Chris Spent the rest of Thanksgiving by himself, he felt bad about his outburst and tried to forget about it. Friday will be a new day and hopefully it will start off on the right foot. First thing in the morning he remembered that his father wanted to talk to him. That it was something important. At breakfast his father told him to be at the study around eleven and that he can do what ever he wanted until then. Chris walks into the entertainment room and sees Cole watching TV and talking with Charlotte about him. “Thank you for cheering him up Charlotte, Chris really needed it.”
“I could tell, and I felt that I could help. Besides we have a lot in common.”
“I just hope he can handle the truth. I hate lying to Chris, he's my best friend.”
“Hey Cole what have you been lying to me about?” Chris asks with a fake smile. Chris is standing right behind Cole and Charolette and heard the whole thing.
“You'll see bud, your father plans to tell you everything soon enough. It will blow your mind.” Cole is happy that Chris seems to be in a better mood, “You can guess if you want.”
“My father is actually a monster hunter and his shows for the last three years are real. What do you think I'm dense?” With that last sentence Chris raises his voice. “I know how to read between the lines. Our fathers are not actually good liars. I figured that out on my own it's the only thing that actually makes sense. The museum was a dead giveaway. Why else would my father use reproductions for the museum if he never has before.”
Cole looks at Charlotte who gives him a 'see told you' look and then moves closer to Chris. “I keep forgetting that you're not dumb. Especially seeing how you acted back in the day.”
“Hey I was curious, I have grown out of that mischievous phase.” Chris then changes the channel on the TV, “I want to know everything.”
“You can't tell your friends. The less people who know the better.” Cole warns him.
“I already told Jason. I plan on keeping no secrets from him.”
“You have to think about that carefully Chris. You might change your mind when you know the whole story.” Charlotte says solemnly, sometimes Chris wonders if that girl is hiding her own secrets.
Chris does not respond and the three of them watch TV for a couple hours until it gets close to eleven. The three of them quickly find their way to the study as while Chris's memory of the place is hazy Charlotte and Cole know the place quite well. Opening the door to the study all three fathers are waiting for them, Valmont is smiling dressed in his eccentric Monster hunter costume as if he is ready for a big show. Alfred is sitting there with a relieved reaction on his face like he can finally stop this lie he was holding on to. Francois seems to be drifting in and out of sleep and is only slightly keeping his eyes open.
“Thank you for coming Chris.” Valmont motions for his son and friends to come over to the table. “Now is the time.”
Chris takes a step forward and stops, “No more lies?”
Valmont nods, “No lies, all of your questions will be answered truthfully.”
Chris takes a couple steps closer, “No more deception?”
Valmont nods again, “That's the point of this, no more deception.”
Chris takes a couple more steps then stops, “No more...” Cole then grabs him my the hand and moves him to his seat and gets him to sit down.
“No more games.” Cole says smiling as he sits down next to his father.
Charlotte sits down across to her father and taps him on the shoulder to wake him up, “Hey” she says and his eyes snap open and look at her smiling face. She smiles softly at her and yawns.
Chris sits down across from his father and looks at him, “Is this going to be one of your shows dad? You didn’t have to get dressed up.” Chris looks around seeing no cameras, “This is not being recorded is this?”
“Now this IS going to be a special addition of the Sharp Monster Hunting Experience, but it's a special show for a one person audience.” he points to Chris. “This is a tell all tale about the show and how it started. Starting with the humble beginnings and working up to the juggernaut it is today. No more secrets, no more lies, no more games, this is the true Sharp Experience.” Valmont Sharp being a true showman is really playing up the whole thing even if it is a show for one.
Alfred is shaking his head and laughing to himself, “He wanted me to do the introduction but I'm more serous and grounded then your father. I told him he did not need to go all out for this. You don't need it and probably don't want it.”
Chris laughs it is a genuine laugh, “No no this is what I need. Now dad I figured out some things on my own so let me start.” Chris points to Francois Luminare, “That man is a real monster hunter. He actually slays real vampires, He fights and kills werewolves, repels zombie outbreaks, stops aliens invasions, and so on. Everything he did is the real deal.” Then looks back at his father, “While you actually were a charlatan. That was never a lie. You just never knew that your brilliant money making scheme was making a mockery of a real profession.” Chris stops, “How am I doing so far?”
“You're doing well. Did you and your friends figure this out together?”
“Yes but they have not drawn the same conclusions I have. Anyway so from what I figure something happened to Francois. He for some reason turned to you for help. What I can't figure out is why. Now out of the kindness of your heart you have decided to help him.”
“I will explain it and you will understand.”
