Before the race continued, Edward Nemo was seen striding briskly across an elevated porch.
"This is Cluedoville, city of mystery and intrigue. Where a person could be killed, and nobody would care more than if the high school football team won or lost. And near the city limit, on 50 acres of country, lies the Peacock Estate. This beautiful home of Mrs. Peacock was the first Pit Stop in the Amazing Race.
"Teams checked in here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period, this allowed them time to eat, sleep, and mingle with the other teams. Can Marty & Jennifer beat the odds and maintain their lead? Will Mike & Sulley be able to pull themselves out of last place? And can Hal and Malcolm recover from the mistakes of yesterday?
"Marty and Jennifer, who were the first to arrive at 4:24 PM, will depart at 4:24 AM."
It's pitch black outside while the elderly couple stands waiting for the time to open the clue they hold. As soon as the moment came, they ripped it open.
"Make your way to the airport…" Marty read.
Teams must now go back into town and find the Cluedoville airport. Once there, they must sign up for one of two charter flights bound for Wild City, home of the anthropomorphic animals. Each flight can hold five teams, and the flights leave forty-five minutes apart. When teams arrive in Wild City, they will have to locate this restaurant, ZooDiet (zoh-dee-AY). Inside, head chef Lambsey will give teams the next clue.
"Wow, a city of only animals?" asked Jennifer. "Sounds a lot like Los Angeles!"
"Whatever, let's get a move on!" And off they went.
(ORSON & ROY are second to depart.)
"Hmm, a city of animals," Roy said outloud. "Looks like we'll have an advantage over these non-animal teams!"
"Hey, I wonder if we'll bump into anybody we know in Wild City?" Orson wondered.
"Only one way to find out! Come on, let's go!"
(ANTHONY & MECEDES are third to depart.)
"Strange," Mercedes said. "I didn't know these species were capable of civilization."
"This is Dreamland, Mer," said Anthony. "Anything can happen!"
"Yeah, I suppose so. Come on, we don't want to miss our flight!"
(PAUL & MEIST are fourth to depart.)
"What the…?" Paul said. "Animals build a city? No way! I've heard some crazy things in my day, but there's simply no way animals could build a city from the ground up!"
"Dear, that may be true in the real world," Meist said, "but this isn't the real world, this is Dreamland."
"Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten that. Whatever, let's go!"
(VIOLET & KLAUS are fifth to depart.)
"…Locate head chef Lambsey to receive your next clue." Violet read.
"Come on, Violet, if we don't hurry, we'll miss the first flight!"
Around this time, MARTY & JENNIFER made it to the airport.
"Okay, where's the sign-up sheet?" Jennifer asked.
"It's got to be around here somewhere!" Marty said. "Hey, there it is, I see it!" He ran over and quickly scribbled their names on it.
(MARTY & JENNIFER are First on Flight #1.)
"Whew! Now that our position is secure, time for a quick nap," said Marty.
ORSON & ROY arrived not long after that.
"Sign-up sheet is over there, you guys," Jennifer said pointing.
"Thanks!" Orson said politely.
(ORSON & ROY are Second on Flight #1.)
"Ah, now I can relax," Roy said.
(MAKO & REI are sixth to depart.)
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are seventh to depart.)
"Locate the restaurant called…Zoo Diet," Rei read, unaware she was mispronouncing it.
"You will have 85 dollars for this leg of the race," Michael read. Violet counted the money to make sure it was all there.
"Hey, maybe if we hurry, we could overtake a team and get on the first flight!" Mako said. "We are in sixth place!"
"Well, then, let's go!"
While those two teams tried very hard to out race each other, ANTHONY & MERCEDES made it to the airport.
"All right, we made it!"
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are Third on Flight #1.)
"So when does the plane leave?" Anthony asked.
"I think it leaves at seven," Orson said.
"Great, a chance to catch up on some lost sleep," Mercedes hummed.
PAUL & MEIST had a little trouble locating the airport, however.
"Wasn't it on Elm Street, a block past Maple?" Paul asked.
"No, I think that's where the Lounge was," his wife answered.
"Then what was thirty blocks from the university?"
"I think that was the Pit Stop, dear."
(ZACK & CODY are eighth to depart.)
"Hmm, a city filled with animals?" Cody wondered. "I bet London would get a kick out of this place."
"What makes you think that?" Zack asked.
"Never mind that, let's just go!"
(HAL & MALCOLM are ninth to depart.)
"Oh, great, a city of animals!" Malcolm complained. "It probably all smells like dung!"
"Now, Malcolm," Hal said, trying to be a dad, "you shouldn't judge other cultures, even fictional ones, based on your own cultural norms. Maybe these animals are quite nice and humane, you know, for animals."
"Whatever, let's just go!"
(MIKE & SULLEY are last to depart.)
"Hey, a city of animals!" Mike noted, "you should blend right in, big guy!"
"Yeah, sounds good, let's go!"
While PAUL & MEIST were still wandering aimlessly lost, VIOLET & KLAUS made it to the airport.
"Well, this is surprising," Marty said. "I thought for sure that other married couple would get here before you guys did."
"You mean they're not here yet?" Violet asked. "Where are they? Did they get lost or something?"
"Must have," Anthony said.
(VIOLET & KLAUS are Fourth on Flight #1.)
Back outside, Paul noticed something unusual.
"Hey, look, I think those are two other teams!" He pointed. Sure enough, there were four characters with backpacks running, and it looked like none of them belonged in Cluedoville.
"They must be headed for the airport!" Meist said.
"Quickly, let's tail them!"
The married couple chased after the forms. The people they were chasing, incidentally, were two other teams, MAKO & REI and VIOLET & MICHAEL. These two weren't expecting much, but they thought if there was still an open spot on flight #1, there was going to be a footrace for it!
Both teams tried desperately to outdo the other, but it was hopelessly deadlocked. They burst through the airport door at the same time. Mako spotted the sign-up sheet first, but when Violet saw her dash off, she speedily gave chase. In desperation, she reached her hand out and slammed it on the counter.
"FIRST!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"All right, Violet!" Michael cheered as Violet claimed them the last spot on the first flight.
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are Last on Flight #1.)
