Chapter Twelve
The de Chagnys Meet Their Fate
Raoul had been extra careful over the next few days, wondering what fate
the Phantom had in store for him. The Phantom was so full of grief he
didn't even leave the lair to see Christine. The managers thought it
would best to keep the younger brother's death a secret. Christine met
with the ballet girls to talk over her experience.
"Did he harm you Christine?" asked Mary.
"No, he was very gentle," said Christine.
"Was he handsome?" Lori asked with a grin on her face. Christine shrugged.
" I don't know, I never got to see his face." Meg tugged on Christine's sleeve.
"Was it your angel Christine?" asked Meg.
" Yes, but no."
" That doesn't make any sense," said Tonya.
" He had been my tutor, but it turns out that he's not an angel."
" Speaking of angels, mine hasn't visited me in over three days," said Meg.
" What do suppose happened to him?" asked Lisa.
" Maybe his work was finished. He can teach you no more," said Lori.
" Without saying goodbye?" cried Meg. Raoul walked in.
" Hello Christine, will you be in tonight's performance?" asked the young de Chagny.
" I don't see why not. It's been weeks since anyone's bought a ticket,"
said Christine.
" Let's hope the Phantom doesn't try any more tricks. He could shut down
the theater," said Mary.
" I hope there are no accidents as well, Mary," said Raoul. " I shall be
sitting in the managers' box tonight. My brother will have to sit alone
in Box-Two."
" Lucky him!" laughed Tonya.
" I wish you girls luck tonight," said the patron. He then left the
room. Christine looked over to Meg.
" Back to the talk of angels, my angel has not seen me as well," said Christine.
" This is very strange," said Lisa. " Two angels leave their pupils
without saying anything?" Lori looked at Christine.
"Christine, you said that you didn't really have an angel, just a
tutor, right?" asked Lori. Christine nodded.
"Well, a mortal man could easily postpone a lesson, but angels don't
have any excuses. That's what makes me worried about Meg's angel."
Christine got up.
" If you'll excuse me." Christine left the room and made her way to her
own. She locked the door behind her and sat down on her bed. She looked
up at the mirror. Then a sad, faint voice was heard.
" Christine." sobbed the voice. With that, the mirror opened and the
Phantom walked into the room.
" Erik, I was so worried. I thought you had forgotten me."
"He's dead," whimpered the Phantom.
" What? Who?" asked Christine shocked.
" My brother, William. He's dead. I just finished his requiem." The
Phantom collapsed in a chair in the room. " Why Christine? Why?"
Christine kneeled down and took his hand like William had done. The
Phantom pulled his hand out of her grip.
"Was it of natural causes?" asked Christine.
" No, he was murdered!" cried the Phantom. "And who do you suppose was
the last to strike him?" Christine looked at him sadly.
"I do not know, who?"
"Raoul 'Vicompt' de Chagny! Your lover!"
"No! It's not true!"
" I saw it with my own eyes Christine! Yet, I have promised you that I
would not harm him. And I want you to know that I vow to keep that
promise."
"Thank you Erik! You don't know how thankful I am." She picked up her
vase of daffodils. " Will you place this by William's grave for me?" The
Phantom slowly reached out and took the vase.
" I will Christine. Thank you for your kindness. If it wasn't for you I
would have been alone in the world and have nothing to live for." He
took Christine's hand and was about to kiss it. He stopped and released
her hand. The Phantom left the room, leaving Christine once again alone.
Outside the theater, Raoul took a cab back to his home. He entered the
house and sat down next to his brother.
" I'm in trouble Philippe! I need your advice!" cried Raoul.
"Hello Raoul, it's nice to see you again," said Philippe sternly. Raoul
threw his arms in the air.
" I'm sorry! Hello Philippe!" Philippe nodded.
"That's better. What's troubling you?"
"The Phantom has threatened my life!"
" Why?" Raoul didn't answer. " Raoul, I asked you why?"
