Chapter Six
The Angel Of Music
Christine's Journal, October 17, 1863
Dear journal, The most astounding thing happened yesterday, I was
visited by the Angel of Music. I was brushing my hair in front of my
mirror. That's when I heard his voice. It filled up the entire room. I
couldn't believe my own ears. When he stopped singing, he began to speak
to me.
"Dear Christine, it is I, the Angel of Music. Your father has sent me
to teach you to sing," said the angel. I bowed down to show my respect.
" I will not fail you angel. I am your pupil now, I will do anything you say," I
said to my angel.
"You will receive your lessons every day from Two-thirty in the
afternoon to Six-thirty at night." I agreed to the time without
question. Then I was alone.
But this is not the only matter that has occurred. Monsieur Moncharmin
has disappeared. He has been missing for over a day now. Monsieur Firmin
is positively petrified about this. He says that the Opera Ghost is
behind the whole disappearance. My friend Meg says that she doesn't
think the Phantom is responsible at all, she believes that Andre simply
went away for a vacation or something. I don't know what to think right
now, I'm very confused. I can't wait for my angel to return. He'll be
able to explain it to me. Angels can see everything.
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In the managers' office, not all was going well. Firmin was going
through the notes of the Phantom's threats. "Of all the terrible
things he could do to me, he decides to take it out on Andre. We must
get rid of this Opera Ghost," said Firmin. Someone tried to open the
door, but Firmin had locked it. There was a knock. " Go away!" shouted
Firmin.
" Richard! Open the door! It is I! The Vicompt!" shouted Raoul. Firmin
let out a growl.
" How does that give you the right to come in?" Firmin asked nastily.
"Richard! We've found Andre!" said Raoul. Firmin leaped out of his
chair and unlocked the door.
"Is he alive?" asked Firmin with fear in his voice.
"He's unconscious. Andre was found in Box-Five. Now
he's been brought down to the stage. Let's go Richard!"
The two hurried to the stage. Reyer, Piangi and Madame Giry were with
Andre. Raoul and Firmin quickly made their way over to Andre. "Has he
been harmed?" asked Firmin. Reyer shook his head.
"There doesn't appear to be any sign of a bruise. We just found him
in Box-Five asleep," said Reyer. Madame Giry stepped forward.
"And it is apparent that Monsieur Moncharmin had been drugged. My
guess is that the Phantom had a reason for doing so," said Madame Giry.
" Yes, so the poor man would not be able to defend himself!" snarled Firmin.
" You're wrong Richard!" snarled the voice of the Phantom. Firmin
quickly put his arm up to his head. The Phantom began to chuckle. " No
Richard. I have not come here right now to kill you, but merely to
explain about Monsieur Moncharmin's condition."
" Please do!" hissed Raoul.
" It is true that it was I who was responsible for Andre's
disappearance, but I had good reason." Firmin slowly lowered his hand as
the Phantom continued. " You see Richard, your friend Andre was having a
heart attack, I couldn't just leave him to die." Firmin was shocked.
" A heart attack? What caused it?" cried Firmin.
" That was my doing Monsieur Firmin. I was the one who caused it. It
was such a perfect set up, I couldn't help but give the man a good
scare," said the Phantom.
"How could you be so ignorant?" snarled Firmin. "Andre is an old
man! He can't stand up to your torment!"
"I realize that now monsieur. But if you wait for Andre to come to,
you will see that he'll show no sign of an attack," said the Phantom.
"He'd better! Or I will personally hunt you and your brother down!"
snarled Raoul. The Phantom let out a loud laugh.
" That's wonderful! I didn't know you had such a gift for humor!"
"I'm not being funny!" growled Raoul.
" Surely you are! Monsieur de Chagny! You're only twenty! You wouldn't
last five minutes against two phantoms!" shouted the Phantom.
" I'll take my chances!" snarled Raoul. The Phantom appeared on the
stage, just four feet away from Raoul. He scowled at the patron.
"Do you really mean that monsieur? Are you really that foolish?"
asked the Phantom.
"You know what they say: Brain over Brawn. You may be older and
stronger monsieur. But, are you as clever as the Vicompt de Chagny?"
asked Raoul smugly.
The Phantom smiled. He pulled out a Punjab Lasso and swung it around
Firmin's neck. He then pulled on the rope, forcing the manager to drop
to the stage. Raoul dashed over and quickly removed the lasso.
