Beatrice - You're in my heart and in your tomb

The day the hook handed man arrived was Klaus' birthday. It had been difficult to celebrate such a setting giving their surroundings anyway, but with such a grumpy new arrival it was harder still.

"I shouldn't have been sent back." He was muttering furiously to the henchperson of indeterminate gender. "I was a firm favourite with the audience! This could have been my big break."

The three Baudelaire's were trying to appear inconspicuous, a word here meaning not trying to attract attention, as they made Klaus' birthday cake. They were desperate to hear of any plans Count Olaf may have for them, but the hook handed man was too preoccupied discussing the show.

"I don't even think you'll fit into my costume." He finished sulkily. He glanced up at the Baudelaire's. "What are you orphans making anyway?"

"Cake!" Sunny shrieked. After bite it was her favourite word.

"It's my birthday." Klaus volunteered hesitantly. "I'm fourteen today."

What happened next was so shocking years later Klaus would lie awake at night and wonder how it came to be.

"Happy Birthday, kid."

The presents Klaus received that birthday weren't particularly wonderful, but it was the best birthday he could have hoped for. Sunny presented him with a wooden statue of an owl, carved with her own teeth, while Violet gave him a small machine that would clean his glasses with no smears that she had invented herself.

"We're sorry it's not much." She chewed her lip nervously.

"It's brilliant." Klaus smiled reassuringly and went to hug his sisters. He was used to it by now, but it still hurt when Violet flinched out of his way.

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The court case had been delayed again so Olaf wrote to the hook handed man to say they were extending their tour. It meant that another person was coming to be their jailer.

The Baudelaire's were strangely disappointed at the thought of the hook handed man leaving. While he wasn't the most pleasant fellow, he wasn't nearly as bad as Olaf and he would talk to them unlike the henchperson of indeterminate gender.

Sunny had recently begun cruising. I wish I could tell you that cruising means going on lots of cruise ships and having all sorts of fun. If I were a fictional author I could make a great deal of money from the adventures of Sunny Baudelaire on cruise ships around the world. Alas, I am only a volunteer whose unfortunate duty it is to research and present the lives of these three children. Cruising in this instance means clinging onto the furniture and shuffling around on unsteady feet as you learn to walk. While Sunny had been a very early talker, she was a little late to the party walking which is understandable if your parents had recently been murdered in a terrible fire.

As Sunny cruised around the sofa, Violet would hold onto her hands and offer encouragement as Sunny would pad along with her gurgling marvellously along the way. One morning after making breakfast, Violet and Klaus had been astounded to see their little sister gripping tight onto the hooks of the hook handed man as he led her around the living room with delight clear on both their faces.

"I taught my little sister how to walk." He'd said. That was the only information he offered and they didn't feel it would be appropriate to pry. The three Baudelaire children wondered if the hook handed man was living a facade. You can think of facade like a mask, a face that you present to the world. The hook handed man had a villainous mask, but was there a decent man underneath? It would be years before the Baudelaire's would come to understand that there is good and wicked in everyone.

Before long Sunny was staggering around the house and running into door frames shrieking with laughter while they all chased her.

It was the happiest they'd felt in a long time.

"The joy when you leave that wretched place will be ineffable." Justice Strauss said as she met Klaus by the hedge. "Ineffable means-"

"Too great to be expressed in words." Klaus finished.

Justice Strauss beamed at him. "I'm so proud of you. I'm sorry the case keeps being pushed back but we've had a string of rather nasty murders recently which is taking up a lot of time. Where are your sisters?"

"Violet's getting Sunny ready for bed."

She pursed her lips. "Klaus, I've not seen Violet since that sham of a wedding. Is everything alright?" Her face suddenly became a picture of worry. "Is she angry with me? Is that why she's been avoiding me?"

She's been avoiding you because she has a scar on her face and dark bags under her eyes, Klaus wanted to say. But he'd promised Violet he'd never tell a soul of how terrible she was looking these days.

"Honestly Justice Strauss." He gave her his most charming smile as he lied. "She's fine. She's just keeping herself busy."

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The hook handed man got his wish and returned to the troupe. In a strange way the children missed him, of an evening they'd been playing chess together. His replacement was the wart faced man and the only interest he seemed to have was getting inordinately drunk.

The wart faced man had been there for several weeks when it was Violet's birthday. Klaus and Sunny had presented her with a box full of mechanical gears and other scraps they had been collecting during their chores. Hopefully Olaf wouldn't miss anything.

