Chapter 13
Yulia paced backstage while Christine and Meg looked on.
"This is ridiculous! Don't you think anyone will notice all the police about?"
"I'm sure that everyone feels this is the best way to protect us…" Meg started.
"Who? Monsieur le Vicomte? Those bumbling managers? And what the hell is the reasoning behind trapping the Opera ghost in the Opera? Does he ever even leave?"
"Calm down, Yulia; this will be over soon." Meg sighed. "Christine, you're as white as a sheet! This will all work out, don't worry…"
Christine's head fell into her hands and started sobbing. "I can't do this! I can't do this!"
"I wonder what would happen if you refused to go on tonight…" Yulia mused.
Carlotta strode up beside them. "What's this? The little angel is crying? This entire affair is a disgrace!"
"Stop it! Can't you see she's upset? There's a great deal of pressure on her!" Meg piped up.
"Oh, yes, by her 'Angel of Music!' At least I earned my position, Christine Daaé!" the diva snapped.
"As has Daaé; there is nothing wrong with receiving instruction," Yulia commented.
"Ah, but there is something wrong when she is elevated due to threats!"
"Just as there is something wrong with a shrill cow throwing her weight around to maintain her position with temper tantrums! Hold your tongue, La Carlotta! We may be on the eve of a new era in this Opera House…Don Juan Triumphant, indeed!" Yulia remarked coldly.
The older woman scowled, but her eyes narrowed on Christine. "You've put us through so much trouble, girl…you had better not embarrass us tonight!"
"Don't listen to her, Christine; she's just jealous," Meg said.
Christine wiped her eyes. "I can't do this…"
"You just don't like the implications," Yulia muttered in Russian.
"What?" Meg asked.
"Nothing," Yulia replied.
The girl sighed. "I need to warm up with the other dancers. Don't worry, Christine; it'll be okay." Little Giry skipped off.
Christine looked up at Yulia for comfort. "You don't think…they'll actually kill, do you?"
"Isn't that what you want? To be free of him?"
"I…don't know…I don't want him to die!"
"Then, what do you want?" Yulia asked.
"I…oh, Yulia, you don't understand! He said he loves me! But, Raoul…"
"Do you love him?"
"Who? Raoul? Why, yes, of course!"
"And your angel?"
Christine looked away from her. "He gave me back my soul; he is my voice. And he's a madman…"
"M. Erik…is a very troubled man," Yulia said slowly. "But, I think he…cultivates you."
"Eh?"
"What I mean is…you won't…grow with Monsieur le Vicomte."
"I'm doing this for Raoul," Christine said, more to herself than Yulia. "Everything will be alright after this."
Yulia sighed. Christine was in such a pitiful predicament. "In any case," Yulia reminded herself, "you have only yourself, and you must do what you need." She turned to Christine. "You're right, Daaé. Everything will be fine. If you'll permit me, since I'm only on in the first act…"
"Wasn't your part longer?"
"I, um…in any case, changes were made, but, if you'd like, I could go make sure that M. Erik is still…downstairs. Would that help?"
Christine nodded. "Yes! Thank you! But, won't he be in Box Five?"
"If he has half of a brain, no," was Yulia's terse reply.
As Yulia went to go onstage, she found Raoul standing, probably waiting for Christine. Mustering her resolve, she asked, "Pardon me, but may I have a word with you, Raoul?"
Christine straightened her costume. She would get through this. After all, who would want to ruin the opening performance of one's opera? After taking a deep breath, she went to find her fiancé before she would be required on stage. She was about to call out to him, but as she rounded a corner, she was faced with the image of him kissing Yulia. Horrified, she ran back the way she had come, as a sinking feeling swelled up in her chest. Anger and pain mounted within her. How could they do this to her? Raoul would never do this! He loved her! Yulia, on the other hand, was so icy in nature. Yes, the witch had lured her prince away! Then Christine paused with a sudden realization. Perhaps she was being punished. After all, hadn't she done the same to her angel?
"Mlle. Daaé! Why aren't you on stage? Come, come, quickly, girl!" M. Firmin barked, rushing her away.
As the overture began to pound in her ears, Christine was left with no time to ponder her recent discovery.
