JMJ

FOUR

"So much for being organized," Cogsworth grumbled. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

The clamor echoed around the trio long before they reached the kitchen doors. It sounded like a throng of people all trying to set a table at the same time and doing a most terrible job with all the clattering, the jingling, the clanks, bangs, and tinks alongside the hodgepodge of voices all talking at once about who knew what. It was some Mother Goose rhyme in the flesh, Cogsworth felt certain of it. Except when he and Lumiere opened the door it was a lot more hectic than one dish running off the spoon. A whole set of china and silver bounced (and crashed) about aside from what else bounced around in there. The sight of the Oven in the corner too was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine, especially considering that he probably could never move out of his corner without bringing the whole kitchen down with a mere lurch forward.

It was at last at this moment that Cogsworth resigned himself to the situation as much as it pained him, or at least if this was not the situation then he had gone completely raving mad and should be put into some house of the deranged forthwith!

Lumiere leapt down from Eloi Charrette the moment they came through the door, but Cogsworth remained for a moment with a soft moan and rubbed his temple.

"Ah, you're back, Lumiere!" exclaimed a Vase through the mass of objects. "Emile and I found a few more gardeners from in the indoor gardens."

"You should see who I dragged in," laughed Lumiere. "I found the master of domestic affairs himself."

"What did the Master say to you?" asked the Vase shivering.

"No, no, no, domestic affairs. Cogsworth, of course," said Lumiere.

At the mention of his name Cogsworth who had been preparing himself in the pulley lift with the help of Eloi, looked up in alarm.

The Vase lowered his voice and grumbled, "Poor, Monsieur Cogsworth. One might have known he'd end up being a clock."

Lumiere did all he could to keep from smiling.

At this comment for which he seemed to have missed the "poor" part however, Cogsworth completely lost balance and fell once again face first into the floor. Yet this time, he was up again within seconds. In a passion, which can bring people to do wonders for he had not found his legs very stable up to that point, he ran up to Lumiere without a thought as to how he reached his side.

"I heard that!" he cried. "If any of you dare make light of this one more time I shall—!"

"Cogsworth!" exclaimed Lumiere throwing an arm around Cogsworth's shoulders for him to cease. "No one's making light of what has happened here."

Cogsworth glowered. He could not help but feel that something in the tone of his companion's voice still sounded slightly mocking even if out of force of habit.

"It is a cruel curse that has been played upon us," Lumiere went on with theatrical flair. "But I don't think that it was anyone's design what we each have become individually but our own."

"You really think that?" asked the Vase with some annoyance.

But Cogsworth had already been more than a little annoyed. "I—!" He attempted in his fluster but was interrupted.

"Monsieur Lumiere!" cried a fair voice, which belonged no longer to a maid but a little bobbing feather duster.

"I shall be beside myself with grief," muttered Cogsworth as he felt at least gratified for Lumiere's sudden release of his person.

"You've returned!" the Feather Duster exclaimed with a smile.

"Of course I've returned, ma petite chou," said Lumiere. "It's not like I left the castle."

"Oh, but I was concerned, cher Jacque," Babette replied, much more composed and seemed now to be teasing, "that you may have fallen off somewhere and that we would have had to go and get you. You've been gone for such a long while."

Then she noticed Cogsworth and she did not have to be reintroduced to know who he was. She smiled briefly, politely, in a manner in which she seemed to be a little embarrassed that the first butler was standing right between herself and Lumiere, but she said nothing to him.

"At least you were successful in finding our good butler," she said to Lumiere passing Cogsworth and filling in the gap between herself and her lover.

Cogsworth sighed and rolled his eyes.

Babette said this sadly — not in reference to what she was saying, but her gaze locked strongly onto Lumiere with a look of utmost regret for what had become to his human form.

Good, thought Cogsworth sourly. Someone else is sane around here.

But he did not mean it. Elizabeth and Lumiere had had plans for marriage, after all, and now such a thing did not look likely to happen any time in the near future. For anyone.

Lumiere did not allow her to dwell on this long, however, for he knew more than Cogsworth what deep sorrow she felt. With a smile he at once changed the subject onto more mundane matters such as the question of what was happening in the kitchen now.

"Yes," huffed Cogsworth. "What is happening around here?"

Babette cleared her throat. "Well, we have just gotten everyone from down in the quarters into the kitchen, I think."

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Lumiere.

"Yes, yes, splendid, but now what?" demanded Cogsworth.

