The Power of the Music

Mystery of the Mask

Chapter 37

Lotte paced back and forth in her room and admired the way the light danced off of the little red stones in her ring. She sighed and placed a kiss on it's gold band.

Mr. Squelch and Dr. Gangle who had been taking care of her all of those years suddenly appeared in the doorway of her little apartment.

Lotte jumped at the sudden sound, but then she smiled at the sight of the familiar faces. "Oh, it's just you."

Squelch raised an eyebrow. "Missing Gustave, eh?"

She sadly sighed and sat down. "He left a week after Christmas, and I haven't seen him since. He's only sent me one letter explaining that he was very busy. I mean, I guess I understand, but I can't help but wonder sometimes."

Squelch sat down next to her on her left with Gangle on her right.

Gangle gently patted her hand. "I'm sure he's just as loyal to you now as he was when he left. Besides," he added, "he'll be back in a little under three months."

"Three months too long," Lotte pouted.

"Why are you so upset now?" Squelch asked. "You were fine yesterday."

She sighed and longingly glanced at her ring. "I just miss him. That's all. When we were little, we saw each other almost everyday. It's so strange now not seeing him at all."

"Mr. Squelch!" a voice suddenly rang from the hall.

He sighed and stood. "Well, that's my cue. Feel better, Lotte."

She nodded and bade him goodbye.

Dr. Gangle stood. "Perhaps I should be going as well."

Lotte grabbed his arm before he could open the door. "Dr. Gangle, may I ask you something?"

He hesitantly nodded and looked over her.

She sighed building up the courage to ask him.

"Come now, child. Spit it out."

She squeezed her eyes shut and quickly blurted out her question. "Do you know why Mr. Y wears his mask?"

There was a strain of silence that made Lotte uncomfortable. She wasn't going to apologize for asking though. Men didn't go around wearing masks all of the time for no reason. She had the right to be curious. Didn't she?

Gangle suddenly shook his head. "Isn't that a question your beau should answer?"

She put her hand on her waist. "Do you think I haven't asked him before? I've asked him numerous times since we were little, but he never gives me an answer."

He guided her back to the settee and helped her sit. "I can only tell you what I know, my dear."

She shifted slightly, ready to listen.

"The day I found out that my being blind in the right eye would prevent me from ever becoming a doctor, I was devastated." He sighed and shook his head. "Are you sure that you want to hear this?"

"Well, you've started," she replied. "You can't stop now."

He nodded and continued. "The only thing I could think of to numb the pain was a drink, so I went downtown. When I got to the local bar, there were two women standing by the door. One was older with braided black hair. She was watching a man in the corner. That's when it hit me. What that man had was better than any alcohol. He had music, and his music was like a drug. The second the sound hit your ears, it was as if the world stopped and you stopped with it. I nudged the lady's arm and asked her who the man was. She told me that he was her younger brother. It was then that I noticed something most peculiar about him."