After the end of the first act, Yulia noticed Christine and Raoul in a heated discussion. Thinking nothing of it, she went to the girl's dressing room to report on the ghost's whereabouts.
When she reached the lake, she ventured across the black water mechanically, refusing to ponder the depth of the underground abyss. As she ventured into Erik's home, she was surprised to find no one there. Surely, even he wouldn't have the audacity to watch the performance from Box 5?
Worried, Yulia quickly headed back to the main level and sought out the managers. About half way into the second act, she stumbled across M. Andre.
"Has anyone seen the ghost, sir?" she asked, breathless.
"No," he muttered. "Why?"
"No reason, I was just concerned…"
"Don't worry, Mlle. Kazakova; if he shows his face, we'll get him."
Yulia laughed bitterly.
"Something is amusing you, Mademoiselle? Do you not realize the extraordinary situation we are in?"
"No, no, it's not that, sir; I just doubt the ghost will show his face!"
Yulia greeted Meg as she came off stage. "It's the final scene; it'll be over and done with, soon, thank God," the little dancer said.
"Yes, and we'll be all the better."
They both jumped as Don Juan's voice boomed at his entrance on stage.
They both turned, staring panic-stricken as the cloaked figure glided its way towards Christine.
"Meg…"
"I know!"
As they continued to watch the scene unfold, Meg remained pale and tense, while Yulia began to feel a bit a jealousy creep up on her. Christine was still acting, as she was probably too preoccupied with acting to notice the phantom's ruse, but Erik certainly was not acting. Yulia sighed wistfully and Meg starred at her.
"What is it?"
"What? Oh, the music…that's all."
As the end of the song neared, Christine became aware of the jest, and finally, in a moment that seemed to last an eternity, Christine unmasked the phantom, before the company and the audience.
Meg cringed slightly, and Yulia muttered in disbelief, "Just what the hell was that supposed to accomplish?"
Erik looked more genuinely horrified than the onlookers, and he swept his cloak and ferreted Christine away.
As the majority of the cast rushed on stage in a frenzied state, Yulia pulled back into the shadows. The growing mob was out for blood, and she feared that in their outrage that might well kill Daaé, as well as Erik. Slipping away, she headed for Christine's dressing room.
Yulia paced backstage while Christine and Meg looked on.
"This is ridiculous! Don't you think anyone will notice all the police about?"
"I'm sure that everyone feels this is the best way to protect us…" Meg started.
"Who? Monsieur le Vicomte? Those bumbling managers? And what the hell is the reasoning behind trapping the Opera ghost in the Opera? Does he ever even leave?"
"Calm down, Yulia; this will be over soon." Meg sighed. "Christine, you're as white as a sheet! This will all work out, don't worry…"
Christine's head fell into her hands and started sobbing. "I can't do this! I can't do this!"
"I wonder what would happen if you refused to go on tonight…" Yulia mused.
Carlotta strode up beside them. "What's this? The little angel is crying? This entire affair is a disgrace!"
"Stop it! Can't you see she's upset? There's a great deal of pressure on her!" Meg piped up.
"Oh, yes, by her 'Angel of Music!' At least I earned my position, Christine Daaé!" the diva snapped.
"As has Daaé; there is nothing wrong with receiving instruction," Yulia commented.
"Ah, but there is something wrong when she is elevated due to threats!"
"Just as there is something wrong with a shrill cow throwing her weight around to maintain her position with temper tantrums! Hold your tongue, La Carlotta! We may be on the eve of a new era in this Opera House…Don Juan Triumphant, indeed!" Yulia remarked coldly.
The older woman scowled, but her eyes narrowed on Christine. "You've put us through so much trouble, girl…you had better not embarrass us tonight!"
"Don't listen to her, Christine; she's just jealous," Meg said.
Christine wiped her eyes. "I can't do this…"
"You just don't like the implications," Yulia muttered in Russian.
"What?" Meg asked.
"Nothing," Yulia replied.
The girl sighed. "I need to warm up with the other dancers. Don't worry, Christine; it'll be okay." Little Giry skipped off.
Christine looked up at Yulia for comfort. "You don't think…they'll actually kill, do you?"
"Isn't that what you want? To be free of him?"
"I…don't know…I don't want him to die!"
"Then, what do you want?" Yulia asked.
