His eyes softened when he realized our precious Christine hadn’t been spoiled by my insane love for her and that she was still a virgin. It also made me feel better to know he wouldn’t accuse her or cause her any hurt because of his uncertainties. I looked at our sleeping beauty for a moment, and then I looked back at him and continued softly.
“I want Christine to be happy more than anything else in the world. I can only hope you also want the same thing. Do you love her that much, Raoul? Do you love her enough to put aside our rivalry and your pride and think about her? Do you love her more than you hate me?”
He just stared at me with the strangest expression. He then looked at Christine for a few moments and took a deep breath. When he looked back at me, it was without a verbal response, but he did nod.
“Good. Then watch for an advertisement in the Epoque announcing Erik’s death. That will be your cue to return to my home and bury me.”
“Erik? I still suspect you’re not telling the whole truth. You’re much too calm for a man who’s about to die. It’s not natural.”
I chuckled softly. “Can you name me one thing I’ve done or said that seems natural?”
“I suppose not, but it still seems strange.”
I looked around the room and then back at him. “Because of this,” I said as I tapped the side of my mask, “I felt I would die young. I never expected to live to the age I am now. I’ve managed to live many decades past my expected death. I’ve accomplished much, seen much, learned much, and I’ve received a kiss of love from a beautiful woman whom I love dearly. I’m ready for this, so it isn’t at all strange for me.”
He nodded, and I got to my feet, explaining, “I need to leave for a while to take Oded home. I trust you’ll stay here with Christine while I’m gone. I won’t be long.”
He nodded again, and then, without further words between us, I left to check on Oded. I sat at the foot of the bed and watched him breathing more easily than before. I stayed there in the silence and said a thank you to our Creator for any help he might have rendered us that night. I was thankful that lives were saved, the life of my old friend, my enemy’s life, Christine’s life, and the lives of a multitude of others.
I wanted and needed to get Oded out of my home while he was still under the strong influence of the drugs I’d given him. Even though I would be leaving my home for good, I still didn’t want him to know how to maneuver the passages and reach my lair. Also, I didn’t want to explain my plans to him right then.
Shortly, I pulled Oded into a sitting position while telling him I was taking him home. He mumbled a few jumbled words that told me he was incoherent enough, which was good. I wrapped his arm around my neck and lifted him to his feet. He could hold at least part of his own weight, so I didn’t have to carry it all, but he still walked like a drunken sailor.
As we crossed the parlor, he looked at Raoul, and mumbled, “What’s he doing here?”
“He’s being enlightened—nothing more, Mon Ami.”
When we entered my music room, I locked the door behind us, and unlocked the door to the passage. Then, after several falls and stumbles, we were on the street and I was hailing a brougham. I didn’t try to conceal us, since we looked like two men who’d been too long with the wine. Once I had him at his flat, I sat him on the step, propped him up against the wall, and rang the bell. I left quickly before Darius had a chance to open the door. Knowing he was safe, I could then concentrate on Raoul and Christine.
Christine was awake when I returned, and they were both sitting on the divan and looked surprised when they saw me.
“What? You didn’t expect me to return? You didn’t expect me to keep my word?” Neither of them responded, so I did. “Gather what you want, Christine, and I’ll take you both across the lake now.”
In the silence that ensued, she left for her room and Raoul followed her. I left for the kitchen and a much needed drink of water and a much needed talk with myself. I glanced around the room, and, when too many wonderful memories began to surface, I repeated several times—I want Christine to be happy—I want Christine to be happy. Over and over again I told myself that same phrase, since I didn’t want to forget the importance of what I was doing.
All too soon, I heard Christine’s melodious voice. “Erik, we’re ready whenever you are.”
I turned and looked at my precious Christine standing in the doorway. I swallowed hard, set the glass in the sink, and nodded. When we were all back in the parlor, I pulled out a paper from my coat pocket and stood next to Raoul.
“This is a map of the lake and the labyrinth.” While pointing out the different features, I explained, “This is my docking room and this is the wharf. The Xs are pillars. The Xs with a circle around them are the ones you want to follow to get to my docking room or back to the wharf. Each of them has a special mark on it that you can feel with your fingers. They’ll help keep you from getting lost. I’ll show them to you when we pass them. The X with a square around it is the pillar that has the spring you need to push to open and close the docking room door. It also has special markings on it.
“Raoul, I know you wouldn’t consider us friends, but there’s one more thing. All I’ve asked of you thus far is for Christine and her happiness, but what I ask of you now is of a personal nature. When you leave my home with Christine for the last time, I ask that you close that door and listen for it to lock into place. Christine knows what it sounds like.
“I know I won’t be around to see it, but I don’t want all my things scavenged by curiosity seekers. I may not have much, but what I do have I made with my own hands, well, most of it anyway. All this came at a high price to me, on a much different level than monetary. It would be a gross insult to me to let it fall into uncaring hands. It goes without saying, though, that if there’s anything in here you or Christine want, you may have it. Will you agree to this?”
Raoul nodded and Christine replied through her tears, “We’ll gladly do everything you ask.”
