Chapter 33
Firmin was in his office pacing back and forth. André was at the desk. Don Juan was open in front of him. He was flipping thought it. Out of the two of them, only he could read and understand music. And now he wished he didn't. The music was unlike any he had ever seen. The story it's self! The story was a lot like the Don Juan legend! It was scandalous!
He slammed it closed. "Ludicrous! This is ludicrous! Have you seen the score?"
Firmin looked over at him, "Yes! It is simply preposterous!"
"It's the finale straw! You know my views… but we dare not refuse!"
Firmin walked over to the desk and picked up two letters. "Look, my friend at we have here." Both letters have The Phantom's red skull seal on them. He hands the one addressed to Andre to him. Andre opens his.
"Dear Andre, Re my orchestrations: you need another first bassoon. Get a player with tone—and that third trombone has to go! The man could not be deafer, so please preferably one who plays in tune!"
So he was not the only one to notice it.
Firmin opened his. "Dear Firmin, vis a vie my opera: some chorus-members most be shacked. If you could find out which has a sense of pitch—wisely though, I've managed to assign a rather minor role to those who can not act!"
As if on cue, Carlotta storms in. Her posse and Piangi follow her.
"Outrage! This whole affair is an outrage! Have you seen the size of my part!"
André grimaced, "Signora, please…listen…"
Piangi decides to speak up. "It's an insult!"
Firmin looks over at him in surprise, "Not you as well!"
He continues, "Just look at this-it's an insult!"
Andre looks like his about to cry, "Signor! Signora, please understand…"
Carlotta stabs a finger at the score, "the things I have to do for my art!"
"If you can call your singing 'art'."
They all turn. Poppy was standing in the doorway, with a slight smirk. Mme. Giry beside her.
"Ah! This explains it! She's the one behind this."
Poppy scoffed, "Sure, I am."
Firmin looked down at the opera, "You have secured the largest role in this 'Don Juan'."
Poppy shook her head, "That surprised me. I didn't know he would assign me that role."
"Her? She doesn't have the voice."
Poppy rounded on her, "You should be glad he even thought of you. After all, he did put you in his Opera."
Carlotta stood there shocked. Her divaized brain had not even thought of that. This Opera Ghost hated her, yet he did put her in the Opera. She blushed with anger.
Andre waved his hands to get attention. When he had it he sighed, "We are not going to put it on. Its just what he wants."
Poppy sighed, "Before you throw it out the door, first, think of this: a new opera…written by a ghost…the theater will be swimming with people. People who will pay top dollar to see a new opera that was written by a ghost." She grinned as they all went quite, "Plus has he ever made a wrong decision about the opera house? He always pointed out the wrongs. And when you listened, did it not run much more smoothly?"
The two greedy mangers thought. The woman did have a point as much as they hated to admit. They looked at each other and back at the group. "On with the show!"
