Young Phantom- Chapter Three

The Man Behind the Genius- Meeting the Chagny's



They sat at the table the next morning, eating. Erik reached for the small tray, offering Christine something.

"Oh, sank you Monsieur." She gratefully took a serving and he went back to his reading.

"It starts with a description of himself. He says ' Six foot, masculine, not your average little fop'."

Christine 'Mmmed and swallowed her food. "In ozer words, his hands, feet and everyvere else vere increased in size."

"Well yes." Erik said turning to take a bite of food.

Her eyes widened, her lips forming a small 'o' shape as if slurping spaghetti. "He would have an enormous (I know this is German, SA) Schwanshtucker!" She cried.Erik paused, gulping his food and shyly responded. "It's a family thing."

Her eyes fell to his trousers, then shot up to him. "Whoo!"

Erik nervously waved it off. "So, my dear, what we need is paper, ink, a tuning for that old piano, and time for you to practice here away from the Opera!"

She bit her lip. "I can't say, I couldn't be here evenings I perform nor afternoons I practice."

He sighed. "Well let's work on the supplies. Nadir, do you know anywhere we can get it cheap?"

"Well yes but if you're seen getting those things they'll think you're as mad as your grandfather!"

"Why?"

"Well he killed two men, and always lured a young soprano to his home, to do lord knows what, he claimed music. When they finally attacked him, she defended him, so they thought her mad too."

He bit his lip. "Then it'll have to be a secret, wont it ?"



Erik and Nadir hustled the wagon of supplies through the rainy streets of Paris. They hit a bump and Erik cursed, both stopping to scoop up the things from the cobbles. The sound of a horse caused them to hurry.

A young, blonde nobleman appears just as the last quill is shoved into the canvas covered wagon. He eyes the two and yields the horse to a stop and walks up to them.

"Pardon me, monsieur, but I know everyone around here, who are you?"

"I am Erik Sonfais, I am newly arrived from America."

"Oh yes! I was told about you! I am Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny!"

Erik shook his hand. "Very nice to meet you."

"Why your chilled to the bone monsieur !You need some help with your load? You could catch cold in this weather if you don't get it home fast. Have a nip from the old bottle"

"No, I'm fine, thanks anyhow."

Raoul strolled off, checking himself out in some glass.

"What a fop!" Erik mumbled.



"I'm telling you, he's mad! Five minutes speaking to him and you can see that!" Raoul yelled, his face red.

"He's a Sonfais! They're all alike! It's in their blood! Those musicians! They say they're working for us, but they really want to rule the world!" One man cried.

"These are very serious charges you're making! And even more painful for us, your elders, because we still have nightmares from five times before! We don't know if he intends to kidnap the young Mademoiselle Daae`, monsieur le Vicomte, we'd better have your brother check things out..... He is the man most qualified to judge the situation clearly. Oh Monsieur Le Comte, won't you help us, please?"

Philippe de Chagny turned to look at them, seemingly shoving his entire hand into a fire to light his cigar, not one bit of flesh burned when he pulled it back out. People 'oohed' and he began to pace.

"A fire, is a traghic sing, and, vonce you jet vwon shtarted zere is little shance of shtopping it! Short of bloodshetd! I sink, before wer go around killing people, ve'd better make DEAD shyure, off our evidence, and, ve had better confieerm the effect, that yong Sonfais, iz follovring in hiz grandfadders footshdops!"

"Vaht?"

"Following in his grandfathers footshdops, footshdops footshdops!"

"Oh, footsteps!" Commotion ensued now.

"I sink, what is in order, is for me to pay a visit on ze good monsieur! And to have a nice qvuiet shat!"



Christine looked at the score in Erik's hands as they stood in the refurbished music room. "It's hideous!"

"It's beautiful!" He cried, turning to Nadir. "Nadir, bring Mademoiselle some water!"

"Yes, master."

Christine breathed in, still horrified by the complexity of the manuscript. "Vy not Twvinkle Twvinkle Little Stvar?"

Erik rolled his eyes. "Christine, in order to do this you must learn to grow a spine!"

She sighed, her hand resting on his. "Ok Erik, I sink I'm vready."

"You're sure?" His eyes met hers and rested there.

She stared into his leaning closer. "Yah....."

"Good, get yourself into position."

She looked shyly at Nadir. "Vright here, vright now?"

He was perplexed. "Yes, get yourself into position for singing."

"Ah! Vor singing! Of cvourse!"

He watched her straighten, then began to play, she let herself begin to sing, doing marvelously until she tried a higher note, her voice cracking. He urged her on, but the notes became more difficult, ans what was supposed to be a miraculous discovery in an operatic voice was more like a croaking toad.

Erik slammed his hands on the keys of the piano, frustrated. "No, no no no NO! Aurgh, I can't do this, you're horrible! What happened Christine!?"

She huffed, insulted. "I told ju to do Twvinkle Twvinkle Little Stvar!"

He growled, dashing up the stairs.



"Reputation... Reputation!" He hung his head, staring blankly at the food on his plate.

"Oh Erik, you musn't do zis to yourselvf! You got to stop sinking about it! Vy look, you haven't even touched your fvood!" Christine continued to eat hers.

He angrily patted his hands into the now slop. "There, now I've touched it, happy!?"

Nadir shook his head smiling fondly. "You know, I'll never forget my old dad, when these things would happen to him, the things he'd say to me!"

Erik looked hopefully to him. "What did he say?" (Couldn't change the following, it HAD to stay- S.A)

Nadir smiled wryly. "What the hell are you doing in the bathroom day and night? Why don't you get out of their and give someone else a chance!?" He nodded several times as he spoke to prove his point. He stared blankly at the wall now.

Erik stared in disbelief for a moment, then his face fell. "Oh maybe it's better this way, you poor talent less girl! Maybe you are better off in the chorus!"

She gasped and shook her head, ignoring him. She unconsciously began to sing the song they had been working on, only now it was perfect! On key and thorough, Erik stared in surprise then he clasped her hand.

"Oh, Christine you did it! You were wonderful how could I ever have doubted you?"

She shrugged, smiling softly.



Vell, I suppose dis vill do! Lol. I just saw Terri Garr, the chick who plays Inga in the movie, in a movie with John Denver called 'Oh, God!' it was cool.... Well, uh, the next one is coming!