On the bridge, the Baudelaires, Justice Strauss, Jerome Squalor, Fernald, and Fiona watched the view screen until the crushing of the Carmelita was complete.
"Now it's time for you Baudelaire brats to go back in the Holding Cell," said Justice Strauss. "We don't need you as bargaining chips until the big meeting tomorrow at the Hotel Denouement."
"Tomorrow?" asked Violet, "I thought today was Tuesday and the meeting was Thursday."
"You were in the Holding Cell longer than you thought," said Strauss. "Most of Tuesday and half of Wednesday. The room is designed to release knockout gas."
Violet and Klaus were dismayed. They hadn't yet had a chance to give any water to Sunny. Unless they did she might not make it.
"Just a minute," said Fernald. "The Snow Scouts saw them in the raid. It helped to win their trust. If the brats just disappear, it'll raise questions."
"It'll raise even more if they blab to the scouts," objected Squalor.
"I'll take responsibility that they don't," said Fernald grimly.
"All right, but be careful. They can be devious," said the Justice.
Fernald started to lead the children out, then turned at the door. "I'd really like to talk to Widdershins too. Maybe I can persuade him to be more co-operative."
"You're taking on a bit much with a volatile prisoner like that," said Squalor. "If any of them gives you trouble, signal to our two men standing guard at the door and they'll take them back to the Holding Cell." He handed Fernald a silent alarm device.
The large room where the Snow Scouts were being kept was half a dining area full of tables and chairs, half a sleeping area full of bunk beds. The scouts had all gone to sleep in the latter half, exhausted from the hard day. It was clear that Fernald had made up the excuse to keep the Baudelaires free.
"Thank you for speaking up for us," said Klaus.
"I had my reasons," said Fernald.
The Baudelaires and the Widdershins sat at one table. Captain Widdershins was still a bit groggy from his long stint under the knockout gas; he sat there staring into space. Sunny sat at Klaus's feet; Klaus removed sponges from his pocket and squeezed them into her mouth as the others talked.
"Would you explain something about the Hotel Denouement?" asked Violet. "I've heard both sides say they're going there. Why is it called the 'Last Safe Place'?"
"It's called the 'Last Safe Place' because it's the only place both sides are safe from each other," Fiona answered. "It's a truce meeting we have every five years. Each side tries to persuade the other to see things their way and rejoin."
"Like that'll ever happen," said Fernald. "There's too much anger on both sides. But it was a condition of the original schism and now it's a tradition."
"Why did you say there's no wrong side of the V.F.D.?" Klaus asked. "One side has treated us horribly and the other side tried to help us."
"There's a side that's better for you, personally," said Fernald. "Olaf's side is after your fortune. Your parent's side just wants to recruit you. But as far as what they do in the world, there's not much to choose between them."
"Our side puts out fires..." said Fiona.
"They make the world quieter. That includes trying to stop trouble before it happens, assassinating troublemakers. Their motto, 'The world is quiet here', is from a poem about death," said Fernald.
"B-but the other side fights fire with fire," said Violet.
"That can have a good side, too -- encouraging small conflicts before stresses lead to full-scale war," Fernald said. "Ever hear of firefighters setting a fire to stop a fire?"
"A firebreak," said Klaus.
"What about Lemony?" asked Fiona. "From what I've heard he's a good person and he's on the anti-Olaf side."
"Lemony's a bit strange in the head," said Fernald. "He'd like to think the V.F.D. is still noble and pure. But he's been on the run a long time and he doesn't have much influence."
"All in all though, I still think there are more good people on the quiet side of the V.F.D.," said Violet, thinking of Quigley, Duncan, and Isadora.
"I can prove things aren't so simple, right now," said Fernald. "Wake up, Widdershins, we have to talk!" He gave his stepfather a slap with the back of one hook.
"What? Aye? Fernald? Aye! It's you!" said Widdershins.
"Time to tell the truth, old man," said Fernald. "I didn't set the Anwhistle Aquatics fire -- you did!"
"Of course not! Aye! Only half true! Aye! A complete fabrication!" said the Captain.
"You admitted it yourself, Fernald! We heard you! Aye!" said Fiona.
"What I said was that I saw the smoke and that it was the saddest day of my life. Gregor Anwhistle was a good friend of mine."
"What about the newspaper article?" asked Klaus.
