Chapter Four

Klaus got into the old bankers car with a sick feeling in his stomach. He had already been separated from one of his sisters, and now he had just let the other one go.

"Don't feel bad, this time I'm sure this home is safe." said Mr. Poe as he coughed into his handkerchief. Klaus knew better than to believe Mr. Poe. He had said this about every home they had switched to, and all of them ended up as disasters. Klaus was sure this one would be worse, especially since he had no siblings to look to for comfort. They rode in silence for about an hour, and Klaus knew if he did run away from his new home it would take him days to arrive back at the hotel, and by then Violet and Sunny would be long gone.

Mr. Poe parked the car in a gloomy old neighborhood in front of a small cottage.

"Where's this?" asked Klaus.

"This is 5352 Cambria Lane, home of the Stevens." said Mr. Poe.

"How exciting." muttered Klaus under his breath.

"What was that?" said Mr. Poe.

"Nothing, nothing." said Klaus getting out of the crammed vehicle.

"Now listen to me. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are very busy people, and they have taken time out of their busy schedule to adopt you. So I want you to be on your best behavior and stay out of their way as much as possible. Am I clear?"

"Yes." said Klaus. It didn't bother him in the least bit that Mr. and Mrs. Stevens were busy. All he wanted was a library to spend all his time in. Mr. Poe walked up the concrete steps and knocked on the door. The door was slightly opened and you could hear the sound of people scurrying around like mice. Then the door was pulled all the way open and there stood a little girl. Klaus frowned.

"Eva?" The girl stepped back and gasped.

"Klaus! What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I—I live here." she said quietly. "My mother said we were adopting a girl, a boy, and a baby. But it never occurred to me it would be the Baudelaire's. Where are your sisters? And your parents?"

"They—"

"I really don't have time for this. Little girl, could you please get me your parents? They need to sign the contract."

"Well, sure. MOM! DAD! THERE'S A MAN AT THE DOOR FOR YOU!"

"Ah shut it kid! Who is it anyways?" said a voice.

"The guy from the bank with the new kids! Or, kid." Suddenly a man and women appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, honey! I'm SO sorry for speaking to you like that! It was so incredibly rude of me! Well hello sir! You must be Mr. Toe!"

"Poe, yes indeed. Now I need you to sign here."

"Kid, why don't you take our new guests—"

"Ah, guest. The other two won't be showing up."

"Aw well that's too bad! Well, why don't you take our new guest and show him the house? Would you like a cup of coffee Mr. Soe?"

"Poe, and no thank you Miss. I should get back to the office. There's been a major decrease in the—"

"Well that's nice now! Buh-bye!"

"If you need anything call my—" Klaus never found out what he should call if he needed anything because the lady closed the door.

"KID! Didn't I tell you to show the boy around? We've got a long day ahead of us."

"But it's 5:30." said Klaus.

"Then we have a long night!" snapped Mrs. Stevens.

"Come on Klaus. I'll show you where all of us sleep." said Eva.

"All of us? You mean there's more kids?"

"12 more to be exact. You're the 14th."

"But I thought the Stevens were a busy working couple?"

"Well they aren't. That's why we're here. To do all the work for them."

"But that's bizarre. We're only kids!"

"Try telling them that." said Eva. "Come on."

She led Klaus through the kitchen and opened a door almost covered by the refrigerator.

"What's in here?" asked Klaus.

"Our room." said Eva, swinging the door open. Klaus gasped. There were 12 kids in dirty, torn clothing, sitting on squeaking cots and mingling with their friends. There were 16 cots, lined across from each other; 8 on one side and 8 on the other. When Klaus walked in the room everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at him.

"Everyone, this is our new brother Klaus." said Eva.

A wave of murmurs swept across the room.

"Hi Klaus!" said a little boy running up to him. "I'm Jimmy. I can work real good. Come sit with us! Our break is almost up."

"Uh—ok." said Klaus.

"Wait Jimmy, let Klaus get settled in before we have to get back to work." said Eva.

"Aw man Eva!" said Jimmy, but he ran back to his bed with a smile anyways.

"Come on. Let me introduce you to my friend. This is Kim Snicket. Kim, meet Klaus Baudelaire."

"Hi." said Kim.

"Did you say Kim Snicket?"

"Yeah, that's my name. Why?"

"Do you happen to know a Kit Snicket? Or Jacques?"

"Yeah, they're supposed to be my aunt and uncle. I never met my father though, and no one talks about him. My mother met my father from Kit. Yeah, they went to college together. And Kit worked for something called V.F.D., I think."

Klaus's jaw dropped.

"My parents worked for that! Before they died in the fire!" Klaus gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth.

"Your parents died? But Violet told me—"

"Violet lied. And I don't know why."

"But, we've been friends for so long! Why did you lie to me?"

"I see how honest you've been with us as well." said Klaus, pointing to the walls. "Is this that magnificent mansion you live in?"

"Stop it Klaus!" said Eva with tears in her eyes. "My parents died some time before your house burned down. That's why I didn't come so often anymore. Because I had to live here. I just thought you wouldn't like me anymore if I told you that I didn't live in a magnificent mansion anymore and that I was a poor orphan."

"Then who were those people with you at the hotel?" said Klaus.

"I don't know! They were just a group of people that were standing around so I thought if I looked like I was with them, you guys would think they're my family or something."

"You didn't need to lie!" said Klaus.

"Neither did you!" said Eva.

Everyone was quiet. Suddenly a sound was made that reminded Klaus remarkably of the sound that Foreman Flacutuno made in the morning for them to get up while they still lived in Lucky Smells Lumber Mill. It was the sound of two pots clanging together, a sound that made all the children in the small room get up and rush to stand at the foot of their beds. It reminded Klaus about a book he had read on military school in his parents' library before their house was destroyed.

Klaus was clueless, so he just stood at the foot of an empty bed.

"Brace yourself," said Kim, "for doom."

(A/N I know there's not really anything about Violet and Sunny in this chapter, but I promise there whereabouts will be revealed as the story continues. Don't forget to review!)