"Ugh," Mako groaned. Her team was so close to moving up, now they were closer to being eliminated.
(MAKO & REI are First on Flight #2.)
After this, PAUL & MEIST burst in.
"Hey, we were almost worried about you," Roy noted.
"Roy, don't antagonize those behind us!" Orson chided.
(PAUL & MEIST are Second on Flight #2.)
Later, ZACK & CODY arrived.
"Hey, is there still room on the first flight outta here?" Zack asked.
"Sorry, all booked!" Michael said very smugly.
"Nuts!" Cody fumed. "At this rate, we'll be eliminated for sure!"
"Don't be so sure," Klaus pointed out. "Teams have been known to come from last to first!"
(ZACK & CODY are Third on Flight #2.)
MIKE & SULLEY, who had a bit more knowledge of the lay of the land, managed to get to the airport about three minutes ahead of HAL & MALCOLM. Not that it matters, both of those teams ended up on the same flight anyway.
(MIKE & SULLEY are Fourth on Flight #2.)
(HAL & MALCOLM are Last on Flight #2.)
"How typical," Malcolm said. "Not only are we on the later fight, but we got to the airport last. My life sucks."
"Oh, shut up!" Rei said. "I actually had a chance of getting on the first flight, and I missed it, but you don't hear me whining about it!"
"Um, I think you just did," Meist pointed out.
"You stay out of this!"
"Okay."
Eventually, seven o' clock did roll around. The first flight took off. Before the plane even landed, the racers caught a glimpse of the city. It was amazing that animals could have built such a fantastic city. When the plane landed, VIOLET & KLAUS were off the plane first, followed by ANTHONY & MERCEDES, ORSON & ROY, MARTY & JENNIFER, and VIOLET & MICHAEL.
"Now, the clue said we need to find a restaurant called Zoo Diet, or something like that," Marty said.
"Maybe one of the locals knows, hey, excuse me, sir!" Mercedes called out to a black cat in a T-shirt walking on his hind legs. "Can you tell us where Zoo Diet is?"
"Sorry, ma'am," the cat answered, "I'm just a tourist, I couldn't help you if I wanted to!"
"Honey, could you hurry it up?" said another cat. "The Millers will be expecting us when they get back from their vacation!"
"I'll be right there, just a sec! Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but the missus and I have a flight to catch, so, see ya!" The cat took off on all fours.
"Never ask for directions from a tourist," Mercedes reminded herself.
Klaus had a better idea. He went to the tourist information center just near the exit.
"May I help you?" asked the parrot behind the counter.
"Yeah, I'm looking for a restaurant called Zoo Diet, do you know where it is?"
"It's pronounced zoh-dee-AY, like it's French, and if you want to get there, just hop on the number twelve bus."
His sister caught up with him just as he was finishing up. "Okay," he said, "but how will I know the place when I see it?"
At this question, the parrot looked very annoyed. "It will have a big sign on it that says ZooDiet! Jeez, can't you think past the end of your own nose, you animal?"
Just as they were leaving, Anthony caught sight of the information kiosk. "Hey, Mer, I think the orphans just got directions, come on." He pulled a very surprised Mercedes Prefect to the parrot behind the desk. As he did, the other teams soon gave chase.
"Look, I'll tell you what I told that smart-mouth kid, your take the number twelve bus and you can't miss it?"
"Yeah, when do you think that bus will get here?"
"In about ten minutes. There's a stop outside, so you might want to…" The parrot looked up and saw that they were gone. "I'm seventeen," she muttered to herself, "I'm getting too old for this crap."
Outside, VIOLET & KLAUS were patiently waiting for the bus when they saw six other people running up the street, as well as a pig and a rooster.
"Oh, no, now our lead is shot!" Violet complained.
"Now that all the other teams are here, it's going to be a tight race." Klaus said.
"Too tight for my comfort, if you ask me. Oh, hey guys, you caught up! How wonderful!" Violet plastered on her best fake smile.
"You know what," said Michael, "why don't you take your flattery and shove it up your…"
"MIKE!" chided his partner.
"Oh, right, I forgot myself. Sorry."
"No, you're not," Violet Baudelaire pointed out, "but you're forgiven anyway."
"I sure hope this bus gets here soon," Anthony muttered to himself, "I can't stand to be around these guys, knowing they might just rip each other the pieces at the drop of a hat."
"Who are you talking to?" Jennifer asked.
"Nobody," Anthony said.
In due time, the bus did come. But it wasn't a large automobile, as one might expect. Come to think of it, there were no autos of any variety in Wild City, but that's beside the point. The point is, the bus was a large elephant, with a few birds riding on his back, and a large number 12 pasted to his ear.
"Route twelve, to ZooDiet, via Mainland," he said, as if reading from a script.
"We get to ride an elephant?" Violet Parr asked excitedly.
"Not until you pay the dollar fifty, you don't," said the elephant.
"Oh, of course, here." She put the money into a can tried to his neck, then went around to his rear and climbed the rope ladder she found there. The other racers did the same.
"Okay, is everyone on board who's coming aboard?" asked the elephant. Everyone said yes. "Good." Then the elephant (how can I put this?) cut the cheese. "Whew! Sorry about that, but I didn't want to blow that in your faces!"
"Oh, good grief!" Jennifer complained. "That has to be the foulest odor in the world!"
"I've smelled worse," Mercedes said calmly.
"Okay, sorry about that. And…we're moving!" The elephant strode slowly at first, but started to gain speed. As soon as the racers could breathe again, they took in the sights of the city.
"Wow," Roy said. "It's amazing that animals built all of this without human aid!"
"Well," said the elephant, "it just goes to show that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!"
"Yeah, why don't you embroider that on a pillow?" said Michael.
"I did, and it's quite comfortable, you snide little urchin! Approaching ZooDiet!"
Sure enough, there was a smallish bistro on the right with a neon sign out in front that read "ZooDiet."
"Thank you, sir," said Mercedes as the racers dismounted the elephant.
"You're welcome," he said as he departed.
"Okay, now where would chef Lambsey be?" asked Michael.
"Maybe in the kitchen?" Klaus said.
