ANGEL OF MUSIC [CHRIS MOTIONLESS] [✔️]

VII - More Notes

RYAN's POV

I impatiently flicked through the damned opera on my desk, sneering, "Ludicrous! Have you seen the score?" Richard sat down at his desk, running his hand through his black hair. "Simply ludicrous! It's the final straw!" He agreed, and I grunted. "This is lunacy! Well, you know my views." I said, and Richard sighed. "But we daren't refuse." He said, and I groaned. "Not another chandelier." He then slid me an envelope, and said, "Look, my friend, what we have here." He had two notes, both addressed to us in horribly familiar envelopes.

    I opened it and read aloud: "Dear Ryan, Re my orchestrations: We need another first bassoon. Get a player with tone -and that third trombone has to go! The man could not be deafer, so please preferably one who plays in tune!" 

Richard interrupted, reading, "Dear Richard, vis a vis my opera: some chorus-members must be sacked. If you could, find out which has a sense of pitch -wisely, though, I've managed to assign a rather minor role to those who cannot act!" Suddenly, Carlotta and Piangi burst into our office, furiously brandishing similar notes. "Outrage! This whole affair is an outrage!" Carlotta screamed, and Richard rolled his eyes. "What is it now?"

    I attempted to quell her rage, saying, "Signora, please. Now what's the matter?" She sniffed, turning up her nose. "Have you seen the size of my part?" She said, and I sighed. "Signora, listen." I tried, but Piangi interrupted. "It's an insult! Just look at this - it's an insult." He growled, and Richard groaned. "Not you as well. Please understand." Carlotta sniffed again, stabbing a finger at the opens score, saying, "The things I have to do for my art! If you can call this gibberish "art"!"

Suddenly, Joshua and Emma entered, making Carlotta bristle angrily. "Ah! Here's our little rose! Miss Emma Daae, quite the lady of the hour!" She spat, and I tried to explain to the bewildered Emma. "You have secured the largest role in this "Don Juan"." I said, and Carlotta muttered, "Emma Daae? She doesn't have the voice!" I heard, and turned to her. "Signora please!" I said, and Joshua turned to us. "Then I take it you're agreeing?" He asked, and Richard harrumphed. "It appears we have no choice."

"She's behind this." Carlotta mumbled, and then was unable to contain herself any longer, pointing accusingly at Emma. "She's the one behind this! Emma Daee!" Emma, who had been silent till now, erupted. "How dare you! You evil woman, how dare you!" She screamed, and Carlotta rolled her eyes. "I'm not a fool! You think I'm blind?!" She hissed.

"This isn't my fault! I don't want any part in this plot!" Emma shot back, glaring. "Why?" Firmin asked, and Emma glared at him. "She's backing out!" Carlotta announced with glee, and I desparately tried to mediate. "You have a duty!" I cried, and Emma scowled at me too. "I cannot sing it, duty or not!" She snapped, and Joshua grasped her hand. "Emma. Emma. You don't have to. they can't make you." He said, and Richard rolled his eyes.

Joshua spoke suddenly. "We have all been blind -and yet the answer is staring us in the face. This could be the chance to ensnare our clever friend." He mused, and I perked up. "We're listening. Go on."

"We shall play his game -perform his work -but remember we hold the ace. For, if Emma Daae sings, he is certain to attend." Joshua said, and Emma frowned. I carried along with the idea. "We make certain the doors are barred. We make certain our men are there. We make certain they're armed." He said, and I smiled, nodding. Richard chimed in. "The curtain falls - his reign will end!"

    Madame Giry reacted very strongly. "Madness! I'm not so sure, this is madness!" She said, and Richard laughed. "Not if it works. The tide will turn." She glared at him, shaking her cane. "Monsieur, believe me - there is no way of turning the tide!" Richard glared back. "You stick to ballet!" He said, and Joshua rounded on Giry. "Then help us instead of warning us, help us! Don't make excuses!" He said, and she lowered her eyes pleadingly. "Monsieur, I can't! I wish I could." She said, and Joshua glared. "Or could it be that you're on his side?" He said, and Giry looked on the edge of tears. "Monsieur, please believe me, I intend no ill. Please be careful, we have seen him murder."

"We say he'll fall and fall he will!" Richard snapped, and everyone went mad, screaming at each other, not hearing Emma pleading amongst the tumult, "Please don't!" Everyone kept yelling until Emma cried out with a great scream. "If you don't stop, I'll go mad!" She turned to Joshua, pleading. "Joshua, I'm frightened - don't make me do this. Joshua, it scares me - don't put me through this ordeal by fire. He'll take me, I know. He won't let me go. If he finds me, it won't ever end. and he'll always be there, singing songs in my head. He'll always be there, singing songs in my head." She trembled, and Carlotta whispered. "She's mad."

"You said yourself he was nothing but a man. Yet while he lives, he will haunt us till we're dead." Joshua said gently, and Emma turned away unhappily. "This is twisted every way, what answer can I give? Am I to risk my life, to win the chance to live? Can I betray the wonderful man who inspired my voice? Do I become his enemy? Do I have any choice? He kills without a thought, he murders without a heed, but yet, he is so gentle towards me....I know I can't refuse and yet, I wish I could. Oh God - if I agree, what horrors wait for me in this, the Phantom's opera?" She murmured, and Joshua laid a hand on her arm tenderly.

"Emma, Emma, don't think that I don't care - but every hope and every prayer rests on you now." He said, and Emma, overcome by her conflicting emotions, turned away and hurried out.

Joshua strode forward and addressed an imaginary Phantom. "So, it is to be war between us! But this time, clever friend, the disaster will be yours!" He called, and uneasiness filled my gut.

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