it landed, andcrunching intohisownbackonthereversestroke.The giant’s random movements eventually brought him back to the inner

gates,wherehehadstarted.Onitsnextbackwardswing,theaxpenetrateddeep

into the cleft between two stones in the arch. It stuck there. In consequence,Humongous’s next attempt at a mighty downstroke was converted into aterrifyingleverageupwardofhiswholebody.Hewastooheavyforhisfeettoleave the ground. What might have happened was that the ax could havesnapped,or thewall collapsed.Whatdidhappenwas thatHumongousbent atthekneesandsaggedat thewaist, looking likea failedgianthammer-thrower,andlittlebluesparksshotupanddownhisarmorashiscircuitsoverloaded.“Are you all right?” Sarah asked Hoggle, bending down to fuss over any

bruiseshemighthave.Hoggleretreatedafewpacesandstoodwithhisfaceinclined.“I’mnotasking

to be forgiven,” he said obstinately. “I ain’t ashamed of nothin’ I did. I don’tcarewhatyouthinksofme.”Hewastoeingalittlestonearoundwithhisboot,hiseyesfixedonit.“ItoldyouIwasacoward.NowyouseesIwasonlytellin’thetruth.AndIain’tinterestedinbein’friends...”“Iforgiveyou,Hoggle,”Sarahsaid,simply.Hoggle cocked his gnomish head and looked at her from under one bushy

eyebrow.“Youdo?”heaskedinasmallvoice.SirDidymusstrodeacrossandslappedHoggle’sshoulder.“AndIcommend

thee,”hesaid,withhisotherhandrestingonhisstaff.“SeldomhaveIseensuchcourage.SirGalahadhimselfwillbeimpressedwhenwordreacheshisears.Weowetotheeourlives.Thouartthefragrantbloomofknightlyvalor,SirHoggle.”“Iam?”Ludopaidhistribute.“Hoggle—Ludo—friends.”“Weare?”Hoggleagreeduncertainly.SarahhadunfastenedthestringofbaublesshehadtakenfromHoggleinthe

hedgemaze—solongago,itseemed—andhandedthembacktohim.“Hereareyourthings,Hoggle.Andthankyouforyourhelp.”Hoggle took the jewels andgazeddownat them.Thenhe lookedupwitha

puckered grin. “Well,” he said, and started to stride toward the inner gates,“whatarewewaitingfor?”SirDidymuscalled,“Ambrosius!”Hissteedpokedhisnosecautiouslyaround

thebuttressbehindwhichhehadbeenhiding.“Ambrosius!”SirDidymusraisedhisvoiceimpatiently.Ambrosiusdidnotso

muchtrotassidleuptohismaster.Whentheknightwasmountedup,thepartymadeitswaycarefullyaroundthe

massiveshapeofHumongous.Thebluesparkswerestillfizzing.SirDidymusenthusiasticallyovertookHoggleandbeatupon the innergates

withhisstaff.Hogglepushed.Neitherof themcouldget thegatesopen,but itwasaneasyjobforLudo.WithoutHumongous,theywerenomorethanapairofheavydoorsleadingtoGoblinCity.

Jarethwasloungingonhisthrone,proppedupononeelbow.BesidehimwasToby.Goblinsstoodaround,watchingthemplaytogether,andwishingthattheyhad Toby to play with. It looked like fun. Jareth would tickle Toby, andwhenever he was within range the baby would punch Jareth in the face. Thegamehadbeengoingonforsometime.Jarethchuckled.“Spiritedlittlefellow.”Inmoresensesthanone,hethought,

butwhy bother to say itwhen all you’ve got in the audience are goblins?Henodded.“IthinkI’llcallhimJareth.He’sgotmyeyes.”Tobysmackedhiminoneofthem.“Andmydisposition,”Jarethadded.Agoblincamerunningintothechamber,trippedonachickencarcass,fellflat

onhisface,andfromtheredeliveredhismessage.“YourHighness!Thegirl!”Jarethglanceduplaconically.“What?”Thegoblinwaspickinghimself up. “Thegirlwho ate the peach and forgot

everything?”“Yes,yes,”Jarethsaidtestily.Asthoughhehadhadmorethanonegirlonhis

mindlately.“Whatofher?”Thegoblin’seyeswereboggling,andhehadonearmflungoutbehindhim,

pointing.“She’shere.”“Hm?”JarethstoppedticklingTobyandscrutinizedthemoronicmessenger.“Shehere,yourHighness!Withthemonster,andSirDidymus,andthegnome

who’sinyouremploy.”“Here?”“They’vegottenthroughthegates.”“What?”Jarethbarked.“Thegirlwhoatethepeachand—”“Yes!”Jareth’sfacewasworking.“ShegotpastHumongous?”

“Yes,yourHighness.He’sblownhisfuses.”“Blownhis—wherearethey?”“They’reontheirwaytothecastle.”Jareth stood up, holding Toby,whowriggled. “Stop her!” theGoblinKing

commanded.“Callouttheguard!”Thegoblinsmilledaround thechamber,screeching,“Callout theguard!”at

eachother.“Don’tmill,”Jarethtoldthem.“Dosomething.Shemustbestopped.”Asonegoblin,theyalldashedforthedoor.“Wait!”Jarethshouted.CarryingToby,hestrodeovertothemandhandedthe

baby to one of them. “Here,” he said, “take Jarethkin. She must not get thebaby.”ThegoblinwithTobyranoffoneway,while therestrushedoff toraisethe

alarm.Jarethwas left alone. “Shemust not get the baby,” he repeated to himself.

“Shemustbestopped.”

