Chapter VI: You Meet You Know Who
When you wake up, it takes you a few moments to remember where you are and why. Because, of course, you fainted at the end of Chapter V. You now know the reason why all the ladies in 19th century novels keep swooning and fainting. It's not mere affectation on their part, nor is it because they are women and therefore intrinsically fragile creatures. It's the corset. Putting up with it is bad enough when you just have to walk around looking pretty, but singing opera in it is a different thing altogether, especially when you are a little nervous and haven't had anything to eat or drink for hours and hours.
"Is that why it happened, Narrator?" you ask, a little worried. You aren't used to fainting.
"Of course", I say. "Don't worry about it, you'll be fine. And by the way, I'm sorry about messing up your chorus job, but it's for the best, really. You'll see."
Feeling a little better, you look around to grasp your situation. You are at the end of a corridor somewhere in the administration part of the Opera. It is dark and quiet, so you guess the other singers and the managers have all conveniently gone home while you were unconscious. You are now all alone. That is, you assume you must be alone, until you suddenly hear a powerful voice:
"Disgraceful, Mademoiselle!"
Startled, you look around, but see nothing. If it is Erik, he sounds very angry, and you don't know why.
"Who is there?" you say, feeling very small and frightened.
Instinctively, you raise your hand to the level of your eyes, in case of emergency. The voice continues, sharply:
"It was disgraceful, what the managers just did! You were by far the most qualified singer, and yet they chose to give the position to that half-wit Marie Marceau, on account of Heaven knows what qualities, but I am sure they are such that can not be spoken of in polite company."
"Monsieur?" you say. "Where are you? Who are you?"
After all, you can't start calling the poor Phantom by his first name without proper introductions. It would seem highly suspicious.
"It is enough to say that I am an advocate of true art. And, Mademoiselle, if I may be so bold, I heard it in your voice today. You are as yet inexperienced, but with the proper training I have no doubt you could go very far indeed."
"All I want is to create music!" you exclaim, with fervor.
(And become the new star at the Opera and get really close to Erik in the process, of course. But your exclamation is true as far as it goes.)
"I am glad to hear it, Mlle Angelique-Céléstine Reader", the voice says, seemingly weighing every syllable. "Your name..."
"What of it?" you snap, defensively.
"It is certainly unusually... otherworldly."
"And may I ask your name, Monsieur?" you retort.
The voice laughs quietly.
"Lucifer Diabolique d'Enfer", he says, with a hint of irony.
"The devil?" you ask. "Surely, that is not your real name?"
That is, you are sincerely hoping it isn't, because if it is, you are in way over your head right now. After all, you don't really know where this story is heading and what the Narrator may have been smoking before writing this chapter. This could easily get very ugly.
"YES, I AM THE DEVIL!" the voice shouts and in an explosion of flames you see a horrible demon coming to carry you off to Hell...
No, just kidding. That's not what happens. Instead the voice answers you, in the same ironic tone:
"I assure you, Mademoiselle, that my name is as real as yours."
That settles it, then - if it isn't the devil incarnate, it must be Erik! He clearly doesn't buy into that ridiculous name you came up with on the spur of the moment in the managers' office.
"And I am glad he doesn't!" I say, having kept silent for much longer than I would have liked. "I am getting tired just typing that name."
You hiss at me to be quiet. This is, after all, a very important moment for you in the story and you want to get it just right. You are just about convinced now that you are in fact speaking with the Phantom himself, and you are very eager to make a good impression. If only he would come forward so you could see his mask, you'd know for sure! Deciding to try something new, you say:
"Please Monsieur, whatever your name is, could you help me? I am lost in this building, I'm tired and hungry and I have nowhere to go..."
"Except for the luxurious de Chagny estate?" the voice fills in. There is obviously no fooling Erik.
"It's only temporary", you stammer, "until I find a job and can rent a place of my own. I don't know how long I will be able to stay there as their guest. And now, it seems, I will not have any luck at the Opera, so I don't really know what to do next."
"Are you so sure you will not succeed at the Opera after all, Mademoiselle?" the voice says.
"What do you mean?"
"Only that if you are willing to submit your voice to my care I would be able to make it blossom, and you might find yourself in a more celebrated position than the little Marie Marceau could ever dream of!"
"I will do anything!" you say, enthusiastically.
"Very well", the voice says. "Come here tomorrow morning."
Bingo! You are so happy that you quite forget that you are hungry and tired, and that you still don't know the way out of the building. When you remember to ask Erik for directions, you get no answer. He has probably already gone off to strangle some intruder in the fifth cellar.
"Second to the right and down the stairs", I sigh in your ear. "Really, how hard can it be?"
