Chapter Five
The Flood and the Daroga
The Phantom and his brother slowly made their way back to the lair.
William got in front of his brother.
" Erik, please forgive me. I did not mean to get you in trouble,"
cried William. The Phantom raised up his hand for silence.
" No William, it is I who should be apologizing. It's because of my
own stubborn ignorance that our lives were put in danger," said the
Phantom. The two continued to walk.
" Don't blame yourself Erik. We all make mistakes. God gives us them
for gain, not loss. You must learn from your errors." The Phantom
spun around.
" But this error almost cost me the ultimate price! William, I don't
want to lose you!" shrieked the Phantom. William stared at his brother.
" I'm sorry William, I shouldn't have lashed out like that."
The two brothers entered the lair. William picked up the violin and
began tuning the strings. " So who is this new ally of ours?" William
smiled at him.
" We all have our little secrets Erik," said William. The Phantom
nodded.
" Yes, of course," said the Phantom. William looked up at his brother
again.
" Erik, take off your mask before you chafe yourself."
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The next day, the cast met with Andre and Firmin. " Ladies and
gentlemen. I have some exciting news. Since it turns out that one of the
scenes involves a waterfall, we're going to use the underground lake,"
said Firmin. Gregory and Jonathan looked at each other.
" What do you mean by the lake?" asked Gregory.
" Well, our pumps aren't that long, so we're going to have to raise up
the lake pretty high. That way the pumps reach the water and we can have
a working waterfall for our scene," said Andre.
Meg Giry, one of the ballet girls, turned to her new friend, Christine
Daae." Won't that be exciting Christine? The lake hasn't been raised in
well over thirty years!" said Meg. Christine let out a sad sigh.
" It's wonderful news," said Christine. Meg glowered at her.
" Is this still about that Angel of Music, Christine?" asked Meg.
" I know he'll come! My father promised me he would send him from the
heavens," said Christine. Meg nodded.
" Never give up your dreams Christine," said Meg. " After all, I've
already received my angel." The two managers left the stage. Andre
turned to Firmin.
" Richard, do we even know how to raise the lake?" asked Andre.
" Monsieur Moncharmin! Surely I wouldn't say we were
going to raise the lake if we didn't know how to!" laughed Firmin. He placed
his gloves into his top hat and began to explain. " There's a crank that you pull
that releases the water." Andre nodded.
" It sounds simple enough," said Andre. That night in the Phantom's
lair, the two were getting dressed up for the opera. William was looking
at himself in the mirror while brushing his hair.
" I'm glad you reconsidered not having me sit in Box-Five. It is the
best seat in the theater," said William. " Oh, did you hear that there's
another ballet girl in Madame Giry's group?"
There were at first only five girls in Madame Giry's group. Tonya was
one with the blond hair. Mary was the youngest of them all. Lisa was the
oldest. Lori was the only African American in the group and then there
was Meg Giry, the leader of the group and Madame Giry's only child.
" I hadn't heard," said the Phantom. He smiled slyly at William. " You've been
hanging around the ballet girls' room again, haven't you?" asked the Phantom.
William threw his arms in the air.
" Can I help it if I'm little Meg's Angel of Dance?" asked William
joyfully.
The Phantom chuckled. William picked up their opera and put in a safe
for protection. Then a low rumbling sound began. William looked around,
nervously. Then looked to his older brother. " Erik? What's that noise?"
The sound of rushing water became clear. The Phantom walked over to the
lake and looked at it, the water appeared to be shaking.
" Oh my God," the Phantom whispered. He turned to William. "William!
Quickly! Out of the lair!" It was only when the Phantom finished his
sentence that the water rushed in, sweeping the two brothers off their
feet. The Phantom grabbed onto a stone gargoyle, then began to glance
all around for his brother. "William! William!" the Phantom shouted.
" Erik!" cried William. A large wave then came up and crashed over the
young brother. The Phantom dove under the water and swam to the bottom.
He grabbed his brother, then headed up for air, but there was no
surface. The water had filled up the lair completely. The Phantom
started to black out.
Then, he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the trap door that
was used for coming up onto the stage. The Phantom swam over and opened
the door. He threw his head up creating a terrible gasping sound as he
drew in air. The cast started to back away. The Phantom pulled his
brother out from the water and placed him on the stage. He glared at
the cast.