CHAPTERXVII

SAINTSANDWHISKERS

Goblin City was a shantytown, numbering about ten blocks of ramshacklehouses,hidingineachother’sshadows,withwindinglanesbetweenthem.Thebuildings rose to sharply pointed eaves or conical thatch roofs. The windowspenetratingthewallsweresohiggledy-piggledythatfromtheoutsideyoumightwonderif thehouseshadfloorsatall.Mostof thebuildingsweredecoratedinthe Goblin Grotesque style, timber trimmed to a rising point like a waxedmustache,goblinomorphicfeetorhornscarvedintoapediment.Thecat-prowledlanes were littered with scraps of food tossed from the windows, and othergarbagesorottenthatitwouldbeanunsavorytasktoanalyzewhatithadoncebeen.Theplacewashuddled in the shadowof the castle,which rose behind it in

bonnet-toweredandturretedsplendor.Awideflightofsteps,themainentranceto the castle, faced the inner gates of the courtyard, andmust have formed animposingapproachbeforetheshantytownhadrisenuptointerruptthevista.Sir Didymus on Ambrosius, Hoggle, Sarah, and Ludo tiptoed through a

marketplacejustinsidethegates.Itwasdawn,andthecitywasapparentlyfastasleep.Seeingthecastleloomingupaheadofthem,theymadetheirwayquietlythrough the lanes toward it.Here and there they crept past a snoozing goblin,proppedagainstawall.SirDidymusclearedhisthroatandannounced,loudly,“Thisstealthisaliento

mynature.”“Ssshhh!”Sarahtoldhim.“Quiet,yerwindbag!”Hoggleadded,inagrowl.“Sorry,fairmaid,”SirDidymusapologized,inavoicehardlyloweredatall.

“Iknownotthewordfear.”“Iknow,”Sarahanswered,“butIdo.”“AndIdoes,too,”Hoggleadded.“Shush!”Beyond theshantytown, theycame intoanopensquare.Thestepsup to the

castlewereonthefarside.Everythingwasstilleerilyquiet.Theybegantowalksoftlytowardthesteps.

Sarah’sheartwaspounding.“We’regoingtomakeit,”shewhispered.“Pieceofcake,”Hoggletoldher.He should have known better.When he had heard her use that phrase, the

penaltyhadbeentheslashingmachine.Thistime,itwaswar.Abuglesounded,and fromboth sides of the square the goblin army suddenly came charging atthem, with pounding feet and clanking armor and a weird, ululatingwar cry.Scoresofhelmetedheadscouldbeseenscuttlingalongthelowerrampartsofthecastle.Therewasonlyonethingtodo:runforit.Andtherewasonlyonewaytorun—backintotown.Thearmieswereissuingfromtwincorridors,whichcurvedaroundthesides

ofthemainstepssothattheirexitsfacedeachother.Aplatoonofbombardierstrundledacannoninthevanguardofeacharmy,andasthecorridorswereonanincline, and the cannons were heavy, and the trundling was enthusiastic, thecannonplatoonsweregoingtocollideunlesstheyhauledbackhard.Whichtheydid.Unavailingly, however, for the press of infantry and cavalry behind themdrovetheminexorablyon.Asthefourinvadersracedforthecoverofthetown,theyheard a stupendous smash, like a thousand empty cans crashing together.Theyturnedaround,andwatchedwaveuponwaveofthegoblinsoldierspilingupontopofeachother.Ontheramparts,aninaudiblebuglerwasredinthefacewithblowingthecharge.Jareth was standing perpendicular at a window of the castle, watching the

action.Hewinced,almostimperceptibly.Hoggle ledSarah,Ludo,and themountedSirDidymus inasprintalong the

mazy lanes of the town.Goblin heads popped out ofwindows above them towatch.SirDidymuswasprotesting,“Wemuststandandfightthemfacetoface.Itistheonlyhonorable...”Hoggle suddenly stopped, his arms spreadwide inwarning.The rest halted

behindhim.Atthefarendofthestreet,adetachmentofgoblinsappearedfacingthem,spikywithspears.“Uh-oh,”Sarahmuttered.“Thiscouldbeit.”“Fearnot,sweetdamsel,”SirDidymustoldher.“Thesepunygoblinsareno

matchforSirDidymus.”Heraisedhisstaff,andwasabouttochargethearmysinglehandedwhenAmbrosiuswheeledaroundandboltedagain.Thistime,hisrider managed to stay in the saddle and, after touring the streets, broughtAmbrosiusbacktowheretheyhadstarted.Sarahcalledurgentlyfromadoorway.“Inhere!”

Shehadfoundadesertedhouseinwhichtomakeastand.Itwasbuiltlikeatower.Reluctantly,SirDidymusdismountedandledAmbrosiusinside.Sarahslidthe

bolt.Shewasgrinningwithexcitement.Howeverextremetheperiltheywerein,nothing would ever be as daunting as the old junk woman. “You hold thedoorway,” she told SirDidymus. “Hoggle and Iwill guard thatwindow.Andyou,Ludo—upontheroof.”Ludonoddedobediently.“Ludo—up.”Heclimbed thewinding rungsof the

stairs.“Look out!” Sarah cried suddenly. On the wall of the room, she had seen

goblinshadows,snoutedandhorned,castthroughthewindowbytherisingsun.SirDidymusatonce tookuphison-guardpositionbeside thedoor.SarahandHogglestoodbyadresserfullofchina.Sarahcalledupthestaircase.“Ludo,areyouready?”“Ludo—ready.”Agoblinsmashedthewindowwithhispike,andstuckhisheadinsidetosee

whowas in there.Sarah,standingtoonesideof thewindow,broughtadinnerplatedownuponhishead.Hecollapsedontothewindowsillandrolledoutside.Anothertookhisplace.Anotherplateservedthesamepurpose.Atonce,athirdheadwaspokedin.Thisonehadtimetopeeratthedefenders.

“Hoggle!”thegoblinexclaimed.“Youusedtobewithus.”“Yes,”Hoggleagreed,andbrokeateapotonthegoblin’shelmetedhead.Another ugly head took its turn at thewindow, and another, and as fast as

their pointed ears and jagged teeth appeared they were stunned by Sarah orHoggle.SirDidymuswaswatchingwithmixedfeelings.Hehadtohandittothegirl,

shewasdoughty,andshemightmakeadecentcommanderofhorseoneday.Ontheotherhand,shehadpostedhermostvalorousknightinsideaboltedwoodendoor,wherenothingatallwasgoingtohappen.Inexperience,thatwasallitwas.Hewaswonderingwhethertodisobeyordersandjointhematthewindowwhenan axhead shaped like a trefoil splintered the door. Through the crack it hadmade,hesawmadredeyeswatchinghimandheardvoicestalkingrapidly.Thiswasmorelikeit.Hesquaredup.Then,throughthecrack,hesawhalfa

