One hour later, we have everything we need to go ahead with the plan. Quasimodo stays very close to Esmeralda – I think he likes her. Anyway, I have to concentrate really well now – not let my mind wander – that can't be so difficult, right? Ok, so maybe it is for me, but – oh! Here we go – we're starting.
It's dark now – I'm not sure what time it is, but it's quite a bit after dark. Frollo is down outside with the guards – directly below Quasimodo's balcony. I can't hear what he is saying, but that doesn't matter. All we need to know is that he and most of the guards are out of the way.
After talking to Quasimodo, my old idea seems pretty dumb – I mean, getting Quasimodo to throw rocks over the edge of the Cathedral at the guards, and then escaping through the doors into the open? Yeah, that would have really worked well…
I did have a really cool idea involving electrodes, a truck and a whole lot of gas – but then realised that this was the 1500s and electrodes weren't discovered yet and trucks weren't invented yet… and Esmeralda and Quasi had no idea what the heck I was going on about… ha! Oh, god they must think I'm a regular nutcase…
Luckily, Quasi has come up with another idea – a better one. He found an old passage under the Cathedral leading to the sewers – and there are so many different opens to sewers, we're bound to find some that lead out far away from here! So, providing no one sees us go down there, we're home free!! Yesss, score for the gypsies.
Quasi's about to lead us down there now – now we've checked that no one's around. He takes a burning torch from the wall at the stone staircase, and slowly leads us down, checking for any noise. His face is a mask of concentration, and I wish he could come with us – after all, he's doing all this for us, and is not asking for anything in return. We cross over the Cathedral, winding through room after room, and finally come to a large, old tapestry. I raise my eyebrow quizzically – all this way for some raggedy of piece of cloth? Seeing the confusion on my face, Quasi smiles gently and lifts up the tapestry to reveal an old painting – it is flat across the wall, and rather small. He turns the painting sideways, then allows the tapestry to fall down again, covering it.
We round the corner, and come to an old, stone door. "This door would remain locked if we hadn't turned that painting before," he explains. I am tempted to ask how the heck he found that out – but then decide against it. He's so excited, and rushes ahead to open the door – proud of himself. I can't help but smile back, charmed by his child-like energy. I step forwards, through the door, and Esmeralda follows me. Quasi waits until we go through, and then steps forwards to enter himself – but –
"Quasimodo!" Frollo's voice rings loud and clear through the hallways, and we freeze immediately all three of us not daring to move another muscle. Even Djali quits stomping his hooves around for a few moments, sensing that something is wrong.
"Quasimodo where are you? I hope you're not messing around with those gypsy vermin!" The hatred of us is obvious in his voice, but I remain quiet – I will not say a word – or even make a gesture, because this is a church, and it would be… wrong…
Quasimodo turns to us, and whispers, "It's Master – I must go -"
"Wait – come with us!" I whisper desperately, grabbing hold of his sleeve as he turns to go.
He looks down at me, sadly. "I can't, he expects complete loyalty from me and I have to obey him " He whispers gently. "But don't worry – I'm sure we will meet again, one day." He turns to go, and I let go, upset.
"Here," he whispers to Esmeralda, "Take this torch. Run as quickly and as quietly as you can, and don't let anyone catch you! The seventh sewer opening should carry you far enough away from here! Go now, quickly -" He pushes the torch into Esmeralda's hand – "I'll cover for you!"
"Thank-you," Esmeralda whispers. "And, we will see you again, friend!" Two brief hugs with Quasi, and we are on out way!
So, quickly we trudge on alone through the sewers in a comfortable silence for the next ten minutes. Djali bleats softly and nudges my limp hand with his wet nose. I smile softly and pet him head gently as my mind wanders to all that has happened in the past two days, trying to make sense of it all… Ok, so I've somehow landed myself back in time to the early 1500s in France and got in with a band of gypsies, took part in the Festival of Fools, got on the wrong side of Judge Claude Frollo and ended up trapped in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, where I met the infamous hunchback who helped another gypsy girl, a goat and myself escape through the sewers back to the Court of Miracles… yep, that's normal… I shake my head at myself, but for some reason, I don't regret a minute of this. And hey, if I can handle this, once I'm back in 2007, I can handle anything!! I grin, shake my head at myself a second time, and concentrate on where we are going. As I glance around, I notice Esmeralda looking at me with a small smile on her face. I do a slight double take, confused.
"W-What?" I ask, wondering what the heck I have just done now…
She just smiles wider, giving a short laugh, and replies, "Do you realise that your face shows every emotion you're feeling or thinking when you're unguarded?"
