One Kiss Later (K. Baudelaire)

Chapter 15

Candie

"Spats...?" I say hesitantly. "Just as I thought. Go. Scram." The masked person says to me. "Hey, no. She's our friend." Violet defends me. "How do I know I can trust her?" The masked person spats. "How do I know I can trust you? You're the one with the mask." I spat back. "Very well. Come." He says starting to climb the ladder again. Violet follows behind. "Ladies first," Klaus offers me. "I still don't trust them." I say to Klaus. "He's with V.F.D." Klaus defends. "So was Count Olaf." I warn. "Don't you trust me?" He asks me. "Yes." I respond. "Then trust me on this. Ladies first." He says putting his hand out, ushering me to the ladder. I sigh and climb the ladder.

We start to climb. "Ah!" Klaus screams. "Shh! What?" I whisper. "Spiders." He says, ushering me to keep going. "What do you think we'll find up there?" Klaus asks the group. "I know what I hope we'll find." Violet says hopeful. She looks down and Klaus and smiles. We keep straining.

We finally make it to the top. I sigh. "This looks like the tunnel we found under our house." Violet describes. "V.F.D. built these tunnels everywhere. An underground organization needs a way to travel underground." The masked person explains, "According to The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations, the headquarters is behind that door." I bit my lip. I start to trust the masked person more but not entirely.

"That's an impressive lock. How does it open?" Violet comments. "It's called a Vernacularly Fastened Door." The masked person explains. "So it opens with language." Klaus realizes. "They keyboard is wires to the hinges. You have to type the right phrase." Violet examines. "Three phrases, and if you get them wrong, it locks forever." They explain to us. "Forever?" I wonder. "Forever." They respond.

"The first phrase is the scientist most widely credited with the discovery of gravity?" They read. "That's easy, Sir. Isaac Newton." Violet recognizes. She types it in. The door lock moves, indicating tat Violet was correct. "What's next?" She asks.

"The Latin name of the lions found in the Hinterlands." The masked person reads. "Panthero Leo." Klaus identifies. "V.F.D. used to train them before the schism." The masked person explains. The lock moves again. Klaus is correct. "What's the last phrase." Violet asks.

"The third phrase is the central theme if the novel Anna Karenina, but I've never read it." The masked boy says. "That's why you asked us at the campfire. You needed our help to open the door." Violet connects. "There are people I'm looking for." The masked boy says. "Us too." Violet says. "I read the book about two months before you came to Prufrock Baudelaires. The central theme is 'Only leads to tragedy.'" Klaus looks to me. He turns back to the machine and types it in. "Why isn't it opening?" Violet asks. "It sounded like it was working until the last word." Klaus examines. "Nice going Spats." The masked person says in a threatening tone. "No, no. She's right." Klaus defends me. "The mechanism must be stuck." Violet recognizes.

Finally, the mechanism moved. Indicating I was correct. I smile. The door opens a jar. "We could walk in on the entire organization having a meeting." Klaus imagines. "Or one of our parents." Violet says looking to her brother.

We open the door to V.F.D headquarters and... nothing. Nothing but ashes.  We walk in "Mother?" Klaus calls. "Father!" Violet follows. "Mother?" "Father!" The Baudelaires repeat. "No." Klaus whispers. "This is where everything has led us. The maps, the codes..." Klaus trails off. "The Snicket File." Violet finishes. "One of our parents has to be alive. Jacques Snicket said there was a survivor of the fire." Klaus says confused. "There is." The masked person says walking toward us. "Where?" Klaus says, hopeful. "I survived the fire the burned down my home." They say taking off their mask. "Duncan?" me and Violet say in sync.

"Quigley."