dozengoblinschargingwithabatteringram.Inatrice,heslidtheboltbackandopenedthedoor.Astheramwentpasthimatfull tilthedealtwitheachof itsbearers adroitly with a thrust of his trusty staff. “Have at thee!” he hollered

excitedly.“Engarde,sirrah!”He slammed the door shut and bolted it again, and was trying to use the

batteringramtoshoreupthesplintereddoorwhenitwasburstopenbyafreshsquad of goblins. He had no time to grab his staff. They leaped upon him,pinionedhimfacedowntotheground,and,holdinghishair,begantobashhisnoseonthefloor.Afterawhile,theypausedtoexaminetheirwork.“Ha!”SirDidymusshouted tauntingly.“Hadenough,haveye?Cravencurs,

howlittleittakestosubduevarletssuchasyeare!”They started to give him another bashing for that, but Sarah had seenwhat

was going on. A well-aimed chamber pot sent the goblins flying, and in amoment Sir Didymus was standing over them. “Saints and whiskers!” heexclaimed.“Isitworthsplinteringmystafftodispatchthelikesofye?”SarahandHogglewerestillholdingthewindow,buttheirreserveofcrockery

wasrunninglow,andthehordeofgoblinswasnotabating.Whentherewerenomoredinnerplates,jugs,orsoupbowls,theyhadtouseteacupsandsaucers,butsometimesittooktwoofthosetodealwitheachgoblin.Anotheroneof themhadtimetorecognizeHoggle.“Whathavewedone to

you?”thegoblinasked.“Notme,”Hogglereplied.“Her—youstoleherbabybrother.”“Sowestoleababy!That’swhatgoblinsdo.Youknowthat,Hog—”Hissentencewasendedbyasoup tureen thatHogglehadbeensavingfora

specialoccasion.Ontheroofofthetower,Ludowasshoweredwithspears.Hesimplyducked

belowtheparapet.Thenadetachmentofcommandogoblinsstormedtheoutsidewallsofthetower,clamberingupladderswiththeideaofoverwhelmingLudo.Hewasnotreadilyoverwhelmable,kickingthemdowntothegroundonebyoneastheyreachedthetopoftheladdersandpeeredovertheparapet.Theartillerywascalledup.Fromacannon,agoblinwithaspikedhelmetwasfiredatLudo.The outcomewas that the goblin’s helmetwas impaled in themudwall of anearbyhouse,leavinghimstuckoutbehindit,flappinghislimbs.SirDidymuswaslisteningkeenly.Outsidethedoor,hecouldheartwogoblins

conversing.“She’sgotbrains,”onesaid.“Yes,”theotherreplied.“Icoulddowithbrainslikehers.”“SocouldI,”thefirstsaid.“Toeat!”Sir Didymuswas incensed. To hear them impugning so beautiful a damsel

withoutmercywasmorethanhisknightlyhonorcouldtolerate.Throwingopenthe door and leaping onAmbrosius’s back, he cried, “YeGoths andVandals!Haveatye,then,forthefoulblasphemersthatyeareofamaiden’svirtue.”SarahlookedacrossandsawSirDidymuslevelhisstaffandchargeout.“No!”shecried.Itwastoolate.SirDidymus cameback amoment later, onhis back, head first.Ambrosius

followedatagallop.The peerless knight-at-arms was up and at them in an instant. This time,

Ambrosiusboltedwithhimall around the townagain,until theycame face tofacewith a bristling line of spears.More spears appeared behind them in thenarrowlane.“Don’tworry,Ambrosius,” SirDidymus told him. “I thinkwe’ve got them

surrounded.”Withadazzlingly rapid seriesof thrusts,parries, and flicks,hedisarmedall

the adversaries in front of him, and charged triumphantly forward into a lowporchbeam,whichunseatedhimfromthesaddle.Bythetimehewasonhisfeet,hewashemmedinbyspearpoints.“Ha!” he snarled. “Can’t take anymore, eh?Verywell. Throw down your

weapons,andI’llseetoitthatyou’rewelltreated.”Asthespearscamedownathim,heranuponeofthemandvaultedbackinto

the saddle, which unfortunately was no longer there, Ambrosius having onceagaintakenthesensiblecourseofaction.Meanwhile,Sarahhadhadanidea.“Ludo,”sheshouted,“calltherocks!”ThenoiseofthebattlewastooloudforLudo,atthetopofthehouse,tohear

her. She would have to go up to him. “Hoggle, retreat!” she called. “Up thestairs.”“Youfirst,”hecalledback.Shedidashesaid.Hogglefollowedher.Sir Didymus, hard pressed, ran into the house just in time to cover their

retreat.Hecameupthestairsbackward,cedingonestepata time,fendingoffhisattackerswithcutandpassado.Sarah racedup to the topof the tower.“Ludo,”shepanted.“Call the rocks.

Calltherocks,Ludo.”Ludodidnotneedthesecondbidding.Hethrewhisgreatheadback,closed

hiseyes,andbellowedlongerandlouderthananalpinehorn.

The towerquivered and the earth shuddered.Adistant rumblingwasheard.Bitsfelloffthecastlewalls.Whiletheywerewaitingfortherockstoarrive,theirimmediatepositionwas

perilous.SirDidymuscouldnotholdbackthe invadersformuchlonger.Ludohadkickedawaythescalingladders,andsotheyweregoingtobetrappedatthetopofthetowerunlesstherewassomewaydowntheoutside.NotevenLudo’sfriendstherockscouldhelpthemupthere.Sarahlookedovertheparapet.Allthegoblinswerecongregatedatthefrontof

thehouse,strugglingtoget inafter thosewhowereforcingSirDidymusback.Thelanebehindthehousewasempty,whichgaveSarahanidea.Just below the tower roof she had passed a roomwith two beds in it. The

goblins had not yet advanced that far. She ran down. “Hold themback for aslongasyoucan,SirDidymus,”shecalled.“’Twillbe thegreatestpleasureofmylife, fairmaid,”hecalledbackup to