The racers dashed inside past the hostess, weaved in and out of crowds, and charged the kitchen. There, a route marker told them they were on the right track. Inside the kitchen, they started to look for a sheep, thinking that an animal named Lambsey would be of that species. But there were no sheep in the kitchen. Confused, Violet Baudelaire tapped on the shoulder of an ox cooking an omelet.
"Have you seen Head Chef Lambsey?" she asked.
"Um, no I haven't," he said, "uh, but I am Head Chef Lambsey!"
"You're Chef Lambsey? But you're an ox!"
"And you're a human! Now, if we're done identifying each other's species, I believe you're here for a clue?"
The young girl stifled a laugh as the bovine handed out clues to the five teams. Klaus ripped it open like a Christmas present.
"Another Detour," he stated, "Serve It or Eat It?"
Next, Ed was seen walking through the kitchen of ZooDiet.
"A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams will be handling animal's food, the only food served here at ZooDiet. The choice? Serve It or Eat It.
"In Serve It, teams will don these uniforms of waiters, and take orders from the various patrons in the restaurant. Once they have taken and delivered orders from four tables each, the manager will hand them the next clue. There's nothing disgusting about this task, and teams will receive cash compensation for their labor, but taking the orders is a tedious process, and it could take a while.
"In Eat It, teams will be seated at a table in the restaurant, and must order at least 23 dollars worth of food from the menu. When their order is delivered, they must eat all of it. When they're finished, the waiter will bring them the check, with the next clue underneath. There's nothing tedious about this task, and teams with strong stomachs can finish it quickly, but the cost of the meal will come out of their cash supply."
"Sister, what do you think? Should we eat it?"
"Eat grass? I think not! I say we Serve It!"
Anthony analyzed the options. "You know, they may have something here worth eating."
"And I am kind of hungry," Mercedes added. "Looks like we'll eat it!"
Orson and Roy didn't even think about it. "Chow time!" they both said.
"So, what are we doing, dear?" Jennifer asked.
"Ah, they don't have Pepsi," Marty noted. "Let's get to work."
"I don't mind either one," Michael told his partner. "Totally up to you."
Violet Parr thought for a moment. "You know, I've always wondered what zebra meat tastes like."
"That's my girl!" he said excitedly.
VIOLET & KLAUS and MARTY & JENNIFER quickly got on the uniforms of the waiters, grabbed some notepads, and took to the floor. Meanwhile, ANTHONY & MERCEDES, ORSON & ROY, and VIOLET & MICHAEL were escorted to a roped-off section of the dining area.
"My, my, they certainly are putting a pretty face on this task," Orson noted.
"Yeah, just like Fear Factor," quipped Violet.
"What's that?" asked Mercedes.
"You don't want to know," Roy told her.
The three teams were seated at three different tables. They were handed menus and told to wait patiently.
Elsewhere, Violet Baudelaire was taking an order from a family of canaries.
"Now, tell the nice girl what you want, Shelly," the mother coaxed.
"I want a cricket burger with cheese and ketchup."
"Uh, huh. And for you, madam?"
"I'd like a fried stuffed caterpillar, medium well, if you please, with a side of flies."
"Naturally. And you, sir?"
"Can I get a BLT sandwich?"
"Bacon, lettuce, and tomato?" Violet asked befuddled.
"No, butterfly, louse, and termite! We're insectivores, get with the program!"
"Okay, okay, no need to be rude! Okay, I have a BLT sandwich, insectivore style, fried stuffed caterpillar, medium well, side of flies, and a cricket burger with cheese and ketchup. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"No thank you," said the father.
"All right, your order will be right out." Violet tore off the sheet and rushed to the kitchen.
Marty was taking an order from a couple of snakes.
"I'll have a deep fried mouse," said the male.
"No, dear, you remember what the doctor said! No more oily fats!"
"Oh, come on! It's our anniversary!"
The female hissed at him.
"All right, fine, get me a grilled mouse."
"Make it two!"
"All right," Marty told them, "I'll get right on it!"
Klaus was taking an order from a tiger that was eating alone.
"Get me a pork chop," the tiger told him.
"Wait a minute, tigers don't eat pigs," Klaus said. "They're not indigenous to the same global areas."
The tiger wasn't impressed. "Ever hear the expression 'the customer is always right'?"
"Yeah, but…"
"Then save your biology lesson for someone who cares, and get me a damn pork chop!"
His roar put Klaus in his place. "Yes, sir, right away, sir!" And he ran to the kitchen.
Elsewhere, Jennifer was dealing with a rather forward hippopotamus.
"Hey, good lookin', whatcha got cookin'?" he asked.
"Well, chef Lambsey told me today's special was the Kentucky bluegrass salad with olive oil."
"Hmm. I've never had Kentucky bluegrass before. It might be worth a try. I'll have that, and could you get me some tomatoes too?"
"Sure thing, sir. Your order will be right out."
Around this time, a wooly sheep wearing the same uniform as those four racers walked up to the roped-off area of the restaurant.
"Good day," he said, "My name is Larry, and I will be your waiter for this meal." He first visited Orson & Roy. "What can I get for you gentlemen today?"
Orson looked a little nervous. "Um, I noticed the chef making a dish of eggs, just what kind of eggs were those?"
"I wouldn't know, we serve all kinds of eggs here, chicken eggs, duck eggs, snake eggs, even ant eggs!"
"Okay, I think I'll have a snake egg omelet, with tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions."
"No bacon, ham, or sausage? Oh, wait, you're a pig, never mind, forget I said that. And for you, sir?"
"I'll have the bottomless bowl of chicken feed, if you please," said Roy.
"Got it," Larry said, jotting it down. Next, he took an order from Anthony & Mercedes. "You know, we don't get many humans as customers, what with them being a little bit finicky, you know."
"Not that it matters," Mercedes said, "but I'm not technically human."
"Whatever, can I take your orders?"
"I'll have the moose sausage," said Anthony, "with a baked potato on the side."
"And what would you like on that?"
"Bacon and chives, thank you."
"Okay, and you madam?"
"I think I'll have the stuffed snake, de-fanged, if you can manage that, cooked rare, and carrots to go with it."
"Excellent choice, the hawk community just loves our stuffed snakes." At last, Larry came to the two supers.
"Can you recommend the zebra steak?" Violet asked Larry.
