SquidgeWorld Archive

The year had been full of action, well the usual for the group added to a new kind to the family Fogg' estate. Well the group had been forced to intervene when the Prometheus had been seen on its way for the Indies under the commandment of the devilish broken Count Gregory who had tried to put his dislocated hand on one of the British colonies with the purpose to start a new war with the England and next to take the control of the land. That had been the beginning of the New Year, as the darkness league had profited that the governments just as all the citizens were again under the spell of the winter festivities for made the move on theirs plans. Phileas had only get time to made arrangements for his son to have a private teacher and a nurse to handle of him on the estate who were in fact really well know people having already worked as nurse and teacher while to handle a young Rebecca when her uncle had take her under his wing after the lost of her parents. There were not as young that they had been but Phileas had used all his best trump cards to convince them to agreed and had promised that would been only for a limited time. Phileas would have got more time to take better arrangements but at least he had counted on the discretion and the experiment of the people called than on a long and hard process to found the ideal person freshly out of the university as teacher to handle the former urchin.

In fact almost all the years had been shared between several fight for the Queen and the country, a lot of personal and business trips to London and Paris, a bit of vacation to Monte Carlo and some stop to other towns of interests on the way as the child had stay to the family' estate with the staff and the two former employees back for his need. Phileas had even be asked by his cousin to go back home alone for a moment and pass time with his son but the man had denied saying he would be better to watch her back since she was in much danger than the child would be. Jules had pleaded to him than the child would need his father a lot much than an adult woman who could take care of herself and who was not alone with him and Passepartout to help her. Even Passepartout tried to convince his master than the little boy would need his father' presence more than a week or two by year. Phileas denied all and had locked himself in his room of his London town house, as being alone with a son looking more as him each day and behaving so much as he was to remind his brother were to awake in him so much of good as bad memories. And the come back of the winter was not to improve his mood.

Phileas had slammed the door of his room closed after had been remind once again that in the English' country side was a little boy waiting his father' come back and had given him again once too much of reason to join him there. How could they say he didn't love his son? He loved him since he had realised that the boy was his. It was only too sore for him to stay look on that very face and to hear him laugh and made teasing on to staff' behalf or on all of them just as
Raz had the habit to do. Phileas rid himself of his jacket in send that flying in the room. As the sore though of his son being in danger just as they were always all because of theirs live and gifts as that had already cost the live of too much innocent people. Phileas rubbed his face eaten by the remorse, the sadness and the fear as he was alone to raise a child he could just as well never had got or could have got with a woman he loved and could have protected better. He leaved himself fall on the bed and crying himself to sleep.

Later, Phileas was awaked by an odd sound, like a waterfall. He rolled on his side as the air had all sudden became cold and humid. Phileas moved out of the bed as he heard steps on the hard wood floor. Wet booted feet could be heard in the hallway. "What the hell!" Phileas growled more to himself; "Passepartout would not walk that way in the house as he knows he would be the one forced to clean next. And Verne get better judgement than that after all what he went thought." As he was sure to have found the solution to the guess, Phileas get out his gun from under his mattress and open the door in warning the who-would-be-a-thief, "Get out by where you come in and leave not matter what you got in my house here or I will teach you the respect of the property!" The wet man standing front of him with water running off his clothes on the carpet of the hallway smiled to Phileas far to be afraid to be hold in guard with a loaded gun, "That would not be useful, Phil, since you taught me that long time ago."

Phileas looked on the wet form of his brother standing in front of him with the wall behind him easy to see through the man' body in the in the half darkness of the hallway, his words stuck in his throat. "Raz! You're dead!" He stammered to the realisation of the apparition in front of him was more as vapour than as a full materialized body and that the wound the man had suffer of before and after his fall of the cliff were again bloodied just as the man' hands. The man stay to smiles in look on himself, "I perhaps did too much, but appear to you in a tux and looking just out of a ball would not have got the same effect on you. I was in need of full attention for what I come announce to you."

Phileas looked on his dead brother now with worry in stay affected by the apparition standing in front of him, "You come to announce me what? My own death or Rebecca' one?" When the man laughs rather than answer Phileas straitened his stand and rubbed his face, "If you come to laugh on me or to tease me beyond the grave, you're better to leave, I should awake and forget that I had seen you."

Erasmus' form stays to chuckle before stop and to look on his brother, "Sorry, Phil. But there is not only the death to be enough important as new to be bringing to a person by a massager. The fact is that I come to announce you that on the first chime of midnight you will be visit by three spirits." Phileas frowns on his brother in repeat after him unsure to understand, "I will be visited by three spirits tonight, but why? And why that is so important that you need to come announce those visitors to me? Sorry, all of that look to me as a good dream, you never visited me and surely no one or nothing will visit me tonight, I'm surely again in my bed now soundly asleep." Phileas turned his back to the apparition and walked back to his bedroom in close the door to try to make disappear that bad dream. But the form of Erasmus growled behind the door and passed through the hard wood door to come in the bedroom, "Phil, you will not rid of me that way, you need to listen me. Three other ghosts will visit you tonight, if you like it or not. The first one will be there on the first chime of midnight and you will be forced to follow it in what it will show you. You will not have the choice in the matter. Phil, I need to leave you now, my time is over."

Phileas looked on the form of his brother leaving again with the sound of the waterfall that had company him in the house, "Raz!" Phileas call for his brother' come back, "Please, said me more yourself..." The face of his brother appears through the door with a big smiles, "Sorry, Phileas, I know what you would ask as questions and I cannot answer you, but I'm sure you will finish by found them on yourself and I'm sure we will meet again. Aurevoir, Phil, that was good to see you again." The form of Erasmus Fogg said in disappear once again and for all.

