Chapter 11: Mme Giry and Confessions

Pandemonium broke out behind the red curtain. A few of the actresses fainted. Armand and Richard pulled their hair out trying to dispel fears. Richard explained to the audience that their lead Soprano had taken ill. Her understudy, Angelique Dubois, would replace her for the last act. Mayor Clemenceau and his guards marched backstage demanding to know what occurred. Phineas was flabbergasted and his explanations were met with disbelief. He caught Mme. Giry poised by the stairwell and rushed over.

"You know it is up to you to save her now, Phineas. I've shown you the way to go." She informed him.

"Yes, but that way leads to his torture rooms, I can't risk getting trapped in them."

"There are passages all over, but no telling where they lead. Then you must go through the same mirror. You don't know how much time is left. I don't think he will harm her if he's in love with her."

Tension built up in Phineas. His heart had not stopped racing since the dynamite trick. Exhaustion gnawed at his body, but he couldn't give up.

"Mme. Giry, he's tried to hurt her before, the man is volatile. Do you even know his story?"

"Yes, Erik has told me his past with Christina in letters. What a foolish, stupid girl she was, she was cruel."

"Cruel?" Her statement took Phineas aback. "It was cruel because she didn't love him? Did he tell you what he tried to do to her the night of her first Opera?"

"Yes he did. He went backstage to greet her, give her flowers, and congratulate to her. She went into a violent rage and nearly destroyed him. She wanted nothing to do with him. She wasn't taking aim at his face, it just happened that way. She wanted him to leave before her lover came. Eric doesn't blame her completely."

Mme. Giry's glib attitude unnerved Phineas. He couldn't waste time and argue over the details.

"Well, I can't agree or disagree with you, I wasn't present and neither were you."

"Oh, but I was, young man! I was a dance instructor at the Theater Lyrique before the Palais Garnier was even built. My room was across from Christina's. I was an ear witness to everything and even helped put the fire out. I can never forget his face, burned beyond recognition, and the screams! Christina went into a shock and I helped to keep her calm. Even though she left Paris, we stayed in contact. However, my heart went out to Erik. He was a lost soul. He was the one who secured me a position here."

Phineas tried not to yell too harshly at the woman. "So, out of gratitude, you were the one who helped Erik stalk her all these years! You always knew where she'd be and when. Do you realize what you've done?"

"Yes! And I regret it every day of my life, Phineas! I backed away after his descent into madness, but he continued to use me for information. I was the one who made sure Christina was hired for La Traviata. I had no idea he lived beneath the Opera House until production began. He has had me under his control as long as Christina!" He has threatened me, my daughter, my darling Meg!"

Mme. Giry showed signs of true anguish for the first time since he'd met her. She leaned on her staff and wept. Phineas felt ashamed and he held her arm to steady her. He lowered his tone.

"Mme. Giry, all that's in the past. We can only try and save Christina's future…and yours. I can't stay here, I have to go to Jeffrey."

She clutched his arm. "I don't know where you and your boy came from, it is a blessing, but please come back. Don't leave like this."

"I'm not leaving until all this is made right again." Phineas pulled away and ran out of the Opera House. He breathed in the fresh air and doubled over from a knot in his side. He refused to tire out and continued running to the Rue Scribe Inn.

~Oo~

The last hour felt like an eternity. Jeffrey continually poked his head out the window for any sign of his partner. Phineas wouldn't tell him about the chandelier. He forced the worst fears out of his mind. He sat at the desk and traced the 'V' on the omni. He remembered Dr. Albert Schweitzer's words. "The hardest thing a young person is ever asked to do is…wait." Those words never proved truer in Jeffrey's case.

The Inn was a tiny unobtrusive place, mostly for secret lovers or stragglers looking for a bed to sleep in overnight. However, the owner warned him to beware of unscrupulous sorts that roamed the halls, lock up tight, and hide his valuables.

Footsteps trudged near his room. Jeffrey grabbed the omni and backed toward window. His blew out the lamplight and crouched low. The knob turned and the door opened.

"Bat's breath! I forgot to lock it!" Jeffrey panicked.

"Jeff…hey, Jeff…are you in here?"

He jumped up and Phineas nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Hey…hey! Take it easy! What's with all the secrecy?"

Phineas put the lamp light higher and saw Jeffrey in the corner.

"Are you okay? Did anything happen?"

"No, I'm okay, I just thought you were someone else. I got scared. I'm sorry." Jeffrey sat on the bed.

"Jeffrey, you apologize too much for being scared. I'm not looking down on you for it. I know this isn't the Ritz, but it was the only place I could think of."

"Don't worry about it. What happened, Bogg? You don't look good."

Jeffrey poured his friend a glass of cool water and Phineas drank. He wiped his mouth and threw himself on his back across the bed. He held his temples. Jeffrey had seen this reaction before. Phineas was at a loss.

"He took her, Jeffrey! Right after Act Three. Dammit! If only I was with her, I promised I would protect her!"

"Bogg, you're one man, you also promised me too, but you're not Mr. Fantastic."

"Who?"

"A superhero that can stretch his whole body…it doesn't matter. We already said that the Phantom had to take her anyway. Why weren't you there? What happened with that chandelier? I want to know, Bogg."

The commanding tone in Jeffrey's voice made Phineas sit up. He couldn't lie.

"I noticed the chandelier moving unusually so I went to check it out. I found a…" Phineas changed his mind. "You know, heh heh…it was nothing Jeff, just my imagination. A bunch of dusty wires and cables. One of them was a little loose so I fixed it."

Phineas was too drained to even lie well.

"Bogg, stop hiding things from me, we're partners and we have to share everything…well, almost everything…now spill it!"

