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The Dollmaker	By : roryheadmav Category: +G to L > Gankutsuou Views: 2881 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gankutsuou, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial
work of fiction based on the anime/manga Gankutsuou and the comic
book The Sandman. Original copyright of Gankutsuou belongs
to Mahiro Maeda, Gonzo/Media Factory, GDH. Original copyright of The
Sandman belongs to Neil Gaiman and DC Comics. Absolutely no monetary
gain has been made from this work.
THE DOLLMAKER

©
December 6, 2005 By Rory V. Pascual
CHAPTER FOUR
"Haydee, you must help me. I really
don't know what I'm going to do."
Albert was speaking to the pretty
princess of Janina over the satellite link connected to his virtual computer.
"I don't know why that should
trouble you so much, Albert," Haydee surprisingly commented. "If you only
knew how I wish I were in your place� To be reunited with the Count�."
"But I never intended for him
to become my servant," Albert argued. "Although I truly appreciate what
he's doing for me, it's just not right to have Edmond cleaning my house,
doing the laundry, cooking meals. I mean, he's a Count for heaven's sake!"
"It makes him happy to do all
those things for you. The Count once revealed to me, and quite proudly
I might add, that he did all the housework for his sick father whenever
he came home from his travels. Let him care for you." Haydee added meaningfully,
"This is probably his way of making amends."
"Friar Mattias told me that Edmond
was subconsciously blocking certain memories so that he would not experience
the pain of guilt. It also triggered his mind's regression to that of a
child. After all, what could be more innocent than a child? It's like wiping
the slate totally clean and starting afresh."
"And this new beginning he has
chosen to spend with you. My question is do you want to start this new
life with him?"
"I took him in, didn't I?"
"Yes, but�" Haydee breathed in
deeply. "Albert, even with the Count's mind like this, it still does not
change the fact that he was the man who destroyed your life. While you
claim that the Count is justified in his revenge, saying it is different
from what you truly feel inside your heart."
Those words were like a heavy
weight on Albert's conscience. "I care about the Count, Haydee, in spite
of the things he had done. I will not lie that there are moments when I
feel�resentment. But I trust in the strength of my heart." Reluctantly,
he revealed, "What I do not trust is my�body."
Haydee barely heard that last
word. "What do you mean? Are you saying that you desire the Count?"
At that question, Albert's face
could not get any redder. "That's another problem. He's been sharing my
bed, if you can call my tiny sleeping alcove that. Edmond jumps in with
me in the middle of the night because, according to him, there are 'space
bats' peering at him through his window."
Edmond chose that moment to pass
by behind Albert. Hearing the name of that evil creature from his nightmares,
he paused behind his guardian and opened the photo album wide for the princess
to see.
In all grave seriousness, Edmond
pointed to a picture and said, "Haydee, space bat. Beware!"
Haydee found it difficult to contain
her giggles. "The Count said that the space bat looked like Baron Danglars."
"It must be because of those hideous
red shades the Baron used to wear," Albert remarked, just as amused.
His mirth faded, however, when
Edmond started flipping through the album again. "Want to see Albert's
baby butt, Haydee?"
"SCRAM, YOU!" Albert cried, throwing
a cushion, which Edmond easily dodged as he ran away laughing.
By then, Haydee was reduced to
tears from laughter. Wiping her eyes, she admitted, "Well, to tell you
the truth, the Count always had a fear of bats. I suppose it must be because
those infernal creatures inhabited the Chateau D'If. Lord only knew what
terrors he had endured in that terrible place." Haydee leaned back into
her chair, a mischievous grin on her lips. "Now what remedy could I recommend
for your raging libido? If this kind of�attraction�happened when the Count
was still himself, you would not hear any complaints from me. In fact,
I would even encourage it. But now that he's like a child, I don't think
it's proper."
"That's why I'm begging you to
help me out here. Can't you think of something, Haydee?" Albert let out
a groan. "I caught Edmond stealing kisses from me, and I just don't have
the heart to tell him to stop."
"And it's because you like
what he's doing too." Haydee fell silent as she tried to think of a solution
to her good friend's dilemma. "The Count needs to be kept busy, and I'm
not talking about housework. Something that could stimulate his mind and
keep him occupied for hours at a time." A bright smile lit up her beautiful
face. "I know! Why hadn't I thought of it earlier?"
"What?" Albert asked impatiently.
"Tell me what it is."
Haydee, however, said cryptically,
"I prefer that it be a surprise. I shall order everything that the Count
needs from here. Expect a delivery at your office later this afternoon."
Albert eyed the princess with
suspicion. "Aren't you going to give me a clue?"
"Maybe a little. The Count had
a hobby that only Ali, Bertuccio, Baptistin and I knew about, and that's
all I'm going to tell you. I must apologize to you in advance, Albert.