"There're still the people upstairs," pointed out Lumiere.

"They may be serving the Master," said the Vase.

"And so what if they are?" said Cogsworth. "That doesn't change my question."

He glanced around the kitchen and saw that there was some work going on. A meal being made on the stove and salt shaker, pepper shaker, spice bottles, and spoons, bowls, grinders, and graters and other kitchen supplies all attempting to perform this simple task of making a soup with a side of bread. The Oven, Chef Honoré was all the while trying to keep things in order in keeping with his duty, and he was quite demanding and angry.

The Master, as Lumiere had said, still needed to eat, and the fact that he was eating was in itself a good thing. At least he had not taken to locking himself away entirely and starving himself to death from the misery of it all as Cogsworth felt certain he may have done had he needed to eat, not that he could think about the true concept of starving himself as he had never once been close to starving when he had to eat. And now that not the slightest craving for food entered into his mind or body he could not have made a good judgment about the concept at all.

Little tea cups on another side of the kitchens tried to climb up onto the footrest that happened to be the dog. The voices of children came from these tiny cups and discussed, as children may, about the concepts of riding the dog to get up the stairs to help the others down. Not long could he bear to witness that scene, and he shut his eyes with a slight shudder, especially as he recognized some of those little voices as belonging to the Potts children. And speaking of Potts, when he opened his eyes again he saw Mrs. Potts, a tea pot (oh, how cruel this joke on them!), not too far away telling the tea cups that they had better not stray from the kitchens as one child fell off the dog at that very moment. At the same time she tried to comfort one of her younger children who kept crying about her not having any hands. And it was a fact that she was not the only person still sobbing to themselves about their own ordeal.

Returning sharply to Lumiere, he reiterated again, "What are we to do now?" It was far easier to be angry than horrified or sad. "Now that this has happened and there's no denying this fact we can't just go on like this! Something has to happen."

"And you're the one to decide," said Lumiere. "After all, you're the one in charge."

Despite the fact that he knew Lumiere was somewhat teasing still, the truth in his statement could not be lost upon Cogsworth, and he could not help but feel a sense of pride. With one last glance at the chef, Cogsworth could only agree that the only one thing to do would be continue one. They still all had to serve the Master. Cogsworth was still head of the household. He had a duty to uphold.

Swiveling around with a single deep nod, Cogsworth made for the Cart. He almost tripped over himself again when his turn ended, but otherwise he held the same proud posture he had as a human.

"Eloi," he said with a voice of authority — the first true voice of authority he had used since the curse began. "Lower the platform!"

Eloi obeyed.

Lumiere smiled and crossed his arms.

The Vase only looked after him with interest.

As the platform came to rest on the floor and Cogsworth stepped onto the jingly spoons tied together with some shoe strings, he stopped suddenly for the sight of those spoons, which were normal spoons and no one enchanted. They brought to mind how very humiliating the whole business was. Of course, everyone else was in the same boat, as Lumiere yet again had said. He shook off such feelings and told himself that not one other person in the whole castle was anything that resembled human form as far as he could see. Therefore sucking up his pride for what he felt to be the good of the castle he ordered Eloi to lift him up.

First he cleared his throat, but that got no one's attention. Thus slipping out of the spoons, which he could lift with surprising ease despite how large it was in comparison to him, he tapped it against a nearby glass on the counter next to Eloi.

"Attention, everyone! May I have everyone's attention, please! S'il vous plaît!"

He jumped as the last swack of the spoon missed the glass, and this was not because he swung badly but because the Glass in irritation had bounced away.

"Oh!" he gasped, and said softly, "Terribly sorry." Then returning to the rest of the kitchen, for indeed he had retrieved most everyone's attention, and most everyone looked at him with the sort of expression that asked, what in the world could he possibly have to say?

"Thank you!" he said. "Now! First of all, despite the fact that it's all very crowded in here, everyone can't possibly be in the kitchens. Where's everyone else?"

"In the dining room or out looking for anyone we've missed," said someone from one of the shelves above.

"Or outside still on the grounds," said someone else near a closet door.

"Very good then," said Cogsworth stamping the spoon on the top of the Cart as though he held a mighty staff. He checked it briefly as though to make absolutely certain that the spoon was a real spoon and not some other person. Satisfied, he cleared his throat again and continued. "I would like to thank everyone for the organization thus far, especially Mrs. Potts who I'm told was quite involved with making that possible in my absence. But now that I'm here, and it is understood that the Master is still in need of our services then that cannot be neglected.

