Review and Cartoon

A hearty thank you to Stephanie Piro, the cartoonist and author of The Militant Recommender blog, who recently reviewed the Phantom of Valletta. 

Click Here for Review

If you haven't read my Phantom continuation, the cartoon below may make no sense at all.  So here is an excerpt that goes along with it.  Stephanie's cartoon is a bit humorous to me, because it pretty well captures Erik's thoughts about this strange girl.  And, of course, she's a bit surprised to meet the masked man face to face in his opera house.

EXCERPT

Everything appeared to be tidy and in its place, as he surveyed the seats and boxes. The chandelier hung dark, but a few gaslights near the stage burned, adding enough illumination in the theatre. As he strolled toward the front, he spotted a lingering light in the orchestra pit that caught his attention. Erik heard shuffling noises and movement and quickly halted his step. He listened intently, trying to ascertain if one of the musicians had perhaps lingered behind for some odd reason. Cautious and not wishing discovery, he stood motionless, waiting to hear further sounds before proceeding closer.

Suddenly, a recognizable pluck of a violin string met his ear, randomly flicked by a human’s finger. The plucks continued, with no semblance of tune, accompanied by the soft giggle of a female voice. Irate that someone dared to toy with an instrument meant for sounds of perfection, he angrily strode forward until he peered over the edge of the pit. There before him, with her back to his burning gaze, stood a petite golden-haired young woman fingering the instrument as if it were a mere plaything. Twang, twang. The sounds reverberated again, and another giggle ensued. His unbridled displeasure over her actions caused him to fling his words at her without a second thought.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled, sounding like an angry bear about to claw its victim. He boldly stepped into full vision, daring to show his masked face to the intruder to make a point. “The violin is not yours, Mademoiselle, and I insist you cease from handling the instrument with such disrespect this instant!”