Review responses to I Knew it Wasn't the Last Time
VeronicaWeasley (chapter 5) - Thank you so much! If I do say so myself, I like that part too. I imagine that they mock her former lifestyle in the penthouse as much as they can, by doing everything she wouldn't allow, and do a lot of "Out" things.
(Chapter 6) - Awesome (inspiring awe) review! I always get reviews like that from you, and one of the highlights of my day is reading them. I will of course always keep writing.
BelleBlack707 - Thank you! And another thank you. Hearing that you think I'm talented is really nice, since I've loved writing since I was seven.
Side note: Has anyone thought about the fact that in The Vile Village, they talk about the Town of V.F.D., and because V.F.D. in that case stands for Village of Fowl Devotees, that means they're talking about The Town of Village of Fowl Devotees. That's weird.
Now to the story!
The Baudelaires stared right into Count Olaf's cold eyes. They were in the makeshift courtroom in the lobby of Hotel Denouement, having Count Olaf's trial. It wasn't going very well though. After they had listed all the crimes he committed, they called him to the stand. They realized it was a mistake far too late...
He had quickly started calling out everyone who was there to help the Baudelaires, and told everyone about the wrong things they had done. Like Mr. Poe; who cared more about his job, Jerome; who was too afraid to help them, and Babs; who cared more about paperwork.
"Tell me; on Mount Fraught, what despicable act did you perform to rescue your sister?" Count Olaf smirked evilly.
"We held Esmé-...," Klaus started
"Uh, louder! Please, for the court!" Olaf shouted.
"We held Esmé Squalor hostage but-," Klaus said, louder, before he was cut off.
"And when you needed to reach V.F.D. headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains, what did you help me do?" Olaf continued.
"Burn down Caligari Carnival, but-," Violet was cut off as well.
"Let's hear from some witnesses! You," Olaf pointed to a lumber mill worker. "Who caused all the terrible accidents at Lucky Smells lumber mill?"
The worker with a grey beard stood up.
"Uh... Klaus Baudelaire, but-"
"You!" Olaf cut him off, and turned his head to Babs. "Who stole Hal's keys and broke into the library at Heimlich Hospital?"
Babs stood up.
"Violet Baudelaire, but-"
"You, in the crow hat," Olaf pointed at Elder Jemma from the town of V.F.D., who stood up. "After the Baudelaires were accused of murder in the Village of Fowl Devotees, did they accept their punishment?"
"That baby busted them out of jail. But-," Jemma answered.
"And I don't need to ask you who shot Dewey Denouement, for I saw it," Olaf cut off the third person.
"Actually; You were-," one person in the crowd stood up.
"I think we have enough evidence to-," Count Olaf began, before;
"Let them speak!" Klaus shouted.
Olaf frowned at him.
"What do you mean, Bookworm?"
"You're cutting them off. You're manipulating the facts," Klaus continued.
He turned around.
"You. Can you tell us the whole story of what happened at Lucky Smells lumber mill?"
The same lumber mill worker as before stood up.
"Klaus Baudelaire caused the accident, but he was hypnotized by Dr. Georgina Orwell. All of us were."
"Thank you sir," Violet said. "Babs! What were you going to say?"
Babs stood up as the Lucky Smells worker sat down.
"Violet Baudelaire did it, but for a good cause! She needed to see a film; it was about life or death!"
"Jemma. Olaf cut you off too, what were you going to say?" Klaus asked.
"You broke out of jail and broke very many rules. But it's been proven you were wrongly accused of the murder; meaning the breakout was legal in the village!"
"And you," Violet turned to the man who had been the last who was cut off.
He stood up again.
"Count Olaf was at the scene of the murder as well. The four of them were all holding the harpoon gun, and they dropped it, causing the harpoon to shoot that man."
With the whole truths gathered, the Baudelaire's turned back to Count Olaf.
"Count Olaf, you were the one who controlled our hands when we set off the Caligari Carnival fire," Violet reminded him.
"And if we wouldn't have taken Esmé Squalor hostage, she would have been trapped in the hot tub of the burnt remains of the V.F.D. headquarters" Klaus added. "We saved her. If any more parts of the headquarters would have collapse, it could have landed on her, and she could have died."
"Because of the fire that was set by them," Violet was looking up.
