Christine dans Deux
An Alternate Multiverse - A Phantom of the Opera Story
Nyasia A. Maire
© 2006
DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One
Chapter Sixteen – Gypsies
A clap of thunder rumbles.
I open my eyes, the three of us and (miraculously) all of our things are in Madame Giry's room. The candles are still lit, but we had left them that way.
"Madame!" Erik calls.
Silence. His eyes find mine. I nod towards Trystin. He lifts her and carries her to Madame's bed.
"I'll be right there, T."
"Don't worry. I'm fine. Erik's going to tell me a bedtime story."
I turn, "Oh really?"
"Yes, the one about the ugly duckling." He replies.
I think to him, "Who has now become a beautiful swan."
"Madame." He turns and performs a clumsy bow while holding the giggling girl in his arms.
"Monsieur. I will right with you, but first I must look for Madame."
I lower the bags and my bow to the floor and sit in a wooden rocking chair. I close my eyes and reach out with my mind, seeking Cecile Giry. I breathe in her essence from the little room about me. I fill my mind with images of her I borrow from Erik's memories. And again, I send out the tendrils of my mind seeking the woman who attempted to help us and had helped Erik when no one else would.
It seemed as if I would never find her. Paris was large and an unfamiliar to me. I could feel the minds of so many who harbored thoughts so strange to me. I quickly learned to close out those thoughts and singled in on Cecile Giry. And there, she is there. I recite the directions in my mind as I watch myself travel to her. Good! I can take us there now with my eyes closed. I see her sitting on the stump of a log next to an open fire. She appears uninjured, but I see a quiet fury in her eyes. There are two large dogs lying next to the fire. They appear asleep, but when I peered closer I could see their eyes glistening through small open slits. They were feigning sleep, but were in fact watching her closely. I could see no one else, but I counted three tents and two wagons. I moved next to her and tried to speak to her with what she calls the quiet talk.
After several attempts, she finally heard me.
"Madame. My apologies if I startle you, but we realized too late that you are in need of assistance. We had already crossed to my home. We have returned. We will be coming for you very soon." I pause as I feel her need to speak.
"Christine? Erik?" Her voice sounds puzzled. "I hear both of your voices speaking the same thing to me? Please, just one of you at a time. It echoes inside me and pains my head."
I think for a moment and realizes that the joining of our halves may have caused this.
"What to do?" I murmur. "What to do?"
I decide that visualizing a sound proof room from which to speak will work. Just as my walls protect me from crowds. I let Erik know via our bond what is happening and then warn him about what I plan to do.
"I'm going to try to build the room around just my voice, but I wanted to let you know that it may affect our bond. I'm not sure. I just wanted to let you know before I try it. It shouldn't take long. I love you."
"Love you, too. Don't be long." He replies.
I close my eyes and breathe deeply relaxing my entire being. I focus on the sound of my voice speaking inside my mind. I picture my voice becoming solid coalescing into words floating in space. I draw the words into a smaller and smaller space. I picture clear walls forming around my words, then a floor and lastly a ceiling. I can see my words, but not hear them. I can speak but my voice is limited to the confines of the little room. I pause and check my bond with Erik. He is there, in fact, he is all around me and I around he. I draw a mental breath and begin.
"Madame, is this better?"
"Christine? Much better, thank you. What happened?"
"Perhaps explanations are best left until you are home again?"
"You are right." She agrees. "I found the gypsies, but there is a small problem."
I can tell she is trying to make light of her situation, so I do not interrupt.
"The gypsies are acquainted with Erik, as you well know. Fortunately, it is a different clan than the one that held him captive all those years ago, but they still hold to one another first before outsiders. Now to the problem, I told them that Erik was half of a lost soul. That seemed to make them happy, as they know the torment that causes. However, when I told them of you, they were not pleased. They do not wish to help Erik, but in the cause of true love they are obligated by their beliefs. So, they hold me here in hopes that the two of you will lose one another by the time I return. For some reason the matriarch decided I can leave at midnight tonight. There are at least 8 gypsies, perhaps as many as a dozen here. They have two covered wagons and three open carts. I don't know how many or where there horses are, but they must be close by." Her voice trails off.
"Thank you for the information. Whatever you do, do not leave the camp. It's a trap. They plan to follow you and kill you on your way home. They're just waiting to be certain that Erik and I aren't going to make an appearance. But we will. And, we don't need their help anymore. So, as soon as Erik finishes telling my daughter the tale of the ugly duckling and she falls asleep, we will be on our way."
