Hey guys, sorry this one took a while to put up. I've been kind of busy lately…so please forgive me.
This is the last chapter in this story of Claude's firsts. It is the first time Claude sees Esme.
Just to recap…
A first day of school for Claude.
The first time Claude meets Jehan.
I don't own any charcters, Victor Hugo does.
As always reviews are welcome, flames not so much.
It was an early sunny afternoon and Claude sat as his desk, muttering something and scribbling something furiously.
"That scamp! Does he think that beneath the cathedral there is an endless well of gold?"
Claude huffed after a brief meeting with his younger brother.
"And how could something go so wrong? I gave him the best of everything and he wastes it! What kind of man is that? It is no man at all…"
Claude's musings were cut short by a sound from beneath his window. He paused from writing and the sound stopped.
"Where was I?"
He peered back over to his book and nodded, curtly. But no sooner had he gone back to reading did the sound start up again. It was a distractive clanking of a tambourine.
"And now this!"
Claude flung open the window to yell down at the heathens beneath him, to frighten them away.
"You!-"
The moment the word was released his eyes fell to the spectacle in the middle of a large circle. There, in the street was some little princess. But what was a princess doing with a tambourine in hand and wearing the garb of an egyptian?
The tiny girl swirled around, smacking the noisy instrument on her small him. Her dark, curly hair flew around her face by the grace of the wind. Her body twisted in time with a flute and the rhythm of her own tambourine, her legs had become spokes from a wheel. And then, just then did she stop? Did she hear the voice from above? She paused and turned her small head upwards to see whence the sound came, but did not see anyone.
Claude had ducked down, as not to be seen by such a creature; were she a princess, she certainly rivaled the angels and were she some little bohemian, she surely rivaled all mere mortal women!
He dared a second look and barely peered out from the window. She was standing, collecting coins in an old hat. Men and women, young and ancient gladly poured coins and other trinkets into the hat, smiling gayly as she thanked them. Claude attempted to regain his strength and yell down for the crowd to dispurse and for the girl to decease seducing money from the good Parisians.
"You there girl!-"
The words flew out of his mouth before he had given any thought to what he was about to say. And then two soft, dark brown eyes met his! He melted to the floor, though stood straight as a spire all at the same time! Her eyes were so large and shaded with long dark lashes and there was no mistake that she had looked directly into his eyes! She had unknowingly wandered into his soul with that brief and subtle glance.
"God you have sent the loveliest angel for my soul! Oh if it is my time, thank you for such a-"
"Djali…"
The word disturbed him from his prayer and he looked down at her once more.
"Djali, how does the president of the king's ecclesiastical court preach?"
It was a filthy animal by her side. Its horns and hooves were of brilliant flames; a demonic beast. A sweet angelic mistress with a devil's beast. No, this girl was not here to gather the souls of the good people and bring them to the light! This little Egyptian was surely the most cunning wasp in Satan's army! Claude gritted his teeth, this time determined to yell down at her to stop dancing and for the corwd to disperse, but then she looked up a second time and he saw those sweet doleful orbs, shaded by fluttering lashes again. It was as though her soul was approaching him, begging him to come to her and watch her, hold her, place his lips against hers! To damn his soul by making fantasy into reality.
But the way she mocked him, the way she flaunted her figure, the way she sang! Oh! She must want something from him. He crossed himself and began to pray anew, but this time he knew not what for.
