Think of this as a film you have to watch twice to appreciate and don't give up!

Yes Solecito! 'Most recent feline' does denote a cat, one in a long successive line of cats! The idea came from a conversation with an admired teacher of mine about how he no longer allows himself to become attached to his dogs. The cost of grief when they die has become too high. When the 'darlings' can't get a hold of Erik, they go after his only companions. Without revealing too much, in this chapter la sadique is mocking him for being a living skeleton by suggesting he consume the corpse of his mangled cat. (Sadist, remember? I have nothing against cats.) She hears something different in meaning than his decision to stop taking in strays and gets ticked, to put it lightly.

Or maybe the idea was a mangled subconscious whisper that ALW wrote another musical called 'Cats' as all of you know or yet another piece of Kay that snuck in before I'd read her book. This bothers me quite a bit, if you couldn't tell.

Tempting the devil.

Who is…?

Tentant le diable

—

Scene III

Focus: le monstre

Music and memory were his favored morphine. Composing brought him to the brink of euphoria. He'd tasted it once before it was dashed from his lips, but it was enough to have imprinted itself as deeply into his memory the horrors that broke lose afterwards. Melodies chased away misery, yet tonight something hitherto unknown compelled him.

—

Scene III

Focus: le gardien galant et la Suédoise

"Come now, whenever are you going to get an opportunity like this again?"

"This is absurd. Please," Charlotte protested, still—days later—in a wretched state of mind. Max smiled at her wryly and shrugged when she twisted around in their enthusiastic friend's grasp to beseech his aid.

"Just a little song, little Lotte! No one's here but us," he pleaded like the child, that in many ways, he still was.

Rather than reassuring her as it was meant to, it increased Charlotte's agitation. Why did the shadows that filled the empty gallery have to gape so ominously? Imagination or not, she could not relax. Max seemed to realize a measure of how upset she truly was and offered a few lines in charmingly accented English.

"Will you, won't you? Will you, won't you? Won't you-"

"Join the dance?" she replied. A flimsy smile fluttered Max's way as she was tugged to center stage.

"There! Precisely where you belong," Ralph cried, victoriously.

"Oh, hold your tongue!" she cried, flushing terribly. He walked back towards Max, appraising her as if she were a new piece being positioned in the Louvre. She cast about for a moment before settling again where he had left her. Stepping forward, then back, turning right, then left, before shaking her head and standing still.

"Try as you may, you can't deny the lure of the stage." Ralph's tone set her hair on end and a haunted look flew across her features before she could prevent it.

"For heaven's sake, do you want me to sing for you or not?" With a forced composure she snapped back, rebuking him huskily. As the acoustics cast his easy laughter about the theater she calmed.

"Maxwell, what should you like to hear? I'm not going to oblige that crazy fool, not until he learns some manners," Charlotte said deliberately ignoring their somewhat inane, mutual friend.

—

Scene IV

Focus: les monstres

The blood chilling screams of his most recent feline had ceased nearly an hour ago. In an effort to compose his emotions, he did just that. No delaying the inevitable. Soon enough the unwelcome disruption would arrive, and then he wouldn't be able to distract himself.

"I believe this belongs to you."

He stiffened and did not turn around to face her.

"Come now, you must eat."

"Must I?" Erik spat, not bothering to veil his revulsion.

"What does this one matter?" she laughed, "You shall have another."

"There will never be another," he whispered, vehemently. He couldn't stand this any longer. Was it not enough to be driven mad out of isolation alone? What more did she seek to gain from this petty, but all too effective torture? What did he have left to give? Abruptly her tone changed, froze, and became brittle, jagged and just short of lethal.

"There never will be another, will there!" she hissed, murderously, "Rejected. Me." Her furor made her breathe harsh. Her reaction was a convenient answer to his question. He had yet to grovel at her feet, to beg. He had wept countless times, but he would let her kill him before he became her slave. If she could kill him; if anyone could kill him…

"I fail to see why, Madame. You are his equal in every way," he replied. Giving life at last to the venomous words that had been welling up within him for years. She gave a brief cry of astonished rage and crossed the room to strike him across the face, stopping just before him, hand raised. Slowly, her hand fell back to her side. The cruelest of smiles slowly spread across her sublime features.

"That thingis dripping on my carpet. Get it out of here." Anguished and livid, his exquisite voice rose and cracked. Delighted, she laughed loudly; the sound filled the remains of his house, thundering like bell clappers within his head long after she had left. Leaving a train of perfect pain sweeping behind her.

—

I'm sure all of you caught the 'Lotte.' Didja think it was cool? Didja? didja? didja! La Suédoise means the Swede (f.), meaning of course Charlotte. Note the parallel of the laughter; le gardien's soothes, la sadique's burns. Sticky stuff. I found the dialogue electric, but you probably don't understand the subtly of Erik's insult yet. You will. I'll give you a head's up when the moment comes.

Oh please tell me what you think!