See the first chapter for the disclaimer. This is not the last chapter, even though I thought it would be. Oh well, for the few of you who have been reading this, especially Beattlebon, thank you! It really means a lot when you take the time to do so. I wanted to point out something that a friend noticed that I didn't even see as I was writing this. Leonard is the name of Baz's father who died right near the end of Moulin's production. I must have unconsciously picked that up when I named him, or perhaps it's not Christian who's being haunted…but me.
The History of a Creature of the Underworld
Christian made no move to sit and I turned my gaze to Satine, imploring her to act. She nodded to me and slipped an arm around him, guiding him to sit on the bed. She didn't let go of the hand he clasped and when they sat he pulled her close, wrapping his arms about her, accepting without a word her return to life. He simply trusted me. All his life I had made things happen, appeared when he was lost or had no hope. Now she had returned to him and I had something to do with it, so he would trust me again to make everything clear. Closing my eyes, I opened my mouth and told them my own tale.
"I first came to Paris in 1477, during the end of the war of the roses. Scotland was the ally of France and so it only seemed natural that I would avoid the strife in England and come here to become a gentleman knight. Well, that was the plan my family had, but I wanted nothing to do with fighting and all that foolishness. I might have grown up amongst warring clansmen, but damned if I was going to be one. For all the spring and summer I wasted my days in taverns and gambling houses and my nights with whores." I winked at Satine just so I could see her face go red with anger and laughed softly, "Oh yes my dear, you're not the first courtesan I've loved, just the one I've loved best."
Standing, I walked out to the balcony and looked across again at the windmill wings. They followed me and I looked over my shoulder at their white faces and thought again how beautiful they both were; my darling children, how I loved them so!
Christian moved up beside me and put a hand on my arm even as he kept one around Satine. "Tell the rest Uncle, it'll be dawn in a hour or so."
Oh yes, I thought, and my tale must be told before then. "We seem to have a common problem my boy, brothels have always been my downfall as well." Satine bristled again, but I smiled at her affectionately, "We go of our own accord my dear, with no malice towards the girls – am I right Chris?"
He smiled at me and turned back to her, "Yes, yes you are Uncle." He cupped her cheek in one hand and she closed her eyes, resting her head in his palm with a smile.
"Honoria owned my favorite house at the time." I looked away from them and continued, "The brothel district at that time was not this hill, where they used to make flour, but down by the river and there were dozens of them. Hers was the best by far. The girls were the best cared for, the food and wine some of the best in the city, and the entertainments to be had within the very finest. Even though Honoria was the madam, she was the best. Not the most beautiful, but certainly the most interesting and I could not get enough of her company. Unlike many of the foolish young nobles who came to her house, I was lucky at the cards, and willing to stay up all night just talking to her. After a while it got to be a joke among my friends that I spent most of my time at Honoria's house talking to Honoria. And then I met Matilda and made the mistake of making Honoria jealous."
I turned again from the view and looked Christian in the eye. "Making a woman jealous is always a mistake. Even if you do it unintentionally, the wound is far greater than the one a man suffers. My feelings for Honoria didn't change, I still loved her, but I'd loved her the way that I love Satine – as a friend, as a confidant. You my darling, I think of as a daughter, Honoria I thought of as an aunt. I didn't care that she was a whore, she was interesting and funny, and if I sensed a certain, shall we say, darkness about her persona, I just assumed it was due to her profession. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she felt anything more than friendship for me." I had been looking at Christian through this description, now I turned my eyes to Satine, "You can imagine her reaction when I told her about Matilda."
"Oh yes, I'm certain I can." Her tone was mildly ironic. For Christian's benefit she asked, "Angry was she?"
"Unbelievable so! And I in my youthful ignorance went blithely on and on about all of Matilda's amazing qualities."
"Oh dear," said Christian, the master of the understatement, "How is it you're still alive?"
I laughed softly, "Well that's just it my boy, I'm not, not really."
He stared at me, his mouth unbecomingly open, and then he looked away, adding up all that I'd said and realization struck him hard. He took an involuntary step back from me and then whipped around, staring at Satine. A little slow to reach his destination was my nephew, but once he got to the first step, he could get to the top of the stairs in an instant. He took a step back from both of us, looking first at me, then at her, "No, it can't be – You can't be – and you did it to…Satine…" His eyes were wild and his breathing ragged as he reached out with one hand to her whimpering a denial over and over
Her own eyes were swimming in tears and she took his hand, just grasping the ends of his finger as if afraid to touch him, but more afraid not to be touching him. He bared his teeth and gave a fierce growl of denial, drawing her close and pressing one hand to her neck.
I shook my head, turning away, "You won't feel anything Christian; water, air and food are no longer the things that sustain her."
"Uncle no…"
"Mmmm…I'm afraid that's not true either, or well it is from a certain point of view."