Phileas sighs and walked to the spot were his brother was to stand more as dream than as real. Phileas knelt to the floor and touched the carpet, which was damp. "How that can be happening if he was a ghost as he was to look to be." Phileas was to try to figure and he open the door to look on the carpet in stay knelt on the floor. So once the door open, Phileas touched the also wet carpet in said more to himself, "What the hell" when Big Ben chimed the first chime of midnight at distance and that in font of Phileas was to stand two shoes cleanly handled with a just as freshly ironed black trouser.

A Christmas Tale part 2

Phileas looked on the shoes and trousers legs, "What the hell!" he said as he heard Big Ben chimed again on midnight, "That would be the first visiting ghost then..." he said more to himself as a loud clearing of throat was hear upper on the person standing in front of him as he was again knelt on the floor to touch the damp carpet. Phileas lift his gaze and a hard and powerful hand grabbed him by his waistcoat to the shoulder to make him stand up. "Get up, son, we not have all the night!" the man Phileas was finally to see in face growled. Stunned more by the apparition that Phileas was to see that by the words it had said, he keep his eyes on the man' face as his voice was take away and all what he could lets out was a stammering of the word "Father". On the green eyes of his son put on him and his tense standing, Sir Boniface released his grip while Phileas' gaze hardened, "You're dead and you not supposed be there!" Sir Boniface _expression changed, "I know, you stay have a lot of grudge against me, but my death permit me to understand few things. Now it's your turn to understand and it's the reason I'm here and that two others will follow after me. Now, come with me, Phileas."

Phileas manage to make a step backward, "I will not follow you! Go away!" Sir Boniface shaken his head, "Sorry, son, you need to come, it's important." And even if Phileas walked away to his room in hope that way escape to his obligation to follow his father, the other made a move and they found both standing outside Shillingworth Magna' manor. Phileas stay to walk in the way his bedroom would be to found only the outside with the snowed ground around him, "Where the hell did you brought us?" He growled unhappy to be draw way and didn't understood how that was happen. Sir Boniface sighs, "Come here and have a look, it for that we are here, for you to be an observator." Phileas turned angry to have be draw away that way and saw the family' manor, "Always what you wand and never what the others should wand! What if I'm not interested in not matter what you should wand to show me. Will I awake in my bed as if you was not come back to poison my life?"

Sir Boniface rolled his eyes, "I'm not come back for poison your live. I came back to help you to open you eyes on what is surrounding you and that you not see because you're heart is too closed up and that you're the one that poison your own life that way. Not only your life but also the ones of all the peoples care for you as well. Now, have a look." Phileas growled between his clenched jaws, "Bloody hell!!!" and looked by the window to see a lot of people and hearing them as they were to feast what was to look like Christmas. Phileas stuck his face more on the window to see he was able to pass through, "What...." Sir Boniface chuckled and follow inside, "We can see and hear them but no one can hear and see us, and stop to call for the hell, I didn't came from there."

Phileas looked on his father unsure what said or though about him on the moment and put his attention back to the people in the room feasting as he was not sure to know all of them but some were really familiar. "It's mother... And that is you... I had forget her image since the time..." He said totally caught by the sight as he had walked closer of Lady Elizabeth, his mother, as she was entertaining her guests in play piano in the music room of the manor.

Sir Boniface smiles, "Yes, it's a Christmas of the past. I will show you few others, for now what you need to see will come just now." He said as his younger self stopped kindly his wife to play to announce to his guest, "Now ladies and gentlemen, I need made an announcement to you all. Come on darling." He said in help her to get up and to walk to the middle of the room to continue,

"That year was the best of all my live. This year as you are all to know not only I became the lord of Shillingworth magna because my dear father passed the torch to me to handle the full responsibility on the manor, her majesty the king given me the responsibly to handle his security and now my wonderful and beautiful wife and myself will soon get our first born after four year of so long waiting! So my friends let all of us celebrate!" He said and kissed his wife as a man went to the piano and made all of the guests as well than the hosts dance happily. Phileas smiles in watch them and looked on his father, "I don't remind ever have seen you both dance and sing that way before." Boniface smiles, "You hear me, I had all the reason to be happy, a good job, a roof and a beautiful and wonderful wife with who I was about to made a family on my own, what we had waited so long for. Come I get something else to show you".

The both of them walked in the manor to another room where Phileas could say they had made a step in the time and not only in the space. There were a crib and his father holding a young black headed boy in his arms, "Boniface, I need to said you, Merry Christmas to you and Phileas, we will have an other baby." His mother said happy in walk in the room to come kiss her husband and her young son. Boniface happy hugged his wife in keep the two years old boy in his arms, "You heard that my son, you would be a big brother soon. Now we all need to get ready before the guests come here." The father said happy to his family in share kiss with them. Next another step was done on that moment just as Phileas had looked on the scene closely and that the room furniture had changed for a bed and usual furniture and that two elder boys were to play in the room. As a tired and looking sick Lady Elizabeth walked in the room in company of her husband, in show a smile on her face. Phileas looked on his mother as she had changed so much with the first sight he had get of her on his arrival knowing too well what would be announced and what would follow few month after Phileas look on his father, "I saw enough! She's pregnant and she's too weak! She will not survive, not much that the child! We are both to know that! I don't wand see much!"

