Wandering Child / Bravo, Monsieur

(The PHANTOM emerges from behind the cross)

PHANTOM (very soft and enticing)
Wandering child...
so lost...
so helpless...
yearning for my
guidance...

(Bewildered, CHRISTINE looks up, and murmurs breathlessly)

CHRISTINE
Angel... or father...
friend... or
Phantom?
Who is it there,
staring...?

PHANTOM (more and more hypnotic):
Have you
forgotten
your Angel...?

CHRISTINE
Angel... oh, speak...
What endless
longings
echo in this
whisper...!

(RAOUL appears in the shadows and watches for a moment,
transfixed)

PHANTOM (now drawing CHRISTINE towards him)
Too long you've wandered
in winter...

RAOUL (to himself, a murmur)
Once again
she is his...

PHANTOM
Far from my
far-reaching gaze...

RAOUL
Once again
she returns...

CHRISTINE (increasingly mesmerized)
Wildly my mind
beats against you...

PHANTOM
You resist...

PHANTOM_CHRISTINE
Yet your_the soul
obeys...

RAOUL
...to the arms
of her angel...
angel or demon...
still he calls her...
luring her back, from the grave...
angel or dark seducer...?
Who are you, strange
angel...?

PHANTOM
Angel of Music!
You denied me,
turning from true beauty...
Angel of Music!
Do not shun me...
Come to your strange
Angel...

CHRISTINE
Angel of Music!
I denied you,
turning from true beauty...
Angel of Music!
My protector...
Come to me, strange
Angel...

(CHRISTINE moves towards the figure of the PHANTOM)

PHANTOM (beckoning her)
I am your Angel of Music...
Come to me: Angel of Music...

RAOUL (suddenly calling out)
Angel of darkness!
Cease this torment!

(Inexorably, the PHANTOM continues to beckon CHRISTINE)

PHANTOM
I am your Angel of Music...
Come to me: Angel of Music...

RAOUL (in desperation)
Christine! Christine, listen to me!
Whatever you may believe, this man...
this thing... is not your father!

(To the PHANTOM)

Let her go! For God's sake, let her go! Christine!

(Coming out of her trance, CHRISTINE turns and mouths the
word)

CHRISTINE
Raoul...

(She runs to RAOUL, who embraces her protectively.
The PHANTOM freezes for a moment and then suddenly seizes
a pike, upon which is impaled a skull. At a movement from him,

a flash of fire streaks from the gaping mouth of the skull, and
lands at RAOUL's feet)

PHANTOM
Bravo, Monsieur!
Such spirited words!

(Another fireball)

RAOUL
More tricks, Monsieur?

PHANTOM
Let's see, Monsieur,
how far you dare go!

(Another fireball)

RAOUL
More deception? More violence?

CHRISTINE (to RAOUL)
Raoul, no...

(RAOUL has begun to walk, slowly and resolutely, towards the
PHANTOM, the fireballs always landing just ahead of him)

PHANTOM
That's right, that's right,
Monsieur -
keep walking this way!

(Two more fireballs)

RAOUL
You can't win her love by making her your prisoner.

CHRISTINE
Raoul, don't...

RAOUL (to CHRISTINE)
Stay back!

PHANTOM
I'm here, I'm here,
Monsieur
the angel of death!
Come on, come on,
Monsieur,
Don't stop, don't stop!

(Three more fireballs. RAOUL is almost at the PHANTOM's
feet. A confrontation is imminent, when CHRISTINE suddenly
rushes across to RAOUL)

CHRISTINE
Raoul! Come back...

(She pulls him away)

PHANTOM
Don't go!

(As they are exiting, the PHANTOM declaims in fury):

So be it! Now let it be war upon you both!

(At a gesture from the PHANTOM, there is a flash of lightning
and the stage erupts into flame)

SCENE SEVEN
'DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT'

(The set of the final scene of 'Don Juan Triumphant'. A huge
hall with an arch. Behind the arch, which has curtains, is a bed.
A fine table, laid for two. PASSARINO, DON JUAN's servant,
is directing the STAFF as they make the room ready. They are a
crowd of sixteenth century ruffians and hoydens, proud of their
master's reputation as a libertine)

Here the sire may serve the dam,
here the master takes his meat!
Here the sacrificial lamb
utters one despairing bleat!

CARLOTTA AND CHORUS
Poor young maiden! For the thrill
on your tongue of stolen sweets
you will have to pay the bill -
tangled in the winding sheets!

Serve the meal and serve the maid!
Serve the master so that, when
tables, plans and maids are laid,
Don Juan triumphs once again!

(SIGNOR PIANGI, as Don Juan, emerges from behind the arch.
MEG, a gypsy dancer, pirouettes coquettishly for him. He throws
her a purse. She catches it and leaves)

DON JUAN
Passarino, faithful friend,
once again recite the plan.

PASSARINO
Your young guest believes I'm you -
I, the master; you, the man.

DON JUAN
When you met you wore my cloak,
with my scarf you hid your face.
She believes she dines with me,
in her master's borrowed place!
Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff,
stealing what, in truth, is mine.
When it's late and modesty
starts to mellow, with the wine...

PASSARINO
You come home! I use your voice -
slam the door like crack of doom!

DON JUAN
I shall say: 'come - hide with me!
Where, oh, where? Of course - my room!'

PASSARINO
Poor thing hasn't got a chance!

DON JUAN
Here's my hat, my cloak and sword.
Conquest is assured,
if I do not forget myself and laugh...

(DON JUAN puts on PASSARINO's cloak and goes into the
curtained alcove where the bed awaits. Although we do not yet
know it, the Punjab Lasso has done its work, and SIGNOR
PIANGI is no more. When next we see DON JUAN, it will be
the PHANTOM. Meanwhile, we hear AMINTA (CHRISTINE)
singing happily in the distance)

AMINTA (CHRISTINE - offstage, entering)
'...no thoughts
within her head,
but thoughts of joy!
No dreams
within her heart,
but dreams of love!'

PASSARINO (onstage)
Master?

DON JUAN (PHANTOM - behind the curtain):
Passarino - go away!
For the trap is set and waits for its prey...

(PASSARINO leaves. CHRISTINE (AMINTA) enters.
She takes off her cloak and sits down. Looks about her. No-one.
She starts on an apple. The PHANTOM, disguised as DON
JUAN pretending to be PASSARINO, emerges. He now wears
PASSARINO's robe, the cowl of which hides his face. His first
words startle her)

DON JUAN (PHANTOM)
You have come here
in pursuit of
your deepest urge,
in pursuit of
that wish,
which till now
has been silent,
silent...

I have brought you,
that our passions
may fuse and merge -
in your mind
you've already
succumbed to me,
dropped all defences,
completely succumbed to me -
now you are here with me:
no second thoughts,
you've decided,
decided...