"I was the last one to strike his brother's corpse." Philippe leaped
out of his chair.
" You what?" shouted Philippe. " You killed someone?"
" No! No! I just struck the body!" protested Raoul. Philippe sat back
down in his chair.
"Dare I ask why?"
" He and his brother had abducted Christine."
" Did you get her back?"
"She escaped." Raoul then smiled. "She is indeed a clever one. Found
her way out of the maze on her own."
" Well, I guess I misjudged the girl. I can't wait to see the
performance. Are we sitting in the usual box?"
" No, you are. I'm sitting with the managers."
" Why?"
"Like I said before, the Phantom has threatened my life." Philippe nodded.
"It won't be the same not sitting with my junior," said Philippe. Raoul laughed.
"Come now Philippe! The managers' box is directly in front of ours.
I'll be in plain view."
"Well, it would be terrible to risk your life. I think I'll be able to
manage without your presence." Raoul clapped his hands together.
"I knew you wouldn't disagree!" Raoul got out of his chair and started
for the door. " I'll see you before the performance then Philippe.
Goodbye!"
"Goodbye Raoul." The patron left the house.
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Back in the theater. Christine was with Meg. "Christine! I don't know
if I can perform tonight! Usually my angel comforts me before the opera!
But I haven't heard from him yet!" cried Meg. Christine decided that Meg
must know the truth.
" Meg, I know why your angel has not gone to see you," said Christine.
Meg looked up to her.
"You do? Tell me Christine! Tell me!"
"You may find this hard to believe, but it turns out that our angels
are brothers." Meg laughed, then stopped.
"Wait, I thought you said that your tutor is not an angel."
"He isn't."
"Then, what about my angel?"
" Well, Meg you see..... The reason why your angel has not seen you is
because....... What I'm trying to say is---". Meg grew very impatient.
" Christine! I must know! Please tell me!" Christine opened her lips to speak
when Madame Giry walked over.
"Girls! You're forgetting rehearsal! Come! Come!" said Madame Giry.
" Mother, can it wait for just a minute?" asked Meg.
" Every minute counts Meg!" shouted Madame Giry. Meg stared at
Christine.
" Tell me the minute tonight's show is over!" said Meg. The two girls
followed Madame Giry to the rest of the ballerinas. There they began to
rehearse.
Later that night the managers got together with the patron. "I really
appreciate you letting me sit in your box tonight," Raoul said to the
managers.
"It's quite alright. I know what's it's like to have your life
threatened by the ghost," said Firmin. " Will the Count be joining us
tonight?"
"The Count?" asked Andre.
"My older brother, the Count. Philippe 'Compt' de Chagny," explained
Raoul. Andre nodded his head showing that he understood now.
"Yes Richard, he shall be joining tonight's performance. In fact I
think we might meet him on our way to the box." The three left the
office and made their way to the Grand Staircase. There was Philippe,
waiting for his brother. Philippe saw them, walked over and hugged his
brother.
"Good to see you Raoul," said Philippe. He released his brother and
shook the managers' hands. Then began to twirl his moustache. " You must
be Richard and Andre. I hope my brother has not been causing much
trouble. Especially after that brother's death." Both Andre and Firmin jumped.
"You know about that?" asked Andre.
"Yes, I thought everyone did," said Philippe.
"We're trying to keep that death a secret," said Firmin. Philippe
placed his fingers to his lips.
"The secret's safe with me." Both Andre and Firmin nodded.
The overture started. " Oh, we'd best get to our seats! I'll see you
after the opera Raoul."
The four left for their boxes. Philippe took his seat in his normal box.
Raoul sat between the two managers. The opera began, Carlotta and Piangi
took their place on stage and began to sing. The whole performance went
without a single disturbance. Then the ballet began. Raoul turned to
Andre.
"So far so good," said Raoul. Andre put down his opera glasses.
"Yes, I think that this time we shall not have a disaster," replied the
old manager.