“Before the end comes, I’ll securely seal all the passages that lead down here. I wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally fall into one of them and be trapped forever. Now follow me,” I said as I unlocked the music room and walked in. “Feel here,” I said as I ran my fingers over the spring to the parlor door. He did and I continued, “Those small springs you feel control the door to the lake and the motion sensor on the lake. Press the one on your right. You just turned off the motion sensor. Now press the one on your left.”
He did, and we heard the click, releasing the latch for the door. Then I gestured toward the parlor. We moved into that room, and his mouth dropped open when he saw part of the wall opened, much the same as Christine had when she first saw it. I grabbed the stool from the kitchen and Christine’s tapestry bag and walked out the door while telling them to follow me. They did, and I set the stool under the latch to open the door and lit a lantern. Then I continued my instructions to Raoul.
“Pull right here to close the door tightly and listen to it click into place.” He did and we all heard it click. “Now step up on that stool and reach up high until you can feel another spring, like the one in my music room.” It took him a while to find it, but when he did, I had him push it. Again we heard a click, and I pushed the parlor door open. “Now you can get in and out of this door easily. Are you comfortable with it?”
“Yes,” he said somberly.
I then pulled the door closed and led the way down to the docking room. Once there, I climbed the few steps to the window that looked out over the lake and continued my instructions to Raoul. Surprisingly, he’d been taking my orders quite well, without his usual arrogance.
“I’ll leave this window open and the light on in this room. It will help you find your way back here—like a lighthouse on a shoal.” As I started my descent, I also started telling him about my boat. “This is my boat that I drive with this pole. I advise you to sit as you push through the water. It can . . .”
“You don’t ne
ed to tell me how to use a vessel,” he said with a return to his arrogance.
“I’m sure you can handle the largest sea-going ship with ease, but this little dinghy can have a mind of her own and can send you into the water with nothing more than an ill-timed sneeze, so listen up, young de Chagny. I’ve had to take cold baths often in this lake,” I said with a quick glance at Christine. “I’d hate for Christine to take one just because of your pride. So set it aside and think about her.”
He didn’t respond, but I continued anyway. “Now where was I? Oh, yes. Right here is the switch to open an invisible door. It’s easy to see and reach, so push it.”
He did, and, when what appeared to be a massive brick wall began to move out of our way, he showed more emotion than he had at any other time. His mouth dropped open, he shook his head, and his eyes became wide. He looked like a child at a circus.
“How did you do that?” he questioned. “Do you realize what an engineering feat it is to move a stone wall of that size with such ease?”
I chuckled, “Yes, I believe I do.”
Until it opened completely, I stood watching him with a large smile on my lips. I’d just deceived him into thinking it was a much heavier door than what it was, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Just because I was going to the grave soon didn’t mean I couldn’t have some fun on my way there.
“As I was saying,” I tried to start again, but he stopped me.
“No, wait a minute. You said you were showing me secrets you haven’t shown anyone, is that right?” I nodded. “Well what about this door? Someone had to help you with it, so wouldn’t he know about it?”
“He would, if I’d had help, but I didn’t.”
His eyes narrowed. “You did this alone?”
Again I nodded, and, for the first time, the expression on his face showed a hint of respect for me. I nodded again, silently acknowledging his unspoken respect.
“I’d really like to know how you did this,” he said with wide-eye wonderment.
“Well, if I had more time I might be inclined to explain it to you, but I don’t have that much time. However, Raoul, remember who you’re talking to. I’m an illusionist, a master deceiver. I can make many things appear to be what they’re not.”
Raoul studied that door while I took Christine by the arm and directed her down into the bow as I had on many other occasions. Then I gestured for Raoul to sit in the stern. His eyes were still fixed on that door, but he did sit, and I handed him the tapestry satchel. After lighting another lantern and hanging it on its hook at the bow of the boat, I stepped into the boat at its middle and knelt down, preparing to keep us balanced.
“Very well, captain. We’re all on board. Take us out of here,” I instructed, almost jovially.
He took the pole and began moving us through the water, clumsily at first, but he got better. Although he couldn’t resist the temptation of reaching out and touching the door as we slid past it. Again I had to smile at him. It was at that time that I could understand what Christine saw in him. When the arrogant exterior was stripped away, he was like a child, a playful and inquisitive child.
I told him to use the map to find the pillars, and he did. At the first one, I showed him the spring to close the docking room door, and, when he pushed it, he again watched it close with fascination. On the rest I showed him the guide marks to lead us to the wharf. As we moved through the silent water, I had a thought. I’d always known my life could have unexpected twists, but this one was bizarre. Everything I was showing Raoul I’d kept a secret for well over a decade. I hadn’t even showed them to my best friend or the woman I loved, and, yet, here I was showing them to my worst enemy. Yes, weird twists indeed.
We were perhaps halfway to the dock when I gave him important information. “I have to show you what to do if something happens to your lantern, so, Christine, if you would, please turn the lantern off.”
“Wait!” Raoul shouted. “Is this another trick? I don’t trust you.”
“Raoul, please remember, I had complete control of everyone back in my home. If I’d wanted to do you harm, I wouldn’t have resurrected you. What I want to show you could make the difference in whether you and Christine make it safely to the dock or not.”