"Your daughter is with you? Wait. You need no help from the gypsies?" She sighs. "How did the two of you manage that?"
"It was something Erik said in response to a question my daughter asked him. We didn't try to join, we just did. That's why you heard both our voices. For we are one again and whole."
"Indeed," she says. "Well, then I await my rescue and my rescuers."
I gently release my link with her mind and disassemble the little room that imprisons my voice. I watch the pieces of the room float apart and then pop like soap bubbles. I speak.
"Beloved?"
"Ma chére cœur?"
I relay my conversation to him and I feel him stir angrily at the gypsy's duplicity. I walk over to Madame's bed and place my hand on his shoulder to calm him. Trystin lies bundled snugly under the multi-hued quilt. Her eyes lazily flicker in defiance of sleep one final time before closing in deep slumber. We wait for a few moments both of staring in happy silence at the sleeping child. Yes, she is asleep at last.
And then, as one, we turn and prepare ourselves for our encounter with the gypsies.
Erik opens the laundry bag and removes his sword. He adds the dagger to the belt and then buckles both around his waist. He arranges the positions of the weapons on the belt and practices drawing each blade a few times.
I walk to Madame's dresser and remove the pouch from around my neck. I dump the contents onto the dresser. Erik glances at the pile of sparkling jewelry and raises an eyebrow at me.
"Well, I couldn't very well bring money here, now could I?" I say in a low voice.
He shrugs his shoulder and nods in agreement.
I remove my smaller sword from the bag and fasten it across my back. Peering into the depths of the bag, I spy the two wrist bands and remove those as well. I have Erik tie one around each of my forearms. I check each stick and then double check the knots on the bands and am at last satisfied.
"What are those for?" Erik asks of my wrist bands.
In answer to his question, I quickly withdraw a stick from the band and throw it. The black stick flies and makes a whispering sound as it travels through the air. It announces its arrival at the target with a solid thump. Half of the four inch stick is imbedded into the back of Madame Giry's front door.
He walks to the door, looks at the stick, gives it a small tug and walks away shaking his head.
I look at Erik with feigned innocence. "Oops!"
I carefully rummage around in the bag and take out my bag of replacements and refill the empty space.
Lastly, I open one of the front pouches of my carry-on bag and remove both walkie-talkies. I leave one on a chair, which I place next to Madame's bed.
The other, I place inside my jewelry pouch and place it once more around my neck.
I unzip the carry-on and remove one of my recent purchases from the vintage clothing dealer. It is a black collarless cape lined in satin the same color as my royal blue shirt. I unroll and toss it around my shoulders. I tie the cape and then practice throwing the cape over the hilt of my sword with my right hand while I draw my sword in my left.
"Okay. I'm ready." I sheath my sword and pull my cloak back over my shoulder.
"I am as well. Lead the way, Christine."
There is something in his voice when he said my name that makes me turn to him. He is standing very near to me. I have forgotten how quickly he can move when he chooses. He holds something between his thumb and forefinger that twinkles in the candlelit room. My eyes focus and I realize it is a ring.
"Erik!" I gasp.
He has caught me completely by surprise. He takes my left hand and slides the ring onto my finger.
"It's beautiful and it fits perfectly. Where, when, how …"
At the mall. When Trystin asked you to take her to the rest room, I went into the jewelers. Trystin loaned me money from her Bahama money and she told me the type of ring you like. Do you like it?"
"Erik. It is perfect." I gaze at the ring. The band of yellow gold circles each contains a single sparkling diamond. I smile. "We call this an eternity ring."
"And that is how long I shall love you, ma chére cœur."
Careful of my weapons, Erik takes me in his arms and we kiss. I feel the place our soul had rejoined binding ever tighter together. The rift mending itself until the scar faded into nothingness. Our lips part and we gaze contentedly into one another's eyes. And then, we both give ourselves a little shake.
"Back to reality." I say.
He nods. We leave Madame Giry's room, pausing only to lock the door after us. I show Erik the map I have drawn. He looks at it and then nods.
"I am familiar with this camp. We should be able to reach it in 10 minutes. When we get to the camp, stay back from the campfire. Let me walk in first. I have an idea."
He pulls his mask from inside his cloak and I understand what he intends. I nod.
We walk swiftly and silently through the streets and back alleys of Paris. Erik still unused to being able to walk in the light unconsciously avoids walking too near the brightly lit boulevards. Probably just as well, I think, after all a woman wearing trousers and a sword across her back might attract some unwelcome attention.