"Woah! All right." He kept rubbing his temples and his eyes sprung open. They reflected the panic he felt being trapped in the attic. His gaze darted around the room as he got up from the bed.

"I found a time bomb near the chain." He mumbled. He moved to the red chaise lounge and sprawled out over it.

"What? Found a time…what?" Jeffrey hounded him, yanking his shoulders.

"A time bomb! Okay! I found a time bomb with only one minute left…I was trapped, Jeff."

Jeffrey dropped his hands as if he touched fire. One thing Phineas hated to admit was failure. Tears came to his eyes for his partner.

"How did you escape? Did you dismantle it somehow?"

"Jeff, don't worry. I'm here now and Christina needs us. Arrhh! What am I laying around for? I have to get back into those catacombs."

Phineas jumped up and looked in the mirror, avoiding Jeffrey, and the issue at hand. He fiddled with his hair and tucked in his blue shirt. He tightened his belt and made sure his shoes were tied well. Jeffrey was livid, hot tears of distress and anger streamed down his face and he shoved Phineas.

"No, Bogg! Stop ignoring me! You're not leaving until you tell me how you got out!"

"Jeff, take it easy!"

Jeffrey pushed him again and Phineas fell back on the bed. The boy didn't end his attack there. Jeffrey punched at him hard, surprising Phineas into defending himself. He covered his head with his arms as Jeffrey thrashed at him.

"Tell me! Tell me, Bogg! I want to know now!"

"Jeffrey stop it! Cut it out! I don't have to tell you anything; I'm here, okay! I made it! Stop crying!"

Jeffrey lost control. He jumped atop Phineas and gripped his collar, trying to shake the truth out of him. "I said tell me! Why won't you?" He wailed.

Phineas instinctively raised his hand; the second his palm whacked Jeffrey's cheek, his heart dropped. Jeffrey stumbled off from the force. He held his face in shock and backed away from him. Phineas ran to his side.

"Jeffrey, please, forgive me! I'm so sorry…I didn't know what to do…please, Jeff! Look at me!"

Phineas literally turned his body to face him. Jeffrey's eyes were cold.

"My own father never hit me…but you're not him, are you? You'll never be like him!"

The words stabbed his soul. Jeffrey intended to hurt Phineas as much as the slap hurt him, but he didn't realize the damage he had done. He stared deeply into Phineas' eyes. The pain, shock, and rejection he saw made him instantly sorry for what he said, but he couldn't take it back. In a moment Jeffrey would never forget, tears spilled freely down Phineas' face. He turned away with his head down, and gave in to his overwhelming grief. Jeffrey wanted to go to him, but couldn't move. Phineas spoke, his voice barely audible.

"There was one minute left, I didn't have the omni…no windows…all I could do was move the bomb away from the chandelier and hopefully, the audience. Then I laid on top of it. I wanted my body to absorb the brunt of the blast. All I could think about was you and what would happen to you without me. Who'd take care of you? Where would you go? All these questions…" Phineas grabbed the wall to hold himself, then punched it without flinching. He still couldn't face him.

"That's all I had time to think about. It's all I wanted to think about. I love you, Jeffrey. I'll never take your father's place, I can't do that. But that doesn't mean I can't love you just as much. When that alarm went off I asked God to help you and forgive me, for being such a lousy guardian!"

Phineas sank to his knees and cried. All the color drained from Jeffrey's face. When he placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, Phineas embraced him.

"Phineas, I'm sorry I said that, and for hitting you. I couldn't stop myself. I know you'll never be my father, because you're not Bill Jones. You're Phineas Bogg, the next best man I'll ever know in my whole life, and the only man that will ever love me like my dad. I haven't been myself since you found me. I've been selfish. I wasn't thinking how much this voyage hurts you too."

Phineas gazed at him. Jeffrey was so full of wisdom for his young age. The Voyager Council made no mistake when they sent him crashing into Jeffrey's window over a year ago. Jeffrey would grow up and be the best Voyager of any rank.

"Can you forgive me for slapping you, Jeffrey?"

"Yes, if I was in your shoes, I might've have slapped me too. It didn't hurt too much, I was just shocked."

Phineas stood up, feeling better.

"Maybe, but that doesn't make it right. I promise that will never happen again. Jeffrey, I know you're not going to like this, but I don't want you to come to the catacombs. I don't think you're ready to handle it. Keep the omni; if I'm not back by morning, inquire in the theater. After that, I want you to leave, red light or not, just leave."

To Phineas' surprise, Jeffrey jumped into bed and pulled the covers over him.

"Okay, Bogg, I'll wait for you. Be careful down there, look out for the lake trap and the Punjab lasso."

"I'll do my best to avoid them, but I'm not leaving those catacombs without Christina."

"That's the Voyager way."

"Right. Thanks again, Jeffrey. I'm really sorry."

Jeffrey waved his hands. "Please Bogg, everyone has arguments, even my parents used to, but that didn't mean they stopped loving each other."

A wide and handsome smile over-powered Phineas' face.

"That's right! Love is stronger than that. You be careful in here too, okay?"

"Got it, Bogg! Now hurry up!"

Phineas hurried out. Jeffrey waited a good fifteen minutes. He threw the covers off him and pulled a crumpled sheet from his pocket. It was a map to the entrance of the catacombs and it began at Rue Scribe, right behind Inn. He stole out and stood before a dank wall. He pushed at the bricks until one gave way. The wall shifted open to reveal a passage. Jeffrey held his lantern out and raised his hand to the level of his eyes.

"I lied. You're not doing this alone, Bogg. We're partners and that's that!"