Boniface nods sadly and made a move with his hand, which changed the room to another one forward in the time, as the next Christmas had been the saddest of the house in all the years they had all passed there. That years no guest were come home, no celebration had take place as the house had been almost totally empty since Boniface had bring all of them to London and the room changed again as the boys were to play together and that in his room Boniface was to cry alone in the darkness for the lost of his wife and the effect that had get on theirs children, but especially on the elder one, who had seem distant toward him and colder that before for had not being there that day and as he was to feel him responsible for wand a bigger happy family when his wife had the same wish not matter if her physical conditions were not to permit her, she was to wand take the risk. The room changed again as to show two little boys and a read headed little girl and a lot of guests as well than the lord of the manor present as well. Phileas smile to see his so young cousin playing with her both cousins, "She was to one to bring back the happiness in our family."

Boniface looked on his son, "Are you sure of that? Look well, my son, because that boy you see there it not as happy than he seem be. Look the way he done what his father ask him, and the way he stay always a step of distance of him. I'm sorry, my son, but what you see there is the respect of the authority as a soldier to his superior, not the love of a son for his father." On the gaze Phileas served him, Boniface was sure his son was to remind how things had changed between them after his mother' death. As the scene changed in front of them of several Christmas after as the child grow up and than the appearance the young boy was to hold as front became better with the years but he was stay to be unhappy and to hold grief against his father in silence until the scene change and that the boys became men and Rebecca a young woman just as Sir Boniface and the guests look elder. On the next was only Sir Boniface and Rebecca looking saddest as he had rarely saw them and that Phileas understand that was after he had failed to Erasmus.

Phileas turned his back to the scene and pointed an accusatory finger to his father, "That was you're fault! Not mine! I did all what I could to save him when you, you denied to lift even only a finger to help after had send the both of us there!" He said and walked to the windows. Boniface walked to him, "To curse me until the end of the world or until your own end will not made your brother come back just as it will not brought your mother back to you. That will just made you live shorter that it should really be, just as to curse you made to my own live shorter. I didn't forced that child on your mother in her state, she was happy to be pregnant and she was to wand that child not matter the risk, I can show you again that scene if you wand."

Phileas shaken his head to said no as his father words made a bit of road in his mind. So Boniface put his hand on his son' shoulder and they both found outside again in another part of the England. Phileas looked on the castle in front of them, "It's Windsor' castle, why did you brought me here?" Boniface smiles, "Come, there is few things you need to see." He said as the both men passed though the wall to see several children playing to run being a person disguised in bear as the Queen was to follow them with an amused gaze.

Phileas looked on the scene unsure if he was to enjoy or to be annoyed to be there in the intimacy of the royal family. Sir Boniface made him sign to follow the children, what Phileas did in sign and with his hands in his pant pockets. He passed though the wall to see the Prince Albert quickly get the disguise of bear off and hide as the children walked in using the door, as the Albert was to sit himself with the desk. What made Phileas smile this time as the prince tried to convince his children without too much conviction that there was no bear in the castle as the little princess Phileas had always had a weak for found herself the big bear' head in the hide it had be put in. She carried that to her father in said, "It was you father! It was you the bear!" As everybody in the room get laugh and the little girl get on the bear' head to run behind her sibling in growl as a bear and the Queen joined herself to the general amusement.

"One can hardly have more responsibility and be so much in danger that the Queen of England and her family, but that not seem stop them to have pleasure in family." Boniface said to his son who only frowns as the meaning of his father' words was not lost on him. Boniface shakes his head, "Come, I get a last thing to show you before I leave." He said as the surrounding changed for some parts of London where Phileas see the orphanage. The both men walked in to see how Christmas' Eve was passed there. Phileas looked, as that was rather a sad sight, "They could do more for those children." He said, as his father was to agree since they both of them were to know why that was not done, "Yes, they could but who is well care for orphan children. At least, we kept Rebecca far of that and it not a poorness and a sadness she got to know." They heard a boy cry and a man yell on, as the sound of a leather strap was to crack in distance behind a door. "You did that again! When will you understand than the robbery, the lie, the insubordination and the rudeness are not tolerated here!" The boy crying denied to lets himself say he had done any of those things.

Phileas angry stepped closer of the man to stop him but found that was to serve to nothing. Boniface shakes his head, "You can do nothing since all of that is a part of the past, and your son passed by there." He said as the boy was released and he walked away as each one of his steps was dolorous. But once back to his room he made his bag with the little he had and when all the others boys were in the main room to eat the evening meal but that he was hold out only because his punishment. He though had get too much of that treatment and wasn't to wish to get more, so he open the windows and managed to climb down the wall and to run away of the orphanage in said to himself he would never lets an adult beat on him again. As he run away, the scene changed as the boy was to beg the people making their shopping of last minute to give him money. After the shops closed and the people walking back home, Boniface and Phileas followed the boy join his follow after they had succeed to have some unsold food, the tiny bit of money people had given them in the day as well than what they had robbed.

Phileas looked as the small nothing they had as that was not to seem boring them for all what they were missing, "My assumption was right, the orphanage was a dreadful place for he prefer live that way." Boniface agree, "Yes, you saw that be beaten up for all and nothing, be denied of meal often." On what Phileas sigh, "At least you were hard with me, but fair comparatively to what he get as care." Boniface smiles to that and looked on his son, "My time is over, son. Soon someone else will visit you." Phileas looked on him, "Right. Good-bye father... That was good... To see you again..." He said as it was hard to lets go out but really good to do. Boniface nod too, "Yes, that was good, son. Good-bye, Phileas." He said and disappears as Phileas stay there on the street a bit amaze to have been leaved there alone.

