Beauty Of Music

Chapter 3

Now the Opera House was known to have five basements, each one as dark and as dreary as the other, but Carriere did not have to go all the way to the last one. It was only to the first one he needed to go where all the Opera sets and props were stored and where the mysterious 'Erik' was waiting for him.

"They were warned. A man went where he shouldn't I had no choice" said Erik in a well-mannered voice as he appeared out of the shadows.

Erik was tall with short strawberry blonde hair, he wore a white shirt with a white tie, black tailored trousers, a theatre jacket, and white gloves. The most distinct thing about him was he wore a white mask that covered most of his face leaving only his mouth and chin visible which revealed he had very pale skin.

"Yes, you did! You could have let him go!" said Carriere in a disappointed tone.

"Then he would have gone back up and they would be down after me in a second. He found out where I lived. He may have seen my face" said Erik in a defensive manner as he paced back and forth.

"Oh God" said Carriere, disheartened.

"Why did you let him go down there?" asked Erik.

"I didn't know he was going down" explained Carriere.

"But it's your job to know!" exclaimed Erik.

"I have no job. I've been replaced" said Carriere in a regretful tone as he went to sit down on a nearby seat.

Erik had cease pacing and turned towards Carriere in shock.

"Replaced!?" he exclaimed.

"That's why all this happened. I only learned about it today" Carriere further explained.

Erik was left speechless and slightly panicked for a moment.

"What a day of surprises this is turning out to be. What am I going to do!?" he said.

"I don't know" said Carriere feeling just as troubled as Erik did.

Erik said nothing further for a moment and began pacing again as though he was trying to figure out a plan.

"This man who's... replacing you does he believe in ghost?" he asked.

"I do not think so" said Carriere.

"Well we have to make him believe" said Erik.

"That may not be so easy" said Carriere.

"Well if we can't they'll be all down after me just as I feared" said Erik in a panicked tone.

"Maybe not. For all they know Joseph Bouquet isn't dead" said Carriere in a cunning tone.

"Well they'll certainly know that he's missing" said Erik.

"But I think I can take care of that" said Carriere reassuringly.

"How?!" asked Erik.

"You just leave that to me" said Carriere.

Erik said nothing for a moment, deciding to leave the subject matter then and there.

"A lot has changed now hasn't it?" he asked.

"Well at best I have a few more years. You must have known that Erik" chuckled Carriere.

"I rather hoped that you might be able to choose your successor" said Erik in a disheartened tone.

"So, would I" said Carriere in the exact same tone.

There was silence between the two men until they heard loud and out of tune singing coming from above them.

"My God, the place really is haunted what is that?" asked Erik in a surprised tone as he walked around a bit.

"Well without looking I can say with confidence, it must be Carlotta" said Carriere looking up at the ceiling.

"Who?" asked Erik

"The new star"

"She can't sing" Erik commented abruptly.

"Well obviously she doesn't know that" chuckled Carriere.

"Well someone should tell her" said Erik as he raised his hands to cover his ears.

"She's married to the new manager" said Carriere informatively.

"Good God, this means she's probably going to sing all the time. What kind of horror are you leaving me in?" said Erik in a sarcastic tone.

"Erik, what are we going to do about all of this?" asked Carriere.

"I know what to do about it. I'll kill them both" said Erik in a joking manner.

"Oh, come on now" said Carriere, unimpressed.

"I'm teasing probably the only one I need to kill is her" Erik continued to joke.

"Erik!" exclaimed Carriere.

"What has happened to you sense of humour?" said Erik playfully.

"My humour?" said Carriere in a defensive tone.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I am just not used to killing people it is threw me off a bit. I suppose she'll be choosing the Opera season too" asked Erik.

"As I understand she plans to run everything" said Carriere.

"Well that settles it I'm coming with you" Erik said jokingly and ended with a chuckle.

"I can't can I. Sometimes I forget I am fit for nowhere but there gloomy vaults, bereaved of light. Like blackness itself, for I am blackness itself. Where are my golden tents? Where are my lambs rejoicing" said Erik as he walked away from Carriere and disappeared into the shadow.

XXX

"Give the oldest girl a position in the Orchestra and the youngest singing lessons?" said Cholet as he walked down the spiral staircase near the rear entrance of the Opera House with the man in the red uniform following close behind him.

"They were sent by the Count de Chaney" explained the man in the red uniform.

"And who is the Count de Chaney?" asked Cholet.

"One of our biggest patrons" the man in red further explained.

"Ah" Cholet paused for a moment before glancing over the staircase and saw the Daae sisters waiting at the bottom.

"Lessons and an Orchestra Position?" asked Cholet addressing the sisters before making his way down the rest of the staircase.

Christine and Catherine further explained their situation to the new manager whilst the man in red returned to his office for a moment and saw Monsieur Carriere was sitting at his desk and was writing a note. When Carriere saw the man standing in the doorway he quickly finished what he was writing and was making his way out.

"Give this to Madame Carlotta" said Carriere as he handed the man the note.

"Yes" said the man as he watched Monsieur Carriere walk away.