I smile tentatively back, and give a small laugh back. "Oh, I was just… thinking, about… stuff" I finish lamely. Great comeback, Kels.
She just nods. "What about?"
I give a real grin this time – "Oh, just about how I've been in Paris for, what, two days? And already I've got myself into a gypsy band, performed a public dance routine, got on the wrong side of Frollo and the guards, saved two people, got trapped in a Cathedral and am now trekking my way through the sewers to get back to the Court of Miracles… I mean, don't you think that's a little crazy?"
She laughs properly, a deep, belly laugh and replies moments later, "Well, I suppose when you put it that way, yes, it does seem rather strange… but then, I wouldn't exactly say that you're completely normal either… or that being a gypsy is really the most ordinary life style you could opt for."
I smile my agreement to her, and we both carry on for a few more seconds. Suddenly, she throws an arm out to stop me.
"What -" I begin, but she cuts me off.
"We're at the seventh opening – we'll have to be quiet now in case there are any guards about."
I nod, and she ascends the ladder first. When she reaches the top, she puts her ear to the grid, trying to hear if there is anyone up there. Then, she peers up through the tiny holes in the grid to try to see if anyone is near, as I wait at the bottom of the ladder. Finally, she glances down at me, then pushes the grid up a few centimetres. She holds it there, and when there is no reaction from above she removes it completely and pushes it to one side on the cobble-stoned streets. Looking around, I'm guessing she can spot no one as she climbs out of the sewers and onto the street, before signalling for me to do the same. I pick Djali up in my arms, and struggle to ascend the iron-wrought ladder one handed… And Kali performs the daring feat of ascending the sky-high rickety ladder one-handed while holding a wriggling goat…
Once we are both out, I place the grid-cover back over the opening, and straighten up.
"There," I say quietly, satisfied. "No evidence whatsoever we ever came through there!"
Esmeralda looks us both up and down, sceptical. "Other than on our dresses," She points out. Only then do I realise our dresses are caked in sewage along the bottom!
"Oh no!" I cry quickly, then slapping my hand over my mouth quickly. We both freeze for a few seconds, then look around quickly. Sighing, we both relax. I quietly continue, in a whisper.
"I've ruined your dress!"
Esmeralda just shakes her head. "Don't worry – once we wash it'll be as good as new." I nod, and Djali leads us both up to the Court of Miracles again, having grown tired of waiting for us both. We smile to each other, and follow.
When we arrive back at the Court of Miracles, everyone stops what they are doing and stare at us. I shift uncomfortably, and look up at Esmeralda.
"We weren't gone that long, were we?" I ask anxiously. Esme just looks at me.
"Kali, I don't know what it is like where you come from, but we are all one big family here; if people are missing or aren't where they should be, everyone knows and everyone worries. That's the way things are around here."
I nod, and watch as everyone crowds round and keep asking where we were. I smile and shake my head slightly, not really used to this…
Suddenly, Clopin bursts forth from his tent, and everyone goes quiet. I wonder briefly whether he will yell at us, and as the crowd part for him and he reaches forward to me, I flinch – I can't control it, it's just something that's been practically drummed into me for years now…
But instead, he pulls me into a tight embrace, his arms wrapped around me, and a hand stroking my hair. After a moment, I relax into his embrace. It feels… strange, but nice… After releasing me, he pulls Esmeralda into an embrace too, then pats Djali on the head – she wags her short stump of a tail and seems to almost smile at him…
"Now, where in the name of our Good Lord where you?" He demands, but not unkindly.
Esmeralda replies to him, "I think it may be best if we tell you in private," with a glance my way. I nod in agreement, so he leads us to his tent after quickly shouting out the other gypsies, "They are fine, everyone! We will go to my tent to discuss their absence. Meanwhile, I suggest you all go to bed; it is nearly midnight and the children will be tired!"
The people disperse, and we retire to Clopin's large and brightly coloured tent.
"Please, sit -" Clopin gestures to the numerous cushions strewn about, and Esmeralda and I sit down next to each other. I am soo tired… Djali comes up and sits on Esmeralda's lap, and I run my fingertips through her soft fur for a while as Clopin comes and sits with us.
"So," He starts, "What on earth happened to you?"
Esmeralda and I glance at each other… and then she looks back down at Djali. I sigh – obviously I'll have to tell the story.
"Well," I begin – "you remember how you crowned Quasimodo the King of Fools?"