A Christmas Tale part 3

Phileas was stay on the street something as only a second as soon his father had leaving, as a voice lets itself hear. "Phileas." A feminine voice said and made him turn to look on its owner. "Saratoga!" He said looking stunned at the dark headed woman looking on him smiling and looking much alive that she had been after that gunshot having taken her live way. "Yes, Phileas, it's me. I'm here for show you the present Christmas." He smiled to her ready to follow her, "Yes, I'm ready to follow you."

She takes his arm and walked with him until his own London town house. "Look on that", she said as in front of them were Passepartout and Jules working on a new devices as gift for Phileas and his cousin, that would help the both of them while being in difficulty. The both men were to look so affected by something that minded them. Phileas sighs, "I see, they are affected by our argument about the way I handle of my son. But that is not of their business." He said his opinion done. As Saratoga looked on him, "They are mind because they are care for you and your son. They would so much better for you both as relationship."

Phileas sighs, "They not understand my reasons." He said angry on what Saratoga rolled her eyes, "Yes, you have reasons that you believe of worth, but sometime the love get reasons that the reason doesn't always understands." She said as the scenery changed to show Rebecca getting wrapped her gifts to her friends and cousins. She was to look so sad too and Phileas stepped close to listen what she was to whisper to herself as she was to wrap her gifts to him, "There, dear Phileas, if I could put in that package all my feeling for you with you gift that would be so simple. You can be so blind, so deaf and so stubborn when you wand, if it could be only toward me, but now you're that way with your son too. I missed my luck with the bracelet so long ago, when you didn't understood all the importance you had for me then, I hope I will get better luck now we both need to open our eyes one toward the other not only for the both of us but for your little boy too." She said and finishes to handle the box and get another one.

Rebecca words had made their effect on him as he stays without words a moment and Saratoga get him back to himself, "Phileas, we get more to see." Phileas stay to look on her with his hand on his bracelet to touch that, "She love me." Saratoga smiles a bit sadly, "Yes, she does. She always did. And I know you love her too. We were not mean for one other but Rebecca and youe are, Phileas. Now, come we have again thing to see. Phileas stay to look on Rebecca as her image faded slowly to scenery changed and for them to be to Shillingworth Magna when they see Phileas' son running around. "He just did that." Saratoga said him. Phileas looked on her with an eyebrow lifted, "He just did what? All what I see is a lad running around, he's perhaps only in hurry to get back for the meal. Or run for the pleasure to do." Saratoga frowned on Phileas as he was not to understand the boy had done something bad, "You will see what I mean and more what he did."

She made a move again which made the scenery change again as the boy was now in his room to watch if anyone had followed there or was to look for him, next he get a chair and looked in the closet to get a bag out with a lot of mixed things inside, all thing of value or almost as jewels, pocket watches, cufflinks, wallets, silverware, tools and stretches take in Passepartout' workshop. Phileas looked as the boy put with the lot the fruit of his pick pocketing and rob of the day, "We take him under our roof and in thank he robs us!" Saratoga looked on him with again a frown, "He doesn't do that by malice, you know. He knows only that and he has no one to show him another way. No example to follow. And you're surely to know he got hard time so he takes precaution for the day he should need to run away or would be throw out." Phileas looked on the boy, "He doesn't need to do that, and I said him he was welcome to stay as long he would." Saratoga shakes her head, "You surely did, but did you show him? I mean did you show him he was welcome and loved more that only a day? He need more than only be said once and you know that. He need security after all what he passed through. And as he continues on his old way, that means you not show him enough how much you are care for him."

Phileas looked on the scenery in front of him, "It's to plainly for me when I'm with him." Saratoga sighs, "So because of your old memory you deny him a real relationship with his father. You lost his better years. Soon he will be an adult and your relationship will not improve with the time, you should know what it means." Phileas looked on the boy closely, "What will he become later? I'm not even to know him, as I should. If only I had know I had a son, I would have made that better for him." Saratoga sighed to his word, she closed her eyes to though quietly a full minute to next only look on the boy, avoiding Phileas' gaze, "I see a lot of sadness and a lot of pain for his future. I don't dare look on that." She stays quiets a moment without add a word to walk out of the manor stay affected by what she had seen. Phileas follow her unsure what her worlds were to mean or how far was the future she had saw.

Without a word they walked together on the ground of Shilingworth magna what was to seem be a long moment. "Now, I will need to leave you, Phileas." She said him sadly in hold his hand in hers with the fingers joined. Phileas stopped to walk to look in her face, "It was good to see you again. I missed you so much and I felt so guilty for what happen to you." She smiled him her distress moment away and brings a hand with a finger to shut him up and avoid hearing him said too much, "I know, Phileas. No need to explain. You gave me happiness when I was no happy anymore. And I hope you will understand than there is a happiness availed for you, all what you have to do is to open your heart to that." Phileas looked away of her a moment but she used her hand to made him turn back his head so he looked on her. "I love you Phileas, I loved you and I stay to do, you're not alone and there is people who love you too, it's on you to do what it need to be happy now." She said and managed for him to lean lightly forward and shared a kiss with him while her feature was fading away.

Phileas looked as she was not there anymore and he was once again alone but on the land of his family estate unsure of what he should do when a presence manifested itself with noise. Phileas turned to see a person wearing a long black coat with the hood over the head to hide its face walking to him with the hands hide in the sleeves, the arms crossed. Phileas stay a moment on his guard, as the person was to seem a lot more sinister that his three precedent apparitions stepped near him.

