Feeling better again, Lili washed her face and teeth.   Thank God Sarah doesn't like cookies, Lili thought, shuddering.  How in the world had Lucy confused soap with sugar? She filled a glass with water, opened the door... and froze at the sight before her.  Astonished, she let go the glass. In the middle of her room stood a strangely dressed man -in tights!- with spiky blond hair. He was tall and slender and seemed to be just as surprised as she was.  Lili had the very upsetting feeling that he was not one of Sarah's or Michael's friends.  "Who... who... are... you?" she managed to ask. Jareth forced himself to recover and smiled evilly again.  "I am Jareth, the Goblin King and you, young woman, are in the wrong place in the wrong time," he said seriously. Then, his gaze darkened.  "Now, where is she?" he asked. Completely taken aback, Lili didn't see a handsome man; she only saw a dangerous stranger.  She just watched him wide opened eyes, wondering if there was a mental institution near Sarah's house.  She also wondered what a goblin was and who –‘She’- was. "Well?" he prompted icily, approaching her. Lili went a step back, scared.  "I... don't know whom are you... talking about," she answered and, at the murderous look he gave her, she cleared her throat and swallowed.  "Perhaps if you tell me her name... I would be able to help you... your Majesty," she added in the most respectful tone that she could manage.  If that insane, dangerous man believed himself to be a king, she would not contradict him. Jareth stopped and looked intently at her, as if trying to tell if she was teasing him or not...  and it seemed that she was being serious.  "I am looking for Lili Williams," he answered at last. Lili paled and a chill ran through her body.  What could that man possibly want with her?  She had never seen him before!  "Why?  What do you want with her?" she asked in a barely audible voice, unable to stop herself. "That is not of your concern!" Jareth barked.  "Where is she?" he repeated. He waved a hand and, to Lili's astonishment, a crystal sphere appeared floating before her. "How... how did you do that?" she asked in awe, realizing that he might be what he had claimed to be...  Not that the idea comforted her. The Goblin King just shrugged.  "Magic," he said matter-of-factly. "Magic?" she repeated, looking at him in disbelief.  Then, at his warning glare, she returned her attention to the crystal and blinked in surprise; there was the image... of Lucy! "So, where is Lili Williams?" Jareth suddenly whispered in her ear. Startled, Lili screamed and jumped away from him, but in doing so, she accidentally broke the crystal.  "Sorry," she apologized, biting her lower lip. Jareth sighed and created another sphere, although this time he held it. "I am starting to lose my patience, child," he said in a warning tone.  "Where is she?" he asked again, raising his hand to her eye level.  "And do not dare to lie to me.  I shall know if you do so," he hissed. Lili shuddered under his cold stare, still not believing such a thing was happening to her. What would she do now?  For a reason beyond comprehension, that weird and dangerously powerful... king thought that Lucy was her... and she could clearly tell how much he hated Lili Williams... her.  She simply could not tell him the truth... or could she? She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.  "The woman that appears in the sphere is not here... your Majesty," she answered honestly enough. "What!" Jareth exclaimed in frustration, throwing the sphere to the wall. "You are lying!" he stated and, in a quick movement he rudely grabbed her wrist. "She is not here!" Lili exclaimed, desperately meeting his mismatched eyes. Seeing the fear and pain in her eyes, he softened his gaze and finally released her.  For an odd reason, he felt unexplainably... guilty.  With a deep sigh, he sat on the bed, his head between his hands.  "Just my luck," he muttered, all his previous excitement gone. Once free, Lili rubbed her aching wrist and thought of running away, but then, she realized she could not leave that man alone in the house.  What if Sarah saw him? In her present condition, it was better for her sister to avoid unpleasant situations... and besides... he looked so devastated... "Are you all right, your Majesty?" she asked softly. Jareth raised his head and gave her a surprised stare.  Why did she treat him with such respect and kindness... after he had been so rude?  He was used to stormy eyes and defiant words -and screams.  Every time a girl had called him, he-- The king abruptly stopped that train of thought and opened his eyes wide. Of course!  She had not summoned him.  In fact, he realized she had never heard about him. She was not one of the dreamy girls who had fantasies about him.  He smiled as an idea occurred to him...  Maybe the visit had not been in vain... "What is it your name, child?" Jareth asked, rising form the bed. Lili unconsciously went a step back.  "I... Li... Lucy," she answered, hoping he had not noticed her hesitation. "Can you cook?" he asked then, a strange twinkle in his eyes. Puzzled, she just nodded. "Good," he said, almost in a sinister way.  He approached her until they were separate by a couple of centimeters.  "As I told you before, you are in the wrong place at the wrong time." "What do you mean?" she asked, not liking his tone... not to mention his nearness. "I mean, Lucy, that Sarah will have to get herself another maid," he explained, amused. "You will come with me." "What!" Lili almost yelled in disbelief.  He thought she was Sarah's maid and ... he wanted...  to take her with him!  "You... you just can't go around kidnapping people!" she managed to say, even though she had the strong feeling he could do whatever he wanted to.  "They will send the police after you!"  To her astonishment and annoyance, he burst into laughter.  Jareth simply could not stop laughing.  Indeed she had no clue of who he was.  Suddenly, he became serious.  She was right.  He did not want to alert Sarah or her sister of his presence. Without a second thought, he conjured another sphere.  This one, however, it was bigger and had a blue-golden glow.  He sent it, floating, to her. Lili watched the crystal approaching and tried to move away, but she was frozen. "Do not worry, it will not hurt," Jareth said in a soothing tone that surprised him. To Lili's despair and panic, the sphere suddenly entered her head.  Feeling that she had cotton instead of brains and deeply afraid, she closed her eyes and a single tear slid down her cheek. "Enough," Jareth commanded.  As strange as it was, he did not enjoy her fear. The crystal left her head and she could finally move.  Lili opened her eyes and blinked; nothing seemed different with her.  Unable to stop herself, she raised a hand to touch the glowing object. "I would not do that if I were you," Jareth warned her.  He extended his hand and the sphere went obediently to him.  "If this crystal is broken, you will die." "What have you done to me?" Lili asked seriously, taking a hand to her temples.  "You had no right!" she stated, her fear momentarily forgotten. Jareth raised a bemused eyebrow at her sudden anger.  "You are wrong, Lucy.  I can do what ever it pleases me," he said.  Then he carefully held the sphere. "This crystal holds your life, your memories," he explained, causing it to vanish with a casual wave. "But... I still remember," Lili whispered. He shook his head.  "You do not understand.  I did not erase your memories.  I just erased your existence from Earth.  No one will ever remember you."  Before she could say a word, he grabbed her wrist again, although not in such a rude way as before.  "Well, time to leave, Lucy," he said.  "I shall take care of Lili Williams later," he added evilly. "Where?" Lili asked in a small voice. "To my kingdom of course," he answered matter-of-factly. Lili sighed, defeated.  "Please wait," she begged, resigned by now.  What could she possibly do against someone like him?  "I need my shoes and the rest of my things," she said, indicating him her sneakers and her bag. Jareth rolled his eyes.  A second later, Lili had her shoes on her feet and the bag on her shoulder.  "Enough of talking," he ordered as a warm, sparkling wind began to blow.  "Say good bye to your world... forever." Lili bit her lip and closed her eyes.  *Sarah...* she whispered in her mind, just before disappearing...   When the wind stopped blowing and the floor felt solid again, Lili opened one eye and then the other.  Her jaw fell open. "Welcome to my castle," Jareth suddenly announced, proud and amused by the girl startled expression.  "This is the throne room." Overwhelmed by the recent events, Lili just nodded.  She stood in the middle of a huge chamber; the floor and the walls were made of stone, furnished only with a hrone.  Yes, it was a huge... dusty chamber.  Lili began to sneeze uncontrollably. "Here," Jareth said, slightly annoyed, handing her a handkerchief. "Thank you," Lili replied and was about to add something else, when she noticed strange creatures of all sizes and colors, running -and jumping- all around.  "What are they?" she asked, her scientific mind momentarily putting her fear aside. He seemed surprised by her question, but then shrugged.  "They are goblins." Lili blinked as a sudden realization hit her.  "Now I see... they’re your goblins, your subjects," she said, looking at him, unable to stop a grin drawing on her face. Jareth just stared at her.  A small part of him thought her pleasant smile was oddly familiar, but the biggest part of him was annoyed by her comment.  He felt his cheeks flushing with anger.  Was she laughing at him?  Was she... suicidal? At his angered expression, Lili became instantly serious.  "Oh, but... but they are... kind of funny... your Majesty," she respectfully added. "Funny!" he exclaimed, still angry, but not as much as before.  "Funny?" he repeated in disbelief. Lili nervously ran a hand through her short hair and bit her lower lip. "Yes... I didn't mean to... offend you, sire," she apologized.  "I am sorry.  I--" Lili stopped when she suddenly heard a scream behind her.  Sounding vaguely like a "Watch out!"  She turned and saw something flying toward her.  Realizing the danger, she quickly moved out of the way.  The annoyed Goblin King however, did not see the unidentified flying object... "They are not funny!" he barked.  "They are stupid, ugly crea--"  The huge ball of mud -or something similar- that came to land on his face unceremoniously interrupted him.  Immediately, the room went deadly -and unusually- quiet.  All the goblins froze and looked at their master with wide, terrified eyes. Beyond anger now, Jareth magically clean himself.  He shot Lili a cold do-not-dare-to laugh stare and then turned to the frightened creatures.  "And who is the responsible of this sacrilege?" he asked in an icy, calmed voice. As one, the goblins went a step back, leaving two trembling dwarves to answer their king's questions. "Well?" Jareth prompted. The creatures exchanged scared glances and then began to discuss the matter between them, apparently forgetting their angry master. "It was your fault!" one of them exclaimed. "No!"  You did it!" the other one replied. "I did not!" "Yes you did!" "I did not!" "Enough!" Jareth suddenly yelled, losing his patience. The two goblins stiffened.  "Your... Majesty... we--" "Just shut up!" the king added, snapping his fingers.  In the blink of an eye, the two unfortunate creatures disappeared.  "Yes!  Now I feel better," he said, turning to a speechless Lili, a satisfied smirk on his face. "What... happened to them?" she managed to ask. His smile widened,  "I only send them to the Bog of Eternal Stench," he answered simply.   "There is where I... send foolish goblins -or people- who do not obey my orders.  Not a pretty place, believe me, Lucy," he added in a warning tone. Lili quickly nodded, definitely not wanting to know more about it. "Good," he said.  Then, he grabbed her wrist again and, with a wave of a hand, they disappeared.  A second later, they materialized in a huge chamber; Lili realized it was the dining room.  A large, elegant table was located in the center and a beautiful chandelier made of sparkling crystal hung above it.  The chairs had an emblem -an ethereal owl with a crystal on its forehead- embroidered on the back.  Delicate tapestries of unicorns and dreamy landscapes covered the walls.  Everything was covered with dust. "The tapestries are amazing," Lili whispered in awe. "They are just tapestries," Jareth said in a bored tone and then raised his hand to disappear again. "No, please," Lili stopped him, grabbing his arm.  "Can we just walk?  I’m not feeling well." "Walking is for mortals," he stated, looking at her slender hand on his arm with surprise. Lili blinked and withdrew her hand.  Then, it hit her.  "Mortals?" she repeated, tilting her head questioningly. He smiled, amused by her puzzled expression.  "Yes. You are only a human, but I am one of the Fey, immortal and incredibly powerful," he explained solemnly, beaming with pride.   "Magic is within me."  With that, he raised his hand for a second time, but Lili interrupted him again. "I am a mortal," she stated, taking her hand to her stomach.  "Please, " she begged and, feeling suddenly very dizzy, she dropped her bag and, in spite of herself, she had to lean against him. Jareth seemed taken aback for a second, but then sighed and gently guided her to a chair.  "Here," he said, materializing a glass of water in her hand. "Thank... you."  She took a small sip and left the glass over the table. "I don't know what happened to me," she added, embarrassed. "It is the magic," Jareth explained, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully.  "Perhaps the sphere spell I cast on you has unexpected side effects.  Maybe this is all the magic your body can handle.  How strange."  Without another word, he went to the door.  Shaking her head, Lili rose from the seat, picked up her bag and followed him. As they walked through the castle, Lili watching everything wide opened eyes.  It was so big! "This is the library," Jareth declared unnecessarily, as they entered a chamber filled with bookshelves.  Lili loved to read and at the sight of so many books, a smile lit up her face.  There was a chandelier similar to the one she had seen before; comfortable armchairs were located near the fireplace and tapestries hung on the walls, with the owl emblem again. Unable to stop herself, she approached one of the shelves and extended her arm to pick up a book, when Jareth spoke. "You will be able to read only after your duties," he said seriously. "That is if you have time... and energy," he added amusedly. Frustrated, Lili sighed and lowered her hand.  She turned to face him.  "Of course, your Majesty," she said respectfully, although with a hint of annoyance.  "Only after my duties." Jareth looked intently at her and, just as it had happened before, he was surprised by her respectful attitude.  Indeed she was different from other women he had known. Lili blushed under the Goblin King stare and shyly lowered her gaze and smoothed her T-shirt. Jareth raised a bemused eyebrow at her obvious embarrassment and found himself strangely moved by her reaction.  She appeared to be so naive and innocent, just like a child.  Perhaps he should have not brought her with him and-- Jareth abruptly stopped that unusual train of thought and stiffened slightly.  Now... where that had come from?  He had done the right thing in bringing Lucy to his castle.  He did need a maid!  He shook himself and cleared his throat. "Come with me," he said seriously, "there are still rooms I want to show you." Lili nodded, but did not move.  She just kept looking at him. "What is it?" he asked, seeing her troubled expression. "Will... I have to clean... the whole castle?" she asked in dismay. Jareth blinked at her question and, amused, he shook his head.  "No.  It would take a complete army to clean the entire castle.  I just want you to clean the rooms I have already showed you and all the ones I shall show you," he answered with a wicked grin. Lili swallowed hard and nodded; not fully convinced.  What kind of answer was that? The "tour" continued and the next place Jareth showed her was his private study.  Compared to the other chambers, this one was clean and not so big.  Its walls were veneered in wood and decorated with tapestries.  The study was furnished with a hand carved desk, a chair that matched, four leather armchairs, a side table and a shelf filled with books.  The floor had thick carpeting and there was a marble fireplace. Lili admired the room.  It was so warm and comfortable that she had to fight the urge to take off her shoes and sit on a coach. "This is my favorite place in the whole castle," Jareth said, interrupting her appreciation of the chamber.  "That is why I want you to keep it extremely clean and tidy." Lili nodded.  "Yes, your Majesty," she answered, unconsciously in a military mode. Jareth gave her a quick glance and then continued.  "Good.  The same applies to my private chamber," he added, walking across the study, toward a closed door -not the same one from which they had entered a couple of minutes ago.  He opened it and stepped through the doorway. Lili gave a last look at the beautiful place and then followed him... and gasped.  His private room was... well... a king's chamber.  It has an inviting balcony and it was big -as was everything in the castle- and solemnly elegant, with the most beautiful and fine piece of furniture she had ever seen.  A hand carved desk was placed near the glass doors that led to the balcony together with a chair of the same style.  There were two comfortable armchairs located by the fireplace and, over it, hung a painting of Jareth in all his glory.  Lili rolled her eyes at the portrait, even in a picture he was surrounded by a powerful aura.  Then, her gaze was drawn to the king size bed.  The headboard was beautifully carved with delicate figures of flowers and trees, a black comforter lay over the bed and there was a matching night table on each side.  She kept on looking and the next thing that caught her attention was a big mirror located at the other side of the room.  Curious, she approached and realized it was decorated with small winged dragons, unicorns, castles and little people.  She smiled in delight as she suddenly remembered the stories Sarah used to tell her when she was a child.  Her grin quickly faded as she realized that, probably, she would never see her sister -or the rest of her family- again.  She shook her head and rubbed her eyes to prevent a rebel tear from falling.  She then returned her attention to the mirror... and froze. "There’s no reflection!" Lili exclaimed. "Of course not.  I was wondering when will you notice it," Jareth replied with a hint of amusement.  He had been watching intently her inspection of his room, secretly enjoying her awed expression.  In spite of his previous words, he too had been a little surprised by her lack of reflection.  Maybe the spell he had cast on her had been too powerful.  He mentally sighed.  That meant he would not be able to use his crystals to check on her or cast any more spells upon her.  It seems that his new maid would require some... indulgence from his part.  He shook his head.  Oh well, he could live with that.  His image, however, did appear in the mirror and he fixed his blond hair.  "This is a magic mirror and, since you have no magic, it does not recognize you."  He paused for a moment and took a hand to his chin in a thoughtful mode.  "It seems that magic itself does not recognize you.  I wonder if it is so because of my spell or if you were just born like that." Lili only nodded and continued starring at the mirror. "Anyway, it does not matter," Jareth said, shrugging.  