That evening over dinner Jareth had a proposition for Sarah.  “I think it’s time I began educating you on the ways of the Labyrinth, Sarah.  If you have even the slightest intention of staying here permanently, I should really give you some background on the Labyrinth’s history and how to live comfortably within it.  After all, I don’t want you stumbling into anymore disturbing hallucinations of previous guests,” Jareth said, his voice slightly mocking as he recalled that morning’s events.

Sarah eyed him doubtfully.  What was he up to now, she wondered?  “I guess that’s a good idea,” she agreed grudgingly.

He conjured up a crystal and placed it on the table between them.  “Look into this crystal Sarah, it will tell you the first chapters of the Labyrinth’s story,”

Eagerly she leaned forward and peered into its reflective depths.  She could see a barren, red land under a pinky-orange sky with nothing but low hills on its horizon.  Suddenly, it seemed like she was actually there rather than sitting in the dining room but she could still feel the hard, carved wood of the table under her hands and the soft chair she was sitting in.

The land seemed ancient already.  The dark orange sun gave out a tired light that was not as brilliant as the earth’s sun.  Yet for all that seeming age, there seemed never to have been anything there.   It was as barren as the surface of Mars, with not a blade of grass or stream of water to give any sign of life.

As the weary sun set in a subdued haze of orange and pink light, Sarah saw a dark figure on the horizon.  It was too far away for Sarah to recognize that it was anything other than human.  Just before nightfall, the figure came close enough to where Sarah was watching from for her to recognize Jareth.  She drew in her breath sharply.  What on earth was he doing in this God-forsaken place,  alone?  She wanted to ask him (as he was only sitting a table’s breadth from her) but she didn’t want take her eyes off the crystal.

She smiled when she saw him there.  He still looked like the Jareth she knew.  In silk shirt, fine stockings and boots - his wealthy background and fine tastes showed even in the middle of nowhere.  His hair was not quite so spectacular though.   It was still long and moonlight pale but it was pulled back in a leather thong at the nape of his neck.  He also looked less… she struggled for the word for a moment… less magical, or maybe just less theatrical?  The glitter look hadn’t arrived yet at any rate, she thought with a smirk.

As she watched the sun and moon set and rose in bewilderingly fast succession – almost like watching a video fast forward.  When it slowed down, all of a sudden there was a castle on the same horizon she had seen Jareth come over.  She recognized it of course, it was the same one she was now sitting in.  Judging by the number of moons she had seen set, it had taken him a few centuries to complete.

“How did you survive all that time in that wasteland?” Sarah murmured, not taking her eyes off the scene in front of her.

“I am immortal now, Sarah.  You know that.  I can survive quite comfortably without food or shelter,” he replied.  His voice sounded as though it was coming from a distance and with a start, she realized it was.  They were taking through the space of millennia.  Somehow the illusion she was watching was real and she was in two places at once – in the castle in the present and looking at the castle in the distant past.  Sarah made a mental note - I’ve got to ask him how he does that!

Again, she watched the march of many days in rapid succession.  Every now and then, time would slow down enough for Sarah to see the progress of the Labyrinth.  It began as a fairly simple stone maze set with vicious traps, obviously designed to keep enemies away although Sarah hadn’t seen any evidence of anyone else in that harsh environment.  As time passed it grew as though it had a life of its own, the arms of the maze snaking over the desert soil in ever increasing confusion. 

“How did all of this get built?  I can’t imagine it would be manual labor, so I would guess it was magic?” Sarah asked quietly, still concentrating on the panorama before her.

“That’s right,” he confirmed, watching her intent face.

“How did you acquire so much magic?   I don’t believe this kind of magic is possible on Earth where we come from, so how did you get enough to build this place?”  Sarah asked thoughtfully, frowning.

Jareth smiled.  He knew Sarah was bright enough to ask the important questions.

“When Patrick cursed me to this place, I became immortal.  With that, I also gained all the magic I wanted.  Patrick had decided I needed to be taught a lesson about the desire for magic.  He figured having vast amounts of it would cure me of the desire for it.  He was right,” Jareth said darkly, his mouth in a hard line of bitterness at the so-called Saint’s ruthlessness.

“Really?”  Sarah replied, watching the slow growth of the hedges that formed the part of the Labyrinth where she had rescued Ludo.  “Why was that?”