" Who raised the damn lake?" growled the Phantom. It was only when the
Phantom climbed out that realized that his brother was not breathing.
" Oh no! Don't die on me William!" shrieked the Phantom. He shook his
brother violently, but it did not help. Finally he placed his brother on
the stage. "Forgive me William," he whispered. He raised up his fists
and crashed them upon William's chest. He coughed up water and began to
gasp for breath. The Phantom held his brother close. William opened his
eyes and looked up at his brother.
" Erik? Please take me home," he cried softly. William then closed his
eyes and fell asleep in his brother's arms. Firmin and Andre joined the
cast on the stage. The Phantom lifted up his brother and then scowled at
the cast coldly.
" Who is responsible for this?" thundered the Phantom. He glared
mainly at Carlotta and Piangi. " Who had the nerve to try to drown us?"
Nobody spoke a word, they didn't dare. The Phantom looked at everyone in
the cast, then let out a growl. " This is number two! I'm warning you,
one more disturbance and this theater will become a grave to those who
work here!"
Andre let out a gulp, then walked up to the Phantom. He stared into the
white mask and realized that Buquet was wrong- the Phantom did have
eyes. They would have looked quite lovely if they weren't bloodshot with
anger. Andre tried to get a closer look, so that he might have an idea
what the Phantom looked like. He didn't realize that his curiosity was
angering the Phantom.
" WELL? " roared the Phantom. Andre jumped back. " Don't stare at me
fool! Talk! I know you want to say something, so go ahead and say it!"
Andre turned around to look at Firmin. Firmin was shaking with fear,
praying to God that the Opera Ghost would not harm his partner. Andre
regained his bravery and walked back over to the infuriated Phantom. He
cleared his throat and began to talk.
" Please sir, I can assure you that this was an accident. If we had
known that you were down below, we would not have raised the water,"
said Andre. He looked once again into the Phantom's eyes, they were no
longer bloodshot. They seemed to have been restored to their normal blue
color. The Phantom tilted his head like an animal inspecting its prey.
Andre remained firm and did not move.
" Drain the water and I shall pardon you for this so-called accident,"
said the Phantom. He began to turn around, but then faced Andre again. "
You're a very brave man, Monsieur Moncharmin." Then the Phantom then
walked off the stage. Andre turned around and walked over to Firmin.
" Well, we best start draining the lake," said Andre. The two managers
walked away.
The Phantom entered Carlotta's room. As usual, there was a warm fire.
The Phantom placed his brother by the fire. He then took a blanket from
Carlotta's bed and began to dry William off. William stirred and looked
up at his brother.
" Erik, your mask. I can't see your face, let me see your face," said
William softly.
" I prefer not to take it off when I'm in the open," said the Phantom.
" Erik, I don't want to see a mask, I want to see my brother." The
Phantom removed his mask. William looked up at him and smiled. " There's
my brother," said William. He shut his eyes and went back to sleep.
When William seemed warm enough, the Phantom carried his brother back to
the lair. By then the lake was drained. The Phantom placed William in
his bed. Then he heard singing. Other than the fact that it was
untrained, the voice sounded beautiful. The Phantom left the lair. When
he reached Box-Five he looked down. There was a girl on the stage
singing. With her was Meg Giry.
' She must be the new ballet girl,' thought the Phantom. When the girl
stopped singing, Meg applauded her.
" Well done Christine, but you might want to work on your voice a
little," said Meg.
'Not a cruel comment, that would not cause Christine any harm.'
Christine dropped her head. " Meg! I must face the truth! I'm not
worthy of the Angel of Music! That's why I have not heard from him!"
cried Christine.
" Christine! Have faith in yourself! If I can get an Angel of Dance,
then you can get an Angel of Music!" said Meg.
'An Angel of Music? Why with my training I could make this girl the
Angel of Music. But she wants him. Well, I've got a good voice. Who says
she has to see the Angel of Music? If it's an angel she wants it's an
angel she gets!' thought the Phantom.
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Down in the lair, William recovered and got up. He then heard footsteps.
