Madness and Hope

The next day Erik decided he would go to work at the graveyard, he wanted to complete what he was currently working at before leaving. The cleric wasn't unhappy when Erik told him that he would have to quit for the next month he would become an official, on the contrary, he congratulated him and told him just how happy he was for him, the cleric was even more happy when Erik told him that he would not leave without finishing his last statue, he did not like unfinished business.

Erik's first day as an official was not easy. He had his own office, which was extremely small and far away from all the others. He rather liked that. What he did not like was that he would spend his first two weeks only reading building regulations, not only reading them but memorizing them for he would have to pass a test at the end of the two weeks. That was more than boring, but at least he understood why he had to do this. You can't play chess if you do not know the moves. Erik did pass the test but not as good as he himself was comfortable with. He could remember nearly everything that was interesting, sometimes he was surprised which information he found in his brain after decades but the building regulations certainly were not interesting and he had had a hard time learning them. Now he had started passing the test but only with medium examination performance and he was ashamed. With his intellectual level he should have done better and it was his own fault for he hadn't studied hard enough.

The third week started with a meeting were the head of the office assigned different tasks. Erik - as the lowest-ranking man - got the most unwellcome tasks. The first task seemed to be easy but it certainly wasn't. There was a building that was liable to collapse and of course had to be taken down before an uncontrolled collapse happened. All the necessary paperwork had already been done but the owner refused to move out, stating that he was born there and would die there and the police refused to remove him by force for he was an old man.

"Can't we just take down the building and pretend not to know he was still there?" Erik asked.

The short man laughed: "That's my hellhound - always telling the sickest jokes of all! By the way - you have to adress me "Sir", understood?"

Erik just growled something unintelligible.

"If you want to growl at me, it's "GROWL SIR"!" the short man rebuked. Erik sneered at that reply. He rather liked the man, but he would not kowtow to him.

"Yes, Sir, of course, Sir, absolutely, Sir!" Erik saluted mockingly, then added: "By the way - is it allowed to call an ox sir?"

"I wish flogging wasn't forbidden as a disciplinary action," the chief sighed, then gave Erik a warning: "You better be careful, Davisseu, that's your first insubordination. It's a negative mark on your file, if you have more than five negative marks in one year your employment is over. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Erik answered, this time really afraid to face the consequences of his bad behaviour. He certainly did not want to loose his job, did not want to confess to Christine that he had failed because of his arrogance.

After three days Erik had found a solution to his task. He asked the other officials to wait at the condemned house at midnight. They were curious enough to really go there. At ten minutes after midnight the old man came running from his house with a bag in his hand. He did not stop at the group of men, just ran away as if the devil himself was after him. A few minutes later the darkness seemed to move and suddenly Erik stood with them, a black mask covered his face and he wore a hooded cloak.

"How did you do that?" the chief asked him.

Erik chuckled and the other men suddenly felt the urge to follow the old man's example and run. "I just visited him at midnight, sat at his bed and said to him that he is in grave danger for the house is about to collapse and if he does not leave now and never come back I would have to come for him tomorrow. That's all. I think he came to his senses and realized the danger he was in, packed his bag and ran. Now you can start taking down this house."

When the others were gone the short man asked Erik: "And did you wear your mask?"

"O my, I knew I had forgotten something!" Erik smirked. The other man had already seen his face once and knew perfectly well what he looked like.
"That is exactly why I gave you the job! You are none of those bureaucrats - your mind bubbles with plans and schemes. We have so many bureaucrats, the best ones I dare say, but we needed a creative mind like yours to deal with the uncommon problems that can't be solved bureaucratically," the short man laughed and slapped Erik on the back so hard, Erik had to be careful not to lose balance. That was another of their constant banters, that had started more than a decade ago - both men tried to prove that they were stronger than the other one. Erik was more agile by far but he was not sure if the other one wasn't stronger than he was.

Erik told Christine and the Persian how he solved the problem at breakfast and added: "I did nothing bad this time. I did not threaten him, I just warned him about a real danger, I did not lie to him for I would have to come back each and every day and warn him if he hadn't moved out. Only the time for my visit was a little bit unusual but that's not forbidden, is it?" Christine and the Daroga had to laugh at Eriks remark.
"Talking of moving out..." the Daroga started.
"Yes, I know," Erik said, then turned to Christine: "My darling, I think it might be the best if you start looking for a flat? I think it would be better if you talk to the landlord first for if they see me first they'll never give us the flat."

When Erik was gone, Christine turned to the Persian. "Now I need your help," she said, "You know I promised to marry Erik and right now I think he is really doing his best but... I'm so scared. Right now Erik is eccentric but sane, but I have seen his madness and I am scared that he might relapse... He'll hold me to my promise as soon as he has his own flat and I will not break my word but... I'm scared."
The Daroga sighed. How could he answer to that? Tell her that a promise she had given under the pressure of blackmail wasn't valid? Telling her Erik was not insane? Finally he said: "If you married another man, you would have no guarantee at all that your husband would stay the way he is. I have seen so many women who suffered from abuse at their husband's hand, so many men are drinking... With Erik as your husband your risk is higher than that of most women but at least you know exactly what to expect. Erik is able to live a normal life, he did when he had been a contractor. I'm sure he can do it again."
"But how can I marry him if I... just like him and not love him?" Christine asked.
The Persian sighed. "I saw my wife for the first time after our marriage and the first thing we asked each other was "What's your name?". We had quite a rough time to adjust to each other but we deeply respected each other and from that we learned to love each other. Since you and Erik are getting along quite well - much better than my wife and I in our first weeks together - I think that is not the main problem. I think you still love the Comte de Chagny."
Christine nodded: "That's true. And as Raoul promised to wait for me even after I released him from that promise... I love him even more. But I am going to marry Erik, whom I like but not love... I feel as if I was betraying both of them."

"You do not betray them for both of them know about your feelings," the Persian answered, "And Erik is much older than you, when you will be a widow you can marry again. I know it sounds cruel for Erik is my friend, but after all he's been trough I'm not sure he can hope for a average life expectancy, I rather think he has a rather short life expectancy. You are not even 21 now, you'll be not even 40 when you will be a widow, more likely about 30."
"But I can't marry him hoping he dies soon!" Christine cried, "I don't want him do die soon! Not now, when he is so happy for the first time in his life!"
The Daroga smiled. "Marry him. You love him more than you realize now."
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