Clopin nods, and I continue with a glance at Esmeralda. "Well… after you left, I stayed to watch. The crowd started throwing rotten fruit at him, and then harder objects, like rocks and things." I pause in stroking Djali, upset by the memory – poor Quasi… "Anyway, they tied him down on this spinny thing on the platform, and spun him around while throwing all sorts at him! Obviously, I couldn't just stand there and let them torture that poor boy, so I got up on the platform. Everyone stopped… and I bent down to help him. Then Esmeralda was there – you said, you saw what happened or something?" She nods, her eyes now closed. Go figure – she gets to sleep while I do all the hard work. Prrfftt… "Anyway, we tried to cut him loose but Frollo was all 'no, gypsy filth, get away' and all this rubbish, but then I got bored and I was angry already so I cut him loose anyway, and then -"
"You went against Judge Claude Frollo?!" Gasps Clopin, eyes wide.
"Yeah… trust me, not a good idea," I reply. I remember with a pang the story Esmeralda told me of Clopin's encounter with the guards ten years ago. Poor guy…
"So, he ordered the guards to arrest us. We ran, they chased us, Esme did this magic trick thing where we disappeared, and then we went to hide in… in… the Palace of Justice," I carry on quietly, hoping he won't be upset at the mention of it. Other than a blink of the eye, he shows no other reaction. So I carry on, more hurriedly this time, wanting to get it over with.
"Well, in the Cathedral, I ran into Frollo, but he wasn't allowed to do anything because apparently I claimed 'Sanctuary' or something, and then I ran into Quasimodo, who helped us escape through this underground passage in the sewers… Oh, and Esmeralda ran into soldier boy – oh, sorry – 'Phoebus' -" Esme eyes me warily, and I finish. "And, then we got back here safe and sound. No big…" My eyes begin to drift closed, and I force them open again, focusing them on Clopin.
Clopin watched me carefully for a moment, and nods, almost to himself. "Well…" He says quietly. "That's… quite a story, Kali…"
Silence invades for a few minutes, and everything gradually fades to black as my head seems to fall onto Esme's shoulder… comfy shoulder… hhmmm…
With a start, I wake up. I look around – then relax quickly. I am still in Clopin's tent, leaning on Esmeralda, and Clopin in still sitting opposite me. I can't have been out for long. I meet Clopin's eyes for a moment, and give a sheepish smile. His eyes look kind of red… was he upset? Concerned, I go to ask him, but he cuts me off:
"Don't worry, you've only been asleep for about twenty minutes, child." He's misinterpreted what I was about to ask – but never mind, it is probably not my place to ask, anyway. I slowly stretch, and sigh.
Clopin frowns for a moment. "You are very tired, Kali, so I suggest you, Esmeralda and Djali go and get some sleep – but, before you go, I have something for you. It is to mark you're presence as a proper gypsy now – really one of our people." He gets up, and goes to the back of his tent, behind his curtain. I glance to Esmeralda, who is now sitting up and watching Clopin with interest, cradling a sleepy Djali to her chest.
Still sleepy, but not as before, I sit up properly now, my curiosity peaked. I can hear him rummaging around and fumbling with something for a few moments, and I wonder excitedly what it could be… a knife? No, I already have one of those… jewellery? Everyone loves jewellery…
But it's not jewellery. It is a small, round bundle of… something, wrapped up in cloths.
"Careful now," warns Clopin as he hands it to me. "She is awake."
I take the bundle of cloths, and then suddenly his words penetrate my sleepy mind – she? I glance at him, wary, then look down at the bundle of cloth. Slowly, carefully, I begin to undo the folds. And gasp in surprise and delight!
A tiny, wide-eyed face peaks out at me from inside the cloth… sandy, light brown-blonde fur covers her head, and a small, thin snout with a wet nose presses itself into my palm, snuffling slightly.
"You're one of us now," Clopin says as he hands her to me with a smile… her fur is thick and soft, and her tiny face is dominated by her two large, unusually blue-green eyes…
"She was for sale in the market place – black trade and all that – but as soon as I saw her eyes, I knew. I knew she was the one for you. Never have I seen two pairs of eyes so similar… and so unusual for a Fennec Fox…" Clopin smiles, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude… finally, a place where I belong.
I hug her close to me… and I know that we will be as good a friend to each other as Djali to Esmeralda, and vice versa. In a fit of happiness and passion, I hug Clopin swiftly and suddenly, but instead of him being surprised, he returns it with great force. One of them... And I smile. I really and truly… smile.
Kizzy. I will call her… Kizzy…
Author's Note: Ok guys, next chapter up!! I hope it is okay; it's longer than the other one and there's been a little more of Quasimodo and Clopin!! I love Kizzy... :D
Ok, so please read and review guys!! Let me know what you think!!
Love you all, xox!!