" Erik?" asked William. A shadowy figure was approaching. William walked
over to get a better look. It was not his brother. William crouched in
an attacking position. This intruder was not at all familiar to him. "
Who are you? How did you find this place?" William snarled. The man was
silent. " I demand an answer!"
The man pulled a coiled rope out from his cloak, then tied the rope into
a Punjab lasso. William knew how dangerous the lasso was and began to
back away. With a flick of the man's wrist, the rope was around
William's neck. William struggled, but didn't try to back away. That
would cause the noose to tighten. When the young brother was close
enough, the intruder started to bind William's wrists together.
The intruder was just about to force William out of the lair, but the
Phantom had been waiting. He was leaning against the exit with his arms
crossed. He glared at the intruder, instantly recognizing him.
" And what, may I ask, are you doing with my brother?" asked the Phantom
coldly. " Release him Daroga!"
The daroga pulled out a dagger and slid the blunt side against William's
throat. " I'd back away if I were you Erik," said the daroga. The
Phantom's eyes widened. William tried to turn his head back.
" How do you know his name?" asked William.
" I'm not surprised that he knows, but I would like to find out how he
found our abode!" snarled the Phantom. He began to approach.
The daroga placed the sharp end of the blade to William's throat. The
Phantom froze in his tracks. The daroga began to force William forward.
Even though the blade was against his throat, he continued to struggle
ferociously. The daroga chose at that point to put the dagger away and
give the rope a warning tug.
" You better stop resisting!" threatened the daroga. William jerked his
head back, crashing against the daroga's skull. The daroga tightened the
rope. William started to gasp for air. The Phantom began to approach
again, his eyes burning red.
" You're only going to make it worse Erik! You better stay where you
are!" The Phantom still advanced.
The daroga was infuriated that the Phantom had ignored his warning. He
tightened the rope around William's neck as hard as he could. William
began to choke and wheeze for air. The young brother began to lower to
the ground. The Phantom bolted over and rammed into the daroga, knocking
him to the floor. The Phantom quickly loosened the lasso and took it off
William's neck. He then held his brother in his arms and carried him
back to his bed. When he was sure that his sibling was comfortable, he
turned back to the daroga.
" You were trying to take my brother away from me. I won't let it
happen, Daroga! He was already captured because I wasn't there to help
him. We will not be separated again!" snarled the Phantom. He then
calmed down and moved a little closer to the daroga. " Is this how you
repay me for showing you how to do some of my tricks?" The Phantom then
shook his head. " No, you didn't do this on your own. You were paid,
weren't you?"
" Yes, that is true, Erik. My name is Ledoux, not Daroga," said
Ledoux. The Phantom stormed over to his organ.
" The hell with your name! The hell with you! I thought I could trust
you!" the Phantom thundered. He then saw the Punjab Lasso on the floor.
He picked it up and held the lasso up for Ledoux to see. " You use the
Punjab Lasso, the weapon I showed you to use for self-defense, against
my own brother. I should have warned him about you."
Ledoux walked over to the Phantom. "I can understand your anger
Erik," said Ledoux. The Phantom let out a disturbed laugh. " But you
must understand that I have to live too! I can't get a job anywhere! I'm
not like you! I can't just pretend I'm a ghost and get everything that I
need! I'm a normal person, just a simple-minded human! I needed the
money Erik! You must understand that!" cried Ledoux.
The Phantom trembled trying to keep his fury under control. " Get out,"
hissed the Phantom. Ledoux hesitated for a moment. The Phantom faced him
and stared into Ledoux's eyes. Ledoux stared right back. " Damn! You
stubborn man! If you can't get a job, go back to Persia! Why did you
leave anyway? Oh, that's right, you were the one who betrayed your
country by stealing some of the King's treasure." The Phantom then
scowled at Ledoux. " You've always been a true gentleman, haven't you?"
the Phantom sneered. Ledoux was hurt deeply by this comment.
" Yet through all the pains I have been through, you are still the only
one who can hurt me with words," said Ledoux softly.
The Phantom turned his back to Ledoux. " I'm glad, I'm glad I still
have that power. Many have died for what you have done tonight, but I
shall spare you. Even though you have betrayed my trust, you still have
been my only friend. If that is the appropriate word." The Phantom
turned back to Ledoux and let out a soft sigh. " Leave Daroga. Leave us
be, my brother has gone through enough torment."