If he still likes this particular�activity, I'm afraid that the Count will
be considerably distracted once you give him my�gift. He shall no longer
be a tempting apple for you to pluck."
"And for that, I thank you most
deeply."
Haydee granted him a rare laugh.
"My dear Albert! I don't think you will have anything to thank me for later
on."

~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening, Albert was
dragging through the front door a huge crate that he had unloaded from
the wheeled cart he had borrowed from the Embassy. Under his breath, he
grumbled, "She should've told me it was going to be this big."
Edmond, who had just finished
cooking in the kitchen, saw the large wooden box that the younger man was
lugging. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "What is that, Albert?"
"It's for you. From Haydee," Albert
replied as he leaned against the crate, panting for breath and wiping the
sweat from his brow.
"That's for me?" Edmond whispered
in awe, finding it difficult to believe that someone would give him such
a huge present. His odd-colored eyes twinkled with excitement. "What's
inside?"
Albert grabbed the poker near
the fireplace and proceeded to pry the top open. "That's what I want to
know. Nearly broke my bike AND my back bringing this home."
After much huffing, puffing and
grunting, the nails gave way and the crate's cover fell to the floor. The
two men quickly looked inside.
With a grimace, Albert exclaimed,
"What's
all this?"
An expression of sheer delight
brightened up Edmond's handsome face at the sight of the rolls of fabric
and lace inside. To his even greater joy, he found an old traveler's bag,
with the Count's coat of arms emblazoned on the flap, tucked between two
rolls of rose-printed silk. Opening the bag, he saw that it contained a
complete sewing kit, filled with an assortment of needles, pins, shiny
thimbles, and thread. The tray at the bottom of the bag was laden with
buttons of all colors, shapes and sizes.
Picking up a roll of royal blue
velvet, Edmond pressed it against his cheek. "Pretty cloth. So soft!" There
was a glimmer of tears in his eyes as he turned to Albert. "Tell Haydee,
Albert. I love them so much!"
Without giving the younger man
any explanation as to what he was going to do with all that sewing material,
Edmond proceeded to haul the contents of the crate up to the attic.
Scratching his head in utter bewilderment,
Albert called after his ward, "What is all this stuff for, Edmond?"
Going down the stairs to get an
armful of lace, Edmond gave Albert a playful wink and pressed a finger
to his lips. "Secret!"
Dinner proved to be a quick affair.
After gobbling up his meal, Edmond begged the younger man earnestly if
he could be excused, to which Albert readily gave his permission. Although
curiosity rankled him, Albert could only watch as Edmond raced up to the
attic. Haydee was right. Whatever it was that Edmond was planning to do
upstairs, it has captured his complete attention.
Somehow, Albert was not too happy
about that.
Weary from that heavy exertion,
Albert decided to turn in early. He looked up briefly at the closed door
of the attic. The soft glow of the lamp was visible through the cracks.
"Good night, Edmond," Albert whispered,
a ghost of a smile on his face as he went to bed.
It was around eleven o'clock when
the attic door squeaked open. A perplexed Dream stood at the bottom of
the stairs, as Edmond descended.
"Were you the one who summoned
me?" the Dream King inquired. He had been researching in the Dreaming's
vast library about the mysterious entity Gankutsuou when he received the
call. At first, he thought it was one of his siblings who had summoned
him using his sigil, which was his Dream Helm. Only the Endless could summon
his or her siblings with ease. Mortals could only do a calling through
an elaborate ceremony, and there was still no guarantee that they would
choose to appear. So great was his surprise to find himself in Albert's
cottage.
"Uh huh!" Edmond replied, beaming.
He held out what he was hiding behind his back to the Dream King. "For
you."
Dream saw that it was a doll made
in his likeness. Its clothes were made from white velvet and fur, the shaggy
hair from fine white silk thread. The black button eyes had silver sparkles
glued on them. As he took the doll, the Dream King's hands tingled at the
magical energies that still emanated from its tiny body. It was this toy
that Edmond had used to summon him.
"Thank you for all the nice dreams,"
the mortal told him sincerely.
"You are most welcome, Edmond,
and I will treasure this for all eternity," Dream bowed graciously. He
embraced the doll, allowing the man's essence to warm his frigid heart.
What
is this�feeling? Why do I feel so�complete�when I'm with him?
Stretching his arms out, Edmond
yawned as he padded towards the alcove. "Good night, Angel. Still have
a lot of stuff to do tomorrow."
"Good night," Dream said in turn,
watching as Edmond crept into the alcove and curled up against a blissfully
unaware Albert. As was his wont, he gave his young guardian a tender kiss
on the lips.
Not wanting the two men to be
disturbed, Dream waved his right hand, and the doors of the alcove closed
with a soft click.