Chris stopped him. “Now you have continued Francois Luminare's business while masking it as fake elaborate shows. You have pissed off people and they want you to stop. These people want to silence you by killing your family. That about covers it right dad?” Chris was raising his voice at the end because part of him blames his father for what happened and the more he learns the more he blames his father.
Valmont closes his eyes he starts to cry but stops himself, his feelings for Sharon are getting to him, “Yes that's the basics but there is much more to it. I will tell you everything if you want it.”
“Sure dad.” Chris tries to say calmly.
“Chris as you know I was an actor before I started my traveling show, I tried movies, TV shows even plays but found all to be over saturated with newcomers that fail to make it big. How lots of TV guest star and smaller roles go to established actors rather then giving someone new a chance. I had a decent role on a day time soap for a while but I felt I was going no where with that job. I had skill but no outlet to make it big. So I decided to make my own opportunities.” Valmont turns behind him and presses a button, a slide projector starts up and hits a screen on the far side of the room. The first slide shows a younger Valmont meeting with Alfred Labrone and Yosif Jocasta, Jocasta looking the same as he does now.
“I got Labrone on board before I even has an idea. Labrone had found minor success as a voice actor but...” Valmont is then cut off by Alfred.
“No no I had no choice in the matter, you kind of begged me to join you on your business venture even before you knew what it was.” Alfred laughs. “I was actually about to jump ship as each idea you came up with or found was worse then the last. It was Professor Jocasta who finally gave you your break.”
Valmont nods, “You might not know it now but the professor was desperate to make his mark. He was blacklisted from pretty much all the scientific communities for his theories. His beliefs banned him from priesthood and really he had no where else to go. The man wanted to prove demons actually existed and walked among us He wanted to show the world that vampires, werewolves and others were just their minions and manifestations. I thought it was his pitch for a show.”
“Yeah,” Alfred adds “The man wanted his message to come out in any way even if he had to sell his dignity to do it. So he was on board and gave our show legitimacy. He never stopped his own research while helping coming up with shows in the early days.”
Valmont switches the slide to the first show, the Utah merman and skips past it to a picture
with a young Francois Luminare and two older gentlemen talking to Valmont. “This was my first meeting with legitimate monster hunters. Francois Luminare, Gustav Hastings of Germany and Romanov Van Helsing, yes of that Van Helsing Family. The three tried to get me to stop making a mockery of their profession.” Valmont laughs, “I thought they were just jealous of the fame I had that they never managed to get. My thought at the time was it was not who came first it's who did it best and I was doing it best.”
Francois who is fully awake and aware scoffs at this and clears his breath, “If I may cut in.” The French hunter waits for Valmont to give him the okay. “We tried to explain to Valmont the gravity of the situation but the man would not listen to reason. He refused to believe the truth when we presented it to him at the time.”
“Your truth was less impressive then the effects my special effects teams came up with. I thought it was trickery. Had what you shown me three years ago was just as unimpressive I probably would have never believed you.”
Chris already knew some of this but it was the mention of three years ago that got his attention. That is something he can't figure out. “Okay I know about the meeting three years ago, when a weak Luminare came to you asking for help. This is where I'm lost, what happened and how did it change everything?”
“The Forbidden Word Of Thoth was my first legitimate show.” Valmont changed the slides and the logo for the Knowledge Foundation, a open book being held by a hand and two eyes one open and one closed on the pages of the book. Chris remembers meeting with members of the Foundation back when they were his father's business partners. They were very enthusiastic to work on the show. .
“The Knowledge Foundation, I remember them dad. That you turned them into villains for that show. I actually expected them to sue you.”
“They could not risk the attention. Besides everything I said about them was the truth. They were using my show to further their own schemes in hopes of bringing Thoth, a demon of knowledge into our world.” Thoth as in the Book of Thoth in the museum. “Yeah Francois came to me with all the evidence he had on the Knowledge Foundation. He shown me how they were using my show as a cover, to spread their word and how they were close to bringing Thoth into our world. Francois was desperate after he was cursed.”
Chris was surprised that his father simply glossed over Francois being cursed. “Wait cursed?”
“I will get to that son, Thoth first.” Valmont has to think about what exactly went on then he still can't believe it. “I did not believe Francois's explanation about the foundation being a demon worshiping cult at first. Yet the evidence he shown me was enough to investigate. It turns out he was right.” Valmont switched the slide and an animated gif of the Book of Thoth appears on screen, “The book. This is all the evidence I needed to believe. I wanted prove the whole Thoth thing false.” Valmont laughs and stands up, “Boy was I wrong.”
“Wait that's day two of the show when you touched the book?”