Ledoux began to leave. " Daroga!" Ledoux looked over his shoulder. " Be
aware of the mercy I have shown you. You have betrayed the Phantom, and
lived to tell the tale. But, the next time you come near my brother, I
will slash your throat open without any pity! Do you understand?"
" Erik, you would kill me in cold-blood?" asked Ledoux.
" I've done it before, and I can do it again. Now go!" ordered the Phantom.
Ledoux left the lair. Once Ledoux was above again, he immediately went
to the managers' office. When he entered, Andre gave a yelp of terror.
" Calm yourself Andre," said Firmin with a smile. " It's only Ledoux." Andre let
out a sigh of relief. He took out his handkerchief and began to wipe his forehead.
"He scared the living daylights out of me. I thought he was--" Andre
then glared at Ledoux. " Haven't I told you to knock before entering?" Ledoux smiled.
" Indeed you have Monsieur Moncharmin," said Ledoux. Firmin got out of
his chair and walked over to Ledoux.
" Well? Have you found his lair?" asked Firmin. Ledoux looked sternly at Firmin.
" I can't do it. They're too clever for me," said Ledoux. Firmin's jaw
dropped and Andre covered his mouth to hide his smile.
" But you've been studying him for months!" screamed Firmin.
" Monsieur Firmin! I shall repeat myself! It-can't-be-done!" Ledoux
then started out. " Good day gentlemen!" Ledoux quickly made his way out
of the office. Andre looked at Firmin, smugly.
"I told you we shouldn't have wasted money on him, Richard!" said
Andre. Firmin crashed his fist onto the desk.
" Really Andre! You sound like we should give up! I will not give up! I
don't want a murderer running around our theater! After all, there's
more than one way to get rid of a phantom!" said Firmin. Andre sat down
in his chair. Firmin did the same.
" We don't have to do this. Look, if we just keep up with his
demands, make sure he gets his pay." Firmin quickly held up his hand for silence.
"No Andre, no. If we give in, he will just increase his demands. We
mustn't let him win," said Firmin.
"Richard! Please! If we continue to ignore his demands, he will kill
more members of our theater! Do you really want that?" asked Andre.
Firmin stared at his partner. Then rubbed his chin.
"So many have fallen victim to his wrath. I would be terrible to see
others." Firmin's eyes then widened. "Maybe. Yes just maybe. Yes, I
believe it will work!" exclaimed Firmin. Andre threw his head into his
hands.
" Please Richard! No more!" cried Andre.
"No Andre! We may not get a response, but if we do, it has to work!"
shouted Firmin. " We will put out an advertisement in the paper, asking
for someone who knows the location of the Opera Ghost's lair! If someone
answers, then we'll be sure to find the Phantom!" Andre stared at his
partner blankly. Firmin leaned back in his chair and smiled. " Yes
Andre, it will work. Genius, is it not?" Andre shook his head.
" Richard! How could anyone answer that ad? The only person who would
actually know about the Phantom's whereabouts would be a member of this
theater, and apparently no one here seems to know!" explained Andre.
Firmin frowned at his comrade.
" My dear Andre, it has to work! It must work!" shouted Firmin.
" Why? Why must it work?" asked Andre angrily. Firmin stared at Andre.
" Because I'm running out of ideas, Andre. This might be our last hope
of restoring peace to the theater. That's why, Andre. That's why it has
to work," Firmin answered softly. He picked up his picture. " Oh
Jennifer, how I wish I could hold you in my arms right now. I need your
comfort desperately." Firmin looked at the picture sadly, then put it
down. " But that's impossible, once you're gone, you're gone," said
Firmin. He looked up at Andre. " Someday I will be reunited with my
wife, Andre." Andre nodded.
" Of course you will. We all have to go sometime." Andre then
frowned. "My life for example, is almost over. Once a man reaches his
eighties, he knows that his life is going to end." Firmin shook his
head.
" Please don't talk like that my friend. I don't even want to start
thinking about your death. For a man of your age, you are in
extraordinary health," said Firmin. Andre smiled and gave a soft laugh.
" I once read about a man that lived to be over one-hundred years old.