her.Swiftly, Sarah knotted sheets and blankets together in a rope.Then she ran

backuptothetowerroof,tiedoneendoftheropetoacolumnoftheparapetandthrewtherestovertheside.Shelookeddownandwasrelievedtoseeitreachednearlytotheground.“Youfirst,Hoggle,”shesaid.Hehesitated.“I’macoward.”“No,you’renot.”Hepaused,almostsmiling.“You’reright.I’mnot.Funny,IalwaysthoughtI

was.” He grasped the rope, stood on the parapet, and shinned down to theground.ThenheheldtheropetoanchoritforSarah.Shefollowedhimdown.“Ludo!”shecalled.“Younext!TellSirDidymustocomeafteryou.”SeeingthebulkofLudoloomabovetheparapet,shecrossedherfingersand

prayedthattheropewouldbearhisweight.Shecouldbarelywatch.Itwasallright.Ludocamedown,alittletoofast,scorchinghispaws,buthe

landedsafelyontheground.NowitwastimeforSirDidymustomakegoodhisescape.Thethreeofthem,

theirheadscranedback,sawthe tinypuissantchevaliercomeonto theparapetwithhisbackturnedandhisstaffarmworkinghard.Withhisfreehandhetookhold of the rope and let himself a few inches down the outside of the tower.Then they saw him raise his staff and unhitch the rope from the parapet. Heplummeted.

Sarahpressedherhandstohercheeks.Hermouthopenedinhorror.But the resourceful knightknewwhathewasdoing.Withhis staff handhe

grabbedtheothersideofthesheet,andspreadhisarmswide.Theairfilledthesheet,andheparachutedgentlydownbesidehisfriends.Sarahusedthebreathshehadbeenholdingtogasp,“SirDidymus!Whatdid

youdothatfor?”“Prithee, sweet damsel,” SirDidymus answered, “wilt thou raise thy lovely

eyesaloft?”Sarahlookedup,andsawaringofbaffledgoblinfacesstaringangrilydown

fromthetopofthetower.“Thouwouldstnothavewishedthemtojoinourcompany,wouldstthou?”Sir

Didymusasked,hiseyestwinkling.Duringtheirescape,therumblingoftherockshadgrownintoanoceanicroar.

Theycamerollingacrosstheplainbythehundreds,answeringLudo’scall,andwhentheyhittheouterwallsofthecitytheybuiltthemselvesupuntilthenexttoarrivecouldjustrolluptheslopeandvault inside.Soontheyfilled thestreets,knocking goblins down like tenpins and ruthlessly pursuing those who fled.Therewas no hidingplace.The boulders crashed through the doors of houseswherethearmyhadtakencover,andwhenthegoblinsjumpedspread-eagledoutofwindows,therockswereclosebehindthem.Wholeplatoonsofgoblinswerewalledupbyrocksstackedagainstdoors.Theartillerycommander,knowingnootherwaytofight,orderedthecannon

tobeloadedanddischargedattheinvaders.Justasthefusewasignited,arockstuffed itself into the mouth of the cannon, which exploded, leaving thecommanderablackened,raggedscarecrow.Sarahledherfriendsbackthroughthechaotictowntothesquareinfrontof

thecastle.Acoupleofstrayhalberdiersboldlyconfrontedthembeforethesteps.From behind them, Sarah heard a loud rumbling. She whipped around andscreamed.Aboulderwasrollingatthem.Itleapfroggedthemanddroppedsplatonthehalberdiers.“Rocks—friends,”Ludoremarked,withatouchofpride.At the top of the steps was a tall, narrow, grotesquely carved door, the

ceremonialentrance.Sarahpushedatit.Itwaslockedandsolid.Ludowalkedpastherandbrokethedoordownasthoughitwerematchwood.Insidethecastle,agrandcorridorranaheadofthem,andatthefarendofit,

throughanopendoor,theycouldseethethrone,withthevulturesquattingabove

it.“Toby,”Sarahwhispered,andrantofetchhim.IfJarethwerethere,hecould

notstophernow.Nothingcould.Thechamberwasdeserted.Inthemiddleofitwasacradle,empty.Theclock

showedthreeminutestothirteen.Onhisperch,thevultureshiftedfromfoottofoot.Heopenedhisbeakandmadeanoiselikeghastlylaughter.

CHAPTERXVIII

SEEMING

“Toby,”Sarahwhisperedagain,gazingdownattheemptycradle.SirDidymuswaslookingfromherfacetothecradle.Heliftedtheblanketand

thepillow,searchingbeneaththem,andshookhishead.“AnexceptionallysmallknightisSirTobias.Icannotevenseehim.”“He’sgone,”Sarahsaid.“Jarethhastakenhim.”Thevulturemadeadrycacklingnoise.Sarah knew that Jarethwould not have abandoned the castle.He had to be

heresomewhere,andsohadToby.Thesoleexitfromthechamber,apartfromthewaytheyhadcome,wasaflightofstairstoonesideofthethrone.Shecouldnotseewhere it ledbecause thepassage turnedacorner,buta lovelyglowinglightwasemanatingfromit.“That’s theonlywayhecouldhavegone,”Sarahsaid.She ran toward it, takingcare toavoidsteppingon thehalf-gnawedchicken

bones,rottingtomatoes,squashedpears,andothergarbagethatlitteredthefloor.SirDidymus,Hoggle,andLudoranafterher.“No,” she said,whenshe reached the first stair.She turnedaroundand told

herfriends,“I...Ihavetofacehimalone.”Sir Didymus, already rehearsing his lunge and parry as he ran, was

disconcerted.“Why?”heasked.“Because. . .” It was a good question. “Because that’s the way it’s done,”

Sarahreplied.“Whosays?”Hoggleasked.“Theyalldo,”Sarahtoldhim.“Thestories,allofthem.”Thethreeofthemregardedherforsometime.Seeingthedisappointmenton

theirfaces,Sarahfeltwretched.Butsheknewthatshewasright.Atlength,SirDidymussaid,slowly,“Well,ifthatistheway’tisdone,then,

thatishowthoumustneedsdoit.”Heraisedhisstaffandsquintedalongit.“Butshouldstthouhaveneedofus...”“Yes,”Hoggleadded,“ifyouneedus...”