"Hopefully Olaf won't miss anything." Violet said, but she didn't look worried.

"Ludus!" Sunny cried. Invent something that will prank him!

Violet didn't respond and instead reached out for one of the gears. As she did the sleeve of her cardigan rose up and Klaus saw a mark on her wrist.

"What's that?"

Violet froze. "Nothing."

Months of built up frustration took over and Klaus grabbed her arm. Since turning fourteen Klaus had shot up and was now taller than his sister, stronger too. Roughly he pulled up her sleeve and balked.

Reader, I understand now if you want to look away. I implore you to. The Baudelaire's have experienced too much hardship and terror and there is no reason you have to as well...

Ah you're still reading. Perhaps you wrongly think you are brave enough to handle things. Or perhaps you are reading out of duty, in the same way I trying to piece together the story of the Baudelaire children so I can bring them to a safe home in honour of the woman I love.

Bite marks. Cigarette burns. Scratches. Grips so tight he could see bruises of fingerprints.

There were tears in everyone's eyes. Sunny because she was afraid. Klaus because he felt he should have been looking after her. Violet because seeing them just reminded her of it all.

"We're going to Justice Strauss." Klaus said fiercely. "Like we should have done a long time ago."

"Hold your horses."

The expression comes from the old western days of cowboys and cowgirls. Often the younger less experienced cowboys would want to go out on rides while the older ones would warn them to keep ahold of their horses until they could be sure danger was clear.

A long time ago my own brother said that expression to me. We were riding through the hinterlands and I was desperate to ride on to see the woman I loved who was masquerading as a fortune teller in a carnival. Initially I thought he was giving me romantic advice by telling me to be patient, but it turned out he'd spotted a pride of starving lions and it was in our best interests to hold our horses and stay as still as possible so as not to attract attention.

Why Violet was telling Klaus to be patient he couldn't understand. They were all in terrible danger and had been for some time. Things were not improving by staying silent. With a tight grip around her wrist, Klaus dragged a protesting Violet to the gap in the hedge.

"Justice Strauss! Justice Strauss!"

"Please, Klaus." Violet was trying to wriggle free. "The wart faced man will hear you."

The wart faced man was usually passed out drunk this time of day so her warnings didn't inspire any concern in him.

"Justice Strauss!"

"I'm here Baudelaire's." Her face was pinched with worry as she peered through the gap. "Whatever is the matter?"

None too gently, Klaus pulled at the cardigan and showed the judge the marks on his sisters skin. "It's beeng going on for months." He said bluntly. "I swore I wouldn't tell but it's just getting worse. Please, Justice Strauss. You have to get us out of here. Tell her, Violet. Just tell her!"

Justice Strauss wasn't looking at him. She was looking at Violet, her face soft with concern.

"Violet?" She whispered. "Talk to me, sweetheart."

I'm told that as Violet began to cry, Klaus released her arm and stepped back in shock. The great big shuddering sobs racked her small frame and tears fell as freely as a waterfall. He instantly regretted not being kinder.

"We'll get you out of here soon." The older woman was soothing the young girl. "Klaus, will you and Sunny give us a minute to talk?"

Klaus nodded dumbly. Sunny slipped her hand in his and together they walked back to the house.

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By the time Violet came back into the house the tears were dry on her cheeks and she even stood a little taller.

"Justice Struass took my testimony and is going to the court right now." She gave Sunny a cuddle. "She took photos as well and will show them. When they see they'll have no choice but to push forward the case to remove us from here. By the time Olaf gets back, we'll be long gone."

"Vicinus" Sunny pointed out. If by long gone you mean next door.

"She has a place in the country she shares with her sister we'll all go to." Violet reassured her. "Justice Strauss is going to take some time off work to look after us all."

Klaus swallowed. "I'm sorry for pushing you, Violet. I should have encouraged you to speak up, not forced you."

She gave him a small smile. "Apology accepted. At least some good came of it."

Let the story of the Baudelaire children end here for you. Let you imagine that they packed their bags and within the hour Justice Strauss arrived to take them to a pretty cottage in the country with things to invent, books to read and hard things to bite. Perhaps you can picture them as they grow up happy together, riding bikes and having picnics and all sorts of other marvellous things. In time you could suppose that Sunny would forget this series of unfortunate events, too young to remember anything before her third birthday.

However I must continue. I must find them. They are not safe at the moment and I will not rest until they are. As their godfather, I must do anything I can to bring them to safety.