I can feel that we are very near to Madame, so I allow Erik to draw ahead of me. I see him withdraw his mask and place it on his face. I stop and wait for his next move. He continues to walk straight down the alley. I can see a bright light at what I assume to be the end of the narrow lane. I build a wall of silence around me allowing no one in except Erik. I slow my breathing and listen. I can hear the low murmur of voices ahead. I can see Erik's silhouette walking ahead of me. I move to the right and walk along the side of the brick building which runs the length of the alley. I walk crouched over taking care not to make a sound. I increase my pace a little as Erik's long strides are taking him too far ahead. I slow again when I come within ten feet of him. I crouch lower and walk ever more carefully as I am almost hugging the side of the building and do not want to snag my cloak on a brick.
After what feels like an eternity, Erik reaches the end of the alley and (as I had guessed) it opens onto a grassy area bordered on one side by buildings and the other by trees. Lined up beneath the trees in a loose half circle are the wagons and carts. In between the wagons and the buildings in the middle of the grassy area is a campfire ringed with large stones. Looking terribly out of place is Madame, sitting near the fire atop a tree stump. Three rather unkempt men also sit near the fire, the dogs I had seen earlier are nowhere in sight. I warn Erik of the dogs. In the light of the fire, I can see the slight nod of his head. He suddenly seems to grow taller and strides fully into the light of the campfire and into the men's view.
They leap to their feet and call out.
"Phantom! Phantom!"
I hear the sound of men (and perhaps, a woman or two) swearing from within the wagons. I see the wagons jostle and bounce as their occupants escape their confines. At the last, a short, corpulent woman is helped down the steps of a wagon. I can see the power pouring from her. Unfortunately, I see it is a tainted power. It appears to me as a thick, brown smog. She is assisted to the fire by a younger nondescript woman. Her face seems to be flat and featureless. She, too, has power, but it is weaker than the other woman's is. Also, she has no control over it. I wince for her. She does not have the power. The power has her. Then I catch a glimpse of her face and understand. She is what people of this time call a Mongoloid and we call Down's syndrome. I hunker down and wait for Erik to reveal his plan.
He walks directly towards the group. He halts several feet from the fire and looks at the people on the other side of the fire.
He makes a brief bow to the corpulent woman (whom I believe to be the matriarch) then stands looking at each in turn. He turns slightly and addresses the matriarch.
"I am here to save your people the onerous task of escorting my dear friend home."
Several voices speak, but are unintelligible. The matriarch waves her hand and the talking ceases instantly. She begins to walk toward Erik, the younger woman at her side holding her elbow. She stands before Erik and he turns looking down at her.
"You are not welcome nor wanted here, demon! Be you gone before my people take you once more as a dog back to its owner." She spits on the ground just in front of Erik's boot.
I can feel Madame tense as she awaits Erik's explosive rage. But Erik remains unearthly still. Suddenly, Erik throws his head back and laughs. He laughs. In that laughter I find myself and realize he now has my ability to laugh at myself. I also realize that means I may have some of his temper. One thing at a time, I think.
All of the gypsies seemed stunned by his laughter, all, but the matriarch and the young woman. The matriarch stands before Erik staring up at him and then nods her head. She joins in Erik's laughter. After a moment, they stop and look at one another again.
"It appears ye have no need of help of any kind, demon. Take yon bitch and go. Love has won the day so our duty is negated. Go! Never more come this way or to my wagon again or ye will live to regret it." She turns and slowly trudges back to her wagon with the young woman still attending her.
The rest of the gypsies are snarling their disappointment, but are not making any moves against Madame or Erik. Erik walks to Madame and offers his hand. She takes it and he pulls her to her feet. He places an arm around her shoulder and quickly escorts her away. The two of them enter the alleyway and walk past me as if I were not there. I remain crouched in the shadows and watch the gypsies for a time. They watch after the two silhouettes for awhile and then seem to take no more notice. Life returns to normal in the camp. I wait another five minutes and see they are making no moves towards leaving the camp, so I turn and quietly make my way back down the alley. I meet Erik and Madame at the other end of the alley. Erik hugs me to him.
"Well?" He says.
"Nothing. Either they already have people out here or she really meant what she said. I felt no deceit in her words, but her power is tainted and difficult to read. I suggest caution, but I believe they intend no more harm. And I believe this because you wore your mask and because of the young woman attending the matriarch. The matriarch will not attack us because in a way this," I touch his mask, "makes you a relation to them."
Erik looks at me and I can feel his surprise. He shrugs.
"Let's go!"