Quite astounding, don't you agree, Richard?" Firmin wasn't paying
close attention. He had his mind set on the safety of his partner's
life.
" Yes, I agree with you completely, Andre," said Firmin. Andre looked
up.
" Can you imagine living up to be a hundred? Living to see a new and
exciting future? It would be fantastic," said Andre. Firmin turned to
him.
" I'm sorry, what were you saying Andre?" asked Firmin. Andre gleamed
at his partner. Firmin got up. " I really must get going Andre, it's
late." Firmin got on his coat and top hat. He reached up to get his
cane that was hanging from the antler of a mounted moose head. He turned
back to Andre. " Goodnight Andre." Firmin started out.
" Wait Richard!" Firmin turned to Andre. " Why did you start
talking about your death? You're in your early thirties." Firmin sighed and
stared at his friend sadly.
" Because I believe that my life will be coming to an end very soon
Andre," answered Firmin. Andre tried to laugh, but he couldn't. He
simply watched his friend leave the office to return to his empty home.
Andre didn't leave the theater. He was worried about what his partner
had said.
' Why does Richard fear for his life? Does he think the Opera Ghost
will get him before he gets a chance to get the Opera Ghost?' thought
Andre. He lit a candle so that he wasn't in total darkness.
Andre looked at the picture of Jennifer. ' I can understand how Richard
is upset about his wife and son's death, but I can't understand why he
believes his life should end so soon. I care for Richard. We've been
friends for over ten years. I have never seen him act this way before.
In his late teens he was a very nervous boy, but he would never fear for
impending death. Maybe the Phantom has something to do with it,' thought
Andre.
Andre noticed that a drawer in the desk was still open. He was about to
close it, but he noticed some paper in it. Much like the paper that the
Phantom used for his notes. Andre took them out and began to read them
one by one. He was struck with horror.
'YOUR DEATH IS NEAR RICHARD!'
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'THE WIDOWER SHALL SOON BE JOINING THE WIDOW!'
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'YOUR MANAGING DAYS ARE NUMBERED RICHARD!'
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'SOON I SHALL BE WRITING WITH YOUR BLOOD FIRMIN!'
O.G
'THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST NOTE YOU READ WIDOWER!'
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'COULD BE SOON NOW RICHARD!'
O.G
'THE DAROGA WAS A NICE TRY RICHARD! BUT YOU HAVE FAILED ONCE AGAIN!
NOW YOU HAVE REALLY CROSSED THE LINE! YOU HAVE ANGERED THE PHANTOM
RICHARD! A VERY FATAL MISTAKE! BEWARE! RICHARD FIRMIN! BEWARE! A SIMPLE
WALK THROUGH THE OFFICE COULD LEAD TO A DEATH WITH THE PUNJAB LASSO!'
O.G
Andre put the notes back in the drawer and closed it. He had no idea
that the Phantom had been sending his partner threats. Now his best
friend's life was in danger and it was up to him to protect Firmin from
the evil that lurks around the theater. Andre got his hat, coat and
stick. He picked up the candle and began to head out. As Andre made his
way around the theater he grew nervous. All the lights were off.
Suddenly Andre felt someone tap his shoulder.
"Staying behind tonight Andre? How wonderful, I do hope my mask won't
get in the way," a voice sneered. Andre slowly turned around and held up
the candle. A bright white mask became visible. The Phantom grinned at
Andre. "Boo!" He then blew out the candle. Andre shrieked and began to
run in total darkness.
" What on Earth do you want?" Andre screamed as he stumbled over the
grand staircase. The Phantom's laughter grew louder and more
hysterical. Andre glanced back and forth trying to find the exit.
"What's the matter Monsieur Moncharmin? Are you lost? If you ever find
your way out, send my best regards to the widower!" laughed the Phantom.
Andre clenched his heart. The Phantom's laughing then stopped. Andre
fell to the floor.
"My heart! Dear God! My heart!" Andre cried.
"Andre! Don't move! I'll be right there!" shouted the Phantom. Andre
stayed there on the ground holding onto his chest. He knew the Phantom
was coming, probably to finish his evil deed. Andre knew if the heart
attack didn't kill him first, the Phantom would. Suddenly something was
thrown over Andre's face. Before he had a chance to react, he was out cold.
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