The three Baudelaire children went to bed that night with joy in their eyes and cake in their bellies. They were certain that when they would wake in the morning, Justice Strauss would be waiting for them.

How very wrong they were.

Instead Klaus woke to a blood curdling scream. Bolting upright he could make out two figures struggling, when he put his glasses on he saw a figure he'd not expected to see for a long time.

Count Olaf was hauling Violet to her feet while she kicked and scratched at him. He couldn't be sure who looked more murderous.

"You thought you could get me into trouble, eh?" Olaf was snarling in her face. "You really thought your little testimony would do you any favours? I told you to be on your best behaviour, my girl. Instead you disobeyed me. Time to pay the price."

Crack!

As Klaus' fist made impact with Olaf's jaw it took him by surprise and he staggered back. Truth be told, it surprised Klaus too. The last time he'd seen him the Count had towered above him and left him feeling as strong as a feather. Now, however, Klaus was just below his nose and the punch had been fierce. He was no longer a boy.

Violet threw herself between the pair and shoved Olaf with all her might.

"We're leaving." She hissed. "Right now. We're going to Justice Strauss and she is going to take us far away from you. You'll never see our fortune. You'll never see us again."

The shock from the punch had worn off and Olaf tutted as if she were a particularly petulant schoolgirl. "Oh sweet Violet." He purred. "I think you'll find you're not going anywhere. The high court rang me as soon as they got your testimony. They found it most perculiar. I was able to get there to give my side of the story and they believed me." He leered exposing his yellow teeth. "They quite happy for us to stay together."

As he reached out to grab Violet, Klaus shoved her out of the way preparing to punch his guardian once more.

Instead it was Olaf who threw the first punch. It hurt like hell and his glasses were knocked to the floor. Hearing a smash of glass he panicked.

Some have taken to wearing glasses as fashion accessories. However, Klaus was not one of these individuals. The expression blind as a bat applies rather well to Klaus without his glasses, only able to see shapes. As he lay on the floor he reached out for them but Olaf got there first and stomped them into even more of a mangled mess.

"You're not staying with your bratty siblings any more, wife." Klaus heard Olaf growl. "They're a bad influence on you. You'll be staying with me. That's the price you'll pay"

"I'm not leaving them."

Crack!

As Olaf's boot rammed into Klaus' ribcage he screamed. A sudden sharp pain stabbed through him and he found it hard to breathe. The second kick went in his gut. Before long he stopped counting, kicks after kicks. He saw a smaller shape heading towards him.

"Sunny stay back!" His voice was hoarse.

He could hear Violet was slapping Olaf, screaming at him to stop and cursing him. When Olaf kicked him in the head there was a ringing in his ears. A kick to the chest made him cough up blood.

"Stop!" Violet had stopped slapping Olaf. "Just stop, I'll go with you. I'll stay with you. Please, you're killing him!"

Olaf stopped long enough to turn to the girl. "I don't need him alive. I only need one of you. I don't need two extra mouths to feed."

Klaus could just about make out Violet lift Sunny and a glint of silver from something they'd foraged for her birthday.

"If you kill him," her voice was surprisingly steady. "I'll kill Sunny and then myself."

It was like a tidal wave had rushed over him. His sister couldn't mean that surely? He couldn't make out the expressions on their faces.

"You'll never get your hands on the fortune then." Violet continued. "Our marriage hasn't been proved legal. There are no Baudelaire's left."

Olaf snorted derisively. "You wouldn't do it. You care for your sister too much."

"I wouldn't leave her in a world where you could find her. She'd be better off dead than in a world with no one to protect her. Then our family could all be together."

The pounding in his head was almost deafening and his eyes were growing heavier by the second. He had to stay awake. Had grief driven her mad? Violet wasn't thinking straight threatening Sunny.

He could hear his baby sister mewling in distress as she tried to wriggle from Violet's arms. He wanted to call out something to reassure her, but whenever he opened his mouth the cold air would freeze at his lungs and he'd cough up blood. The silence as Olaf considered the threats felt like years.

"I won't kill your brother today." He said finally. "But make no mistake, if you don't put down that brat right now and come with me, I will make him wish he were dead."

"Give me a minute." Violet's voice was wavering. "I'll see you in there. Please, just give me a minute first."

To Klaus' surprise the tall shadowy figure of Olaf turned and left.

"I'm so sorry, Sunny." Violet was clinging to her as if she'd never let go. "I am so, so sorry. I would never hurt you, please believe me."

The world went dark.