Valmont jumps up and claps his hands, “We have a winner. Yes the Book of Thoth, it contains all the knowledge of the known word within it's pages. Simply touching it gives one clarity of mind. Touching it I learned the truth about the Supernatural. So at the end that show I knew what was real. I could not defeat the Knowledge Foundation but I was able to gain control of the book. It is currently magically protected in the Museum where it can't return to it's actual resting place. That is why it fades in and out of reality.”
“Fades in and out of reality? How does a book do that?” Chris asks.
Alfred who has doubled duty as Jocasta's assistant for the last couple years speaks up for this, “We are not sure. The theory Jocasta is working with is that the book is part of Thoth and exists in our reality only as a key to bring Thoth into our world. The book therefore wants to exist where it is most likely to complete it's goal.”
A book with a will of it's own might be too hard for Chris to believe even at this point. Still he takes in in stride “Okay okay I got it.”
“You will,” Valmont says smiling. “After we are done here I will give you a tour of the basement of the museum where they private exhibits are stored. But first you asked about Francois's curse. I think you deserve an answer.” Valmont sits down and nudges Francois who is still awake but seems to be starting to drift off.
“What? Oh yeah.” Francois Luminare clears his breath, “Now Chris one thing you might not understand is that supernatural creatures have their own code of conduct. They tend to only target hunters and leave their families alone. It's a personal conflict to them. Because of this the family of most hunters are safe.” Francois looks at Valmont sleepily, “I had to say this first he needs to know this.”
“What? What do I need to know? Hunters families are suppose to be safe? What about me and my mom?”
Francois slowly shakes his head “As I said most hunters. Valmont changed the game. Let me explain.”
Chris is starting to understand where this is going. “Okay go on.”
Francois pops an stimulate pill and downs it with water, even though such a thing only works so much for him and he could fall asleep at any second. “By turning the Sharp show into a legitimate monster hunting organization I essentially upset the balance. I found a way to keep the masquerade in tact while eliminating real monsters. Clearly there are forces out there that were not happy with that. I just wish I predicted how much of an impact this change would actually have.”
“And now your curse.” Chris says to Francois clearly showing that he is losing his patience, “Clearly it was important enough to put innocent lives in danger.”
“If you mean your father, Valmont Sharp then no I do not care about him. I hated him, I probably still do. However I'm not a bad person.” Francois Luminare stands and walks a few feet before his legs start to buckle and he calls to the ground. Charlotte stands to help him but he stops her. He starts pushing up against a wall, “I was an Olympic caliber athlete, fast, strong and agile. I am a master marksman, a skilled sword fighter and a black belt in four different martial arts. And I am now a complete weakling, I can hardly walk five feet unsupported. I have trouble paying attention. I begin to drift off after fifteen to twenty minutes, I can't even eat the same foods I use to be able to eat.”
Francois forces himself up by using the wall and walks back to the table, “Four years ago I pissed off a demon a powerful demon named Sarnavoth, and he cursed me. Maybe one day I will get into what I did to Sarnavoth because that is a long story and not for today. But clearly I cannot continue my battle against demons, monsters and the supernatural. I needed assistance.”
“But why my father?” Chris asks. “Couldn't you turn to other legitimate monster hunters like yourself?”
Francois spits in anger and raises his voice, his french accent stronger then normal, “Ha, that is the last thing I wanted to do. It's still a job and they are the competition. If I turned to other Monster hunters they would help me yeah and help themselves to my job. With your father I can continue my job with him as my tool.” Francois glares at Chris knowing what his next question will be, “And yes if I if I knew this would happen and his family was put in danger I would do it again. I have no regrets for that.”
“How dare you!” Chris tries to jump at Luminare from across the table but is held back by Charlotte and Cole.
“Okay okay, calm down son.” Valmont says to Chris, “Now Francois that's enough maybe you should rest. Charlotte would you take your father to his room.”
Charlotte looks at her father and then Valmont, “Okay but I have never seen the private exhibit of the museum before and I really want to today.”
Valmont nods, “Meet us at the museum in fifteen minutes, we won't go to the exhibit without you.”
“Thanks,” Charlotte walking over to her father and takes his hand, “Come on dad you had a long morning you should get something to eat and then rest.”
Francois looks at his daughter and smiles, “You're too good for me my dear. I ha
ve done nothing to deserve such a great daughter.” He says to her weakly.
“Save your strength.” She then leads her father step by step out of the room.
Valmont turns off the slide projector and the screen goes back up into the ceiling, “Okay lets head to the museum. We can wait for Charlotte there.
Chapter fifteen
Valmont Sharp: Monster Hunter Page 15