~~~~~~~~~~
"You look terrible, Albert!"
"And I feel awful too." Albert
yawned deeply, rubbing his knuckles over his dark-ringed, bloodshot eyes.
"It didn't work, Haydee. He's still crawling into my bed at night. That
evening I brought home all that sewing stuff, Edmond sneaked into my alcove
without my noticing. Scared the hell out of me when I woke up the next
morning because he was nuzzling my neck. Then again, I frightened him just
as badly. I had to go to work late that day because he wouldn't stop crying."
With a sheepish grimace, he revealed, "I said something that I didn't mean
to."
"Oh? And this was?"
" 'Get thee back, Lord Ruthven,
Spawn of Satan!', or something like it."
Haydee nearly dropped the books
she was carrying in her arms. The princess was speaking to Albert on her
computer while she was researching in her library. Clearing her throat
to hold back her laughter, she said, "So the Count was nuzzling at your
throat, huh? How sweet!" That last remark still caused a soft 'tee hee'
to bubble up from her lips.
Behind Haydee, Bertuccio snickered
as he held the stepladder in place for Baptistin who was, in turn, roaring
with laughter.
"Are you sure he didn't drink
your blood, Albert?" Baptistin called out, as he searched for a book on
the shelf for the princess.
"Very funny! Edmond was really
offended when I mistook him for a vampire."
"Where's the Count now?" Haydee
inquired.
"In the attic. Where else? He
won't let me see what he's doing. Would you mind telling me what he's doing
up there?"
At that very moment as they were
talking, Edmond was losing his tenuous grip on his patience. For the past
ten minutes, Delirium had been badgering him incessantly that he could
not get any work done.
"I saw the dolly that you made
for Dream," Delirium pointed out to him for the umpteenth time. "Hey, hey!
Make one for me too!"
Edmond pouted, already annoyed.
"Go away!"
"Stop being a nuisance, little
sister," Dream advised, he himself exasperated by her antics. The doll
that the mortal made for him was peeking out of his coat pocket. "He makes
those dolls for those he loves and those who need his aid." The Lord of
the Dreaming tilted his head at the industrious man. "Am I correct, Edmond?"
"Absolutely!" Edmond glared at
Delirium and repeated more insistently, "GO AWAY!"
Delirium was not used to being
treated as though she were a pest, which she was most of the time. Exploding
into a full tantrum, she snatched the two dolls that Edmond had just finished
sewing and, to the mortal's horror, threw them out the attic door.
Albert whirled at the sound of
Edmond's cry. Then there were soft thuds going down the stairs. Distracted
by that sound, he did not notice that much louder noises were coming from
his monitor, which were in time with the soft bouncing sounds at the stairs.
Something hit his right foot, and Albert blinked down.
Lying beside his foot were two
dolls made in the image of Bertuccio and Baptistin. The Baptistin doll
had fallen right on top of the other. Its arms were stretched out over
the Bertuccio doll's neck and upper body.
"Oh, Bertuccio! Are you all right?"
Haydee's frantic cries at last
caught Albert's attention. "Haydee, what's wrong?" He looked into the virtual
monitor nervously, trying to catch a glimpse of his three friends who had
disappeared from view. "What happened there?"
"Baptistin�he�slipped and fell
down the ladder! He landed right on top of Bertuccio! He's not moving,
Albert! I think his neck is broken!" was the princess' panicky reply.
Baptistin let out an audible moan.
"I feel as if someone threw me down the ladder. Are you still alive down
there, brother?"
When still no answer came from
Bertuccio, dread filled Albert's heart. He feared that Haydee had assessed
correctly, that the Count's right hand man had suffered a serious injury.
A sweet baritone voice suddenly
asked worriedly, "Bertuccio? Wake up, Bertuccio! Please!"
Turning, Albert saw Edmond standing
behind him with tears in his eyes. In his arms, he was carrying the dolls
of Baptistin, Bertuccio and Haydee, which he had finally completed. Edmond
was gently massaging the back of the Bertuccio doll's head and neck.
His hands� Albert stared
hard at the older man. Are they�glowing?
Albert's attention, however, was
again diverted to his monitor at the sound of Haydee's relieved sigh.
Then, Bertuccio himself spoke
up. "Next time, watch where you land, fool! Damned near broke my neck!"
"Would you mind showing yourself,
Bertuccio?" demanded Albert, rather impatiently. "Someone here is crying
over you."
Haydee and Baptistin stood up,
supporting Bertuccio who was rubbing his neck, jerking his head this way
and that. All three were surprised when Edmond plopped down beside Albert,
a smile of pure relief on his face.
"Are you all right, Bertuccio?"
the Count inquired.
"I'm fine, Count," Bertuccio said
in reassurance. "It's nothing that a good liniment and rest won't cure."
