37.

"Monday, Saturday and the number nine, the colors purple, black and white. The Baron enjoys cigars, coffee, roasted peanuts, chicken, white rum in which twenty-one red peppers have been soaked," Sabine explained, "and a very naughty joke."

"Saturday," Erik replied. "I could speak to the Baron on Saturday and then be prepared to find the crossroads on the Sunday with de Chagny?"

"You could, provided you reach the Baron."

"Anais could help me prepare, could she not?"

"You have three days," Sabine spoke in a gentle voice. "Are you prepared to join with the spirit world?"

It gave him pause. "You are saying the rum will not be the difficult part?"

Sabine nodded. "You will open your soul, Erik."

Faces flashed by etched in agony and fear. Another blossomed into view, Mirielle's smile, then Henri's innocent face, dissolving into Christine's anguished features. "I already have."

Erik stepped away from her. "The Baron and I are old acquaintances." With that he turned and joined Nadir who waited by the door. They proceeded into the shop where Noémi chatted with Raoul as she measure out the ingredients he needed. She offered one for him to sniff after she opened the jar.

"It's most refreshing," she told him. "The water will feel like an embrace from heaven."

Nadir stood on the far side, looking at his own list. He caught Erik's eye with a raised eyebrow. Erik awarded him a slight nod. Later.

Noémi tucked small sachet's of herbs into a cloth bag. "You have your instructions, yes?"

"We do." Raoul tapped the list where it lay on the counter. "Each is to be measured by the number of spoonfuls."

"Once it is made, you can separate it into smaller jars if you wish to transport it."

Erik listened as she went on adding hints as to how to handle their concoction. When the business was finished, Raoul paid her for the supplies. She retrieved their hats and bade them a good day. "If you need anything else, M. Vachon, let Anais know."

"Thank you, Noémi. I will."

Once outside the shop, they waited for a cab. Nadir withdrew his watch and looked at it. "That was unexpected."

Raoul grimaced. "She's right, you know. I hadn't planned on how I was going to explain this to Chris."

Erik stood with his head tipped downward. With a finger, he traced the ornament on the silvered top of his walking stick as they waited for the approaching cab. "We would have come up with something."

"That idea Sabine gave us would suit our purposes, wouldn't it?" Nadir gave the address to the cab driver.

Once inside the vehicle, Raoul asked, "Once we mix this, we are committed. Can you get her to use the water?"

Erik was looking out of the window. "We can't mix it until we get holy water."

"That's easy enough," Raoul answered. "You ask at the church. People have water blessed to take home all the time."

"Our timeliness will be important." Erik pointed out. "Once we mix the bath, she will need to use it for seven days. But, as Sabine pointed out, we will have our own schedule to fulfill."

Nadir broke in, "What for? What did she tell you?"

"I asked who could give us a direction to the crossroad. She replied, Legba, who is the first key loa a person must contact. He is the opener of ways."

"I'm coming, too," Nadir replied in a firm voice.

Erik grinned despite himself. "I didn't say I had to attend a ceremony."

Nadir looked incredulous. "But you will. You aren't going anywhere without me."

"Or me," Raoul added.

Erik looked pointedly at the younger man. "This might not be the sort of thing you would be comfortable doing."

Raoul arched an eyebrow. His lips formed a firm but flat line. "I'm in a cab with the man who tried to drown me not a year passed. I think I'm capable of attending a voodoo ceremony."

The boy would fight him every turn, Erik changed tactics. "Anais tells me that there could be possession involved."

Nadir crossed his arms and looked out of the window. "Now I am sure I am attending. Civic duty. A possessed Erik? "

Erik chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way." De Chagy's composure hadn't broken. The stubborn set of his jaw made Erik relent. "All right, you can come along, too. But we do have a more important problem."

Both men waited for him to continue. "The women," Erik pointed out. "We will need them to be occupied while we reconnoiter. Once we are set, I can have Christine come for the regular lessons for seven days. I'd rather have Mirielle keep her busy until then. What does she like to do?" he asked Raoul.

"She's done a little shopping. Don't women take tea in the afternoon?"

"The ceremony will be in the evening," Erik pointed out. "We don't know the duration or the number of times it will take to get the location of a crossroad."

"Send them to the opera," Nadir suggested.

"Mirielle might have suggestions. Besides, where are we going to say Raoul is? Or myself for that matter."

The cab turned and started across a bridge. The smell of the water and the sound of birds punctuated the pensive silence. "This might take a while," Erik said softly. "It's already Tuesday. Anais can inform us as to schedule meetings. I will see what she and Mirielle can come up with, and then we can set our timetable by them."

"Mama V." Raoul said.

"What?"

