Disclaimer: Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber are men and I am the ox they drive in a metaphorical sense.
OH MAN THAT IS NASTY YOU SICK MINDED PEOPLE! I MEAN THEY OWN IT. HONESTLY.
…
The Opera Populaire was full to see Don Juan Triumphant that night. The cast, dancers and backstage workers unaware of Don Juan Triumphant's origins were impatient to begin. Those who did know could wait. But it was time. The curtain flew up with a jerk, revealing the chorus of Don Juan Triumphant.
"Here the sire may serve the dam, here the master takes his meat! Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat!" The chorus sang. The ballet rats couldn't find Mme Giry, and they were going on in just a moment.
"Where is Mme Giry?" one asked, fingering their spiral curls uneasily.
"I don't know!" another chirped. All the ballet rats were nervously twittering in the wings of the stage of Don Juan Triumphant except for Meg, who was simply silent and scared.
"What if-" At that moment Mme Giry came in, looking not even slightly flustered, but somewhat pale. All the ballet rats erupted into a wave questions. Meg looked at her mother earnestly.
"Stop chatting! Your about to go on," she snapped. The ballet rats squealed and arranged themselves. They all new something about the whole production of Don Juan Triumphant wasn't right, and their suspicions were confirmed by Mme Giry's late arrival. Still, they went on and danced. Mme Giry kept a blind eye on them.
"Passarino, faithful friend! Once again recite the plan…" Piangi sang. Mme Giry's attention was fixed up on the catwalks. Where's Erik? Did he change his mind? Mme Giry hoped so. She lowered her gaze to the ballet rats, who for once were actually in step. The chorus was entrancing but the dancing was a lamentable mess! Erik wasn't one to lie or be diplomatic, and she had smiled fondly when she heard Erik's underlying message- You're all insolent fools and YOU NEED TO PAY ME!
The Ballet girls danced off. Where is Erik?
"Mother?" Meg asked in a whisper, "Is everything alright?"
"Master?" Passarino sang, almost echoing Meg's voice. There was still no sign of Erik, which both relieved and worried Mme Giry simultaneously.
"Passarino- go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey…" Mme Giry gasped and gripped Meg's hand.
"Mom? What's wrong? What's going on?" Meg looked up at her mother.
"He's Here!" Mme Giry whispered, "The Phantom of the Opera!" Not Erik.
"You have come here in pursuit of you deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish which till now has been silenced…" Mme Giry listened to Erik's distinct voice in fear. "Silenced…" Mme Giry's heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't know what to do. There's nothing I can do now.
"The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn! We've passed the point of no return…" For a several sickening moments, there was silence. Mme Giry now watched the Phantom and Christine. The silence throbbed in Mme Giry's ears. Mme Giry was aware of nothing else. She saw Erik fingering a ring, Christine staring at him, and felt Meg's body against her own. Still silence.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime- lead me, save me from my solitude…" Mme Giry saw Erik hold the ring out to Christine. She took it.
Mme Giry knew at that moment that Erik had been careless. He had written the whole plot to Don Juan wrong- it tempted him too much. The Point of No Return had finished off the job. Christine was going to take off his mask again and the officers would shoot him. In the confusion that would flood the stage, there would be no telling what could happen.
"Say you want me with you, here beside you…" Christine flipped the face scarf Erik was wearing as Don Juan up, revealing his mask. The crowd gasped in shock, and the ballet girls squealed, "The Phantom of the Opera! The Phantom is here!"
Erik kept singing, oblivious of the danger. "Anywhere you go, let me go too! Christine, that's all I ask of-" And Christine ripped Erik's mask off.
For a moment, Erik stood stock-still. Police officers spilled onto the stage, their guns loaded and aimed, and Raoul dashed from his box. Mme Giry wanted to scream, Get out of there! Forget Christine! But she couldn't speak. Before Mme Giry could even try to speak, the Phantom threw his cloak around Christine and ran off the set of his own Opera, Don Juan Triumphant.
…
Raoul ran around backstage, looking for traces of Christine's trail. Mme Giry saw her chance.
"Monsieur! I know where they are!" Mme Giry cried.
"But can I trust you?" Raoul challenged. What was she to say? Mme Giry didn't dare betray the Phantom. But Raoul had no obligations except to keep Erik away from Christine.
"You must!" she insisted, "but remember- keep your hand at the level of your eyes!"
"But why?"
"Why?" This question had already occurred to Mme Giry; Erik was going on instinct, and he was alone with Christine and his Punjab Lasso. "The Punjab Lasso, Monsieur- first Bouquet. Now Piangi." She hated helping Raoul, but she had no choice. Mme Giry needed to find a way not only to save Christine from the Phantom, but Erik from himself.
…
Chapter suggestions names are always good