“Because I discovered that magic couldn’t give me what I really needed, what everyone born human really needs,” Jareth replied, still watching her face.

“Hmmm, what’s that?” Sarah asked.

“Other humans.  Other people,” Jareth stated flatly.

This made Sarah look up at him.  She examined his face carefully.  “But you brought me here,” she said, with a slight frown.

“Yes, but I can’t make you stay,” he countered, his pale face expressionless.

She looked back into the crystal.  The Labyrinth was now complete but it was still empty.  She watched as over time, strange creatures began to travel across the red desert and make their homes in various portions of the Labyrinth.  Flying creatures had seen the new kingdom from the air, and had spread the word amongst the ancient kingdoms surrounding the unforgiving desert lands.

The Fireys came first.  Loping across the desert without tiring, partying around a bonfire every night on the journey.   Once the Fireys had taken over the forest areas, the fairies flew in to take up their homes all over the Labyrinth in any small nook or cranny they could find.  Problems occurred when the dwarfs followed a century or two later as the fairies took a liking to pestering the small, awkward, ugly creatures of the soil.  As Sarah knew from her first visit to the Labyrinth, they never did resolve their differences.  The poison that the dwarfs used on the fairies didn’t do anything more than stun them for a while as they were immortal anyway and the fairies could never resist playing pranks on the surly race of dwarfs.  A long-standing feud developed that lasted for millennia.

The Ludians came next, lumbering across the wilderness from a mountainous region just as desolate as the desert lands.  They were few in number because although not immortal, they did live for hundreds of years.  They only had the opportunity to reproduce once in their lifetime and few ever did.  The one baby that they had with them during their travels was adorable with butter yellow eyes, soft white fur and no horns as yet.  Sarah smiled at the tiny thing, longing to hug it like a stuffed toy.  They lived in caves on the outskirts of the forest areas, near a massive waterfall in a gorge that Sarah had not seen during her time in the Labyrinth.  They were not a magical or particularly interesting race but they were peaceful and harmless.

Last of all came the noble race of Fox Knights, riding across the wastelands like an army with gorgeous, colorful silk banners and a stable of magnificent, shaggy sheep dogs for steeds.  Their multicolored silk tents set up against the rust color of the rocky sands made a glorious display each twilight.  Sarah smiled with genuine affection as she watched the gallant fox-like creatures constantly get themselves into duels of honor that ended in mutual declarations of respect, and calls for a truce and everlasting brotherhood.  So like her darling Sir Didymus!  She had no idea his entire race was like that.  It would be trying to be surrounded by so many gallant, courageous knights she suspected.  They settled in packs all over the Labyrinth, some setting themselves up as protectors of certain areas of the elaborate maze just like Sir Didymus and the bridge over the Bog of Eternal Stench.  With a giggle, Sarah remembered that Sir Didymus’ sense of smell was rather bad and judging by the number of other packs that settled close to the Bog, she reflected that it must be an affliction (or blessing?) of the entire race.

But it was still a long time before Jareth would discover how to enter the mortal world of earth again.  The Labyrinth grew wild and dangerous while he searched his magic for a way to re-connect with his old world.  Finally the break-though came and like most things magical – it was very simple.  Now as an immortal, condemned half-fae he could visit a human only if he was invited but once invited, he could do as he pleased.  By the time he did the Labyrinth was a wild, overgrown place full of old magic.  Even Jareth did not know exactly what was out there anymore. 

Finally he began watching for young women to trick into coming to the Labyrinth – for how else was he to find his salvation if he did not find the one who held the key?  He had thought once he had learned the trick of bringing these women to his kingdom, it would not be long before the right one appeared.  How wrong he’d been!

It was an easy enough to plant the idea of a being like himself into these young women’s conscious mind.  A story told by a traveling story-teller, a picture, a dream he sent.  Sooner or later, they’d make a wish that would give him a limited power in their lives.  And they all failed - thousands of them!  Jareth watched with Sarah as some of these women passed through his realm. 

Jareth pondered as he watched their quests alongside Sarah - who could understand why he would love Sarah and not all the other women who had visited his realm?  He just did – the heart had reasons which reason knows not, as some gifted earthling had written not that long ago.  It seemed hard on the women who failed simply because he could not love them, he reasoned.  But then again, noone made them come to the Labyrinth either.