He thought for a moment and then told her to turn it off. When she did, we were plunged into darkness.
“Now, wait a minute until your eyes adjust, and then start looking up. Keep looking until you see a faint light. It’ll be coming from an air vent that’s beyond the dock. When you spot it, head for it, but do so very, very slowly, so slowly that if you bump into a pillar or the retaining wall it won’t capsize the boat. When you reach the wall, follow it until you find the dock. Are you comfortable with those instructions?”
He said he was, so I told Christine to turn the lantern back on. When she did, I looked at Raoul, and he had fear in his eyes. Hmm, I thought. This is Christine’s brave naval officer? But I managed to keep my thoughts to myself for once.
He eventually got us to the wharf, coming close to capsizing us only twice, which was pretty good. Christine had been extremely quiet the entire ride, and when I held out my hand to help her out of the boat, her eyes held so much sorrow. I imagined the ride had brought back many special memories to her—as it had me. As I helped her out, she studied my face and moved close to me. I glanced at Raoul, and he had a different expression in his eyes. Here I was touching his Christine, and he didn’t look as if he wanted to kill me. Perhaps we’d been able to put aside our rivalry for the time being. I could only hope as much.
Once we were out of the boat and it was tied, I told him, “I’ll leave my boat on this side of the lake for you. I’ll also leave a lantern. Do you have any questions about the lake crossing?”
“No,” he replied. “You’re a good teacher. I think I have all the information I need.”
He then took Christine’s arm, and I led the way to the corridor close to the well. Once there, I again began my instructions.
“You can stay here if you wish, Christine. Raoul, you follow me.”
“No,” she said softly. “I want to come with you.”
So they both followed me to the spot I’d picked out for my burial. “This is where I’d like my final resting place to be. What better place could there be for me than in a house devoted to music? My childhood dream will become a reality, to spend eternity surrounded by music.”
I heard Christine sniffle, and I tried not to look at her; instead, I continued, “The ground is soft, and it’s away from the other graves.”
“Other graves!” Raoul exclaimed. “You mean there are others buried down here?”
“Yes, unfortunately. They were victims from the Franco-Prussian war. I couldn’t just leave them lying around my home messing it up, now could I?”
“I suppose,” Raoul replied reflectively, but the look in his eyes told me he suspected I was the cause of their deaths.
“I won’t ask you to dig the hole. I’ll dig my own grave and put my casket inside it. All you have to do is put me in it, close the lid, and place my last blanket made of dirt over me. Then it will be over, and you can go on with your lives.”
Right then, Christine broke into tears, which was why I’d wanted her to stay back on the walkway. I looked at Raoul, waiting for him to go to her and comfort her, but he didn’t, so I encouraged him.
“You have a weighty responsibility on your shoulders now. She’ll need your strength to lean on. Help her.”
He moved toward her just in time, because I was about ready to comfort her if he didn’t. I couldn’t bear it when she cried. I turned my back on them and fought for a measure of my composure to return to me. My jaws ached and my eyes stung, but by the time her sobs had stopped, I was in control again, so I walked back to the path. I motioned for them to start up the stairs, and I began following them. When we reached the spot where I usually told Christine goodbye, I stopped.
“I’ll say goodbye here.”
Christine t
urned quickly, lowered her head, and broke down in tears again, while I tried to maintain my own composure. I placed my fingers under her chin and raised her beautiful face toward me. I gently kissed her bruised forehead, moved back, and then looked down into her incredible blue eyes.
“Don’t cry, My Angel. In time, this will all be a faded memory. In time, you can tell your children and grandchildren the strange tale about the mysterious Paris Opera Ghost. You can tell them how the Phantom could walk through walls and make even horses disappear. You can tell them how you sang with the Angel of Music and how he kissed your voice and made it soar like an angel’s voice. You can even tell them that if they’re very good he’ll also kiss their voices. So don’t cry, my sweet. This will soon be over, and you’ll be happy again.”
She shook her head and lowered it again, and I turned my attention to Raoul.
“Take good care of her, Vicomte. You’ll never find another jewel such as her.” Then I looked into Christine’s beautiful blue eyes again, lifted her left hand, and kissed the ring. “Thank you, My Angel, for allowing me the privilege of a living wife.” I smiled at her. “And, Christine, thank you for my first kiss. I’ll never forget it.”
Abruptly, she threw herself against my chest, sobbing. “I don’t know if I can do this. I can’t lose you.”
“Oh, Christine, my sweet Christine. Please don’t cry. Please. Everything will work out, I promise.”
“No,” she came back. “You told me that before, and now look what’s happening. You’re dying, and I’ll never see you again. I’ll never sing with you again. You’ll never read to me again. I don’t want to lose you.”
I swallowed hard, but it didn’t prevent my eyes from tearing up. With my arms around her, I threw my head back, trying to maintain my composure. Then I glanced at Raoul, and much to my wonderment, his eyes were also filling with tears. Strangely enough, that sight helped me. It was the first soft spot I’d seen in him, and knowing it was there gave me hope that he would treat Christine with tenderness.
Through Phantom Eyes: Volume Five - Christine Page 76