A Christmas Tale part 4

The person walked to him and Phileas didn't move even if that spirit was to look more menacing than the other. Phileas looked angry on what should be the last spirit as that grabbed him by the arm once its hands out of its sleeves and draw him away, "Hey! Why are you to say nothing! Release me! Who are you? What will you show me?" The spirit dragged him back in the manor where the domestic were to settle the main parlour for a reception, but the heart wasn't to seem present, as they were bustle about the task and that the room was to seem too severe for a Christmas Eve party. "Are you sure you show me a future Christmas? That looks like." he stopped at half sentence as he saw Rebecca walking downstairs wearing a formal black dress and the matching veil to continue his sentence on a low tone, ".a burial." Looking around he saw Passepartout wearing a black suit walking to greet Rebecca as he was followed by a woman and four children all dressed in black. Rebecca and Passepartout shared few words whispered that Phileas didn't hear as he caught Jules' voice. The man was to look elder with a grow beard on his face. Behind him were to stand few people. So he was accompanied by a woman as well that by two young ladies and a young boy. They all shared words and Rebecca acted more like the lady of the manor in the circumstance while to be sadly affected carrying the bereavement more as a wife than as a distant cousin or sister to the look of the scene.

Phileas angry turned to look on the spirit, "What that mean? Who is to be buried? Why I'm not there? Where is my son?" But the angry man didn't receive any answer as the spirit stay deeply anchored in its silence. Phileas grabbed the spirit and was himself stunned to see he could and that the riding hood fallen backward in the altercation to reveal an old white headed man. Phileas stay to look on the man in front of him sure to not know him or to have never meet him before, a stay stunned as the last spirit was not one of his knowledge while the old man face stay to look hard and his hand released him. Phileas gaze leaved the old man' face to look around. They were in front of Shillingworth magna' church what was to seem few years after the restoration Phileas had paid after the spaceship' leaving. The place had changed a bit but not so much. The spirit pushed him in the back to force him to walk to the end of the church where was the way to the crypt. Phileas turned ready to a punch to the impolite when the spirit lift his hand and pointed to the entrance. Phileas growled and hold his ground and he was not to wand to cooperate to such order. "Who are you and what are you to wand of me? Why do you stay to say nothing?" The head shaken to show the exasperation of its owner and the finger pointed once again toward the crypt entrance.

Phileas growled in clenching his jaw and straitened his shoulder under his shirt and waistcoat as he was without his jacket. He walked to the crypt talking to himself while the spirit was to follow him, "What I supposed found in that damn crypt. I'm already to can say the name of each one being in that place." He said in walk to a new coffin having been sitting there in a place he was to remind being free. "What that mean? Who was brought here?" The gentleman said in look on the dark dressed spirit stay at the entrance, to get only to be pointed toward the coffin without a word. Phileas growled and walked to the coffin to look on the name, Phileas Plato Fogg, 1822-1872. His breath stay stuck in his throat as he got the feeling to choke. He looked on the spirit, as his usual pale complexion became livid with fear, "No! That cannot be real! There cannot stay me only six years to live!" He yelled with echo in the old crypt and moved toward the spirit with an accusing pointing finger, "Who are you to show me that! Why are you to show me that if I'm dead in six years! Hein! How I'm supposed to lost my live, if you show me that is surely that it can be avoid! What are you to wait to show the remain!"

The spirit moved his arm and they found both in a place that Phileas was not sure of the localization from inside the building. The room was dark with a low dimmed light, which was cold and wide. Phileas clenched his jaw in being sure of who was hide there. A man with the face hide by the lack of light walked in as someone or something was stay hide in the cover of the darkness. Phileas closed his eyes and listened in disbelieve as he was to know too well the voice saying, "You're a man of the kind we need, but you stay to not have showed us your worth before be totally a part of our organisation. Bring the proof we need and we should made a reconsideration of your membership." Phileas' haste showed on his face as he growled through a clenched jaw, "Count Gregory!

Phileas stepped to can see who was that-would-be-new-member of the dreadful organisation that was the darkness league but the spirit made a move with his arm and the scenery changed once again before Phileas' eyes could have made the man' face out of the darkness and he found himself in his London town house' parlour. Unhappy to have been stopped that way, Phileas stepped in front of the spirit and grabbed the man' coat front with his both hands, "Why did you do that! At less, you could talk to me, damn it! And what will you show me here in my own house!?!" The spirit looked on him and shaken his head to show his own mood matching the man one to finally look in Phileas' angry darken green gaze, "I'm Arago and if I came to you that was for Jules Verne' sake! Now, listen and watch! That is your future!"

Phileas would have argued that new information to got more but he looked around the parlour were was a good fire in the fireplace and a fresh pot of coffee was at hand, as a bit elder self of his was sit is him armchair to read a wire. The younger new comer walked behind the other, "A wire from France. Rebecca seem had done the travel with Passepartout and Verne on board the Aurora and mention they did that without too much problem even with the bad weather. Odd that I didn't made the trip with them." He said as the reason for that was not mentioned. But before he got to read the last part of the wire, the spirit naming himself Arago made him sign that he was not to interested to follow but when that Arago ordained him vocally by a simple irritate, "Fogg, come on!" Phileas made a moue and follower to the next room by walking through the walls to the study as a form broken and entered by the window without made noise.

Phileas observed mad that invasion of his home but ready to do something even in know that would serve to nothing since people neither could see them nor could they heard them. The man looked in the drawers and on the shelves before found what he was to look for but made finally noise and draw the attention of the owner who came in the room to attack the robber. But after a wild blow and a missing move of defence, the elder man on the shock finally saw the face of his aggressor in the darkness of the room and the both version of Phileas said the same thing on the same moment, "Ralph!" But the time was counted for the man stabbed by a vicious blade and finish next if not by the second stab by the shock to found out who were his aggressor and murderer.

