Hello, people! I thank you deeply for all the reviews! Sob, that last chapter made me cry a. Kind of weird, because the last thing that made me cry had a little Jack Russell terrier in it. Oh, Skip!
Ch. 8: Confusion, Cows, and Caring
When the house of De Chagney disappeared into the early Parisian morning, Madame Giry took the baby from Meg. The child looked up at her with her confused bottle green eyes. She stroked the baby's head feverishly, trying to calm her down. Meg fiddled with the blanket restlessly. It was evident that Delight was looking for Christine.
As the fog drifted by the racing carriage, onlookers on sidewalks glared at them as the vehicle destroyed flowerbeds and nearly hit several statues. Erik yanked his cloak farther over his face, not wanting to take any chances with recognition of the mask. Scandal was the last thing any of them wanted.
With a precision that none would have suspected, the people in the opera house were easily fooled by Meg's excuses. She held the baby, claiming Delight to be a child she was caring for in favor of a friend. Madame Giry led Erik to his passageway for the cloak covered his eyes and was rendered blind. When the painting had slid from its frame to reveal the corridor, Meg and Madame Giry made a frightened parting glance, giving the baby to the masked man. " You do remember that promise you made to Christine, no?" The elder Giry said menacingly, her yellow eyes flashing. " Bad things will happen if harm comes to Delight. I will see to it myself if the occasion should arise." Erik nodded dumbly, sliding the painting shut quickly when the managers came strutting by. The Girys made nervous greetings as the pair passed, sighing with relief when the two fools were gone. The painting slid open again, an annoyed look on Erik's face.
" What do I do if she is hungry? I'm not exactly lactating." Cecile made a motion to slap him for his impudence, her lip thin with frustration.
"There is a cow in the stable of the opera house. Steal her and tether the beast by the edge of your lake. She will be fine." The man still looked confused. " B-but how do I-" he was cut off in mid question when the panel was slammed in his face, for another bothersome gaggle of idiots was making their way past.
"Blast!" Erik cursed. He held Delight out, looking at her with confusion. "I'm sure you have no idea how to milk a cow either, child" The baby stuck out her bottom lip, it quivering with upset. "Oh, no." Without another useless remark to the infant, he sprinted back down to his home below.
" Oh dear. What did I do now?" Erik muttered as Delight began to whimper again. He cradled his forehead in his hands. In an attempt to calm the baby, he had tried to rock her back to sleep, only finding that his white mask had frightened her, sending her into fits of howling. The only way, he found, to cure her of this phobia, was to get rid of it altogether. Much to his surprise, the mangled flesh of his scarred face did not scare her, but on the contrary, the infant seemed to find it amusing. Father dearest here had come to the conclusion that she was the only person who could laugh at him without fear.
Now, with feeding time at hand, Erik stared at the stolen cow with genuine mystification. The stupid beast stared back, chewing its cud lazily. He tested the waters, poking the udder with a stick. The cow, annoyed by this beating around the bush, began to low, its moos echoing around the subterranean chamber. "Oh, God," the phantom groaned, poking the udder again with his gloved finger. In response to this touch, the cow promptly kicked him in the shin.
"Dammit! Why you horrible beast!" Erik gave the cow a whack on the rump with the utilized stick. With a throbbing bruise rising on his leg, he did his best to milk the cow, putting the desired liquid into an oilskin funnel. The baby watched with a quiet amusement as her father limped back into the room, cursing under his breath. She devoured the meal, burping when through.
Erik, pleased with the success, put Delight in her makeshift cradle near the organ. She gazed at her father with infantile recognition, smiling her toothless smile. In the pit of his stomach, Erik felt something that was alien to him. It was adoration.
With an air of a professional, he sat down at the organ, cracking his fingers in preparation. " I believe a lullaby is in order, mademoiselle." Using his gift of music, the masked man eased the child into a restful state of peace.
Aw! I'm sorry if that absolutely made you sick. It was weird to write, I know. If it did make you nauseous, send your complaint to the following address:
1314 Indifference Lane
Apathy, GA 34528
P.O. Box who gives a rip 1243