"You should know from your own experience that the Daily Punctilio is unreliable. Jacques Snicket wrote that story and he knew it was false -- because he helped my stepfather set the fire!"
"Why would they do that?" asked Violet.
"They wanted to stop the poisonous mushrooms without causing another schism. If they put the blame on a young hot-head then things would go on as normal."
"You have no proof! Aye! My word against yours! Aye! You've caught me! No, I mean you've got nothing on me!" said Widdershins.
"I've got new evidence," said Fernald. "I just found out my mother staged her death. That happened right after I was accused. She couldn't live with you any more and she was afraid of you, so she faked being eaten by manatees."
"Manatees are herbivorous!" said Klaus.
"I've always thought there was something fishy about that accident," said Fiona.
"Still no proof! Aye! Pure speculation! Aye! Spot on!" said Widdershins.
"There's proof. If you want I can wake up a little girl over there who can tell you her mother's life history. Her mother's name was Beatrice Widdershins!"
"You don't have to wake her up," said Klaus. "What he says is true. Violet and I can vouch for it."
"It's true, Klaus? My mother faked her own death to get away from my stepfather?" asked Fiona. Klaus nodded.
Widdershins glared at them, momentarily at a loss for words.
"There's more," said Fernald. "The V.F.D. built a new submarine to catch and punish traitors. They used galley slaves to row it. The Carmelita, once known as The Octopus."
"Count Olaf said he stole it," said Violet, "but he never said who he stole it from."
"Jacques Snicket was the Captain, Kit Snicket designed it, and the Baudelaire parents financed it!" said Fernald. "I was caught and put on it, even though my father and stepfather knew I was innocent. You know how I lost my hands?"
"A Volunteer Feline Detectives feeding accident?" said Klaus.
"No, that's what I told the cabal, but it was really nerve damage from excessive rowing," said Fernald. "I didn't see a need to tell them family secrets."
"How did you get free?" asked Violet.
"One day, when it was docked, Count Olaf came aboard in disguise. He tricked the guard crew and Jacques into leaving the ship and then he had us all row away."
"Us all?" asked Sunny, who had finished her water and joined them at the table.
"You knew the others by description rather than name: a bald man with a large nose, two women who hid their acid stains from V.F.D. experiments with white powder, a large person who looked like both a man and a woman, and many more."
"Olaf's theater troupe!" said Klaus.
"Once we were freed the sub wasn't much use. We never had slave labor for it until recently. So we drove around committing crimes, living by our wits..."
"You've been pretty rotten," said Violet. "But I can almost understand now."
"How could you do such horrible things to Fernald?" Fiona asked Widdershins.
"We did what we did for the greater good! Aye! Or at least we thought so then. Aye, and I still do! He or she who hesitates is lost!" said Widdershins.
Fiona had tears in her eyes. "Stepfather, I never want to speak to you again!"
Widdershins rose to his feet in rage. "Traitorous spawn! Aye! Defilers of the purity of the V.F.D.! Aye! The world is quiet here!" He reached out his arms to try to strangle Fiona.
Fernald pushed the silent alarm. The two guards rushed in and grabbed Widdershins and dragged him out of the room. Fiona burst into tears and ran to the empty bunk bed in the furthest corner of the room.
Klaus followed her. He knelt down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. "You'll be all right, Fiona. You'll be all right."
"Stay with me tonight, Klaus," she said. "I don't want to be alone. Aye?"
"Aye!" said Klaus.
And then... (but we should give them privacy just as we did for Quigley and Violet on the slippery slope).
Violet said to Fernald, "You told all this for Fiona's sake, didn't you? To get her to change sides."
"I want her on my side, the winning side," said Fernald. "The V.F.D. is finished, now that the cabal has the sugar bowl."
"But they don't have the sugar bowl," said Violet.
"What!" said Fernald.
"I mean, they have the bowl but we destroyed the secrets inside before they could use them."
Fernald went white. "Then I betrayed the man who saved me for nothing."
"Fernald -- " began Violet.
"I've got to think. Leave me alone," said Fernald. He walked away and slouched in a corner.
"Thinkenkaps," said Sunny.
"You're right, Sunny. We've got to think, too. What's the cabal going to do at the V.F.D. meeting tomorrow, and how can we stop it?" said Violet.
Violet and Sunny stayed up all night thinking. Violet read and made notes in Klaus's commonplace book while Sunny thoughtfully chewed a table leg. What were they going to do?