Phileas was out of himself and had stay to look on the scene his jaw clenched and his hand closed in fists with his gaze burning with rage as the young man looked in his dead father' green eyes as the live had leaved them and released the unmoving body to the ground to retrieve the bloody knife out of the corpse to next get what he was come look for and leaved by where he was came. Phileas looked on his dead self and stepped to stand to an inch of Arago, "Now, you will say me all what I wand know! What was all of that about! My own son working for the darkness league and killing me for their account! Certainly that cannot be! I'm perhaps not the best of the father but I'm certainly no a such failure!"

Arago didn't moved and looked on him his _expression softened to see the pain in the other man' gaze, "It's the reason you were visited to night, to open your eyes and your heart to the people whom are care for you and to who you should be." He said as Phileas turned his back and stepped in the room, "I already heard those very word from my father earlier, it not what I wand to know." He said putting his hands in his pant' pockets to hold his temper in watch, as punch on a spirit would surely not be a good idea to his mind. Arago stay stand where he was and stay to look on Phileas' back, "Yes, all of that can be avoid, but all what is to be done for that rest on you, no one else" Phileas turned back to face the spirit, "On me! How may I stop that to happen?" he yelled his arm and finger pointing in the dead man laid on the floor.

Arago stay calm and looking in him, "You got tonight all the information you should need to change the future you saw for yourself and for the people are care for you. For now my time is over." He said and moved his arms but Phileas stopped him, "Wait. You mentioned to be came for Jules Verne' sake. How do you know him?" Arago stopped his move and smiles to Phileas, "I was his mentor before you step in the task after me. Now good bye, Fogg, and good luck." He said and moved his arm to disappear as the whole room became dark with his departure.

A Christmas Tale part 5

The room became dark and Phileas looked around, to realize he was laid on his bed. The room was now not so dark as the gray light of the snowy morning was to pass through the curtains of his bedroom' windows. He rubbed his eyes and scratched his rough chin trying to clear his mind of what he was of remind of the night, visited by four ghosts, he shaken his head on that idea like that was to sound totally insane even if the words had not said aloud. He stays there laid on his back, looking on the ceiling and pondering unsure if all of that had not been only a dream. Visited by Erasmus, his father, Saratoga and that Arago, he thought septic, "Only a dream, it's all what that was." He said to himself and moved to sit on the edge of the bed while to remark his still booted feet. He sighs to his lack of judgment to not have take them off before laid on the bed and grabbed the right one to rid himself of that. The leather was wet and the sole stay dirty.

Phileas scratched his temple and stand up. How his boots could be stay wet when he was certain to haven been in the house since the afternoon of the day before. They would have got more that enough time to dry up. Phileas went to the door of his bedroom where Erasmus had been to stand and he touched the carpet, which was wet too. Phileas cursed to himself and he rushed to the parlor. He went straight to a certain spot and he touched the carpet, which was stay to wear a wet stain of thick red liquid, "So that was not a dream! Or then the most vivid one I never got!" he said aloud to himself to try to understand and to fit those no sense in his reality as Passepartout walked in the room carrying a jug of hot water and some other items to his master' shaving.

Phileas was stay knelt on the side of his desk looking on his fingertips when Passepartout stepped in the study and was on all-evident concerned but stay to seem angry with his master' behavior toward his son, "Master?" the man said simply with an intonation meaning all his worry to his master just as his curiosity to see if any sing of guilty was showing in his master' behavior. So Passepartout watched intensively what his master he was doing. Phileas looked on his fingertips and next on his manservant with a puzzled _expression on his face, "Passepartout!" he said realizing he was not alone and he stand up to take back to his usual composed self-behavior, "It's only a stain Passepartourt, and perhaps you should scrub that clean later." Seeing what the man was to carry, "Ah! My shaving, yes, really good, we can go on that right now." He said only too happy to have a way out.

But Passepartout stepped to look on the said stain, "Yes, master, Passepartout will only look on that stain before.." He said and looked where his master had been to look on but stopped his sentence as he saw nothing, he touched and feeling noting neither so he looked on his master who had moved back to inspect the suspect stain when he had heard that nothing were to be found on the carpet, "There is no stain on the carpet, master, but if you wish Passepartout can look for clean that today." But Phileas looked on him and again on the carpet, Passepartout was right the carpet was not to wear any stain. Phileas' puzzled _expression came back and he asked for his shavings right away as for avoid any question to come and to get away of that stay no sense. Passepartout stay stand were he was to watch his master walk away, "Well, Passepartout is sure and certain that master is not to feel any guilty toward the young master. But today, Passepartout would not bet even an old sock on master' sanity, it's so far of him to get worry for the carpets, for his clothes yes, but never for the carpets. Better to get Master shaved, right now." He said to himself and gets upstairs to get on his duty as professionally that he always did by hiding deeply his own feeling.

Later that same day, Phileas had get bathed, changed and shaved so he went out to a walk under the pretext to do his last minutes shopping but the fact was that his mind was flooded by words echoing in his head. He could see his brother' concerned face say, "Three other ghosts will visit you tonight. The first one will be there on the first chime of midnight and you will be forced to follow it in what it will show you." He could see his father' stern one," I came back to help you to open you eyes on what is surrounding you and that you not see because you're heart is too closed up and that you're the one that poison your own life that way. Not only your life but also the ones of all the peoples care for you as well." He could see Saratoga' lovely one with her sad gaze say, "You gave me happiness when I was no happy anymore. I hope you will understand than there is a happiness availed for you, all what you have to do is to open your heart to that. We were not mean for one other but Rebecca and you are, Phileas. You're not alone and there is people who love you, it's on you to do what it need to be happy." Those faces were dancing ones with the others repeating each their own message over and over.