“I’ll call,” Sarah promised. “Thank you. All of you.” She smiled, feelingawkwardwithgratitude.Thensheturnedandranupthestairs,towardtheglowinglight.Itwasalongstaircaseandturnedthroughseveralangles.Shewaspuffingby

thetimeshereachedthetopandemergedontoastoneplatform.Whatshesawtookallherbreathaway.Above, below, or around her—which, she could not tell—was a vast stone

hall, with so many staircases, balconies, windows, and doorways at differentheightsandoddanglestoeachotherthatshehadnoideawhatwasupordown,nearor far, insideorout, backwardor forward.Planes reversed themselves asyouwatched them, receding corners suddenly jutted out, rising steps invertedthemselves, floors became ceilings, and walls turned into precipices. In thisroom,itseemedthatthelawofgravityhadbeenrepealed,andperspectivehadsevendimensions.Iftherehadbeenwater,ifwouldhaveseemedtoflowuphill.She felt sick and giddy, and had to cling to a pillar to remain upright. “It’simpossible,”shewhisperedtoherself.Aslongasshewentonlookingatthehall,itwentonaltering.Does itstillgoonaltering,shewondereddizzily,whennooneislookingatit?Withherback to thewall, sheedgedalong theplatform. If I take it stepby

step, she was thinking, I will get there. If there is a there. She edged along,hopingthatitwasalongandnotuporpastorthrough,untilshecametoapointthatshewasquitecertainwaswhereshehadstarted.Yes,therewasthetopofthestaircasebehindher.Shebegantoedgetheotherway,untilsheheardavoicefromsomewherebelow.Sheknewwhosevoiceitwas.“I’vebeenexpectingyou,”itsaid.With a deep breath, she inched to the edge of the platform. Beyond her,

apparentlysittingonaverticalwall,wasJareth.“Where’sToby?”Sarahasked.“He’ssafe.Inmykeeping.”“You’renotkeepinghim.”“Oh.Andwhynot?”“Ihavecomethisfar.Iamhere.”Jarethchuckled.“Sheerluck.”“Iamhere.GivemeTobyback.”“Youhaveunderstoodnothing,”Jarethtoldher.“Youhaveanswerednoneof

theLabyrinth’sriddles.Youdon’tevenknowwhatthequestionswere.”“Thatwasn’tourbargain.”Jareththrewbackhisheadandlaughed.“There,justasItoldyou.Youhave

understoodnothing.”“Youarewrong.Ihavecometounderstandonethingverywell.Youarejust

putting on a show of confidence. It doesn’t take me in anymore. You arefrightened,Jareth.”“Soareyou.”“Yes.”Forafewseconds,theywerewatchingeachother’seyes.Then Jareth began to move, all over the seven perspectives, and Sarah

watched him as he moved. He seemed to walk along ceilings and climbdescendingstairs.Hedancedonhighwalls.Andashemovedhecalledtoher.“Youarecruel,Sarah.Wearewellmatched,youandI.Ineedyourcruelty,justasyouneedmine.”Watching him, Sarah felt her knees start to wobble. She had fallen for his

trick.Shehadno ideanowwhether shewas lookingupordown,whether theplatformwhere she stoodwas solid or void. Everything switched continually,likeaphotographicnegativeatanangleto thelight.Sheheldherarmsoutforbalance,but itwasnogood.She stumbled,herhead spinning, and felt herselftopple.Shelandedonaceiling,andtriedtoadjusthersenses.Shakily,shestoodup.ThenshesawToby.Hewascrawlingupaflightofstairs,still inhisstriped

pajamas.“Toby!”shecalled.Thebabydidnotrespond.“Toby!”sheshouted.TheonlyanswershegotwasJareth’slaughter.Somehow,shehadtoreachToby.Shebegantoworkherwaydownaflightof

stairs.Amovementbelowhercaughtherattention.ShepeeredbeneaththestairsandsawJarethwalkingparalleltoher,apparentlyupsidedown,likeareflectioninice.Ormaybeshewasupsidedown.Sherantogetawayfromhim,togettoToby. Jareth mirrored her wherever she went. She ran along a balcony, andsuddenlyheappearedatthefarendofit,upright.Sheturned,ranback,andfell.Shelandedwithabruisingthud.Jarethwaswatchingher,laughing.

“Iwillreachhim,”SarahsaidtoJareth.Insteadofanswering,Jarethproducedacrystalballandtosseditupaflightof

stairs.Sarah’seyesfollowedit,andshesawitlandnearToby,whowashappilyclimbingonhandsandkneesupanotherstaircase.“Toby!”shecriedinalarm.Thebabywasfascinatedbythebouncingball.Hereachedforit,andwhenit

passed him he scuttled after it. Sarah saw him approaching the edge of aprecipitousfall.“No!”shecalledout.“Oh,no!Toby!”Tobywentovertheedgeandcrawleddowntheverticalwall,stillchasingthe

ball,whichwasbouncingaroundcrazilyindefianceofalllawsofmotion.Sarahblinked.Itwasimpossible.Jarethlaughed.ShestartedtofollowalineofstairsthatwentinthedirectionofToby.Asshe

drew near him, the baby crawled after the ball in another plane, leaving herstranded.Shefollowedhimagain,andthesamethinghappened,andagain.Hewasmovingonanaxiswithwhichshecouldnotintersect.Andeverywherehecrawled,heseemed tobeat riskof falling fromabalcony,or tumblingall thewaydownaflightofstonestairs.Suddenly,Jarethappearedbehindher.Helaidhishandsonhershouldersand

spun her around. Shewas tooweak to resist him.His face, as he looked intohers, was amused. It said: It’s been a fine game, Sarah, and now it’s time tofinishplaying,becauseyoucannoteverwin.In the corner of her eye, she saw a small movement. Toby was crawling

toward a window ledge. She shrugged Jareth’s hands from her shoulders andstaredatherbrother.Therecouldbenoopticaldoubtaboutitthistime.Outsidethewindow,birdswereflyinginthesunlight,andTobywasclamberingupontothe ledge. Between her and the baby was a vast space of the hall. He wasteeteringon the ledgenow, trying tostandup.Shecouldnot run tohim,evensupposingshewereable to findapath tohim through thedeceivingplanes. Itwaspossible,shecouldnotbesure, thathewasbelowher,and thatshecouldreachhimwithajump:ajumpsodeepthatshewouldcrackeveryboneinherbody.Jarethwassmilingtriumphantlyather.Thiswashowherquestended.Ifhe

could not keep the baby, nor would she. She watched Toby totter on hisprecariousperch,andasmallcrycamefromherlips.Sheclosedhereyesandjumped.

