• Meanwhile, Ludo and the children had come to a crossroads in the forest, a crossroads that was split by two doors each with an ugly doorknocker. Even though the knockers were fearful to look at, Sam could not help staring at them in wonder.

    Suddenly, an impertinent voice said, "It's very rude to stare!"

    Sam started, startled by the sudden noise from nowhere for non of the children had spoken. "Who said that?"

    "What?" answered the same voice.

    Another voice, muffled by something, said, "It's no good talking to him; he's deaf as a post."

    "Don't talk with your mouth full."

    "I am not talking with my mouth full!"

    Giselle said, "Look at the doorknockers! They talk!"

    "What?" (This was the one with the knocking ring in its ears who had started the conversation.)

    "I want to hear what this one says," cried Toby in childish pleasure. (By "this one", he meant the doorknocker with the ring in its mouth.)

    Ludo lifted Toby up to the knocker; Toby grabbed hold of the ring and pulled hard. The ring popped right out. "Thanks kid," said the grateful doorknocker. "That thing has been making my mouth ache for ages."

    "What did you say earlier?"

    "I said it's no good talking to the other one; he's deaf as a post."

    "Mumble, mumble, mumble," snorted the deaf doorknocker. "You're a wonderful conversational companion."

    "You can talk, all you do is moan!" retorted the formerly mute knocker.

    "It's no good, can't hear you."

    "Where do these doors lead?" asked Toby.

    "Search me. We're just the knockers!" (The "mute" knocker laughed at his own joke.)

    "How do we get through?" asked Robyn, getting a little annoyed with the knockers.

    "Knock, and the door will open," replied the "mute" knocker.

    "I think we should take this door," said Toby, pointing to the "mute" knocker. "Besides, he's a lot nicer than the one with the ring in his ears. Now, open up because I want to knock."

    He thrust the ring forward and, with some reluctance, the mute knocker took it back in his mouth. "Thank you, and sorry about your mouth," said Toby gratefully as he knocked on the door.

    "You're welcome kid and it's alright. I'm used to it," replied the mute knocker.

    The children and Ludo marched along the path. Ludo was holding the hands of Toby and Giselle for they were scared of the misty wood around and of the creatures that might be lurking within. And indeed there were creatures skulking through the woods: fearful looking Chilly Downs sent after them by the Goblin King.

    They were getting closer with every step the silent party took. They were getting nearer...nearer...they were ahead of them!

    One jumped out in front of them. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" it screamed.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the children screamed in reply for they were frightened, even Sam, the eldest, who was afraid of almost nothing.

    "W-w-what do y-you w-want?" asked Giselle in a tiny voice, hoping the fire-colored, crazy would not eat her.

    "What do we want?" replied the Chilly Down. "We just want to have a good time. C'mon boys, let's show them how we work."

    Then, four other Chilly Downs bounded out of the bushes, clapping their hands and dancing wildly.
    They sang and danced around the children, removing assorted parts of their bodies (hands, feet, and especially their heads!) and doing silly things with them while they did so.

    At first the children were excited and relieved that these strange creatures only wanted to party and not eat them. But then, one of the Chilly Downs beset Robyn and set about yanking her neck. "Hey!" he shouted to the others in confusion. "Her head don't come off."

    "Of course it doesn't!" Robyn yelled back crossly. "Come on! We've lost enough time already. We have to keep moving or we'll never find Cordelia. Ludo, help me!"

    He proceeded to pluck the Chilly Down from her personage, scooped her up in his arms, and placed her on his back beside Tony, who was already up there because he had been tired from walking.

    Ludo did the same for the other children. When he was done, he roared, "GO AWAY!" at the Chilly Downs, who did so without hesitation, and ran quickly with resolution in his step, the children on his back screaming and laughing in delight as they all sped off towards the castle.

    "One minute, those nincompoop Chilly Downs are stalling them; the next, the chosen ones are standing right outside the castle gates, with smiles on their faces and that brainless monster! What will I do?! What should I do?!" Jareth demanded of himself, figuratively tearing his luscious golden hair.

    "Guards!" he called, "Take the princess and hide her. The children must be stopped."

    His goblin minions did not bat an eyelash.

    "Do something!" he shouted.

    The goblins hurriedly ran about to carry out his commands; apparently not fast enough because the Goblin King roared, "Come on, move! MOVE!"

    The children pushed open the vast door, with help from Ludo, and stood in the stillness that was the main hall of the Goblin King's castle. "So this is the castle," Sam remarked.

    "It looks less scary than I imagined it," commented Jasmine. "I thought we could expect a guard or two at least when we got here."

    "Ludo scared," said Ludo.

    "Don't worry," said the children. "We'll protect you because you protected us."

    "It's a good thing too," said a voice which seemed to reverberate, not just in the main hall, but through the entire premises. "You're going to need all the help you can get...Sarah."

    On the word 'Sarah', goblins leapt out from all sides, closing in on the children. It looked as if they were done for until Tony grabbed a nearby vase and threw it at one of the guards; the vase knocked him out instantly and he fell to the floor. This action triggered a chain reaction of heroic bravery manifesting in the other children, and they all set about throwing punches, kicks, and/or objects at the other guards, running, dodging, and ducking away from their opponents just in "the nick of time" on many occasions. Soon, there were only a few guards left standing, who ran away out of fear that they would join their fallen comrades.

    To be continued...(Just what did Jareth mean when he said Sarah? Stay tuned for the final part.)