Christine dans Deux

An Alternate Multiverse - A Phantom of the Opera Story

Nyasia A. Maire

© 2006

DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One
Chapter Eight – Madame Cecile

And with a speed that surprises me (after all he is carrying me) we retrace his route back up to the lower levels of the theater. At last I can see signs of recent human activity. Here and there a wall sconce is lit, a piece of stage scenery is propped against the wall and we pass a few wine bottles discarded in dark corners.

In the middle of a long straight corridor there is a single lit sconce next to a closed door. Erik slowly lowers me to the floor and I stand wobbling for a moment until I shake my cane back into its useful form.

"I like that."

I chuckle. "Just goes to show you're nothing but a very big little boy." I grin at him naughtily.

"You, my dear, bring that out in me." He takes my free hand and presses it briefly to his lips.

I return his courtesy with a clumsy curtsy.

We had been speaking in voices barely louder than a whisper, but it must have been loud enough for the door in front of us suddenly swung swiftly open. The woman standing in the doorway gasped at the sight of Erik and me. Him kissing my hand and I performing my curtsy.

"Erik!" She hisses. "Come in! Come in."

She moves aside to allow us entry. Erik kisses my hand once more then takes my hand in his and leads me into the room. After the cold dampness of the catacombs, her room appears as a haven of coziness.

She closes the door behind us and swirls around to face us. Her face is a mask of unreadable emotions. I look to Erik (after all he knows her, I don't.) He simply continues to look at her and there is something in the quiet that tells me to reach out and listen.

At first, their voices are so quiet I can barely hear, but I use my connection with Erik to help me tune into their wordless conversation.

"… You promised me, Erik. No more hypnosis!"

"But Madame …"

"I will not listen to this insanity of her being from another time. I tell you, I won't! She looks well-bred, Erik. Her family will be looking for her. She's not a toy or a stray animal you can take home with you if you find it in the street. Let her go now before you loose your grip on her mind or there will be more trouble than either us of can imagine …"

I decide that enough is enough. She definitely didn't believe a word he had told her, but then would any sane person? I need to remember to ask Erik about his other strays.

I take a deep breath, focus on their voices and enter.

"Hello, Madame. Please pardon my intrusion. My name is Christine. In regards to my being with Erik, he has not broken any promise to you. I am here with Erik of my own free will. We have come to ask for your help."

At the first sound of my voice in her head, her hand flies to her chest and she turns her wide eyes to me.

After a moment, she speaks aloud. "Well, we might as well use the voice God gave us. The quiet talk is difficult for me. Erik taught me long ago. So he taught you as well?" Her eyes flash with annoyance.

I simply shake my head and say, "No. I've been able to hear this way for as long as I can remember. I just never tried to speak with anyone before. Never found anyone else who was listening or I might have tried." I turn to Erik and find him staring at me as if for the first time. "I didn't know you could. I tried to find you by listening when I first arrived here tonight, but I couldn't feel you anywhere." I squeeze his hand. He looks into my eyes and must have seen my fear. A fear he would recognize and understand. The fear of being rejected for being different.

He smiles gently returning my gaze and I hear in my mind, "You are even dearer to me than ever. Fear not, mon chére cœur. I love you still. I love you always."

"And I you." I respond aloud. "I believe an introduction is required here, my dear." And I nod in the direction of the woman whom I believe to be Madame Giry.

"I can guess, but it's always nice to be certain. Don't you think?"

"Pardon moi, ma Cherie. Madame Giry, may I present Christine Maire. Christine, I would like to present my dearest friend, confidant and savior, Madame Cecile Giry."

We nod at one another. I find that the smile I direct at her is completely genuine and I feel quite at ease in her presence. She performs a perfunctory inspection of my person and I seem to pass muster.

She gestures to the cane. "Is that for show or necessity?"

"Unfortunately, necessity."

"That is unfortunate." She agrees. She turns to Erik. "So, you have convinced me she is here under her own will. Now, as to the future. I am still unconvinced, but I will entertain the idea for the time being. What is it that you wish of me?"