"A certain point of view?" His tone was both sarcastic and painful.
I nodded, "You will find, as you get older, that many of the truths we cling to are not true at all, when viewed differently. I'm your uncle yes, if you add ten or so 'greats' on before the title." I sighed deeply and turned to face him again. "I angered Honoria and hurt her, and she punished me for making her believe that I loved her." I saw Satine flinch out of the corner of my eye, "It was unintentional of course, but she gave her love so seldom, and every time she had been hurt. I think she knew in her head that I loved her just as a friend, but her heart wouldn't listen, and I paid the price for my thoughtlessness"
"And so you've decided to pass on the favor!" It was Satine who crossed the distance between us and slapped me as hard as she could. All the anger she'd been holding back these past months suddenly came boiling out and her fury stunned both the poet and myself. "You had me to talk to and Christian to play with, but I was dying and you'd have no one to talk to is that it? Or are you like Harold? So concerned for what I look like and what I can give you, that you fail to see me? Don't you realize what you've done?" She pointed to Christian and her face crumpled in tears, "He'll be…oh my love…he'll be dead in a month, and I'll be, Oh God! I'll be trapped here! We'll be apart forever!" She hugged herself, making those awful screaming sobs of hers that tore at my heart.
Christian had been horrorstruck when realization hit, but his instincts kicked in and he went to her, pulling her close, trying not to cough, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth while trying to hold her with the other arm. I couldn't watch them anymore.
She was right, I thought, as I went back inside and sank into the desk chair once more. They would be apart now, not just until he died, but for always. Just like Matilda and myself.
Just like Matilda and myself…
I looked over at the sheet in the typewriter – A love that will live forever
On the balcony stood the dying boy holding up the despairing courtesan. Could I give up my dream for Christian and give him back his own? Could I do for them what Matilda would not let me do for us, she and I? Yes, I thought, I absolutely could. They might hate me, they might not, but they wouldn't hate each other, and they would be together. That was all that mattered.
With a purpose I strode out onto the balcony and forcibly pulled them apart. Satine had no trouble keeping her feet, but Christian stumbled and would have fallen if I had not held him tightly. Looking over his shoulder I met her eyes and she knew what I meant to do.
"No Leonard! Don't condemn him to this life, please!" She begged me desperately, but she didn't move, knowing that she was not strong enough to stop me.
Christian looked up at me, stunned by what was happening and the speed at which I'd moved. His knees sagged and I held him up with one hand, brushing his hair back with the other, "My boy I'm glad we found out you were sick before you wasted away to nothing. Look on the bright side," I said as I held his face gently in one hand, "You will never have to shave again."
His eyes, which had been at half-mast as he tried to focus them, suddenly snapped to attention and he gasped, "Oh…!"
I gently turned his head to the side and sank my teeth into the pulsing vein in his neck. The blood quickly filled all my senses and some dim part of me that was only vaguely aware felt Satine tugging on my arm and heard Christian moan. It was just minutes before daybreak when I lifted my mouth from his neck and peered down at him. He was so pale as to be almost transparent. Lifting him to my chest, I carried him inside and was only mildly aware that Satine had followed me in and dragged the heavy curtains closed. I cradled him on my lap and in that moment, was ready to let him go. He would just go to sleep and never waken. I could send Satine on after him, there were ways to kill our kind, and it was just difficult. Perhaps I could even join them…
She stood with her back to the windows, in the dim light I could still see the fire of her hair, the brightness of her eyes…no, I couldn't let the boy die. Raising my wrist to my mouth, I slit the vein and held it over his mouth, letting the drops land on his lips. He stirred and licked it off, and then he grabbed my arm and latched onto the wound like a starving wolf. With a surprising growl he drank with a ferociousness I'd never seen and in less than five minutes I began to feel weak. I jerked my hand out of his grip and glared at him in annoyance. "Greedy child! You'll have to learn some control."
Sliding him off my lap I stood and moved to the door. "Stay with him Satine, he'll be confused when he wakes up this evening. I'll make sure there's a guard at the door so you will not be disturbed."
She nodded, going to his side. "Thank you Leonard."
"Think nothing of it." I turned to open the door, as my heart crumbled to bits.
Christian stopped me, "Uncle, where are you going?"
"Away for awhile my lad. Paris is yours now. Satine will show you what to do. Stay away from the Moulin Rouge, but other than that, the city is yours." I opened the door to the thankfully black hallway. Turning back just as I stepped out I caught his eye. He was holding Satine, a look of wonder on his face. Our eyes met and he mouthed the words 'thank you'. I could not stay; I could see already that he was changing. If I could barely stand to see it in her, I would never be able to look at him again.
Perhaps, after a century or so, I could see them again. We could be friends. They would have had far more time than any other couple and that happiness would help us to put our past behind us.
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Well? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know with a review. I have an epilogue in mind, possibly two, we'll see. :}