Some of the women gave up before they even got inside the outer walls.  Some gave up in the oubliette.  Some got lost in their hallucination, some got caught by the Fireys and others simply ran out of time.  Any children that were wished away became goblins.  Over time, the goblin population rose to the thousands.  Sarah glanced quickly at Jareth’s face.  His expression was one of bored impatience and a kind of disappointed resignation.  

“These women weren’t all stupid,” Sarah said, watching a rather stunning, flame-haired woman fall into an oubliette.  “Why did they fail and I succeed?  I mean, it’s not because I’m smarter than every single one of them,” she said shrewdly.

“You’re smarter than most of them,” he replied indifferently.  “But you’re right, it’s not just a matter of brains,”

“What is it a matter of?” she asked, frowning.

“My will,” he answered coolly.

Sarah suddenly remembered something.  “For my will is as strong as yours,” she repeated softly.  A flicker of some emotion Sarah couldn’t quite place passed over his face but was quickly gone.

“Exactly,” he drawled coldly.

“They look pretty willful to me,” Sarah remarked looking at one scowling brunette in the crystal.  “Don’t you like blondes or something?” she added with an amused grin.

He looked at her impatiently.  “Don’t be frivolous Sarah,” he said, his velvety voice sounding edgy.

“That’s rich, coming from a guy in tights with a bigger wardrobe that a fashion house,” Sarah rejoined rudely, trying not to laugh.

“You can talk.  If you had your way you’d wear nothing but those unattractive jeans,” Jareth snapped back.  “Besides, my clothes are much less weird than your precious David Bowie’s,” he added jealously.

“That’s true,” Sarah agreed honestly. 

Jareth sulked in silence for a bit.  He felt very unappreciated.

Sarah watched as the crystal went clear.  “And so, here we are.  Perhaps the last chapter,” Sarah remarked, feeling as though she’d lived a thousand lifetimes watching the Labyrinth’s history.

He stared darkly at her.  So much rested in her hands and she really had no comprehension of the enormity of it.  He felt his chances were narrow of her falling in love with him.  In a way, if she didn’t he hoped she would go home.  He couldn’t bear to have her in his realm and not by his side.  It was so hard not to try and seduce and dazzle her into staying with him but it would defeat his purpose  -which was of course, to win her love.

She looked at him steadily out of her green eyes, noting his dark mood.  “So, why do you need the person who defeated the Labyrinth to stay permanently?  How does that break the curse?  What will happen if I do stay?” she asked bluntly.

“If you don’t stay, I can’t die – I’m permanently in this limbo,” he responded, his mismatched eyes boring unblinkingly into her soul.  “If you do stay, I’ll die when you do.”

“What will happen to your kingdom if you die?” she asked, shocked.

“Well my dear, I was hoping to have an heir to pass it onto,” he said silkily. 

Sarah’s eyebrows rose at that pronouncement.  “Uh huh,” she said doubtfully.  “And um, where are you planning to get a mother for this heir seeing as you can’t seem to keep any of your visitors here?” she inquired, glancing at the pictures of the thousands who had been and gone.

Jareth indolently eyed Sarah up and down a wolfish smile on his pale lips, deliberately trying to un-nerve her.  “If you stay you could always help me produce one,” he said smoothly, leaning across the table with an attractive leer.

Sarah was about to say something very rude but settled for rolling her eyes in the true fashion of a disgusted adolescent.  “Geez Jareth, is that your idea of a proposition?  Can’t you do any better than that after over 80,000 years to practice in?  I’ve heard better lines from guys at a school social,” she remarked rudely. 

Her discourtesy did not phase him in the least, and he continued to smirk at her from across the table.  Suddenly Sarah got annoyed and stood up.  She leaned over the table until her nose was two inches from his and said,  “I am tired of your silly games Jareth.  I am fed up with the smoke and mirrors and party tricks.  Most of all, I’m tired of you always wearing some kind of mask with me.  Good night.”  With an annoyed flick of her midnight dark hair, she turned and left the room in funk.

He frowned somberly as he watched her march out of the room, angry with himself.  He kept forgetting she was still a teen-ager and didn’t have the skills to cope with adult games.  He threw his goblet across the room in a sudden fit of pique.  He shouldn’t be playing games with her anyway, she deserved better than that.