" Desperate but not serious
Your kisses drive me delirious

If I were kind and adoring
How would that be?
Very boring
--Adam Ant, Desperate but not Serious.

Chapter 5 The Opera Ghost

Antoinette watched the proceeding Opera with trepidation. Christine had slept several hours only to awaken when she had sent Meg to talk to her. They needed to practice for the nights performance. All Meg could extract from her was " He was my secret Meg. You should ask your mother about him as he is also hers." Meg deemed her physically and emotionally fine , although she was understandably upset about the nights casting. It was very disappointing to her, insulting , and she feared her lovers anger would prove dangerous for some.

Mme sighed and thought maybe the only way they would learn was through baptism by fire. She only hoped his wrath would not be too great. She knew it would anger him, Christine being treated this way, and there was the added aggravation of Raoul occupying box 5. The managers refused to speak to her however, her hands were tied and she had much to do in preparation.

Tonight he was The Phantom. He had watched Antoinette produce the notes, and had seen Carlotta twist the two inexperienced fools to her liking. He was furious at Christine being cast the pageboy, and the last straw was Raoul taking over his box permanently. He was losing ground and had to do something quickly to regain control. They had simply chosen to ignore his every request.

If Christine came to him he would gladly leave this place tonight but he was afraid he had overstepped his ground with her, this was too much for her too soon. He regretted his haste last night but had she had given him the slightest protestation, he would have quickly removed her from his intense desire. It was wrong of him though he thought, he knew she thought too much of him. Although he knew she no longer believed in the angel of music as many children stopped believing in St. Nicholas or the tooth fairy, she still had a certain awe of him. He had a power in the opera house until now, and most understood that some of it's most fantastic operas, claimed lightly by Fevre were in actuality, written by the Opera Ghost.

He had never meant to be feared this way, but grudgingly allowed it to happen as fear secured his privacy. He did not like for the girls to be frightened however. He knew what it was like to live in fear. Buquet had become a real thorn in his side. Not only was he too curious about his whereabouts and dangerously close to knowing the entrance to his lair, but he was purposely scaring the girls, in order to be in their midst. He claimed to have seen him on several occasions, and had gained notoriety in this way. He was a lazy drunkard as well. Erik had no patience for those who knowingly abused the gift their creator had given them, their unscarred and undistorted physical forms.

He had been watching him all night he noticed gritting his teeth. He had played with him always staying two steps in front of him-- but his anger had been rising as he persisted. "Did I not instruct that box 5 was to be kept empty?" He had learned the art of throwing his voice long ago. He concentrated again on Buquet, wanting to be sure he had not seen him switch Carlotta's spritzer. He obviously had not and he moved back to enjoy the proceedings. He had enjoyed Christine's performance, she seemed to forget her worries onstage and she brought a wonderful sense of presence to the role.

After the tumult he was happy to find the managers quickly learned some sense and announced Christine's switch to Countess. He watched Box 5 so as to proceed when Raoul moved from his perch there. He did not move. It seemed Andre and Firmin learned quickly, but the rash young would be suitor of Christine did not. He set back to the shadows his anger growing to watch from a distance but Buquet was not going to allow that to happen. He had taken leave of his post-- the stage was in disarray because of it and he was stalking him. Something snapped in him, the emotional roller coaster ride he had been on, exhaustion and worry came to a dangerous peak and Buquet pushed him over the edge. Well, he thought, one of his demands had been met tonight one was still left, he would give them one more disaster to ensure his regaining of power. Box 5, the opera house and Christine would be his.