"No, I don't eat meat, but I haven't heard one word of complaint from the lions who do eat it."
"Great, I'll have that, well done, if you please."
"And for you, sir?"
"What's this thing called hopper stew?"
"Hopper as in grasshopper?"
"Oh! Well, I don't think I want that. Um, I think I'll just have a tuna fish sandwich."
"Okay, it's your money. I will be back with your food!"
Over in the kitchen, chef Lambsey brought out a tray containing a very expertly prepared array of bugs. "Order up!" he said, tapping a bell with his hoof.
Violet Baudelaire grabbed the tray with one hand and a folding tray stand with the other. Like she had been doing it her whole life, she brought the food to the canaries' table, set up the tray holder, and set the tray on it.
"Okay," she said, "a BLT for the gentleman…I mean gentlebird…stuffed caterpillar for the lady, and a cricket burger for the little one."
"I'm not little!" the bird insisted, "I'm this many years old!"
"Of course you are!" Violet answered. Quickly, she departed. She had more tables to wait on.
Marty and Klaus got their orders at about the same time. Unfortunately, they got each other's orders mixed up. They didn't realize their mistake until Klaus got back to the tiger.
"What's this? I ask for a pork chop and you bring me two grilled mice? This is an outrage!"
"I'm sorry, I must have grabbed someone else's order. It was a mistake…"
"You're damn right it's a mistake! Now, fix it before I bite your head off! Don't think I'm kidding, 'cause I'll do it!"
There was no doubt in Klaus' mind that he would. Quickly, he picked up the mice and sought out where the pork chop had gone. He bumped into Marty.
"Oh, thank God, you have the mice," Marty said.
Klaus chuckled slightly. "It's actually kind of funny when you think about it!"
As Marty grabbed the plate and raced back to the snakes' table, he unexpectedly ran into his wife, literally. Jennifer stumbled backward and slipped on a loose spoon. She fell on her back, and the bluegrass salad fell on top of her face.
Dejected, Jen pulled herself up, brushed the olive oil out of her eyes, and sadly turned back to the kitchen.
"We're going to need another special," Jen told the chef. "Ow, my back!"
Around this time, Larry returned to the racers who elected to Eat It, with their food in tow. He gave Orson & Roy their food first, then Anthony & Mercedes, and lastly, Violet and Michael. The racers immediately started to scarf themselves on their meals. Only after the initial chewing and swallowing did conversation start.
"You know, this stuffed snake is mighty tasty!" Mercedes commented. "It's a little dry, but with some gravy, it would be superb!"
"Hmm. This steak is a little tough," Violet said. "Hey, Anthony, how's that sausage?"
"Better than I would have expected," he told her. "Of course, nothing can compare to the bacon at the Big Bang Café."
"No, no," Mercedes said, "the bacon at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is much better."
"Roy, don't go overboard on the bottomless birdseed," Orson said, "We're in a race, remember?"
Over in another part of the restaurant, VIOLET & KLAUS were talking with the restaurant manager, Ken the Kodiak Bear.
"Well done, you guys," he told them, "you handled those customers expertly. Now, before I give you the clue, there's a matter of payment. It wouldn't be right of me to take advantage of you guys without compensation. So, I am gladly going to pay you 10 dollars each for each table you waited on. That's 40 for you, Violet, and 40 for you, Klaus." He handed each of them a wad of cash. They took the money from his paw. "And here is your next clue." Ken handed them an envelope with his mouth.
(VIOLET & KLAUS are currently in first place.)
Violet ripped open the clue and read, "Travel by taxi to Jungle Street…"
Teams must now travel by taxi to Jungle Street, a few blocks east of ZooDiet, and locate this mostly empty lot, where the next clue is located. What teams don't know is that the clues have been hung from these acacia trees seven feet off the ground, and will have to figure out for themselves a way to get it down.
"Come on, let's go!" Klaus said. The orphans ran outside and stood on the sidewalk.
"TAXI!" Violet called.
A horse pulled up next to the curb.
"Where to, toots?" he asked.
"Oh, I get it, the taxis are horses, just like the elephant is a bus!"
"Yeah, now are you riding or running?"
The Baudelaires climbed on the taxi's back, and off he ran.
Back in the restaurant, the teams electing to eat were just about finished with their meal. Orson and Roy wiped up their faces and asked for the check. Larry came around and handed everyone the bill for their food, and an envelope they were told not to open until they paid the check.
The three teams dug out the money to pay for it, got both money and bill into one hand, and made a mad dash for the door. ORSON & ROY beat ANTHONY & MERCEDES and VIOLET & MICHAEL by a fraction of an inch.
(ORSON & ROY are currently in second place.)
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are currently in third place.)
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are currently in fourth place.)
"Travel by taxi?" Mercedes asked. "I wasn't aware there were autos in Wild City."
"There ain't," said someone. The six turned around and saw it was a horse. "I'm your taxi. Where do you want to go?"
"Could you please take us to Jungle Street?" Anthony asked as they climbed aboard.
"No problem," said the horse. As soon as they were on, he took off.
Violet blew her hair out of her face. "Hopefully, the next taxi will come quickly!"
Just as she said that, the second charter flight from Cluedoville landed at the airport. Off the plane came PAUL & MEIST, MAKO & REI, MIKE & SULLEY, ZACK & CODY, and HAL & MALCOLM.
"Now, we have to find ZooDiet," said Meist.
"Maybe we can find out from that information kiosk," Mike suggested.
They all ran to the tourist information center, where that same parrot was working.
"Yes, to get to ZooDiet, you just take the number twelve bus," she told them. At least this time, she watched them run out the door.
Outside, the teams watched as the elephant started to pull away from the stop.
"NO! WAIT!" the racers all begged, running after him. "WE NEED TO GET TO THE RESTAURANT!"
The elephant must have heard them, because he stopped and let them get on. The racers were relieved.
While they were riding the elephant, MARTY & JENNIFER finally got four tables waited on each. Ken paid them the 80 bucks and gave them the next clue.
(MARTY & JENNIFER are currently in fifth place.)
"Come on, honey, we got to get a taxi!" Jennifer said.
The elderly couple dashed out side to find the farm animals and the supers just standing there. Michael took notice of them right away.
