Mr. Rick Poe drove them away from Prudence Prep, grumbling as usual. "I had to erase Ms. Spats' memories of Jack-Jack since he terrified her so much. I'm running out of good homes for you three."
"If those were the good homes..." Dash muttered. The only halfway good homes the Parrs had found since their house burned down and their parents disappeared were with Monty (Frozone) Best and Josephine (E.) Mode, and those they had found on their own. Poe had delivered them to a sweat-shop lumber mill and to a miserable boarding school. But worst of all was the first place he found, with the sinister Count Buddy, also known as Syndrome, who wanted to destroy them for revenge on their father, Mr. Incredible.
"Mr. Poe, can you tell us anything about what V.F.D. means?" Violet asked.
"No, I can't do that," he said, shaking his head.
"Glooph?" asked Jack-Jack, which meant "Can't, or won't?"
"I'm not sure what that question meant, but no comment," said Poe.
"We have to find out!" said Dash. "Our friends are in danger and it's our only clue about how to rescue them!"
"Don't worry about your friends," said Poe. "I've been appointed the Superhero Orphans Assistant Protector. I'll clean up this case right away. As soon as I drop you off, I'm going to follow up a rumor that they've been taken to the Himalayas."
"Don't you think you should have agents around here watching for that big manta-shaped jet of Syndrome's, and watching the roads out of the city?" asked Violet.
"We're doing that, too. But I'm going to follow up this hot Himalaya lead in person," said Poe.
The children sighed. They didn't have a lot of confidence in the protection of the Super Relocation Agency. So far, each time Syndrome had attacked they had been on their own.
"Where are we going this time?" Dash asked.
"This is a really nice home with a wealthy man and his wife who have suddenly decided it's 'in' to adopt orphans. It's about time he did something nice for your family. If it weren't for your father he wouldn't be a rich man today. He wouldn't be alive, for that matter."
"Why is that?" Violet asked curiously.
"Because he's Jerome Sansweet, the first man in America to sue a superhero for saving his life," said Poe.
"Oh," said Violet. "I've heard about him. He sued Dad for stopping his suicide attempt. That set off a wave of lawsuits that caused all the supers to have to go into hiding."
"Goollp," said Jack-Jack, meaning "I don't have a good feeling about this."
"Just don't tell him you're related to Mr. Incredible and everything will be fine," Poe said. "Here we are, 667 Blackout Boulevard."
The name was an apt description because there were thick trees on both sides of the street shutting out almost all the light.
"Sansweet lives on the top floor. Just take the elevator up and introduce yourselves. I've got to get working on the Rydinger case," said Poe.
The doorman, a man wearing a uniform with very long sleeves and with a cap pulled down over his eyes, told them, "The elevator's out, so you'll have to climb the stairs."
"How long has it been out of order?" Violet asked.
"Not out of order, 'out', as in 'out of fashion'. Mrs. Sansweet ordered it removed two days ago."
The children began to walk up the long, long stairway. As soon as they were out of sight of the doorman, Violet formed a rolling-ball force-field so Dash could run them up the stairs. They passed floor after floor so quickly that they missed bits of sound from the rooms they might otherwise have heard. Jack-Jack's ears perked up when he heard a snatch of Mozart, but it was gone too fast to have any major effect on him.
The knocked on the door of the penthouse suite. A short, weedy man wearing a neck brace opened the door. "Well hello, you must be the orphans we were expecting."
"They weren't due here today, were they?" drawled a woman's voice. A tall lady smoking a cigarette on a long holder came to the door and stood by her husband. Her blue pinstripe suit did not suit her chocolate-brown skin.
"Oh yes, the agency told me today, dearest," said Jerome. "Children, I'd like you to meet my new wife, Esmé. Esmé, these are the Parr children: Violet, Dashiell, and Jack."
"Jack-Jack," said the baby.
"Well, well, let them in. I'll be the envy of all my friends to be able to be showin' off three real, live, orphans." said Esmé.
The children didn't like being called orphans, and they weren't sure their parents were dead, but they got the feeling that if they told her so they would no longer be 'in' and they'd be put out on the street.
The children entered the enormous penthouse apartment, with so many rooms they found themselves lost immediately.
"Mr. Sansweet, you're a famous man. Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Violet said.
"Not at all, go ahead," said Jerome.
"Why did you sue that superhero, Mr. Incredible, for saving your life?" asked Violet. She wanted to know what sort of man they were dealing with.
"I lost a lot of money in the stock market that day," said Jerome. "I was sure there would be a huge argument with my business partners, and I hate to argue. So I jumped, but Mr. Incredible leaped at me and pushed me through a window. He injured my neck, and that's when I realized I could make back all the money I lost and more by suing him. It worked, and I became very successful again."
"Goph!" said Jack-Jack, which meant, "That wasn't very nice."
"Supers were out of control, anyway," said Jerome. "It was for the greater good."
"'Specially since you got me, honey," said Esmé Sansweet. "I'm the greatest good you're ever going to get." She turned and walked into the other room.
"She's the best, isn't she?" said Jerome, looking after her admiringly.
Dash whistled in agreement.
"You must be thirsty after your long climb, children," said Jerome. "May I offer you a parsley soda or an aqueous martini? They're both very fashionable drinks, my wife tells me." He led them toward one of the five kitchens.
Violet stared after Esmé. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn't quite place her. Maybe it would come to her later...