"I'm glad." Edmond then added
in sorrow, "I'm sorry. It was this really nasty girl who did it. She threw
these dolls of you that I was making down the stairs." At these words,
he lifted the three toys for his close friends to see. "Aren't they cute?
They're good luck dolls. I put my heart into them so you'll always be happy.
I'll take good care of them from now on until I can give them to you."
Baptistin wiped away the moisture
that was filling his eyes. "You made that cute doll for me, Count? Not
even my late mother gave me a toy when I was a child. I can't wait to get
it."
"Thank you so much, Count," said
Bertuccio, touched by his former lord's thoughtfulness. "While you have
given me so many things I never dreamed of, that doll will hold a special
place in my heart because it was specially made by you."
Haydee touched the monitor, as
though caressing the image of her plush toy. "Count, it shall be my treasure
forever."
Edmond continued massaging the
neck of the Bertuccio doll as he smiled. "I am so happy that you like them."
He then became grim. "Excuse me, okay? There's someone that I have to take
care of."
When the child man has finally
returned to his attic room, Albert turned to Bertuccio. "Are you sure you're
fine, my friend?"
"Yes, I think so. But it hurt
like hell earlier, and I distinctly remember hearing a crack when Baptistin
fell on me," Bertuccio replied, as he gingerly touched the back of his
head. "I'm amazed. I shouldn't be able to move my head like this. It was
a bad fall."
"You keep saying that I fell,
but I hadn't," Baptistin insisted. "Something�threw me from the ladder."
Haydee had to nod in agreement.
"Baptistin was securely positioned on the ladder. If he had slipped from
the ladder, he would've fallen straight down. But I saw his body suddenly
arch back, and he flew from the ladder as though he was grabbed and tossed
away."
"And then those two dolls fell
from the attic," Albert mused, frowning, as he pinched his chin between
his fingertips. "Very strange." He then said quietly, "So that's what he's
been doing in the attic. I never figured him to be a doll lover. But it
is really strange�Baptistin's fall, those dolls�."
"It's probably just coincidence,"
Haydee suggested, knowing what her friend had on his mind. "I'm sure it's
nothing. They're just harmless toys. Dollmaking was the Count's favorite
hobby."
Still, Albert found himself looking
up at the closed door of the attic. He thought he had distinctly
heard a terrified scream coming from within.

~~~~~~~~~~
Delirium cowered back from the
angry mortal, more so from the angry pink marks and glaring eyes that appeared
on his forehead.
"You hurt my friends!" Edmond
growled in fury. "I won't forgive you for that!"
"All I wanted was a dolly!" Delirium
defended herself. "Why won't you give me one? In return, I could give you
anything you like!"
"I don't need anything from you
because I don't like you!" As he said this, shiny needles floated into
the air, pointing directly at the youngest of the Endless. Edmond's eyes
blazed with fire as he shouted, "GO AWAY!"
The needles were then hurled her
way. With a shriek, Delirium vanished in a cloud of red and orange.
Through it all, Dream had merely
stood and watched. "That was a dangerous thing you did, Edmond. You should
not make enemies of my sisters."
Edmond willed the needles to return
to his traveling bag. "I'm not afraid of them! Let them hurt Albert or
my friends, and I will make sure that I hurt them twice as bad!"
The Dream King shook his head.
"If you earn the wrath of the Endless, I don't think that even I could
protect you."
A reassuring smile went up the
corners of the mortal's lips. "Don't worry, Angel. I can take care of myself."

~~~~~~~~~~
"I hate him! I HATE HIM SO MUCH
I WISH HE WAS DEAD! He's yours, Desire! I don't want him anymore!"
Delirium was stomping her feet
in a fit of bad temper. Small storm clouds were zipping around her head,
flashing lightning.
"I was going to say that you could
keep him." Desire pointed to the bandage at its forehead. "Do you see what
he did to me?"
Despair let out a raspy cackle.
"So embarrassing, isn't it, to be thwarted by a mere mortal."
"Well, you can forget about the
game," Desire clenched its fist in rage. "I want revenge!"
"Me too! Me too!" Delirium put
in. "He refused to make me a dolly! No one has ever denied me before! He
is soooo stingy! He even threw sharp needles at me!"
"I do not like the fact that he
is slowly pulling Albert Herrera out of my realm, and I cannot let that
happen." Despair looked at her two siblings. "I shall help you get your
revenge on Edmond Dantes. But for now, we must wait."
"Wait?" Delirium exclaimed in
dismay. "Why must we wait? Can't we whoop his ass now?"
"Are we not the Endless? Waiting
comes naturally for us. Besides�" An evil grin formed on Despair's face,
which only made her more hideous. "I am sure that the opportunity will
present itself to us very soon."

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The Dollmaker