"Oh, great, did it get older in here or is it just me?"
"Why don't you show some respect for your elders?" Jennifer asked.
"I tell you, when Yield season comes around, those two will have a bounty on their heads!" Marty whispered.
At that moment, another taxicab, eh, taxi-horse strode up. All three of the teams there tried to get his attention, and they all succeeded. But, he only agreed to take ORSON & ROY. "We animals have to stick together," he said.
Needless to say, the teams left behind were not happy. To make matters worse, an elephant bus pulled up, carrying the other five teams.
"Hey, guys!" Mako said, trying to be nice. "How's the challenge in here?"
What could they say? "You'll see!"
The five teams on the later flight burst into ZooDiet like a hurricane. It was Cody who led them to the kitchen. They didn't have to look for chef Lambsey, he revealed himself. As he handed out the clues, Hal made the idiot mistake of pointing out that he was an ox.
"I'm not really an ox," the chef answered. "I may have ox horns, an ox hide, and ox hooves, but all that really makes me is a peacock in disguise!"
"All right, all right, you don't have to be snippy about it!"
There was a very loud noise as the five teams opened their clues all at once.
"I say we eat it," Paul told his wife. She agreed.
"I can't stand to eat veggies," Rei told Mako. "Let's serve it."
"We can digest anything," Mike told Sulley. "We are so going to eat it!"
"We could stand to have a little extra money in our supply," said Cody. "Let's serve it."
"I'm not all that hungry," Malcolm said. "We could serve it."
The hostess showed PAUL & MEIST and MIKE & SULLEY to the sectioned-off part of the restaurant. MAKO & REI, ZACK & CODY, and HAL & MALCOLM got on their uniforms and got to work.
While this was going on, VIOLET & KLAUS had arrived at the marked lot on Jungle Street.
"Here we are," Klaus told the horse. "Stay here, we may need you later."
"All right," said the horse, "but I'm leaving the meter running."
"What meter?" Klaus asked.
"The meter is in my head," explained the horse.
The Baudelaires stepped down from the horse and wandered onto the mostly empty lot.
"Well, where's the next clue?" Violet asked a nearby monkey. He was wearing a uniform that told her he was a race official.
"These trees are growing a strange kind of fruit, don't you think?" he told them. They looked up and saw the clues, each one dangling from a different tree.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Violet said. "How are we supposed to get them down?"
"I hate to say this, but it's in my script," said the monkey. "Not my problem!"
"Humph! So we have to figure out a way to get the clue down ourselves?"
"That's the idea!"
"No problem," Violet answered, tying her hair up. "All right, Klaus, give me a boost. We need to see how high up this clue is."
Klaus lifted his sister up and held her for as long as he could. Violet reached up, and tried to grab the clue, but it was still too high to reach. When the last of Klaus's energy had left, he and Violet tumbled and fell in a small heap. It was very painful.
"Okay, so much for that idea," said Violet.
Back outside the restaurant, the supers and the elderly couple were still waiting for a cab. When another horse pulled up, the two teams fought over who was going to hire him, until the horse said, "I can take all four of you, there's no need to fight." Deciding that racing was better than standing there fighting, VIOLET & MICHAEL agreed to share the cab with MARTY & JENNIFER.
Inside the restaurant, the teams serving were hustling and bustling. Rei had just finished taking orders from her four tables, and was delivering them to the kitchen. Wanting to keep busy, she went to bus some tables while waiting for the food to cook.
Zack, on the other hand, wasn't as cheerful and willing. He took one order, delivered it to the kitchen, and then just stood there, leaning against the wall. Nobody said anything about it, until Ken the manager saw him.
"Zack, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be taking orders?"
"I already did," he told him, "and now I'm waiting for their food to cook."
"And how many orders did you take?"
"Just the one, why?"
"Did it ever occur to you that you might be done with this task more quickly if you took orders while waiting for the first table's food?"
Zack's expression changed. "No it didn't, but now that you mention it, it sounds like a good idea!" And he went back to work.
Seconds later, Cody appeared. Ken told him about the exchange he just had with his twin brother, and asked, "Is he for real?"
"Who would fake that?" Cody answered.
At another table, Malcolm had made the same mistake that Klaus had made earlier. Evidently, when a lion wants a salad, you give him a salad, and "while we're young!"
Over at the area set aside for racers electing to eat it, Larry the sheep had arrived to take orders from the gathered. He started with PAUL & MEIST, the latter of whom wasn't sure what to order.
"Ah, well, um," she said thoughtfully, "what do you recommend?"
"Well, you know, we don't get many humans as customers, but there was a woman in here recently who said she enjoyed the stuffed snake."
"Yeah, um what exactly is it stuffed with?"
"Mouse meat, onions, bell peppers, duck eggs, you know, things like that."
Meist's nose wrinkled. "Thanks, sounds appetizing, but I think I'll just have an order of carrots, and maybe some cherry juice."
"Okay, suit yourself. And you sir? Remember, to complete this task, your bill must come to at least 23 dollars."
Paul examined the menu thoughtfully. "Okay, I'll have the rotisserie hippo, with the mushroom sauce, and an apple on the side."
"Excellent choice, sir." Larry moseyed over to where the monsters where seated.
"Oh," Mike said, "we'll have whatever the special is today!"
"That would be the Kentucky bluegrass salad, with olive oil dressing." Larry told them.
"Mmm! Appetizing!" said Sulley. "We'll have two!"
"Very good, gentlemen, your order will be right out."
Over on Jungle Street, ANTHONY & MERCEDES had arrived at the marked lot. They saw the Baudelaires milling about.
"Where's the next clue?" asked Anthony. The race official pointed them to the trees.
"Here, Anthony, let me get on your shoulders," said Mercedes. Unlike the very short Violet and Klaus, the hitchhikers were indeed tall enough to reach the clue.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are currently in first place.)
Mercedes opened the clue. "Roadblock. Who's got the heart of a predator?"
The next shot was one of Ed in a pen full of mice.
"A Roadblock is a task that only one person can perform, and no person can perform more than six. In this Roadblock, that person will have to climb into this mouse pit across the street from the trees. Once there, they will have to catch five mice, and place them in one of these cages. Once they have caught five mice, they will be handed the next clue."