When she opened her eyes, shewas not surewhere shewas. It could havebeenanotherpartofthehall.Shethoughtsherecognizedit,butcouldnotplaceit.Yetsomethinghadchanged.Nearherwasanogeewindow,withoutglass,and

throughitshecouldseetheupperhalfofonewingofthecastle.Itwasinruins,thecladdingstonesmostlygone,grassgrowinginthegapsthey’dleft.Theturretroofs had collapsed, and brambles were reaching for the throat of the tower.Withinthecastle,whereshewas,sheheardintheairthehummingthatshehadcometoassociatewithJareth,butithadahollowringtoit,somethingforlorn,likemusic in an abandonedhouse. In the crackbetween two flagstoneswhereshelayshesawthatweedshadstartedtopushtheirwaythrough.Shestoodupandlookedaround.TherewasnosignofToby.Jareth stepped out from a shadowy archway, wearing a faded, threadbare

cloak.Hisfacelookedolder,drawn.Inhisblondmanewasatraceofgray.Howlonghadshebeenhere?Shedetectednochangeinherself.Jareth was waiting for her with his arms folded. She advanced upon him.

“Givemethechild,”shesaid.He paused before answering. “Sarah—beware. I have been generous until

now,butIcanbecruel.”“Generous!” She advanced another step. “What have you done that was

generous?”“Everything.Ihavedoneeverythingyouwanted.”Hetookapaceback,into

theshadowofthearchway.“Youaskedthatthechildbetaken.Itookhim.Youcoweredbeforeme.Iwasfrightening.”Takinganotherstepawayfromher,hegesturedintheair.“Ihavereordered

time,” he told her. The thirteen-hour clock had appeared, floating above hishead.Itshandswerewhirlingaround.“Ihaveturnedtheworldupsidedown.”Sarah continued to advance upon him, her arms outstretched. He retreated

deeperintotheshadows.“And I have done it all for you,” he said with a shake of his head. “I am

exhaustedfromlivinguptoyourexpectations.Isn’tthatgenerous?Stayback!”Heraisedhishandsasthoughtofendheroffandtookanotherpaceawayfromher.Inaloudervoice,herepeated,“Stayback!”Sarah’slipswereparted.“Throughdangersuntoldandhardshipsunnumbered,

IhavefoughtmywayheretothecastlebeyondtheGoblinCity—”“Listen!”saidagoblin,oneofanestinadarkcornerofthecastle.

Jarethwasretreatingstepbystepupastaircasebehindthearchway.Sarahcontinuedtoadvance,intothearchway.“—to take back the child you have stolen,” she recited. “Formywill is as

strongasyours—”“Stop!” Jareth raised thepalmofhishand toher. “Wait!Sarah, look—look

whatIcanofferyou.”Heraisedhisleftarmandmadealargegesturewithhishand.A glowing crystal ball appeared in it. He spun it around in his fingers,smiledwanly,andsaid,“Itwillshowyouyourdreams.Youremember.”Sarahtookanotherstep.“—andmykingdomasgreat—”“She’sgoingtosayit,”agoblinhissed.“She’sgoingtosaythewords,”gabbledanother,agitatedly.The stairs behind Jarethwere descending now, and he backed slowly down

themasSarah stoodabovehim. “I ask so little,”he said, spinning thecrystal.“Justbelieve inme,andyoucanhaveeverythingyouwant. . .everythingyouhaveeverdreamedof...yourdreams,Sarah...”She was frowning, and had halted her advance. “. . .and my kingdom as

great...,”shesaid.“Damn!”Agoblinshookhisheaddecisively.“That’snotit.Never.”“Sshh!”saidanother.Sarah’s fistswere clenchedwhite. Shewas thinking frantically.Whatwere

herrightwords?Jarethtookasteptowardher.Heneededherbeliefinhim.“Justfearmeand

loveme,”hetoldherinagentlevoice,“anddoasIsay,andI...Iwillbeyourslave.”Hestretchedhishandouttowardher,andtookanotherstepbackupthestairs.“Nah.”Agoblinshookhishideoushead.“Doesn’tlooklikeitnow,doesit?”Jareth’sfingerswereclosetoSarah’sface.She stood where she was, and swallowed. “Kingdom as great. . .,” she

muttered,“...kingdomasgreat...”Shesawthecrystalspinninginhisfingers,andfeltonherlipsthewarmthofhisoutstretchedhand.Shegasped,and,fromsomeinspiredrecessofhermind,thewordscame,blurtedout.“Youhavenopoweroverme.”“No!”Jarethscreamed.

“No!”thegoblinsexclaimed,astounded.Aclockbegantostrike.Jarethtossedthecrystalballupintotheair,whereithovered,abubble.Sarah

lookedatit,andsawJareth’sface,distorted,ontheshifting,iridescentsurface.Gently,itdrifteddowntowardher.Shereachedoutfascinatedfingersforitand,as she touched the bubblewith her fingertips, it burst.Amist ofwater atomsfloateddowntheairtowardJareth.But she saw Jareth had disappeared. She heard his voice, for a last time,

moaning,“Sarah...Sarah...”Hisemptycloakwassettlingontotheground.Abeamoflightpickedoutalittlecloudofdustmotesrisingfromit.Theclockcontinuedtostrike.With a last, slow flutter, the cloak lay still. From beneath it, as the clock

struckforthetwelfthtime,awhiteowlflewoutandcircledoverSarah.Tearsweretricklingdownhercheeks.