"That question, was a easy one to answer Monsieur de Chagny. I am
indeed more cunning than you," said the Phantom. Raoul glared at the
Phantom.
"Must everything you do involve violence? Be gone Phantom!" shouted
Raoul. The Phantom did as he was told and disappeared. Raoul helped
Firmin to his feet.
" Thank you Raoul. I think it would be best if Andre is taken back to
his home," said Firmin. Raoul nodded. He and Piangi lifted Andre up and
carried him out of the theater. Firmin slowly followed them. Reyer
turned to Madame Giry.
"I don't understand why Monsieur Firmin won't pay the Phantom's
salary. If he does, it will end this living nightmare," said Reyer.
" Richard Firmin may be a nervous man, but he is also a desperate one.
He doesn't want to give up," said Madame Giry. Reyer shook his head.
"He'll just keep killing until there's no one left in this theater!" cried Reyer.
"Nonsense! The Opera Ghost wouldn't kill everyone! He's not heartless!" exclaimed
Madame Giry. Meg then walked over.
" Mother? What's going on?" asked Meg.
" Nothing that would interest you Meg. Be a good girl and gather up
the rest of the ballerinas," said Madame Giry. Meg left the stage. Reyer
started to leave.
" I guess I'll just return to my work. Good day Madame Giry," said
Reyer. Madame Giry sighed and left the stage as well.
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Down in the lair, William was playing on his violin while singing. "If you Amita
promise to be my wife; swear to me you'll be mine for
life." William sang. The Phantom then entered.
"Working hard, William?" he asked. William put his violin down.
"Of course, why shouldn't I be?" asked William. The Phantom sat down
in his chair. "Did they believe you?" The older brother didn't
answer. "Erik, did they believe you when you said you had no
intention of harming Andre?"
" Yes, I assume that they did," he answered. William picked up the music he was
writing and handed it to his brother.
"What do you think Erik? Should we add it to Don Juan?"
The Phantom looked at the music, humming the song at certain
points.
"Yes, this will do nicely in next act," said the Phantom. He and
William walked over to the piano. The Phantom got out a clean music
sheet and began to right down William's composition.
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Back upstairs, straying away from the ballet rehearsal, Meg and
Christine walked into the theater and sat down in the first row. " I
don't understand why my mother makes us practice so much. We've done the
ballet enough times to do it with our eyes closed," said Meg. Christine
laughed.
" She just doesn't want us to look bad in front of the managers,"
explained Christine. Meg rolled her eyes and let out a sarcastic huff.
Christine looked up. " I see that the new chandelier is up." Meg looked
down.
"Oh yes, I wonder how long this one will stay up. Oh, poor Josh. It
was because of the chandelier that he's gone now," Meg sniffled.
Christine held her friend's hand.
" I never got to see Josh. What was he like?" asked Christine.
"Oh, he was a real trouble-maker. When he Jonathan and Gregory were
together there was nothing that they couldn't do. Even though he could
dance very well and looked very serious when performing, he was nothing
but a clown. He and the others would always make the girls and me laugh.
They were like the Three Musketeers." Christine smiled.
"He sounds like a really nice person."
"He was Christine, he was," said Meg.
"Meg, could you tell me what your angel is like?" asked Christine.
" I've only seen him once. He had black hair and blue eyes, just like
the Phantom. He wore a crimson robe and carried around his violin. And
he always leaves flowers for me. He leaves red roses most often."
" I mean, how does he teach you?"
"Oh, he gives me instructions on what to do, and I dance along to his
violin music. He always gives me lots of praise. He a very flattering
angel." Christine smiled. "Why do you ask Christine?"
"I was just curious," said Christine.
"Don't worry, you'll be getting your angel."
"I know I will." Meg got up and straightened out her ballet skirt.
"We better be heading back, before my mother realizes our absence."
The two girls left the theater. When they rejoined the others, Madame
Giry was waiting. The ballet girls began to giggle.
"So nice of you to join us Meg. Please tell me, are you a dancer?"
asked Madame Giry.
"Yes, Mother," answered Meg softly.
"Then show up for rehearsal on time. That goes for you too Miss Daae.
Now Christine, take your place next to Lisa and Mary. Meg, you're with
Tonya and Lori." Christine and Meg took their place with the ballet
girls. Then they began to dance.
"This is very hard without the music," Lisa whispered to Christine.