That dance and song were to maddening him and he stopped as for breath deeply and winds his mind. He was to feel in need for a drink, a strong one. But looking on his surrounding saw only shops and shoppers as his walk had brought him far of his club or any of his gentlemen' place and he would be forced to step in one of those public pub or coffee shop for a drink. Denying that to himself, his gaze stuck on a shop' window to a detail reminding him the scene he saw the night before when his own son had murdered him to the darkness league' benefice. He takes off his top hat and rubbed his face as to erase that sight from his eyes and stopped when a man dressed all in black came out from that shop and stopped at some steps from him. Phileas looked on the old man, that was he, the named Arago, Jules Verne' former mentor. The man looked on him with his face somehow friendlier that the night before repeating his own words, "It's the reason you were visited, to open your eyes and your heart to the people who are care for you and to who you should be. All of that can be avoid, but all what is to be done for that rest on you, no one else. You got all the information you should need to change the future you saw for yourself and for the people care for you." Phileas takes another deep breathe as for swallow with that the man' word and nodded in understanding as Arago' figure faded.

They were all right, even Rebecca, his dear Becca. He could be so blind, so deaf and so stubborn when he was to wand being. "I missed my luck with the bracelet so long ago, when you didn't understood all the importance you had for me then", she had whispered to herself ignoring he could see and heard her if that had been effectively something she had already said being alone, but then that would mean she also had been blind, deaf and stubborn on the occasion. Had he not said her a day when she had got that silly idea to challenge his authority, when in fact that was concern for her well-being and fear to lost her, "When you're not there, there is no light." They had each almost saw lost of the other. Him, when she had almost been killed in that fight with that spider queen to save him. Her, on several occasion where he had been implicate but more especially when the darkness league had almost used him as a living bomb to kill the queen. They had seen others and worse ones, but each one would have got a hard time to go on with their live without the other in that. Just like the jalousie were present when one of them was in company of someone else.

Phileas smiles touching the bracelet, "Yes, there are people care for me and to who I need to be, so on me to manage to be happy and make sure that stay that way." He said to himself on a low tone and walked to some shop to get his last minutes Christmas shopping done before the shops' closure on Christmas eve, because that was stay Christmas eve, by what the enthusiasm Passepartout had said him on all the tone and almost all the language to improve his mood while his shaving just as he had mentioned the trip they had all to do for be at Shilingworth in the evening as promised. Phileas remind that he had effectively promised to his cousin, to his friends, to the staff and over all to a little boy by giving his word as a gentleman that all would be reunite for Christmas. The little Ralph had learned at the hard to trust a gentleman' word given as promise so like a father he could hardly take that back and forget about without need next to work again harder to get the broken trust back. So he walked on the street, as the memories of his night would well serve him for now.

Later that day, the Aurora landed to Shilingworth magna after a too quiet trip. All but Passepartout haven't said him a word in all the first hour of the flight, so that was evident for Phileas that Rebecca and Jules were stay to hold grudge with him from their argument the day before even if he had not seen them until they all meet in the Aurora before the leaving of the airship for the countryside. So he leaved his armchair and passed the rest of the trip on his cabin laid on his bed trying to made sense to all what he had lived since the afternoon before. When the aurora begin it's landing' process, the staff came wait out to greet the travelers as they would do each time the lord of the manor; his cousin and their friends were back from a long trip. So Once the Aurora' grounded, Phileas walked out followed by Rebecca, Jules and Passepartout as they two last ones were to carry wrapped gifts for put under the Christmas three. Someone was missing, the fact was remarked by everyone of the travelers just like by each one of the staff' member. As no one had seems to know were the lad was, Phileas get worry and each one close enough could head him said to himself, "No, that cannot be happen." And the gentleman rushed upstairs followed by puzzled Rebecca, Passepartout and Jules. But once the three of them found the second floor, Phileas had his ear stick on the boy' bedroom door and only made them a sign to stay quiet and to avoid noise as he could hear the sound of different things being moved together from a place to an other. Phileas waited as for give time to the boy to get the fruit of his rob back in its hide before knock lightly to the door and came in when he got the permission to do.

The three observators watched him unsure what the man was up, but would wait to see him came back downstairs or wait to see father and son coming back to them. The discussion upstairs was a long one and the good cook who had worked so long on her meal was worry that everyone would be hungry and denied to see them waiting longer because the lord of the manor were busy. So she takes on herself to serve her meal while that was hot and eatable keeping two plates for the two missing people. When the discussion was seems perpetuate, Rebecca takes on her to send McIver to announce to them that the meal was served and that they were waited. But few minutes later, McIver came back alone saying that the two gentlemen needed more time. Rebecca sighs heavily and looked unhappy just as her curiously were eating on her to be leaved outside that so long discussion and she would do all what would be asked to get to hear on what those two were up. She didn't waited long as she heard the steps in the stairs. The little boy went to the parlor as the man stopped waiting for his son.

