Chapter 8: To look without fear.
Meg felt the weight of the man in her arms. They had reached the warmth and the light of the green space just as he fell limp and began to loose balance on the horses back. It was a beautiful place and yet a fear stuck Meg that she could have never imagined, it was a fear of holding onto death. At one time, the phantom of the opera have been viewed as death itself but Meg could not feel that way about the being that she rode with. This was a completely different death she was thinking of. The worry was terrifying and complete, was the Phantom alright? She couldn't tell. He had begun to slip from the horses back as they entered onto the moss covered ground. Meg held onto him with all of her remaining strength and eased the horse forward. Before they had cross half of the moss covered ground Meg couldn't hold on any longer.
"Mother," Meg yelled as she pulled Cesar to a stop, "something is wrong."
Madame Giry and the large cat ran to the horses side and managed to catch Erik as he slowly slid down to the ground. His clothing were soaking wet and cold from the water and so were Meg's. All the extra weight on them both was now working against them. Water still dripped off of the horses back and off of every piece of clothing that the Phantom worse. Meg shivered from the cold and had tossed her shall to the ground as her mother had come closer. She put the chill out of her mind, there were more serious things to worry about now. She jumped down after him and watched as the horse shivered with cold, it too had been feeling the weight and the discomfort of the water.
"At least we made it this far," Madame Giry said as they lay Erik on the ground, many of the smaller animals now running to them.
"But there is so much more to do now," Meg said as she paced beside the horse, "these two creatures are cold and wet. The Phantom is quite possibly dying we cannot tell and we are down in the earth far from any help, mother, really what are we to do?"
"Make do," Madame Giry said firmly as she untied the cape from around Erik's neck and struggled to discard it. She then moved on to his suit jacket, "now help me being him into the house," she said as she had removed as much of the wet clothing as she dare remove, "once in the house we can set him by a fire and hope that, that will help to revive him."
Silently Meg did as she was told. She grabbed hold of the Phantom, by the arms and lifted him off the ground. Madame Giry took his feet and they made their way awkwardly across the green space. Tangae had pulled at all of the wet clothing that lay on the mossy ground and dragged them behind as she followed the two women.
Meg gasped with awe as she reached the doors to the grand house and pushed them open. It was a normal house, but upper class by any standard. It was nothing like the darkness they had seen. The colours were rich and bright and new. The house was clean and organised and though it was bright with light and colour there were no windows to the outside world. They walked as quickly as they could to a near by room and placed Erik on a luxurious sofa that sat before a fire place. The hearth was cold but near to it there lay wood and other items to get a fire started. Madame Giry went in search of blankets and dry thing as Meg set to work at the dark fire place. By the time her mother had returned with, what looked like a wool blanket and a night shirt, Meg had a roaring fire that lit the whole room and had moved on to the lamps and candle that occupied the tables and the walls of the rest of the room.
"I think it would be best Meg if you went and relieved the horse of its saddle and bridle as I stay here with Erik. Leave me your smelling salts and go.
She did as she was told and quickly ran out of the house. A strange uneasiness had taken hold of her entire being as she saw the world around her, far below the world above. It was a beautiful, quiet place, and yet the knowledge that it was below the earth was a bit frightening. Once she was back out in the openness of the green space things didn't seem as bad. The ceiling was high and made of a red coloured brick. The designs of it were geometric and had no clear beginning or end but it was beautiful all the same. The stream that flowed across the moss overed field was quiet and calming, much different from the river they had fled. The flowers and trees in pots were a lovely addition to the world below the ground. The more she looked around the more amazed she felt and the more comfortable she began to feel. It was clear that the Phantom wasn't like other men or even the man they he had been made out to be. He was a quiet gentle person and his pets and his garden were reflective of a man who lived a lonely but a happy life.
As she walked around the green space more and more of the little creatures, from tropical looking birds to rabbits and squirls came and investigated the new person. Tangae lay near the small stream primping her white and black fir as Cesar paced uncomfortably near a small manger in a corner. She walked quickly to the horses side and lay her gentle hand on his wet body.
"How uncomfortable," she said out loud as a shiver ran down her spine. She too was still feeling damp as she began to removed the wet saddle and blanket from the horse back. With every move she made the horse seemed to relax more and more. She found a brush and a barrel of oats set aside. Placing a small amount of the oats in the manger and pulling the remains of the horses bridle from its mouth she aloud it to eat as she bushed the dirt of its beautiful white body.
Once she had finished and the large cat had come to join them she too felt calmer and warmer under the bright lights of the open space. A large red bird had landed itself on the other side of the manger and had shared in the horses meal. The tiger on the other hand seemed anxious now. Pacing quickly between the corner stable and the door to the house, Meg got the impression that the cat wanted its own dinner and that, that would be found inside. She had finished what she was sent out to do and was certain that her mother would be finished inside so she stepped quickly after the Tiger and up to the doors again.
Tangae rushed in and down another hallway, as of yet unexplored, by either Meg or her mother. She didn't dare follow the cat, for fear of feeling rude and walked into the small salon where her mother was sitting silently on the floor near the sofa.
"He's resting quietly now," she said as she motioned to the mass bundled on the sofa. He didn't look at all threatening anymore. His mask lay on a side table and his face shown red where his scares were, the rest of his face almost looked handsome next to the disfigurements.
"They'll wonder were we are," Meg said quietly as her gaze moved to her mother.
"I don't dare leave him alone," Madame Giry said as she held tight to Erik's cold hand, "I don't know what had come over him. He shouldn't be a lone as long as this illness is with him."
