And… yet another chapter… Hm. Got C on physics midterm. Guess I didn’t fail too badly, ne?

Chapter 14: The House in Auteuil

Several days later, the Count was talking with an attorney about the purchase of a small house in the suburb of Auteil, in the environs of Pairs. Number twenty-eight… the gold was paid, the deed signed, and they set off.

Wind rushed against the carriage as the Count’s fleet black horses galloped on.

Claire and Silver accompanied him, of course. However, Silver was looking decidedly odd…

Now it was not public knowledge, but Claire was most certainly not a mute. She was simply silent. That way, the women would have no cause to tease her, and the men simply ignored her and saw only another servant. She was not a fool.

The Count was the Dragon Master, and she was the lesser dragon Master. Dragon was higher in hierarchy than she, so he could have demanded the servitude of any of the lesser masters if he wished. Yet, that was not why Claire stayed with him. He had saved her life back in Italy, many years ago… well, perhaps only five, but still…

He had saved her dragons as well…

And that was what counted. It was a life debt. He did not treat her badly, in any case. No unnecessary, crazy orders. She lived in the lap of luxury, ad a good allowance, did not want, and kept him company occasionally.

The Ice Master, Princess Lorelei of Yanina once, was fun to chat with as well. What more did she want?

She was happy enough.

Silver resisted the urge to fidget, although cold sweat was trickling down his shoulder blades, as they got closer to Auteuil. Something…

He knew that Lance trusted him. They had been comrades on the Gardevoir together, after all. Even so… he was worried. Did Lance perhaps know of his past before he became a smuggler?

Something as decidedly wrong.

First of all, although he knew Lance, well, the Count, really, but Lance allowed his name, even though he flinched whenever it was used. Silver had quit after a few weeks. Besides, if you looked at it, Lance had died and become the Count…

But he stayed.

Still… Villefort… Silver’s lips curved up in a snarl. Well, whatever Monte Cristo planned for Villefort, he deserved it, the bastard…

Why hadn’t he died?

At length the carriage stopped outside of the house in Auteuil. Lance and Silver descended. Claire preferred to stay with the horses, murmuring to them, thus proving she was most certainly not mute.

The housekeeper stepped out, obviously pleased.

“Who is this?” He asked.

“Your new master.” Silver said loftily, as he helped Lance down from the carriage and they walked inside. “Could you perhaps provide us with a lantern? A tour would be acceptable.”

“Oh, yes, sir.”

While a lantern was fetched, Silver studied the house. He remembered it! He was sure he did!

Then this was not a dream!

“Shall we go?” Lance asked. Silver nodded solemnly. Lance had saved his life before, another time. He had been lost in Belgium, recognized, nearly disposed of… but money paid can heal many political rifts… of course, then, he hadn’t yet known it was Lance, just the Count of Monte Cristo, like everyone else... For some reason, he had been unable to remember the features of his former comrade. How bizarre…

That was not why he was feeling his gut roiling in pain though. This house was not a house he had ever wished to see again!

They continued on deeper into the house, until finally, they stopped at a small bedroom done in lovely red damask, a wide, welcoming bed with the curtains half-drawn standing by the wall.

“What a lovely room.” Lance said thoughtfully.

Silver shuddered, and crossed himself discreetly. The Count paused, turning his eyes to a door, nearly hidden beneath a tapestry depicting Samson and Delilah.

“But what is this? A secret stair. I wonder where it leads.”

“It leads to the garden.” Silver said, without thinking.

“How do you now?” Piercing gaze fixed upon him as he involuntarily cringed. He had not meant to let tat slip.

“I mean, that it should lead to the garden.”

“Well, ten let us check it out.” Monte Cristo took the lantern, opened the door, and walked down the stair. Silver followed, literally trembling all over at this point.

They walked across the lawn, and Monte Cristo paused to study a lovely orange tree. Silver froze, trembling, rooted to the spot.

“Please, excellency, I beg you, move away from that spot! You are standing exactly on nit!’

“On what spot?” Lance frowned.

“The spot where he fell!”

Silver by now was nearly beside him with terror, his limbs were galvanizing uncontrollably and he was muttering prayers between clenched teeth as his eyes rolled back and forth.

The Count frowned. “Really, Silver, I had never expected you to suffer from delusions. It is broad daylight, and there are certainly no ghosts. So what is my Master Thief afraid of?”

“No! No! This is not normal!” Silver declared. “First you choose to buy a small house outside, which is all and well, but then you choose Auteuil! And after Auteuil, this very street! And then the house! Number twenty-eight! Oh, why did I keep this secret hidden! We are friends, are we not? This is the house in which the assassination was completed! And only three steps from where you stand is the place where his child is buried! I entreat you to move, Excellency!”

Lance’s eyes narrowed. “And what, pray tell, are you speaking of?”

“Please, excellency, could you possibly move away from that spot? Why – standing there with your cloak around you, you remind me of monsieur de Villefort!”

“Monsieur de Villefort?”

“Yes! This pillar of society, this chief justice – he is a villain!’

“And you have proof of this?”

“Yes, yes! I will tell you all! But please, move, I beg you!”

With a sigh, Lance made his way to a stone bench by the wall, making a mental note to replace the crumbling red brick. “Well now, Silver, what is it?”

“I’ll tell you the whole story. I can’t stay here with it gnawing gat my conscience.”

“Then I will wait.”

“Yes, Villefort is a villain, but I lost my proof of that.”

“Careless of you, certainly.”

“It might still be recovered, if we are careful.”

A single eyebrow rose. Silver took several deep breaths, took a pull of brandy from his hip-flask, and began his story…

End Chapter

Completed 3/3/05

Silver: …

Phantomness: Yes, unfortunately, I had to do some character melding…

Shoyko: Ooh! Dark!