CHAPTERXIX

GOODNIGHT

Sarahclosedhereyestostemthetearsandbrushedhercheekswiththepalmsofherhands.“Imuststopthishabitofcrying,”shesaidaloud,asadistractionfromher sadness. “Imust also stopgasping,gulping, trembling, shouting, andgenerallygoingover the topwhen. . .”Thenshe remembered thatshehadnotfoundTobyagain,andsheopenedhereyesinalarm.Thewhiteowlwasstillflappingaboveher,butinotherrespectsthescenehad

changed.Shewasstandingonthestaircaseofherhome,anditwasdarkoutside.Sheraisedhereyestolookattheowl.Itcircledherforalasttime,foundan

openwindowandflewoutintothenight.Thenshewasrunningupthestairstwoatatime,shouting,“Toby!Toby!”Hewasinhiscrib,fastasleep.Shecouldnothelpbutpickhimupandcuddle

him.Heopenedhiseyesdozily,thoughtaboutcrying,butdecidedthathewasingoodenoughshapewithoutit,sohesmiledinstead.SarahpickedupLauncelotfromthefloorandputtheteddybearinhisarms,saying,“Hereyouare,Toby.He’syours.”Thenshetuckedhimintohiscribagain.Hewentstraighttosleep.Shestayedtherewithhimfora longtime,watchinghimbreathepeacefully,

withLauncelotinhisarms.Backinherownroom,thefullmoonwasshiningoutsidethewindow.Sheleft

thecurtainsopen,toseeit.Ifshewenttobedquickly,itwouldstillbeshininginwhensheturnedthelightout.Thealarmclockbyherbedshowedthatthetimewasaftermidnight.Herparentswouldbebackfromtheshowanyminutenow.She sat at her dressing table and picked up a hairbrush, but her attention

wanderedtothephotographsshehadaroundthemirror,hermotherandJeremy,smiling at each other like young lovers, the signed posters, the gossip storiesaboutaromanticattachment.Deliberately,shebegantoremoveonepictureafteranotherfromthemirror.Sheglancedateachbeforeputtingitawayinadrawer.On the dressing table one picture remained, of her father and mother and

herself,agedten.Sarahstraightenedthepicture.Thenshewenttogetthemusicbox andput it in the drawer alongwith the pictures and clippings, shoved farback.Downstairs, sheheard the frontdooropenandclose.Herstepmothercalled,

“Sarah?”Shedidn’tansweratonce.ShewasholdinghercopyofTheLabyrinth.“Sarah?”“Wait,”Sarahwhispered.“Iamclosingachapterofmylife.Justwait.”She

paused,andadded,still inawhisper,“Please.”Sheput thebookin thedrawerwithalltherest,andstoodwithherhandonitthere.“Sarah!”Sarahleftitamoment,thencalledback,“Yes.Yes,I’mhere.”Shelookedat

thedrawer,andsighed.“Welcomeback,”shecalled.“What?” Her stepmother, taking her coat off downstairs, paused, puzzled.

“Whatdidyousay?”shecalledup.Sarahopenedhermouth,andcloseditagain.Oncewasenough,shethought.

Oncewasall right.Anymorewouldbeoverweening. Inearlyoverwent there,shesmiledtoherself,andpushedthedrawershut.She straightenedup, andon thedarkwindow sawher reflection against the

moonlight.BehindherreflectionwasLudo.“Ludo—good-bye—Sarah,”hesaid.Shespunaroundwithacryofjoy.Theroomwasempty.Shecheckedthewindowagain.SirDidymuswasthere.“Andremember,sweetestdamsel,shouldstthoueverhaveneed...”“I’ll call,” she told him. She glanced around at the room again. Empty, of

course.SirDidymuswashurryingback into thewindowpane.“I forgot tosay,also,

thatifeverthoushouldstthinkonmarriage...”“Iunderstand,”Sarahtoldhim.“Good-bye,braveSirDidymus.”Hefaded.Sarahkepthereyesonthewindow.Shedidnothavelongtowait.

Hogglepoppedup frombehind thebed. “Yes, ifyoueverneedus. . . for anyreasonatall...”Hestaredatherfromunderhisbushyeyebrows,andstartedtofade.“Hoggle,”Sarahsaid,“Ineedyou.Ineedyouall.”“Sometimes,”theWiseManobserved,“toneedis...toletgo.”“Oh,wow!”saidhishat.“Andthat’sjustforstarters.”Outside the dark window, the white owl had been perched with his claws

hookedonabranch,aneffigyofwatchingandwaiting.Nowheswoopedawayoverthepark,onsilentvelvetwings,uptowardthefullmoon.Nobodysawhim,whiteinthemoonlight,blackagainstthestars.

THEEND

BRIANFROUD

ILLUSTRATIONGALLERY

Onthefollowingpagesarenever-before-seenconceptualdesignsforthegoblinsandcreaturesofLabyrinth,createdbyJimHenson’s longtimecollaboratorandworld-renownedfantasy illustratorBrianFroudbetween1984and1985.FroudwasintegraltotheconceptualizationofLabyrinth—andanumberofhisdesignswere eventually collected intoTheGoblins of Labyrinth, a gorgeous art bookthattookreadersdeeperintoBrian’screativeprocessonthefilm.

Thedrawingscollectedherecomefromtheconceptualstageof thefilm,whenBrian and Jim were working with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to build theworld of Labyrinth and to translate Brian’s drawings from the page to fully-operational puppets. These conceptual designs have never been seen publicly,andhaveremainedinTheJimHensonCompanyArchivessinceFroudcreatedthem. As part of Archaia’s ongoing effort to document the legacy of JimHenson,we’reproudtopresentadeeperlookatthegeniusofBrianFroud,andtohonorhiscollaborationwithJimononeofthebest-lovedfantasyfilmsofalltime.

StephenChristyLosAngeles,California

TWISTSANDTURNS

JIMHENSON’SCONCEPTSFORLABYRINTH,1983

IntheweekbeforetheDecember17,1982releaseofJimHenson’sfirstfantasyfilm, The Dark Crystal, select audiences were treated to exclusive premierescreenings in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. After the thirdscreening, Jim, his conceptual designer Brian Froud, and Froud’s wife andpuppetbuilderWendyrodeawayinalimousinefromtheInstituteofFineArtswhere the filmhadbeen shownand reflectedon their sharedaccomplishment.AsFroudrememberedalmostaquarter-centurylater,Jimwasalreadyproposingthat theystartdiscussionsaboutasecondfilmtogether.Froudwasenthusiasticand suggested a story with goblins, perhaps involving a passage through alabyrinth.TheideaappealedtoJim;ittappedintohisinterestinmythologyandfolklore(inspiredbyhisdaughterLisa’sstudiesatHarvardUniversity)andhisaffection for enchanted journeys like those in his literary favorites, Alice’sAdventuresinWonderlandandTheWizardofOz.