She gestures for the two of us to sit on a small settee and we do with our hands still entwined.

"Erik, you can let go of her. She won't disappear."

Erik and I give each other a quick glance and hold onto each other's hand with renewed fierceness.

"What did I say?" She looks at Erik then to me and back to Erik.

"That's exactly what does happen." He tells her. And he tells her everything from the first moment he appeared in my den to us meeting again in the corridor. Of course, he left out the intimate details, but I felt she must have guessed. Looking at Erik tell our story, I thought that we were pretty much wearing our hearts on our sleeves. I shifted on the settee trying to stop the throbbing in my hip with no success. My attention wandered and I felt myself floating. It had been a long day and a longer night, I was tired. I leaned my head on Erik's shoulder. He unconsciously released my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. The floating feeling returned. I felt warm and safe.

With a shake, I awoke. I looked up and could see Erik's frightened eyes through the comforting rough of his cloak. He grasped me tightly in his arms, but he didn't let go of me. I snuggled closer into his embrace, but he gave me a little shake.

"Christine, don't sleep yet, please! You started to fade away a moment ago."

I came fully awake in an instant. "What?" I push away from his embrace and give him my full attention.

"It is true, my dear. I saw it too. I could see right through you." She looks at me and then to Erik. "Just what do you think I can do about this?"

"How much did you tell her?"

"Everything, except, well, you know mon chére cœur."

I smile at him. There is something you don't know about. While I was waiting for you I wrote down everything. Do you understand? Everything. I wanted you to know I had been here and was real and looking for you. I left the papers tied with a black ribbon beneath the pillows of your bed."

"I will take care of them when we return there."

Madame Giry had been watching our exchange and paused to speak.

"So, you two have been … intimate?" She blushes and lowers her gaze.

Erik answers for us both. "Yes."

"And she accepts you without the mask? She has seen?"

I answer for myself this time. "Madame, when first we met, he was as God had intended. He is a man. I love the man not the mask."

Her gaze rises to meet mine and she considers me for a time. I meet her gaze and feel heat rising to my cheeks, but do not lower my gaze. She gives a small nod.

"I would not have believed it if I had not witnessed it with my own eyes, but I did. You two are a halved soul. The desperate loneliness and need you both feel has allowed the two of you to travel across time in search of one another. I know what you are, but I do not know how to help you."

"Do you know anyone who might be able to help us? I wish to spend the rest of my life with her." Erik pleads.

"And I wish to be with Erik. And my child."

"You have a child?"

"Yes, I am a widow. My husband died three years ago. My daughter is 7 years old."

"Madame, I know all this already, so be comforted. She has kept no secrets from me."

She nods and looks at her hands that are primly folded in her lap.

"The only ones that may know what to do are the gypsies, but their price will be high." She looks at me. "Erik had dealings with gypsies when he was young. They may not want to help him."

"I know what a gypsy did to Erik and what you did for Erik. Thank you."

She nods.

"I can speak with the matriarch on your behalf."

"When?" We both say in unison. Look at one another and laugh.

The Madame shakes her head and smiles. "I never thought to see you laugh so easily Erik. Or to see you in love and being loved in return. I am so happy for you both. I will leave at once!" She walks to the wall and chooses a dark brown cloak with a hood. She throws it around her, ties it and pulls up the hood. "Try to stay awake until I return. With luck, I should take no longer than two hours."

"You must hurry for I must return before my child awakens and finds me gone. I can stay no longer than three hours."

"I will do my best. You may wait here if you wish. Erik, you have the key if you wish to spend your time together elsewhere."

Erik and I look into each other's eyes and the fire threatens to overtake us until we hear Madame clear her throat. Erik turns to her. "Yes?"

"No sleeping and no staring at one another like that. You both started to fade that time!" She shakes her head. "Amazing! True love! I never thought to see that."

And with that last utterance she walks out the door.