Chapter Eight
The Masquerade
Over the next six months, I stayed in my lair, working nonstop on "Don Juan." I managed to finish it with enough time to thoroughly think out my plan. That night, the Opéra Populaire would be hosting a masquerade ball. I would go to the ball to deliver "Don Juan" to the managers personally. It would be a decent shock for them, for I knew that most of the people working at the opera believed me to be gone forever. I could almost imagine the looks on their faces when I arrive.
When the masquerade was about to begin, I made my way up to the lobby. I was wearing a blood red outfit, a skull-like mask, a long red cape, and I had a sword sheathed at my left hip. From the sound of it, the masquerade had a nice turnout, which was good for me. I went to the back of the lobby and exited my passageway, making sure no one was watching when I did. No one noticed that I was there until I was standing at the top of the lobby stairs. The people who were dancing stopped. The chatter died. Every eye was focused on me.
I took a step down the stairs. "Why so silent, good messieurs?" I asked with a certain amount of innocence. "Did you think that I had left you for good?" The looks on the faces of the managers were priceless. "Have you missed me, good messieurs? I have written you an opera. Here I bring the finished score—'Don Juan Triumphant.'" I threw the manuscript that I was carrying at the feet of the managers.
"Fondest greetings to you all," I said coolly, glancing around the lobby. "I have a few instructions just before rehearsal starts." My eyes fixed on Carlotta, and I drew my sword. "Carlotta must be taught to act," I said, pointing my sword at her. "And I don't mean her normal trick of strutting around the stage." Piangi, who was standing beside her, looked furious. He tried to come at me, but it touched the tip of my sword to his stomach. "Our Don Juan must loose some weight. It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age." I grinned slyly. I casually turned away from them and focused my attention on André and Firmin. As I did, though, I noticed that the Vicomte, who had been standing with Christine at the bottom of the stairs, had left. "And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts." I moved my sword from André to Firmin as I said this, and they looked both terrified and outraged at the same time.
"As for our star," I said as I sheathed my sword, "Miss Christine Daaé." I glanced over at her, and she shuddered. I addressed everyone in the lobby as I said, "No doubt she'll do her best. It's true her voice is good. She knows though should she wish to excel—she has much still to learn—if pride would let her return to me: her teacher." My attention fell back onto her, and she took a step toward me. This surprised me, but what surprised me more was the expression on her face. She wasn't frightened, she was completely calm. I absentmindedly took a few steps toward her, and we found ourselves face to face. I looked into her eyes, and she looked back into mine. I saw an engagement ring on a chain around her neck. I seized it and pulled off of her. "Your chains are still mine!" I said harshly. "You belong to me!" I saw the Vicomte approaching us with a sword, and I ran up the stairs. Using a magician's trick that I had learned, I dropped down through a trapdoor in the floor, leaving a burst of fire behind me. There were gasps around the lobby, but the Vicomte dropped down into the floor after me.
This particular trapdoor led to a room full of mirrors. The Vicomte looked around, but all he saw was himself. I decided to toy with him, and I stepped out from behind a mirror and several other me's did the same. He swung his sword at my reflection in a mirror, and was disappointed to discover that it wasn't the real me. I laughed, and my voice echoed eerily through the room. I continued to move around the room, making my reflection appear and disappear in the mirrors. The Vicomte was beginning to panic. He was swinging his sword at my reflections with an increased sense of urgency. He probably would have lost his mind if Madam Giry hadn't put her hand on his shoulder and led him out of the room.
I wasn't entirely pleased that she did this, but it worked with my plan. I didn't follow them. Instead, I went back down to my lair. I was looking forward to getting a bit of rest, knowing that my plan was in motion.