"Let me stay with him," Meg said finally as she knelt down on the floor beside her mother, "the ballerina's need you in the morning and you have yet to sleep tonight. I can get out of class in the morning and work on my own time. Besides the longer you are gone the more likely anyone is to realise it."
"You're right my darling," Madame Giry said as she took her daughters face in her hands, "but if I am to leave I may not be able to find my way back."
"You should not need to come back," Meg said bravely, "I'll be able to find my way up once the Phantom is well enough to be alone. Until then I will be fine and remain here with him."
Madame Giry hesitated for a moment before getting up and walking toward the door, "I found a kitchen down the hall and to the right," she said as she motioned with her hip, "I am sure that you'll find much in reserve down there should you need anything."
"I'll only go between here and there if I can manage it," Meg smiled and looked to the candles and the fire, "everything will be fine mother," she smiled and watched as her mother disappeared.
The big empty house fell silent, expect for the crackling of the fire and an occasional sigh from the man who lay on the sofa. Meg felt an emptiness and her uneasiness return but she forced it away from herself. Pulling herself reluctantly off the floor she moved to sit in a chair closer to the fire and settled herself in it. The Phantom lay to her right. She kept her eyes on him as she sat and rested her head against the high back of the chair. Tangae entered threw the door after a long silence and placed herself near the fire as well. The large cat let out a long sigh and fell silent herself. Meg couldn't help but feel the calm that had taken over the place and the quiet was so soothing. Soon she too fell subject to the aches in her body and the fatigue that had been building and drifted off to sleep.
Meg didn't wake till many hours later, when she did she found that she had been wrapped in a soft rose coloured blanket. One much different than the one her mother had placed on the Phantom. On her lap a small black cat had curled up and her feet rested daintily on a soft ottoman that matched the furniture in the room. She turned suddenly an startled the cat on her lap. It settled back down and closed its eyes again as Meg placed a soft hand on its head and ran her fingers through its silky fir. She stared blankly at the sofa that was now empty. The blanket was gone and so was the man but the mask remained on the side table. She rested her head back against the chair again, feeling stiff and still quite sleepy. She faded back into a light sleep.
She woke again when she heard footsteps come into the room. She pulled her feet down from the ottoman and placed the cat on the floor. It rushed to the footsteps and came back as a man entered the room.
"I trust you rested well," he asked her.
"As well as can be expected," she answered politely.
"Tea?" he asked his back still to her from the back of the room.
"That would be lovely," she said as she started to get up.
"Please stay where you are," he said as he turned and came toward her.
"Thank you," she smiled looking up at his disfigured face, "I am happy to see you have recovered sir."
"Please call me Erik," he said and sat down on the sofa across from her, "it should be me thanking you," he said as he sipped his tea and the cat jumped up and settled itself beside him.
"You gave us quite a fright last night," Meg blushed as she looked down at her tea.
"It was very kind of you and your mother," he said as he looked toward the mask on the table. He reached for it and put it to his face.
"Please leave it off," Meg said as she rushed to stop him. She knelt at his side and looked up at him with a smile, "you needn't wear it around me.
Erik placed the mask back on the table and smiled cautiously at the young woman, "please sit with me and chat with me a while before you return to the world above." he said as he took her hand and helped her off the floor. She sat next to him on the sofa as he pulled the rose blanket off the floor and wrapped it back around her shoulders.
"Tell me," he said as he picked up his tea cup again, "about the things that have happened to put the theatre in such trouble that you women have been sent to find me."
"I don't know much about it," Meg said with a little shrug, "I'm left out of most of the business. My job is to dance and please the patrons and that is all," she said with a sigh, "perhaps its me, who is the problem and my dancing isn't as pleasing as the managers would like."
"I doubt very much it is you," Erik laughed a little, "you dance divinely, it's the other I would be worried about."
"The others?" Meg asked.
"Yes," he said, "the younger girls, the ones who only want to be ballerinas because all they want to do is please the male patrons an attempt to become the mistresses of the wealthy," he said a little sarcastically, "they know nothing about the art or the appreciation one needs for the art."
"Well, I do not want to speak unjustly of anyone but I suppose you are right," she said shyly, "perhaps no one in Paris care for the art anymore."
"You may be right," Erik sighed, "I don't think that even Andre or Firmin care for it anymore."
"If that is the case, sir, why have you agreed to help them?" Meg asked, "if all they want to do is exploit your work."
"Well, I suppose its because the theatre means more to me than I can say," He said as he sat back and looked at the young woman across from him, "it is true that if the theatre was to be destroyed I would most certainly be found and I can't let that happen and I don't really feel willing to give up my home to an artless world so I have agreed to help save the theatre. My managers want their money, its true they have no other interests but that, but I want to see the arts continue."
"I understand," Meg said with a smile, "I don't know what I would do without the theatre so I am very grateful that you have agreed to help save it."
"Surely you have many prospects outside of the theatre should something happen," Erik laughed, "a beautiful young woman like you should be able to carry on in almost anything. Men of status must be fighting for you."
Meg blushed and lowered her eyes to the floor at the comment.
"I have offended you," Erik said apologetically.
"No," Meg said as she returned her gaze to Erik, "I've turned away every suitor that has ever come calling. None of the things they promise me seem in any way comparable to what I have here," she said, "I am happy with my life and I love to dance for the art of the dance not for the money or the fame. If I couldn't dance then, I guess, I would sooner die."
"Then that settles it," Erik said as he stood and took Meg's hand, "to hell with the money, or the fame or whatever it takes to save the theatre. I am apart of this for the art of it and to save the theatre for the dance and for the song. For you Meg Giry, I will save the theatre with another masterpiece by the Phantom of the Opera."