When everyone followed her glance, they saw she was looking up at the high court, who were literally high up in the hotel.
"It's them!" she shouted.
"Who?" Klaus asked.
"The man with beard but no hair, and the woman with hair but no beard!"
"Don't worry Baudelaires, they've been working with me for a long, long time. They've always shown great interest whenever I mention you," Justice Strauss tried to reassure.
"That's because they're against us; they were gathering information! They're on the fire-starting side of the V.F.D.!" Klaus revealed to her.
A few people in the crowd pulled out little golden devices - spyglasses. After looking at the high court, they immediately stood up, and some started running up the stairs, while others took the elevator.
"They're in the V.F.D.," Violet followed them with her glance.
After a couple of minutes, the volunteers reached the high court, and captured them.
"Justice Strauss, you're in full control of the court," Klaus turned back to Justice Strauss. "Do what's just."
The Justice straightened her back. Klaus and Violet glanced over to Olaf again. He certainly wasn't looking so calm and confident anymore.
"Now that all the evidence is gathered, and we know that the high court was fake, we can transact this trial, with the sentence of Count Olaf!"
The Baudelaire's hadn't felt such relief in months.
"Count Olaf has committed several crimes, including murder, arson and theft. And therefore will be sentenced to a lifetime in maximum security prison," Justice Strauss sentenced.
Violet felt so happy she could cry, and Klaus almost laughed from relief.
"As for Esmé Squalor, who has committed fraud and arson, and is suspected for murder. She will be serving ten years."
Esmé rolled her eyes in her seat, as two not-so-friendly looking police officers arrested her.
"You can't arrest my mom! I'm too adorable to have no parents!" Carmelita stomped her foot on the floor.
"Oh, Carmelita Spats," Justice Strauss sighed. "As for you, miss; you will be put in the foster system, seeing as Mr. and Mrs. Spats burned up in a fire, set by Count Olaf and Esmé Squalor."
Carmelita gasped, and looked up at Esmé.
"You burned down my house?"
"I am so sorry, darling!" Esmé broke free from the cops, and gave Carmelita a hug, before they took her away again.
The Baudelaires smiled at each other, as they knew what each other were thinking.
"She's a Cakesniffing orphan as well now."
Justice Strauss stepped down from the podium, and down to the Baudelaires.
"And you Baudelaires will come home with me."
"I don't know about that yet," Violet said. "Kit Snicket said she would be here by now, but I haven't seen her."
"Baudelaires. May I speak to you?" it was the voice that three men shared talking to them.
They turned around, and saw either Frank or Ernest standing there.
"Are you Frank or Ernest?" Klaus asked.
"I am one of them, and the only way to determine which one is which is by asking Various Firmly Defining questions."
The three Baudelaires smiled at each other.
"We'll be back soon Justice Strauss," Violet said as they walked away with Frank Denouement.
They stopped when they were out of sight from the people in the lobby.
"We think we know where Kit is," Frank revealed.
"Where?" Violet immediately asked.
"Out at sea, halfway to the Gorgornian Grotto, we lost track of the Queequeg, which Kit was on. We've sent a message to the crew on the new V.F.D. submarine; the Carmelita, as it will be called until we change the name. The crew of four are on their way there"
"Will she be safe?"
"We hope so."
"Does she know about Dewey?"
Frank looked down, and shook his head.
"Sadly; I can't say that for sure. What I can assure is that if the Carmelita finds her, she can raise her son or daughter in a quiet world."
The four of them smiled.
"Go to Justice Strauss now. After all you've been through, you deserve a quiet world as well," Frank said.
"Thank you Frank. For everything," Violet replied as they turned around.
Frank waved at them as they went back to Justice Strauss.
"We're ready to go home," Klaus smiled at the Justice, and they walked out the hotel entrance together.
Behind them, the police officers were talking to Olaf and Esmé, while Carmelita and vice principal Nero were talking in a corner. Judging by their conversation, it seemed like Carmelita would be returning to Prufrock; Nero was signing a slip with the mark "Permission Slip."
So Prufrock wouldn't change, but the Baudelaires' lives certainly would, as they got on the trolley with Justice Strauss.
I wrote this story, because I was so freaking frustrated with how The Penultimate Peril ended. Nothing went as it should have, and it felt so unnecessary as too much had already happened to them.
Well, I hope you liked it.
Please review :D