"Yes, I don't know if I'm even moving to the right beat," whispered Mary.
"Girls! This is rehearsal, not chatter time!" said Madame Giry.
"We're just saying that this would be easier if we had the music,"
explained Meg.
"But we can't drag out the orchestra just to help us rehearse!"
shouted Tonya. At that point, violin music filled up the room. Meg
looked up and smiled.
"Thank you Angel," Meg said under her breath. She then got back in
place and began to dance to the music. The others followed as soon as
they were comfortable with dancing to a ghost's music. Madame Giry
walked around the room, trying to figure out where the music was coming
from. When the song ended, a faint voice was heard.
"Bravo. Bravo young Giry," said the voice. All the girls stared at Meg.
"Meg, wasn't that the Phantom?" asked Lori. Meg laughed.
"Of course not! That was the Angel of Dance!" said Meg. All of the
girls looked at each other with confusion. " Mother, is that all the
rehearsing for today?"
Madame Giry nodded. "Come on girls. Let's go get something to
drink!" The ballet girls followed Meg out of the room. When they
reached the diner, they each got a glass of water. Meg then led the
girls to a booth.
"Meg, how long have you known this angel?" asked Lisa.
"I've known him for about six months now. I've even gotten to see him,"
answered Meg.
"Why didn't you tell us about him?" asked Mary.
"I didn't think it was important," said Meg.
"I'm not sure if that's an angel Meg," said Tonya. Everyone stared at her.
"What are you saying Tonya? Don't you believe in angels?" asked
Christine.
"Oh, I do believe in angels Christine! I just don't believe that Meg
really has an angel," said Tonya. Meg gave her a scowl.
" What makes you say that?" hissed Meg.
" Well, angels don't often come to Earth, unless someone is in
desperate need of guidance. You were already a good dancer before you
met this angel," explained Tonya. The girls began to murmur in
agreement. Then the lights went off. But just as soon as they went off,
they turned back on. In Meg's water glass was a red rose. Everyone
stared at it. Meg turned to Christine.
"Look Christine, a red rose," said Meg. Tonya looked down.
"I guess I was mistaken then. I'm sorry I didn't believe you Meg,"
said Tonya.
"It's alright Tonya. We all make mistakes," said Meg.
Back down in the lair, the Phantom was playing on his pipe organ.
William entered carrying his violin. The Phantom looked at him.
"Where have you been playing your fiddle now?" asked the Phantom.
William put the violin back in its case.
"I was helping the girls with their rehearsal by giving them some
music," answered William.
" Was that all?" he asked.
"Yes." The Phantom gave his brother a doubtful look. William
sighed. "I applauded Meg and put a rose in her glass."
"That was very risky," said the Phantom. William laughed.
"Erik! They're only ballet girls! I wouldn't exactly consider hanging
around them risky," exclaimed William. The Phantom nodded. " That new
ballet girl, Christine Daae, she keeps going on about this Angel of
Music. What do you think?"
The Phantom shrugged and continued to play on the organ. William
chuckled and walked over to his brother. " For all I know, you could be
the Angel of Music!" William laughed.
The Phantom flattened his hands on the keys making a terrible sound.
William stared at his brother as he made his way from the organ to his
library. " Did I say something Erik? I didn't know that you would be
insulted by that remark," said William. The Phantom shook his head as he
pulled out his favorite book from a shelf.
"I'm not insulted William. I just never thought of myself as much of
an angel," said the Phantom. He sat down in his favorite chair and began
to read. William took a seat on the couch.
"Why not? You certainly have the voice of one," said William. The
Phantom chuckled.
"Really William, you flatter too much."
"But you do Erik! You have a wonderful voice. It's even better than
my own!" The Phantom looked up from his book.
" William, I can see you as an angel. You have the looks, voice and talent."
William shook his head and smiled.
" Now you're flattering me," said William. The Phantom continued to
read. He stopped and stared at a page.
" William, listen to this: ' If my career were of that better kind
that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would
embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Try and hold me
in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one
thing. The time will come, the time will not be long in coming, when new
ties will be formed about you---ties that will bind you yet more
tenderly and strongly to the home you so adorn---the dearest ties that
will ever grace and gladden you. O Miss Manette, when the little picture
of a happy father's face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright
beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is
a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!' "
"What's that from?" asked William. The Phantom smiled.
" Charles Dickens.... 'A Tale of Two Cities'."
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