"I…oh, Yulia, you don't understand! He said he loves me! But, Raoul…"
"Do you love him?"
"Who? Raoul? Why, yes, of course!"
"And your angel?"
Christine looked away from her. "He gave me back my soul; he is my voice. And he's a madman…"
"M. Erik…is a very troubled man," Yulia said slowly. "But, I think he…cultivates you."
"Eh?"
"What I mean is…you won't…grow with Monsieur le Vicomte."
"I'm doing this for Raoul," Christine said, more to herself than Yulia. "Everything will be alright after this."
Yulia sighed. Christine was in such a pitiful predicament. "In any case," Yulia reminded herself, "you have only yourself, and you must do what you need." She turned to Christine. "You're right, Daaé. Everything will be fine. If you'll permit me, since I'm only on in the first act…"
"Wasn't your part longer?"
"I, um…in any case, changes were made, but, if you'd like, I could go make sure that M. Erik is still…downstairs. Would that help?"
Christine nodded. "Yes! Thank you! But, won't he be in Box Five?"
"If he has half of a brain, no," was Yulia's terse reply.
As Yulia went to go onstage, she found Raoul standing, probably waiting for Christine. Mustering her resolve, she asked, "Pardon me, but may I have a word with you, Raoul?"
Christine straightened her costume. She would get through this. After all, who would want to ruin the opening performance of one's opera? After taking a deep breath, she went to find her fiancé before she would be required on stage. She was about to call out to him, but as she rounded a corner, she was faced with the image of him kissing Yulia. Horrified, she ran back the way she had come, as a sinking feeling swelled up in her chest. Anger and pain mounted within her. How could they do this to her? Raoul would never do this! He loved her! Yulia, on the other hand, was so icy in nature. Yes, the witch had lured her prince away! Then Christine paused with a sudden realization. Perhaps she was being punished. After all, hadn't she done the same to her angel?
"Mlle. Daaé! Why aren't you on stage? Come, come, quickly, girl!" M. Firmin barked, rushing her away.
As the overture began to pound in her ears, Christine was left with no time to ponder her recent discovery.
After the end of the first act, Yulia noticed Christine and Raoul in a heated discussion. Thinking nothing of it, she went to the girl's dressing room to report on the ghost's whereabouts.
When she reached the lake, she ventured across the black water mechanically, refusing to ponder the depth of the underground abyss. As she ventured into Erik's home, she was surprised to find no one there. Surely, even he wouldn't have the audacity to watch the performance from Box 5?
Worried, Yulia quickly headed back to the main level and sought out the managers. About half way into the second act, she stumbled across M. Andre.
"Has anyone seen the ghost, sir?" she asked, breathless.
"No," he muttered. "Why?"
"No reason, I was just concerned…"
"Don't worry, Mlle. Kazakova; if he shows his face, we'll get him."
Yulia laughed bitterly.
"Something is amusing you, Mademoiselle? Do you not realize the extraordinary situation we are in?"
"No, no, it's not that, sir; I just doubt the ghost will show his face!"
Yulia greeted Meg as she came off stage. "It's the final scene; it'll be over and done with, soon, thank God," the little dancer said.
"Yes, and we'll be all the better."
They both jumped as Don Juan's voice boomed at his entrance on stage.
They both turned, staring panic-stricken as the cloaked figure glided its way towards Christine.
"Meg…"
"I know!"
As they continued to watch the scene unfold, Meg remained pale and tense, while Yulia began to feel a bit a jealousy creep up on her. Christine was still acting, as she was probably too preoccupied with acting to notice the phantom's ruse, but Erik certainly was not acting. Yulia sighed wistfully and Meg starred at her.
"What is it?"
"What? Oh, the music…that's all."
As the end of the song neared, Christine became aware of the jest, and finally, in a moment that seemed to last an eternity, Christine unmasked the phantom, before the company and the audience.
Meg cringed slightly, and Yulia muttered in disbelief, "Just what the hell was that supposed to accomplish?"
Erik looked more genuinely horrified than the onlookers, and he swept his cloak and ferreted Christine away.
As the majority of the cast rushed on stage in a frenzied state, Yulia pulled back into the shadows. The growing mob was out for blood, and she feared that in their outrage that might well kill Daaé, as well as Erik. Slipping away, she headed for Christine's dressing room.