"There will be no more crying. No more tears. And you, Lumiere, don't give me that look again or I shall think of some nasty duty for you to do since your old job will not be required of you any longer. I absolutely shudder at the thought of guests. We shall all continue our duties just as before. Everyone. In fact, even you, Lumiere, to make certain no one comes into the castle. Bring guards if you must. And I mean it so deadly serious this time that you are not to let anyone in, which brings us to the second object I have just decided!

"We must close the castle. Those good on their feet, or whatever they possess at the moment, will have letters posted, and the gates closed. Say that the Master is no longer living at the Castle which in a way is absolutely true, so no one dare tell me otherwise. The people on the outside can think what they will. Send also a formal apology to the count, Comte St. Gervais, and all the guests that were here but a few evenings past. We shall also plan a meeting this evening in which everyone will partake in deciding what has happened. We'll say nine o'clock sharp. That gives everyone a chance to clean up after the Master has had his supper. Otherwise as I've said everyone do as before as best as you are able. Dust still accumulates. Plants still need tending. Children still need to be taught. And we are still ever at the Master's call. This is indeed a time of tragedy, a loss that cannot be explained. But we shan't give into despair! We—"

"Excuse me, Cogsworth."

Cogsworth rolled his eyes. "What is it, Lumiere?"

Lumiere shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Nothing."

"Good!"

Emotion still rose inside of Cogsworth as he looked around at everyone. He tried not to look down at himself, though his mind felt the temptation as the sound of the ticking at the pulse of the pendulum. At last only closing his eyes stopped him from staring down at that constantly moving object behind the glass door; the ticking was becoming a nuisance. Beside he did not care to look at anyone else anymore either.

There was thus a moment of silence upon the kitchen, but Cogsworth for now had nothing else to say. He had hoped to regain composure by this, for some semblance of normalcy in performing his duties in this matter, but it had not helped.

"Thank you," he said straightening. "That is all for now."

"But what if we can't perform our usual tasks?" someone asked.

"Then help someone else," muttered Cogsworth as he threw the extra spoon over the side of the counter.

The kitchen resumed its movements again, and Cogsworth climbed down the counter onto the Cart and Eloi lowered him to the ground.

Standing in solemn silence for a continued moment or two, Cogsworth sighed, and leered at Lumiere who opened his mouth to speak.

"You know, Cogsworth," he said with a humorless chuckle, "there really is something you should—"

"Not another word!" retorted Cogsworth holding up a hand in front of him. "I'm not in the mood."

"Fine then," said Lumiere, crossing his arms, and he watched him leave with disgust.

Cogsworth made his way out of the kitchen with little more thought about Lumiere. He leapt to one side as he passed through the door and some new cart rolled past. He nearly lost his balance again but at the doorway he caught his fall. Then he moved on again as well as he could through the dining room. Mostly here, the servants stood around talking amongst themselves in a rather gloomy manner, but a few murmured "bonjour" to him as he past. Cogsworth barely nodded as a response.

He went out into the corridor, and paused for a moment or two.

Tears began to well up as he stared out into the vast dark hall beyond, and he held the tears back wondering how he possibly could be crying, or how he could possibly move at all, for that matter. He was made of wood, metal and glass, nothing bendable. With a shake of his head and a firm resolution not to cry if only to keep his mind from asking such impossible questions, he moved on but not far.

"I know you'd rather be alone …"

Cogsworth jumped and turned around, annoyed to see Lumiere.

"… but I still think you should know that it is not exactly a mystery what's happened."

"What on earth do you mean?" demanded Cogsworth with a sneer. "Or what in madness?"

"I saw what happened," said Lumiere with a shrug. "There's no need to discuss it later. We already talked about it."

"You saw what happened?" Cogsworth paused. "Why didn't you tell—?!" Controlling himself, he became calm as best as he could and putting one hand into the other he asked, "Well, Lumiere. What did happen? Aside from the obvious."

"An enchantress cursed the Master and the whole castle with it," said Lumiere moving to the other's side.

"Yes. Yes. I said not the obvious, and it's not that I especially care about the gender of the one who placed this spell upon us."

"I was getting to that."

"Then please do."

"She came to the door disguised as an old woman cold and miserable with no place to stay," said Lumiere. "I went to the Master and explained the situation to him. The Master went to the door and I followed. The Master was repulsed by her. I don't think all the money in the world would have convinced him to let her stay, but all she offered was a rose."

