...I have to do something...I'm dying, and the man I love has yet to return. No! If I die, and if Claude is killed...Nadine! Oh no, our baby could lose both parents...Dear God, help me out...
My entire body was wracked with pain, but I tried not to let it manifest
itself with wails and moans. My mind, though clear and sharp, was clouded
with worry over the man I loved. Then there was my spirit, shattered, broken
-- or so it seemed. I had no idea what was going on, but ever since Claude
and company left for the year 1968 (and no one would divulge all details),
I began to feel as if I was dying. I could not explain it; I felt well
enough to carry on with mundane tasks but soon inexplicably collapsed.
The next thing I knew I had taken to my bed and, according to my mother,
refused to get up. "It's as if she's lost all hope," I overheard her say
to my sister. So for now, I needed to do something, and fast! It was Cherie's
turn to stay up with me so I, ever aware that she had yet to take frequent
time trips, enlisted her help. "Cherie," I feebly called out; I could tell
my voice had weakened considerably. "What do you want, Nisha?"
My baby sister, a petite pixie of a woman in her late thirties, leaned
close to me and listened intently as I gave her instructions. Of course,
just as I predicted, she sounded rather uneasy. "Uh...Nisha, I haven't
done that much time traveling...But for you, and you say it's important,
I'll do it."
"Good. Now, let's review...Fetch my device from my purse...the key
is in the jewelry box...Oh yes, call Jacki and Fern before you leave. OK...when
you get to Paris you'll want to look up Pierre Mannette, then go to the
Palais, use the key...Then I want you to..."
Afterwards, Cherie still seemed rather bewildered. "Nisha, that's a lot to remember...What if something goes wrong?" With words of confidence and loving trust I reassured her, "Cherie, I'm counting on you...This may be our last chance. I still have that strong feeling that either Claude or myself may not make it..."
++++++++
As Julian McNaney assisted Judge Frollo to his feet, he expressed his
concerns and frustrations over what had transpired right before their eyes.
Julian, feeling totally responsible for what had happened, told Frollo
that, "I should have double-checked those cuffs...Marcel must've wriggled
out of them and we didn't even catch him until.."
"..Until he freed himself, seized your firearm, then shot Phoebus."
Claude Frollo's face contorted in a mixture of disgust, pain, and frustration.
True, he was hurting physically, but the inner fire and iron will kept
him from collapsing. No matter, he thought, he had to find Marcel Rougelot
and finally put an end to this mad dash through time. "He has Danisha,
the child...He is determined to kill her..."
Claude turned to Iggy and informed him to, "Take Phoebus back to 2004...It
will be safer." The aging flower child nodded, but he was still apprehensive
that Claude and Julian would search for 'le Chameleon' alone. "Your Honor,
I certainly hope you find this guy...I have no idea where he took her...Yes!"
Iggy suddenly snapped his fingers and at once told Claude that, "Perhaps
old Marcel took little Nisha to her school...No, then again...He can't
go back to his apartment, and he can't use his device; Julian has that...Wait
a minute, there's an old house just a couple of doors south of here. If
Marcel needed to find shelter and fast..."
Claude Frollo's hand pressed his right side; the man was obviously
in a great deal of pain. If what Iggy said was right, then Frollo and Julian
would have to make haste to that house.
"Claude," addressed Julian, "think about it -- the house is empty; it's the one place Marcel thinks no one will find him...Perhaps he thinks it a fitting place to kill Nisha -- where we wouldn't think of looking."
So within a few fast seconds, Iggy and Phoebus were whisked through
time portals via Julian's T-Bird. In the meantime, Judge Frollo and his
21st Century spy immediately set out to capture Marcel Rougelot -- and
to rescue little Danisha Wood.
"He is determined to ruin all happiness for me, Julian, just as he
claims that I have spoiled things for him. You know how his mind works...If
he so much as thinks something is..."
"Claude, let us pray that we aren't too late...Do you have your dagger?"
The medieval magistrate nodded then revealed the weapon still secured in
its sheathe. "And," Frollo said after a long pause, "I intend to stain
it with Rougelot's blood..."
++++++++
Immediately young Danisha Wood cut Marcel Rougelot short. For a well
mannered child as Nisha, this was totally out of character. "No! Judge
Frollo was going to take me home. You want to be mean to me! Iggy told
me all about YOU!" She began to whimper uncontrollably; her words
were nearly unrecognizable due to her sobs. "I want to go home...I want
my Daddy and Mommy!"
Marcel's face flushed a hot red; his eyes seethed with sheer rage.
In an instant, his left hand found its target: directly across the poor
child's face. But that only made her scream more. Marcel was desperate.
Now what to do? What if someone hears her? What if...Oh no! Frollo may
be on his way...But Phoebus is hurt...
He ripped the bottom of an old rag he found dangling from a rack near
the fuse box. He then began to gag the child, but not before he asked her
several questions, and made some rather caustic observations. "Danisha,
what did this Iggy say about me?"; "Do you really think Frollo will save
you this time?"; and, of course, "You wretched little
sorcierie noire!
Everyone was right about you, for you are nothing but a disgustingly round-heeled..."
He stopped himself as he gagged the little girl with the stinking rag.
"Shut up, you little monster! Shut up! Let me finish my writing, then you'll
die." He drew his face dangerously close to hers and hissed in her ear,
"I can assure you it won't be a quick and painless death..."
He laughed wickedly as he plopped down on the floor and began to write
almost non-stop. What was all this writing? Danisha, her hands and feet
immobilized and her mouth gagged, watched this man write. She remembered
the notebooks Marcel hid under the bed in his basement apartment. She also
remembered that Iggy took those notebooks the same time he took her to
safety. Then that other man named Tony -- he was my teacher today --
took them somewhere else. Oh boy! Mr. Terrell took out some kind of magic
radio and called someone...Then he disappeared! That stuff only happens
on TV...Does Mr. Frollo have one too? I hope so...I want to go home...I
want my mommy...
Tears streamed down her face; her entire body ached and shivered. In
her childlike way, Danisha silently prayed that someone would come through
that door and down the steps to the basement. She thought of that man,
the one who brought her class the ice cream, the one who was in reality
a powerful judge from France. He was going to take me home...He seemed
like a nice man...Why did he stare at me like that? I don't know him, but
he wanted to help me...
Then she thought of the man who held her captive. He claimed to know
her parents. He lied to her! He wanted to hurt her!
Dear God, please let Mr. Frollo and his friends find me...make the police find me...This bad man is going to hurt me...
++++++++
"Claude, I know you...You wouldn't let anything horrible happen to me, or to Nadine..."
++++++++
Frollo turned to Julian, asking his master of espionage, "Julian, did
you deliver that message...?"
"Yes, sir. But you won't believe who got to him first..."
When Frollo heard Julian name the mystery time traveler, the one who
had gone to medieval Paris for help...
"WHO?! Oh no...not...Julian, Daniel, we wait no longer; we will rush
Marcel Rougelot ourselves. One of us may not live through this, however..."
The aging flower child spoke in hushed tones as the three men made their way through the kitchen, stopping just short of the basement door, "Your Honor, we're in this together. It's do or die...Saving Nisha is what we're after, and if we lose one of us to save her..."
COMING UP:
The final showdown.
Copyright ©1999 by FrolloFreak®