"You want to do this one, Mer?" Anthony asked.
"Sure, why not?" she answered. Before they left, she told the orphans, "Try throwing rocks at the clue. One hit should knock it down."
Taking that suggestion to heart, Klaus picked up a rock and chucked it at the clue. To their surprise, it hit, and the clue came down!"
(VIOLET & KLAUS are currently in second place.)
"Who has the heart of a predator?" Violet read. "I think you do, Klaus."
"All right, I'll do it," he said.
They raced for the mouse pit just steps behind Anthony and Mercedes. Mercedes and Klaus placed their hands on the wall and jumped over. The mice scurried away, so as not to be squashed underfoot.
"Okay, mice, come to mama," Mercedes coaxed. She got down on all fours to get a better view. She brought her hand up, ready to slap it down on a mouse and grab it. She got one in her sights, and when she felt the moment was right, she struck! But the mouse seemed to sense it was in danger, and ran away just in time.
On the other side of the pen, Klaus wasn't having much better luck. He chased after the mice, only to find them much faster than the books he read had led him to believe. Like a fool, he chased one of the mice wherever it went, which led him to run into Mercedes, violently.
"Ow!" she said as she tumbled to the dirt. "Jeez, did anyone ever tell you that you have a hard head?"
"Sorry!" he said.
"All right, Mercedes," she told herself. "Focus, concentrate. Get the mouse." She noticed one of them moving a little slower than the rest. She brought her hand down on top of it, and caught it!
"Yes! One down, four to go!"
Meanwhile, back at ZooDiet, Mako & Rei had made short work of their task. Ken paid them their due, plus a little extra for Rei's extra work.
(MAKO & REI are currently in sixth place.)
"Travel by taxi?" Mako asked. "I don't remember seeing any taxis on the street."
"All taxis in Wild City are horses," Ken explained.
"Oh, okay!" The girls rushed outside, arms waving, hollering "TAXI!" The first animal to pull up to them was not a horse, but an ostrich.
"Need a lift?" the ostrich asked.
"Oh, thanks, but we need a taxi, the rules said!" Rei told her.
"I am a taxi! My name's Jenna." Her expression changed when she got a good look at them. "Oh my God! I know you!"
"Huh?" asked Mako.
"You're Sailor Jupiter! And you're Sailor Mars!"
"Shh!" Rei said, "how did you know that?"
"I love your show, I watch it all the time! Hey, I'll take you anywhere you want, free of charge!"
"Really? Gee, thanks! We need to get to Jungle Street, and fast; we're in a race!"
"No problem," Jenna said, "I'm faster than any horse in this town!" Off they went.
Over on Jungle Street, ORSON & ROY had arrived at the marked lot. They paid their taxi and he trotted away. They noticed that the clues were hung from trees.
"This isn't a problem," Orson said. "I'll just climb the tree and get it." He climbed up the trunk of the tree and grabbed the branch that the clue was attached to. In time, he shook it loose, and Roy caught it.
(ORSON & ROY are still in third place.)
"Roadblock," Roy read. "I've got the heart of a predator, easy!"
While the farm animals crossed the street, the taxi carrying VIOLET & MICHAEL and MARTY & JENNIFER pulled up.
When they noticed that the clues were hung from trees, the two teams tried different approaches. Violet stood on Michael's shoulders while Marty tried to knock it down with a rock. As it so happens, the supers got their clue first.
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are currently in fourth place.)
"Who's got the heart of a predator?" Michael read. "I do!"
While Marty kept trying to knock the clue down, Violet and Michael crossed the street to the mouse pit. By this time, Mercedes and Klaus had caught four mice each.
"Come on, brother, one more mouse!" Violet Baudelaire coached.
"Go Mercedes!" Anthony shouted, "Show those mice who's boss!"
Just then, Mercedes and Klaus got their sights on the very same mouse. They both made a diving grab at it. Dust was ejected into the very air, and when it settled, Klaus had his fist around the mouse.
"Got it!" he said. His task was completed! Violet gladly took a clue from a race official.
(VIOLET & KLAUS are currently in first place.)
"Make your way to the next Pit Stop, the Wild City greenhouse."
Teams must now make their way to the Wild City greenhouse, where most of the citizen's food is grown. The hothouse of botanical activity is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
"Quick," said Klaus, "we better get back to our cab before the horse charges us more money than we have!"
"Relax, brother," Violet said. "With the extra money we made at the restaurant, we can afford a higher fare."
As they took off, Mercedes noticed that the race officials were releasing the mice that Klaus had caught. Then she had an idea. She crouched next to the cage, and caught one of the mice in mid-air as it fell.
"Hey, the clue said I had to catch the mice. It didn't say they had to be on the ground!"
The official wasn't too pleased, but in the interest of speeding things up, he ruled that she had completed the task.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are currently in second place.)
"Make your way to the next PIT STOP!" Anthony read excitedly. "Quickly, let's go!"
As they were leaving, they noticed that Marty had finally succeeded in getting the clue down.
(MARTY & JENNIFER are currently in fifth place.)
"Roadblock," Marty read. "I'll take care of this one, dear!"
Back in the mouse pit, Roy quickly caught two mice as the official was releasing Mercedes' mice. This catch put him ahead of Michael by one mouse. Seconds later, Marty vaulted the wall and started to collect mice.
While this was going on, the teams at ZooDiet were just finishing up. PAUL & MEIST got out just steps ahead of MIKE & SULLEY. Later, HAL & MALCOLM were out of there. The three of them were still waiting for a cab when ZACK & CODY arrived.
"Oh great, I thought were we going to leave the little clones high and dry," Paul complained.
A cab came by, and offered to take PAUL & MEIST.
"With our luck, it will be ages before another cab comes by," Malcolm stated.
Over on Jungle Street, Roy was one mouse away from the next clue.
"All right, mice, prepare to be captured!" He crouched down to the mice's level, and spotted one. Then, he pounced on it like a cat. It worked!
"Yes! This one makes five!" Excitedly, Orson grabbed the clue from the official.
(ORSON & ROY are still in third place.)
"…Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated," read Orson. "Let's move, Roy!"
