II. The Power of the Music of the Night
"So you really mean to say that that Ghost, however nasty and evil he may be, is not the bad guy?" André's eyebrows performed a weird waggling dance, up and down over his forehead.
Madame Giry suppressed a groan, though very barely. How many repetitions of the same subject did it take to get it through that man's thick skull? And Firmin was not much better, when she considered it. All the time their eyes flickered towards the dark shape behind her, yet still they refused to believe. How much evidence did the idiots need? Was those three decent young workers' word not enough? Good Heavens, she would be boxing some ears soon if she did not restrain herself!
"If you do not believe them", Raoul put in angrily, "I do. I was there. I saw Créon. Face to face. Will you at least believe me?"
"I saw him, too!" Meg cried. "All of them! And my mother saw some of them, only yesterday morning!"
Madame Giry motioned her daughter to be silent. Why did the girl always have to get involved? Really, Meg ought to learn when to keep her mouth shut. There had been no need for this.
And she ought to learn not to pout when she was silenced.
"Do you really believe I would let the Phantom walk free if he weren't an ally?" Raoul continued. "You know I wouldn't. But I'm afraid he's the only one who can get rid of them for us." He paused, and then added, "But I'll help."
The silly boy. Madame Giry almost shook her head at his stubbornness. Always wanting to handle everything, even if he had no idea what he was really doing. The boy was brave, no doubt, but he would have to learn to be a bit more cautious.
"Well, André", Firmin said slowly, "I think that for now we have no better option than believing their word, however crazy their story sounds. I mean, Madame Giry is a very sensible woman", he added hastily, as if he instinctively felt how much she desired to subject his ears to a rather rough treatment. "And so is Mademoiselle Daaé, and the young Vicomte de Chagny. Though in his case, I'll have to say he's a sensible man." Firmin cleared his throat and laughed nervously. "Well, anyway… well… yes, I think we can afford to believe them, until we learn otherwise."
André scowled at him. "Are you meaning to say that… that…" His face reddened as he sought for suitable words, yet his eyes roved frantically towards the Phantom and back again.
The Phantom smiled. And it was not a friendly smile. It was the kind of smile he would wear just before he kicked somebody down into a black hole, or better yet, tied a rope around that unfortunate man's neck, fixed the end somewhere and then kicked.
Again Madame Giry was in danger of groaning. Oh, Erik! You horrible nuisance! "Do you expect me to guarantee for you that my friend here will be nice and friendly and stay in character all the time?" she asked, giving him a little nudge. Not exactly what she had intended to say next, but what reflected her mood best, when she considered it.
André's eyes positively bulged. "You mean he'll… do something to us… if we… don't believe you?"
"Precisely", Madame Giry said firmly, hoping that at least this would work. "You'll have no difficulty believing that, I presume."
The Phantom smirked.
Firmin shook his head, watching the Phantom warily. "André…"
"Very well", André said in a strained voice. "I trust him to do that."
Excellent. "So you will do what we required of you?"
"Yes."
"Not alert the police until we tell you to?"
"Yes."
"Leave us free hand in all decisions?"
"Yes", the managers moaned together. Casting a glance at the Phantom, Madame Giry saw that his smirk had worsened. He was baring his teeth now.
"Give us all the support we ask of you?"
It seemed that André at first wanted to refuse, yet Firmin gave his affirmative answer so quickly that he had to do the same, though through gritted teeth.
"Good." She allowed herself a content little smile. Those men were not to be trusted, but at least she had them exactly where she had wanted them. "Now, my friend the Ghost will go and free the man who is still held by Créon –"
"However noble that may be of him", André interrupted coldly, and with an ugly twist of his mouth, "it's too late. He was already found dead only minutes ago. Completely unmarked, but plainly dead."
There came a strangled moan from behind her, from either Gaston or Serge or Hulot.
"And why, pray, haven't you told us so earlier on?" Raoul cried, enraged. "Why haven't you mentioned it along with the fact that the other was found?"
The managers exchanged a hasty glance. "Because you didn't ask?" André ventured.
"Fools!" Madame Giry snapped. "If you love your life and your eyesight, you will never keep valuable information from us again! Is that understood?"
Again they exchanged a glance, and again it was André who spoke up. "Do you realize, my dear Madame, that you might well lose your post over this if you are wrong?"
The Phantom snarled. There was no other word for it.
Concentrate. Keep your hands at your side. At your side! Don't even look at his ears! "You will find", Madame Giry answered in as dignified a tone as possible, "that I am right."
"But that changes things", Raoul said, in a slightly doubtful voice. "I mean, if Claude –"
"It changes nothing", the Phantom interrupted coolly. "Not for me."
Raoul cast him a quick glance. "Yes. Right. It changes nothing, then."
What was it exactly those two were planning to do? Or rather, what was it the Phantom was planning to do? For it was obvious who was leading among them, and who following, out of his sense of duty and honour. Lord above, don't let my Erik do anything foolish again!
At last Firmin spoke again, and he seemed to have just the same question, though he directed at Raoul. "And what, Monsieur, do you intend to do about this invasion?"
"Chase them out", Raoul replied firmly. "How remains to be seen." He frowned for a moment, then added, "For you, I mean."
So he did not know what they were going to do himself. For Madame Giry had no doubt that he had been quite open and frank at first, and had only corrected himself when he had realized that it would be better to make the managers believe that he knew exactly what he was going to do.
"And if they are so powerful", André joined the fray again, "with which power do you expect to defeat them?"
Christine had not spoken until then, but now she stepped forward, one hand briefly touching the Phantom's upper arm. Their eyes met, and tenderness appeared in his, at the same time as he seemed to stand even taller, more upright, and as his stance seemed to grow more daring and self-assured. "The power of the music of the night", Christine said gently.
However melodramatic that might sound, Madame Giry had to admit to herself that she could have put it no better.
