Chapter 3: Ignorant Genius
Erik looked at the servants as they stood there, each servant stared straight ahead.
" I want to know, who wrote this," Erik growled
He looked at his butler and held it to his face.
" What type of hand writing is this?" Erik asked
" It looks like that of a woman's, master," Gaston replied
Delilah and Pandora circle the servants and Erik grabbed each woman servant by their tied back hair.
" How can I pick you out?" Erik growled, " You know the rules, colors like this are not allowed, nor are they used to be written in."
Erik looked at Delilah and Pandora and whistled. He knelt down and they came to him, he held the paper up to them. They sniffed the paper as well as the ink and he pointed to the women. Erik let them pick out the culprit, they sniffed hands and clothing, then stopped at Colette and Marie. Delilah jumped up on Marie and Marie looked at the dog.
" Marie," Erik said
" It is not I," Marie said, " She smells the meat upon my clothing."
Delilah sat in front of Marie and looked at her, she began to bark softly and then her tail began to wag. Erik walked over to her and grabbed her by her collar, then looked at Pandora. She sat in front of Colette and growled at her, Erik walked in front of Colette and looked at her.
" Step up girl," he hissed
Colette did just that and looked straight ahead and Erik grabbed her hands. She held onto something and Erik pried her hands opened.
" No," Colette cried
Erik grabbed a ink bottle and a small writing quill, he looked at her in anger.
" Give them back to me, sir please I beg you," Colette cried
" What are you doing with these items?" he questioned
" They're mine," she cried
Erik slapped her across the face and she turned her head away.
" Answer my question," he growled
Colette remained in silence and Erik threw the ink bottle onto the ground. Colette looked at him and narrowed her eyes.
" You monster," she growled
" You disobeyed my rules and this is what your punishment is," Erik said
Colette knelt down to collect the glass and Erik pushed her to the ground with his foot.
" You devil," she said
" Master," Marie said
" Stay out of this!" he shouted at Marie
Colette stood up and Erik broke the quill. She felt tears run down her face and Erik narrowed his eyes.
" Do you disobey my rules on purpose?" Erik asked, " Do you wish to be killed?"
" You're a coward!" Colette shouted, " Hide away in your precious estate."
Erik looked at her and lifted his hand up and swung his hand, but it was grabbed. Erik looked at the butler as he stopped his powerful hand.
" I gave her the quill and ink, I thought she was going to write an apology letter master," Gaston said, " if anyone deserves the punishment…its me."
Erik looked at Colette and then whistled for Delilah and Pandora.
" Come, I will deal with you later Gaston," Erik said
" Yes, Master," he said
Erik walked off and Gaston turned around and looked at Colette. She looked at him as tears fell from her face. She then hugged Gaston and began to cry in his arms.
" Why? Why did you do that?" she cried
" Because we stick up for one another and I wasn't about to see you go another week without proper nutrients," Gaston said
Marie looked at Colette and patted her head and she hugged the young girl.
" Truly he is harder on you, then any of us," Marie said
" Why?" Colette began to sob
" Probably because you look like 'her'," another servant said
" Her?" Colette asked
Marie sighed and said, " Madame de Chagny, the Vicomte's wife."
" Christine Daaé ," Colette whispered
Erik looked at the paper and saw the notes written on it. The dripping ink made it difficult to read, but he began to play it. He looked at the dogs as they sat there and he looked at Delilah.
" Traitor," he said
She jumped up and barked and Erik rubbed her behind her ears.
" I can't depend on you when it comes to convicting culprits," Erik said
Delilah braked and waged her tail and then Pandora nuzzled her head under Erik's arm.
" Yes, old girl I haven't forgotten you," Erik said
She nuzzled his coat and he reached into it then tossed the bones for the dogs. He sighed and looked at the music.
" Ignorant child," he sighed
Later, Erik walked down the hall and entered one of the rooms and looked at Colette.
" Where did you learn to write music like this?" Erik asked
" My mother taught me," she replied
" Sing it," Erik ordered
" Sing it?" Colette asked
Erik walked over to her and said, " Yes."
" But there is no words to sing to," Colette said
" Are you stupid?" Erik said, " Music can always be sung, with or without words."
Colette looked at him and took the paper and looked at it. Erik looked at her and waited for her.
" I can't monsieur," she said
" Then play it," Erik said
He grabbed her by her arm and led her to the music room, he sat her at the piano and looked at her. Erik hit the first note and looked at her, waiting for Colette to pick up.
" Are you ignorant to music?" Erik asked, " These notes are like reading a story."
" I don't know how to read monsieur, I only know how to write," Colette said, " My mother taught me how to write, but she never taught me how to read."
" How is that possible, you can't write without reading? Erik questioned
" I don't know monsieur," Colette replied
Erik rolled his eyes and made her stand and began to play the childish music. Erik stopped and looked at her.
" Finish it," Erik said
He lifted a quill and black ink and handed her the paper back. Colette looked at him and sat beside him. She added several other measures to the music and Erik watched her. He stopped her and began to play it once more and then looked at her.
" Do you know what you have written?" Erik asked
" Notes," Colette said
" You have written a chorale," Erik said
Erik looked at Colette as she stared at the music with awe. He played it and added chords and slowly added a left hand. Colette watched as the man, who has scolded her, turn a bunch of dots into a master piece. Erik stopped and stood up and Colette looked at him, his black cloak followed behind his dark figure.
" I will teach you everything you need to know about music, if you behave yourself and do your chores," Erik said, " If you do not, you lose that dayto learn."
Colette stood up and looked at Erik.
" You will teach me…a servant girl?" Colette questioned
" Are you deaf too?" he questioned
" Thank you monsieur," Colette whispered
Erik walked out the door and Delilah and Pandora laid by the door. He whistled and they followed him eagerly and Colette sighed. She walked out and went to her drafty room and Marie looked at her.
" He's going to teach me music," Colette said
" That is good child," Marie said, " Now let me see you arm."
Colette rolled up her sleeve and Marie placed a cool cloth on her burn.
" Do you think that he is beginning to warm up too me?" Colette asked, " The abuse will stop now."
" I don't know child, he's a strange man," Marie said
" He's like my father, abusive. That is why my mother and I were traveling that day…to get away from him. He never saw it coming," Colette said
" Saw what child?" Marie asked
" The poison in his supper," Colette answered
" You didn't!" Marie exclaimed
" My mother did it and she took it too, she said it was better to die then to be captured and killed," Colette whispered
Marie looked at Colette and wrapped her arms around the girl.
" Such a young girl should never be brought up with darkness as he companion," Marie whispered
Erik brought the dogs out and sat down on the veranda, he stared out into the distance, listening to the nightly noise. Erik sipped his wine and then traced his white mask. He removed it and then stood up, walking to stone railing.
" Such an ignorant child, with a gift of a genius," Erik thought, " Yes, this girl is who I will groom into a diva."
" She will be greater than you Christine Daaé !" Erik shouted, " You will curse the day that you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you!"
A maniacal chuckle escaped his lips, but then he let out a loud laughter. The dogs howled as he laughed.
The servants looked at him as he laughed; they turned around to return to their work.
" Oh, he's defiantly lost it this time," a servant said
" He's lost it a long time ago," Marie said, " Come on girls back to work."