When the race official released Roy's mice, Michael was predictably right underneath, trying to catch some. He managed to grab two, one in each hand.
"Ow!" one of the mice screamed, "why do you have to squeeze so hard?"
"Oh, sorry, I had no idea!" he apologized.
"It's all right," the mouse responded. "It's just to bad I'll never have anymore kids. Wait, what am I saying?"
Anyway, with those two mice, Michael now had five. With the task complete, the supers were given the next clue.
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are currently in fourth place.)
"Come on, Mike, let's move!" Violet said.
While they were leaving, Jenna the ostrich arrived with MAKO & REI. The anime girls leapt from the bird's back and located the marked lot.
"Huh?" Mako said. "How are we supposed to get the clue down?"
"Not my problem," said the monkey.
"Hmm," Rei said thoughtfully. "Hey, Jenna, do you think you could help us get that clue down?"
"No problem!" Jenna entered the lot, found one of the hanging clues, grabbed it in her beak, and brought it down to the girls.
(MAKO & REI are still in sixth place.)
"Who has the heart of a predator?" Mako read. "You do, Rei!"
Over on another side of town, VIOLET & KLAUS had located the Wild City greenhouse. They paid their taxi, dismounted, and ran to the mat. Ed was waiting there with a kangaroo.
"G'day," said the roo, "and welcome to Wild City!"
"Thank you," said Klaus.
"Violet and Klaus…you are team number one!"
(VIOLET & KLAUS 1ST PLACE.)
"Whoo-hoo!" Violet cheered. "First place! We're the luckiest we've been in a long time!"
"And I have more good news for you!" Ed told them. "As the winners of this leg of the race, you've won…25,000 dollars!"
"Awesome!" Klaus cheered.
Back on Jungle Street, Marty was almost finished with his task. He needed just one more mouse. Trying a different approach, he rested his hand on the ground, thinking a curious mouse would just wander into his hand. A mouse came by, looked at Marty, and shook his head.
"You don't really think we're that stupid, do you?" the mouse asked.
"Anything's worth trying once," Marty answered.
"Well, you only need one more of us, and I can see you're desperate to get out of here, so I'll help you out." The mouse walked onto Marty's hand, and Marty took it to the cage. Jennifer was handed the next clue.
(MARTY & JENNIFER are still in fifth place.)
"…Warning, the last team to check in may be eliminated," she read. "Hurry up, Marty!"
Around this time, the cab carrying PAUL & MEIST arrived on Jungle Street. Paul was the first to spot the marked lot. Meist, on the other hand, saw Rei trying to catch mice.
"Honey, I'll bet that's our next challenge," she told him.
But Paul paid her no heed. "Look at that, Meist," he said pointing, "The clues are hanging from the trees."
"Huh. Looks like I'll have to stand on your shoulders."
"Let's do it!" The couple leapt from the horse's back and ran to the tree. Paul got there first and crouched down. Then Meist came up behind him and wrapped her legs around his neck. Then he stood up suddenly, and she grabbed the clue. But, Paul miscalculated the speed, and as a result, he lost his balance. He and Meist tumbled to the dirt, and it was very painful. Luckily, they got the clue before they fell.
(PAUL & MEIST are currently in seventh place.)
"It's a Roadblock, dear," Meist said. "You're pretty good at catching mice."
"How do you know it's mouse catching?"
"Look over there," she told him, pointing. This time, Paul noticed the anime girl in a pen of mice.
"Okay, wish me luck, then." And they crossed the street.
Back at the greenhouse, another team was checking in.
"Anthony and Mercedes, you're team number two!"
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES 2ND PLACE.)
"Cool!" Anthony said. "We moved up a notch!"
On Jungle Street, another taxicab pulled up. This one carried MIKE & SULLEY. They raced to the marked lot and saw the clues hanging from trees.
"Well, go on, big guy," said Mike, "Get us our next clue!"
Sulley went over to one of the trees and reached for a clue. He found that he could get it without any help at all.
(MIKE & SULLEY are currently in eighth place.)
"Roadblock," Sulley read. "Who's got the heart of a predator? I think I'd better do this one, Mike."
Sulley dashed to the other side of the street. He leapt over the wall and landed with a thud. The reverberation caused two mice to escape from Rei's cage, and one from Paul's.
"Hey!" shouted Mako. "That's not fair! Now she has to catch two more mice because the blue one can't control his body fat?" But the race official assured them all that nobody would be penalized because of this little mishap.
"Cool!" Rei said. "That means I just have to catch one more mouse, and we're out of here!" She focused on one mouse, and put a hand down to block its path. When the mouse turned, she stopped it again. Once the mouse stopped, totally confused, she pounced on it. When she placed it in her cage, she was told the task was complete.
(MAKO & REI are still in sixth place.)
"All right!" Rei cheered, "The Pit Stop!"
"Hey, Jenna," Mako asked, "Do you know where the greenhouse is?"
"Sure do!"
At the greenhouse, two creatures that looked like they would fit in just fine in Wild City arrived at the mat.
"Orson and Roy, team number three!"
(ORSON & ROY 3RD PLACE.)
"Aw, man, we moved down!" Roy complained, "but at least we're still in the race!"
"Okay, could you step off the mat, please? I think I see another team coming."
Sure enough, VIOLET & MICHAEL were rushing to the Pit Stop.
"Violet & Michael, you are team number four!"
(VIOLET & MICHAEL 4TH PLACE.)
"Awesome!" Michael cheered. "Next leg, we're going to win!"
Back on Jungle Street, another taxicab arrived. HAL & MALCOLM and ZACK & CODY shared this one. They noticed not only that the clues were hung from trees, but also that there were only two left. Quickly, they jumped off the horse and ran to the lot.
While they were still running, Paul caught his fifth mouse, and even though there were only four mice in his cage, the task was declared complete.
(PAUL & MEIST are still in seventh place.)
"Quickly, honey," said Meist. "It's the Pit Stop!"
Across the street, Malcolm started climbing one of the last two trees, while Zack climbed the other. They both decided to shake the clue loose, like Orson did earlier. They got their clues at about the same time.
(ZACK & CODY are currently tied for ninth place with HAL & MALCOLM.)
"Who's got the heart of a predator?" Zack read. "You better do this one, Cody."