Cogsworth glowered. "You must be joking."

"Not a word," said Lumiere. "She offered a rose in return for shelter."

"But where would she get one if — well, she is an enchantress, but — well, don't stop! Go on!"

"He refused it. What else?" said Lumiere with a huff. "You said not to say the obvious."

A sigh was the only response to this before Cogsworth motioned with his hand for the tale to carry on.

"She told him not to judge by appearances, and she turned into a beautiful woman. The Master besought her, but she took no pity, because he took no pity on her, and because he judged her by her poor and miserable appearance she—"

"Oh, the poor Master!" cried Cogsworth. "Poor us! Alas! It was the harshest punishment. It was …" he voice trailed away. "He has doomed us all." And he covered his face with his hands in near despair. "Wasn't being publically humiliated bad enough? And now this! What a wretched state of affairs! Can anyone be more wretched in all the world?"

"Oh, but there is hope," said Lumiere.

Cogsworth shook his head. "How can there possibly be hope?"

"Because we do have time to reverse—"

"Wait!" snapped Cogsworth as the gears in his head put all the pieces together, and he leered dangerously at Lumiere. With eyes narrowed upon his companion fire burned in his eyes and it was not the reflection of the candle flames. "You."

"What about me?" Lumiere demanded.

"You let her in!" said Cogsworth.

"I did not let her in," retorted Lumiere. "I did my job and told the Master there was someone at the door."

"But you went to him in the first place! There must have been something suspicious about her if she really wasn't an old woman."

"You're blaming me for all this?"

"Yes!" snapped Cogsworth. "I am as a matter of fact. You and your letting the whole world into the castle when you're not supposed to! Tatiana of the Fay, the witches of Macbeth, Varney the Vampire, and who knows who else?! Do you have any common sense at all? No discretion? I'm surprised I did not have the sense to fire you for this sort of thing long ago!"

"She was a little, old woman half-crippled with cold, what was I supposed to do?"

"Have some reserve," snorted Cogsworth.

"I can't help it if you don't have any sense of charity or empathy," Lumiere said.

"Charity!?Charity!?"

"You never did have a soul!"

"Take that back this instant, you varlet!"

Lumiere did nothing of the kind.

"And now it shows how cold and empty you really are inside," he said instead, and here he tapped the glass of the little door on Cogsworth's chest.

His current physical appearance being brought to attention caused a burning redness in Cogsworth's face, and he glanced down at the solitary pendulum for only a second. Full rage took hold as he returned his eyes to his companion, and with teeth grinding all decorum of office completely fell away to what he felt to be the true state of affairs. Letting out a mad cry he jumped at Lumiere.

At first Lumiere was quite surprised as can be expected, and he did not recover from this complete breakdown of the butler until he was quite on top of Lumiere and had him clattering into the floor under him. This did not last long though, for Lumiere fought back then with equal force.

Pain was not as noticeable in these forms, and it seemed that to break each other was far more difficult than one would think. The way they fought would have had them both in pieces had it been otherwise. They were in a complete brawl that would have thrown up dust if the floor had not been cleaned to the quality of a mirror's reflection. Every bang and every bong and clang they made echoed everywhere like a monkey having a tantrum in a warehouse.

Naturally this activity did not go unnoticed. Not that either combatant cared by this point. With teeth clenched and limbs flying the rest of the world was all but forgotten. Some of the servants tried to get their attention, but it did no good. Most just thought it best to leave them be, and thus they were let be for a time, fighting longer than they probably would have been able to had they still been human.

At last a voice loud and clear shouted, "Stop this at once!" so sharply and with such disgust that both stopped in an instant.

Although they were not too terribly hurt by the ordeal nor damaged save for a few flakes and drips of wax and a couple loose gears clattering onto the floor, they looked altogether exhausted and scuffed as they stared wide-eyed at Mrs. Potts.

"You should both be ashamed of yourselves," she scolded, not much differently than how she would have scolded her own children.

Cogsworth slipped his crown, what was left of his wig, off the floor and placed it back upon his head with an attempt to regain decency. Lumiere watched this out of the corner of his eye, but neither said anything for the moment.

"This isn't going to help anything you fighting like a pair of wild goats," she added. "We may have been cursed outwardly, but that doesn't give you the excuse to stop acting like men."

"How … uh, astute of you, Mrs. Potts," said Cogsworth wearily.

Lumiere eyed him strangely, but Cogsworth brushed him aside. Without another word the good head of the household went his way down the corridor.