Then he walked to the glass doors and opened them.  "Come here, Lucy," he commanded, stepping into the balcony.  "This is my kingdom." Distracted by her lack of reflection and still not used to that name, Lili didn't obey him. "I am waiting," he insisted, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Startled, Lili realized he had been talking to her.  "Sorry, your Majesty," she apologized, walking toward him.  "I--"  She abruptly stopped and openly gaped at the incredible sight before her.  An enormous maze extended beyond the horizon and she noted the castle was in the center!  "A labyrinth!" she exclaimed in awe. "Yes," Jareth said, unable to hide his pride.  "This is my labyrinth, a dangerous and ever changing place where human will is tested," he explained, raising his arms as if he were embracing the maze. "It is... amazing, Lili whispered and then looked up at him, puzzled.  "Test the human will?" He blinked in surprise at her question and chuckled, his mismatched eyes shone sinisterly.  "Remember when I told you about my immortality?" he asked and, at her nod, he continued.  "For thousands of years it has been my right to answer the summons and claim all the unwanted children to bring them here to my castle." "What... do you do... with them?" Lili asked then, not completely sure she would like the answer. "I turned them into goblins, of course," he said and, at her horrified expression, he rolled his eyes.  "Do not look at me like that, child," he said, annoyed, her shocked eyes making him feel uncomfortably... guilty.  "I am not a monster.  It often happens the summoner has not... really meant it... and when I show up... she or he does not appreciate the effort.  However, as generous as I am, I always offer the supplicant his or her dreams or the chance to recover the wished away child..."  He paused for a while and a wicked grin spread on his face.  "Especially if the summoner is a beautiful young woman...  Ah, you would be surprised to know that most of the time they prefer to keep their dreams instead of the child... Oh, yes..." he added in a delighted far away voice, more to himself than her. "What do they have to do?" Lili asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, even though she did have a vague idea.  "Your Majesty?" she insisted, as he seemed to be lost in his –most likely wicked- thoughts. Jareth shook himself, returning to reality and continued in a solemn tone that reminded Lili of her teachers.  He spoke just if he were quoting some important lines.  "Is that not obvious?  In thirteen hours they have to go through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered and find the way here to my castle, beyond the Goblin City... and in the end, they have to deal... with me!" Lili gasped.  "But then they don't have a chance!" she exclaimed.  "Your magic is too powerful!" Deeply pleased by her words, Jareth could not help but smile.  "Indeed," he agreed.  "They cannot defeat me as I--"  He abruptly quieted as, unbidden, Sarah's image flashed in his mind.  In spite of himself and all his power, he had been defeated only once--  Annoyed, he shook his head to vanish that unpleasant memory.  "They cannot defeat me," he finished darkly, his eyes shining dangerously. At his sudden dark mood, Lili unconsciously stepped back and bit her lip, not daring to ask any more questions.  The last thing she wanted was to make him mad. Jareth saw her troubled -and slightly frightened- expression and forced himself to calm down.  What was the point on scaring the poor child, his maid, to death?  Anyway, it was not her fault after all.  Smoothing his shirt, he gave a last gaze to his beloved labyrinth and returned inside the room.  "Come with me, Lucy," he said, his dark mood gone. Lili relaxed and followed him. After ten minutes of walking, as their destination seemed to be in the other side of the castle, Jareth stopped before a closed door.  He gave her an amused glance and opened it.  "This is the kitchen," he said solemnly. Lili's jaw fell to the floor.  The room was enormous and, strangely enough, equipped with all the standard electric appliances of a modern house, including a refrigerator, a stove, amicrowave... and -thank God- a dishwasher...  But, oh surprise, everything was incredibly dirty.  There was a thick layer of grease everywhere and all the frying pans, pots and kettles were too filthy to be used. "Oh my God," was all that Lili managed to say.  Indeed he needed a maid... and that happened to be her! Jareth had to suppress a chuckle at her comment.  "This is the main reason you are here. You will cook for me, wash my clothes and clean up the mess the goblins make," he explained and, without entering, he indicated her a closed door that was near the refrigerator.  Inside that closet, you will find all the cleaning stuff.  Inside the refrigerator, you will find the proper ingredients to cook; you just have to speak aloud and they will materialize at your request." Shocked, Lili could only nod.