"Madame Valerius. She and her husband had acted as benefactors to Christine's father, bringing him to France. She's an invalid now. Perhaps I could have Christine visit her again."

Yes, Erik remembered, the older woman Christine visited when she went to her father's grave in Perros."That could be an added option. But you will have to get in touch with the lady and ask."

"I could send her a telegram this afternoon."

Silence descended inside the vehicle while the rhythmic clop of the horse's hooves kept time outside.

"All right. You send your telegram," Erik instructed, "and Nadir and I shall speak to Mirielle and Anais. In the meantime, we shall prompt Christine to take a lesson, say, twice a week, for a warm up. Once we hear from Madam Valerius, we can adjust our plans."

Raoul nodded his assent. The cab pulled to a stop in front of Erik's home. He offered Nadir some franc notes to pay the driver. Standing beside the still open door he told Raoul, "Shall we set a tentative lesson at the opera on Thursday?"

"Certainly. I'll approach Chris with it tonight."

"Very good." Erik closed the door and tipped his hat, watching as the cab pulled away and entered the street traffic.

Nadir smoothed his jacket as he turned towards the house. "I feel like insects are running up and down my spine."

Erik glanced downward. "Are you standing on an ant hill?"

Nadir snorted. "Of course I'm not standing on an ant hill. I was a police investigator, you know. I'm referring to an electric feeling. This is an adventure, Erik. I can feel it."

Erik shook his head and walked towards his house. Pushing open the door, he called out, "I'm home, dear." He doffed his hat and with a deft twist of his wrist, sent it spinning across the hall to catch on a hook on the hall tree. He slid his walking stick expertly into the umbrella stand.

Anais came out of the dining room holding a feather duster. "Ah, Monsieur Kahn. May I take your hat?" She tucked the duster in the crook of her arm.

Nadir smiled brightly. "Anais. As lovely as a spring day."

She awarded him a crooked smile as she rolled her eyes. "Now what have you been getting up to?"

Nadir faked shock, placing a hand over his heart. "Me? Not me. Never me. I simply escorted my friend to luncheon, which by the way served a very good onion soup, and then to the botanica."

Anais examined Erik's mask. "How did it go?"

With a sigh, Erik told her. "We've experienced a change in plans." He stopped and glanced inside the dining room. "Where is my wife?"

"She is in the back garden, monsieur, with Augustus. He's working for Madam Aulin again. They have been chatting over the back fence."

"Let's go outside, Nadir."

As Erik swept passed, Nadir put his hands together. "Any coffee?"

"To be sure, Monsieur Kahn."

"Bless you, child," he said as he hastened to catch up with Erik.

The back garden was lit by the wan spring sun as it pushed through the cover of the trees. Erik listened for voices, and caught site of the stripped skirt of the dress Mirielle was wearing. She was standing near the fence with both hands braced along its top. Gus stood at the side of Madam Aulin. He pointed towards Erik, causing Madam Aulin to turn with a smile.

They exchanged greetings, Mirielle smiled at him. Taking the fresh air made agreed with her, her eyes were bright. Erik placed a hand over hers where she braced against the fence. "Are you holding on so that you can keep the weight off of that ankle?"

"It's much better," she replied. "But I am being cautious."

"Good." Erik took her hand in his and tucked it into his arm. "How are you, Madam Aulin?"

"I'm fine, M. Vachon. Augustin and I were looking in on the goose." The gardener added, "He's adjusting."

"Splendid. I've just gone to have lunch with M. de Chagny," Erik confided. "I should like a suggestion from you ladies."

"For what?" Mirielle asked.

"We need to keep Madam de Chagy busy on the days she isn't practicing. What do ladies do for entertainment?"

Mirielle and Madam Aulin considered a moment. "We do chores," the older woman explained. "Then we sew."

To Erik their days seemed to be very limited. He had a deeper understanding of why his wife enjoyed accompanying him. "Well, Madam de Chagny is in a hotel, so that rules out chores."

"But she will have singing lessons with you," Mirielle pointed out.

"Yes, I requested we set up a Tuesday and Thursday session for the time being."

"Get her a project."

"A project?"

"You are at the opera," Mirielle pointed out. "Couldn't she take on a role, or teach? Find her something where she could mentor someone."

"Charity," Madam Aulin added. "Women throw their energies into volunteering for charities to occupy their free time."

Erik mulled over the suggestions. "I shall find something for her."

"Ask Raoul," Mirielle replied sweetly.

Erik stared at his wife. The little rogue knew showing her familiarity with de Chagny rankled.

"Of course, my dear," he replied easily. "He and I are going to be spending some time together."

Erik let his comment drift to silence. From the slight change in her gaze upon him, he knew he had snagged his wife's curiosity about his plans changing.