The Frouds returned to their home in England, and Brian began a series ofwatercolorsdepictinghisvisualconcepts,startingwithababyamidstagroupofgoblins. Jim took a much needed vacation, spending two weeks in Aspen,Coloradowithhisfamily,andthenbeganatwoandahalfmonthtourpromotingthe international release of The Dark Crystal. There was added excitementsurrounding thepremiereof the first seasonofFraggleRock onHBOand theCBC, and, along with promotional appearances, Jim spent a few days“fraggling”(asnotedinhisjournal)inthestudioinToronto.Givenhisrestlessimagination, there was no doubt that Jim, despite everything else, was alsotappingsomeofhiscreativeenergytothinkabouthisconversationwithFroud.MeetingsinLondoninlateJanuaryfollowed,andBrianandWendyFroud,Jimand writer Dennis Lee began formulating their fantasy. At the beginning ofMarch,Jimcarvedoutsometimetosetdownhisfirstconceptsonpaper.

Flying from Japan to Australia, Jim opened a cloth-bound blank book andinscribedhisnameandcontactinformation.Hedatedthefirstpage,notingthathe was in Tokyo, and on the facing page drew a dragon-like creature whosescalesresembledamaze.Hetriedoutafewtitles:TheLabyrinth.TheMaze.TheLabyrinth Twist. The Tale of the Labyrinth. Jim knew that beyond inventivesettingsandcharacters,acompellingstoryshouldbetheprincipalconcernashe

developed his next film.But instead of startingwith a storyline, Jim couldn’tresist beginning his exploration with descriptions of specific personalities,locations, and especially “episodes” – moments in the story when the maincharacter,calledTayaat thebeginningandeventuallydubbedSarah,wouldbechallengedwithariddleorneededtoescapeadangerousandstrangesituationinordertoadvanceinthelabyrinth.

JimimmediatelythoughtofaninteractionbetweenaKing,hisjesterandagiantBuddha.Coming to theprojectasbothdirectorandperformer,hewasalreadyenvisioning the camera angles and how specific mechanisms could give hischaractersrealisticmotion.Hedescribedaroomfullofsnakesandsuggestedaway to have them slither along using a system of interior ropes pulled inoppositedirections.Oneideaseemedtofulfillapuppeteer’sfantasy:“somethingwithsixfingers,”hewrote.HowusefulthatwouldbeforsomeoneinJim’slineof work! He wanted his players to encounter surreal situations, with reverseperspectivesandopticalillusions.Withoneword,“Escher,”helaidoutanideaforwhatwouldturnouttobeoneofthemostvisuallycompellingsequencesofthefilm:Jarethsinging“WithinYou”inthestaircase-filledroominspiredbythedrawings of Dutch artist M.C. Escher. Jim reminded himself that there wereunlimitedwaystocreatesurprisingvisualsandnoted,“Findchemist”toexplorethepropertiesofsmoke,andaskedhimselfhowdangerousitwouldbetoexploittheintriguingqualitiesofapuddleofmercury.

WhileJiminstinctivelyimaginedthecreature-drivenincidentsandeffectsfirst,hedidnotneglecttheimportanceofstorydevelopmentandbeganmakingnotestothatend.Goingbacktohisexistentialexperimentalworksfromthe1960slikeTime Piece,TheCube andTale of Sand, Jim grappledwith issues of illusionversus reality and how a person reacts when confronted with perplexingsituations.Henotedaneedtoresearchthehistoricalmeaningbehindalabyrinth,and eventually expanded his study, having colleagues pull material on visualhumor, puzzles, magic, screen icons, and archetypes of classic fairy tales.Perhaps informed by his work on Fraggle Rock, Jim began to formulate aphilosophy for the film that focused on forgiveness and understanding,emphasizingthewayswelearntounderstandotherpeople’spointsofview.

Jimcontinuedtoaddtohisnotebookduringthespringandsummerof1983.HehadrecruitedTorontoPoetLaureate(andFraggleRock lyricist)DennisLee tohelpdevelopanarrative.Afterseveralmeetings,muchcorrespondence,andwithinspiration from Brian Froud’s artwork, Lee produced a “poetic novella”

outlining a coming-of-age story set in a world of goblins, hairy beasts andanimatedmasonry.Jimconsultedwithnumerouspeopleaboutthestory,rangingfrom his in-house creative team and the Fraggle producer Larry Mirkin to aVanity Fair editor and the film’s executive producer George Lucas. Lee’snovella became the basis for the screenplaywritten byTerry Jones andLauraPhillipswhich,inturn,becamethebasisforA.C.H.Smith’snovelization.

With his small notebook, Jim had started on a path, uncertainwhere itwouldleadintermsoffilmmaking.“Afterall,”Jimsaidinthefilm’sproductionnotes,“lifeisakindofLabyrinth,withallitstwistsandturns,itsstraightpathsanditsoccasional dead ends.” Lucky for us, Jim’s handwritten wanderings led tolaughter, imaginative thinking, and to that magic time between sleeping anddreamingwhenanythingispossible.

KarenFalkArchivesDirector,TheJimHensonCompany

LongIslandCity,NewYork

GRAPHICNOVELSFROMARCHAIAANDTHEJIMHENSONCOMPANY

TheDarkCrystalCreationMyths,Volumes1–2BrianFroud,BrianHolguin,JoshuaDysart,AlexSheikman,LizzyJohn

FraggleRockVolumes1–2

JeffStokely,JakeMyler,JeffreyBrown,KatieCook,JoannaEstep,NicholAshworthandMoreFraggleRock:ClassicsVolumes1–2StanKay,MarieSeverin

JimHenson’sTheStorytellerRogerLangridge,MarjorieLiu,RonMarz,JeffParker,NateCosby,ColleenCooverandMoreJimHenson’sTaleofSandTheLostScreenplaybyJimHenson&JerryJuhlasrealized

byRamónK.Pérez

ComingSoonfromArchaiaandTheJimHensonCompanyTheDarkCrystalTheNovelizationA.C.H.Smith,BrianFroud

JimHenson’sTheStorytellerTheNovelizationAnthonyMinghella,Various