The both of them came next in the dining room and they all could see the boy was under a mix of emotion. Jules, Passepartout and Rebecca got all three the same idea, surely Phileas had once again forget he was the father of that little one and that was stay to not have done all what he should for that little boy. Rebecca frowned and shared a gaze with Jules as if the both of them were to mentally look for see who should talk first. On a quiet agreement Rebecca nodded and looked on Phileas while he sits down. He was to ask for his plate when he remarked his cousin' frowning gaze on him. He was about to answer when his son saw the gaze put down on his father and the one of Jules as well, so he was the one to stand up and to say his mind to defend his father of those gaze of anger, and Phileas was too well to know that had a strong link with the long chatting they had just shared. Before the boy said too much on his father' intention, Phileas stopped him and summed him to sit down, without use much that his usual tone of voice, the boy' name and by staying sit on his seat at all of what the boy sit down and didn't added a word.

Rebecca just as her friends and the member of the staff present stay stunned by the scene and didn't added a word, so she finished her meal and leaved the dining room followed nearby by Jules. They went to the parlor while in the kitchen; McIver and Phileas shared few words. "Does the box I asked you to put in the safe is stay in that?" McIver nodded at the remind of that small box with it's so precious contain that his employer had even deny touched when that had been hold out by the solicitor for him after the former lord of the manor' last will reading, "Yes, Sir, no one touched that." Phileas' lips moved in a small smile, "Good. Can you bring that to me please?" McIver' lips moved in a larger smiles, "Yes, Sir, right away." The majordomo said and walked right to the study and get the asked box from the save sure to know what the new lord of the manor had in mind and smiles to Passepartout who was for once totally out of the understanding of the event occurring in front of him. On the box put down in front of him, Phileas takes that in hand and inspected the contain what permit to Passepartout to finally understand and smiles really much friendly to his master when theirs gazes meet. Phileas closed the box and rose followed at distance by few people and a little boy but all managed to see but without manifest too much their presence.

Rebecca and Jules were stay angry and were to talk together in the parlor when Phileas steeped in that, a small box in hand. Rebecca remarked him first but not what he was to carry preciously in his hand and rose and get ready to unload on him her anger for his behavior toward his son as well that toward her and their friends. The first harsh words out of her lips stoked on him like a heavy hammer. Phileas blinks his eyes and looked on her his free hand up pleading that way to her to stop. "Rebecca, I understood.", he said on a low tone without mind for Jules' presence just like the one of the people stay out of sight but present not less for heard and be witness of the scene as the asking for the box had run in the house like power in the wind. He looked on her as her gaze of anger leaved its place to one showing her uncertainly about the truthfulness of his words. He was too well to know that gaze of hers and sighs to add, "We were both in need of time. Him to get in his new live in a house where he had not to always answer himself to all his needs and to remind what is was like to be only a child. Just like I was in need of time to adapt myself to his coming in my life and to found out what is like to be a father."

Rebecca turned her gaze out of his eyes as if she was not to believe him or if she was to wand lets her hanger go just now. He watched her done but put his hand on her arm, "We talked together, long time, to settle things and we wand erase the last year and go on a new one, a better one. One were no one should be lets out, neither Passepartout, nor Jules and certainly not you." Her gaze came back on him when after his sentence his hand takes hers. "Rebecca, you're probably not the only person that stay to me now, but you stay really precious to me. I don't wand lose you. I love you, since always. You're my light. Rebecca, do you wand give me your hand in wedding?" he said the box open now in her sight. Her breath was hold way at the sight of her uncle and aunt wedding rings, his parents' ones. That was to mean so much. Rebecca wiped her eyes threatening to let go down joy tears and looked on him, "Oh! Phileas!" she said and bring her arms around his neck, to kiss first his cheek and next his lips.

Jules was stay watching the scene, as those two had never being mind to have spectator close not matter if that was for a sharing of affection moment or an argument one. His anger had leaved him and happiness had filled his heart. A smile had even appeared on his face. And amusement came within all the spectators as the kiss broken and that as no "yes" had been said Phileas used that to convince an already wined Rebecca, "Well, Rebecca, do you agree the proposal? You know all the matchmakers of London, Lady Ashton, Finnegan and Winthrop, would say you that I'm a good party. You would be well lodged as I bring estates like a London town house, a manor in countryside, well-furnished stables, and the best of the mean of transportation that is the Aurora. I forget the so good staff. And I would not forget to mention that you would get all the advantages of the family without all the inconvenient with my ten years old son: not so long nine months of pregnancy, no so hard labor to get through, no so numerous nights without sleep, no feeding bottles to get ready and no diapers to change." Rebecca chuckled, "Yes, Phileas, I agree to marry you!" She said amused and happy to kiss him back and next whisper with his ear something that made him react with some frown, "We will see about that, for now we go more that enough to think about." He said her as the hide people stepped in the room to share their happiness.

That was stay Christmas Eve and at distance the wind carried the song of chimes of midnight announcing Christmas. Ralph had turned his gaze away when his father and his soon-to-be-step-mother had shared an other kiss, on that moment the young Randolph Aristote Fogg could have bet to have seen through the window, even if that was night and snowy outside, that there had been four people standing at the window to watch that happy scene occurring in the parlor of the old manor and had shared the joy and happiness of the occupants. One of them, the younger man, had waved to him to kept that sight to him and blinked friendly when the lad had moved to call for other to look on the window. Another, the beautiful lady, had sent him a kiss. One of the elder man, the bald one, had looked on him with so much pride and made him some form of a military salute as the last one made a good bye sign and their four forms faded in the darkness to him to see only his face mirrored in the glass and he run back to the celebration keeping for himself what he had saw in that window. So that year, the holidays were the happiest ones the old manor had not seen since so long and that had not been the only ones but the first one of a long line.