Raoul waved over to Philippe. His brother waved back. Philippe
continued to watch the ballet, not even realizing the danger he was in.
The Phantom appeared behind the Count and ducked down so that he would
not be seen. He then grabbed the older brother by the neck and threw him
out of the box. The brother went down screaming and crashed onto the
stage right at the ballet girls' feet. The six girls dashed off the
stage. Raoul covered his eyes.
" No! I did not see that! Please tell me that I did not see that!" cried Raoul.
"Oh my God! My God!" gasped Andre. Firmin grabbed his partner by the collar.
"We're ruined Andre! Ruined!" yelped Firmin. The two managers rushed
out of the box. Raoul followed behind them. The audience was running out
of the theater, not even thinking about getting their money back. On the
stage, Raoul ran over to his brother and held him.
"Philippe! Speak to me!" The Count only spluttered a few words, then
coughed up blood and died in his brother's arms. The young brother sat
there supporting his brother up in his arms. Too shocked to realize that
he was dead. "Philippe! Please! Wake up!" cried Raoul.
Firmin and Andre slowly made their way towards the patron. Raoul turned
to the managers furiously. " Back away! Clear off!" roared the patron.
Andre stopped in his tracks, but Firmin continued to make his way over.
"I said go away! Don't crowd him! Give him some air!"
"Raoul, he's dead," said Firmin.
"He's not dead!" shrieked Raoul. " Philippe! For the love of God! Wake up!"
"Raoul, I can assure you that the man is dead," said Firmin.
"Shut-up! I won't believe it! Call a doctor Richard! Before I beat the
hell out of you!" Firmin was actually considering calling a doctor.
"Your brother is dead Vicompt! Just as dead as mine!" snarled the voice
of the Phantom. " Now you know how it feels to lose a member of the
family!"
"You beast! I trust you no more than Richard! My brother is alive! He's alive!"
"Poor young fool. He cannot accept the truth. I didn't believe that my
brother was dead either at first! But when you do realize it Raoul, you
will feel even worse than you do now! I have gotten my revenge upon
you!" Then the voice was gone. Firmin motioned Andre to come over.
"Andre, keep an eye on the boy. I'll go get some help," said Firmin.
The manager dashed off. Andre approached the two de Chagnys very
carefully.
"Philippe, please wake up. Please," Raoul cried softly. He looked up at
Andre. " Andre, please help me wake up my brother. He might be in a coma
or something!" Andre didn't want to upset the confused patron. He
kneeled down and began to shake the dead Count by the shoulder. " You're
the only one who believes that my brother is still alive. He is alive,
isn't he Andre?" Raoul looked at the manager with all the hope of the world.
"Yes, Raoul. He's still alive at this moment. But I don't know about
the future." Raoul held his brother close to him.
"Oh please wake up Philippe. Please pull through," wept the patron.
Andre didn't want Raoul to know the truth, not while he was in this
stage. He would tell him later when he is separate from his brother and
is in good hands. If he told Raoul now, the patron would most definitely
go for his throat. Andre was much older than Raoul and in this state,
the patron would be able to snap his neck in a matter of seconds.
Firmin arrived with two men who took Philippe out of Raoul's grasp and
placed him on a stretcher. Raoul looked up at them. " Are you taking
him to a hospital?" Andre told the men to pretend that the Count was
still alive.
"Yes, but I don't think he's going to make it. It was a long fall and
he was forty."
" Forty two," corrected the patron. Two men carried off Philippe's body.
Firmin walked over to his partner.
"What was all of that about? We know that the Count is." Andre motioned
his partner to be quiet.
"Don't tell him now. Wait for him to regain his senses. If you tell him
now, he will surely go crazy." Firmin nodded.
Andre and Firmin took the liberty of taking Raoul home in a carriage.
Firmin and Andre both agreed on their way back to the theater to tell
Raoul the truth about his brother the next day.
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