"Think you can handle this one, Dad?" Malcolm asked.
"Okay, I'll do it."
The two teams crossed the street and the Roadblockers (a/n: Like that word? I made it up myself) vaulted the wall.
Somewhere halfway between Jungle Street and the Pit Stop, Mako and Rei noticed something.
"Isn't that one of the other teams?"
"Yeah, I think it is."
"Hey Jenna, do you think you can pass that horse?"
"No sweat!" Jenna started to pick up speed. She changed into the fast lane and was neck and neck with the horse.
"Hey there, Jimmy!" Jenna said to the horse. "Nice to see you again!"
"Hello Jenna," the horse answered. "Are you hungry? Because you're about to eat my dust!"
"No, I'm not hungry, but it looks like you're coming down with something."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, slowpoke-itis!" With that, Jenna sprinted past Jimmy, carrying MAKO & REI ahead of MARTY & JENNIFER.
"Ugh!" Jennifer fumed. "Well, don't just stand there! Catch up to that ostrich!"
"It's no use," the horse told them. "Jenna's the fastest cab in the city."
"Great," Marty said, "And what are you, the most pessimistic?"
"One more word out of you, and I'll buck you like a bronco!"
"Sorry, just take us to the greenhouse. At least we won't be last."
Back on Jungle Street, Sulley was just finishing up on his mice. He reached down and found a mouse that was paralyzed with fear. Then scooped it up, and put it in the cage. That made five.
(MIKE & SULLEY are still in eighth place.)
"…Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated." Mike read. "Come on, big guy, let's motor!"
At this point, both Hal and Cody had caught only one mouse each. They both realized this was a race not to be last. Hal and Cody redoubled their efforts. It was now or never.
Over at the greenhouse, an ostrich with two anime girls on her back showed up. The girls and the ostrich stood on the mat.
"Mako and Rei, team number five!"
(MAKO & REI 5TH PLACE.)
The girls were so happy; they hugged each other tightly, jumping with excitement.
"We couldn't have made it this far without Jenna here," Mako pointed out. Jenna blushed and ruffled her feathers.
Later, a dejected elderly couple checked into the Pit Stop.
"Marty & Jennifer, team number six."
(MARTY & JENNIFER 6TH PLACE.)
"Okay," Jennifer said. "We'll take it."
Back on Jungle Street, Zack was up to three mice. Hal still had only two. Then, both Roadblockers saw the same mouse and dived after it. By just microseconds, Hal beat Cody to it. Of course, Cody thought otherwise.
"Hey, that's my mouse!" he said.
"No, it's my mouse!" Hal shot back. "I got to it first!"
"Only because you pushed me!" Cody yelled.
"Gentlemen!" said a small soft voice. They looked and saw it was the mouse speaking. "This argument is pointless! I know who got to me first!"
"Who?" they both asked.
"It was the elder man," the mouse said calmly.
"HA!" Hal shouted. As he put the mouse in his cage, he spat, "Three, all!"
Back at the greenhouse, another married couple checked in.
"Paul and Meist, team number seven!"
(PAUL & MEIST 7TH PLACE.)
"Aw, we took a tumble," said Paul, "But we're still in it!"
"Yes, you are," Ed told them.
Back at the mouse pit, the score was tied at four to four. Both teams realized that one mouse would determine who would stay, and who would be eliminated.
Cody had his eye on one mouse. He placed a finger on its tail, and slowly picked it up. Hal had his eye on another mouse. He trapped it the way Rei did earlier. Once each of them had a mouse, they looked at each other and saw what the situation was.
It was a race to the cages now. They dashed as fast as they possibly could. As near as race officials could tell, they each deposited their fifth mouse at the same time. Therefore, both teams were given the Pit Stop clue at the same time.
(HAL & MALCOLM are still tied for ninth place with ZACK & CODY.)
"Make your way to the next Pit Stop, the Wild City greenhouse…" Malcolm read.
"…Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated," read Zack.
The two very close teams tried to get taxis.
Over at the greenhouse, another team was checking in.
"Mike and Sulley, you're team number eight!"
(MIKE & SULLEY 8TH PLACE.)
"Ow!" Mike did his victory dance again. Something inside Sulley told him that Mike would be happier with the TV face time than the fictional million dollars.
While this was happening, HAL & MALCOLM were riding a horse at full gallop to the greenhouse. ZACK & CODY's horse had taken a different route, so we couldn't show them side by side.
The next shot was one of Ed pointing toward the coming team. Then a shot of the Wilkerson boys running on a grassy area. Next, the Martin twins were seen running on gravel. Then a first-person shot of the ninth place team running up to the mat. And it's not until the camera spins around that we see it's…HAL & MALCOLM.
"Hal and Malcolm, you are team number nine!"
(HAL & MALCOLM 9TH PLACE.)
"What?" Hal asked.
"Yes, you are still in the Amazing Race!"
"Cool!" Malcolm said, half not caring.
Another depressing interlude played in the background as Zack and Cody strolled into the Pit Stop.
"Welcome to Wild City," said the kangaroo.
"Thanks," Cody said.
"Zack and Cody, you're the last team to arrive."
(ZACK & CODY LAST PLACE.)
"I'm sorry to tell you that you've been eliminated from the race."
"That's okay," Cody said. "I had fun anyway."
"Yeah, if we never signed up for the race, we never would have seen this Wild City!"
"You know, I think we may vacation here someday!"
"Good luck talking Mom into it!" said Zack.
"Well, I'm a little upset that we didn't win the fictional million," Zack told the camera, "but I enjoyed traveling through Dreamland. Now I can say that I rode an elephant!"
"I'm surprised at how well Zack is taking our loss," Cody confessed. "I thought for sure he'd spill over into a wail, but he's taking it like a man! I'm impressed!"
ON THE NEXT AMAZING RACE: DREAMLAND…
Teams travel to the Big Big Mall, a shopping center so massive, it's been declared a city.
And on the way there, one team suffers a blowout!
(A/N: I haven't yet decided which team will get the flat tire, but someone has to. Tell me in your reviews which team you want to give the flat tire to. Or, discuss it in the new forum I've created for this fic. You'll find it on my profile page. Until next time!)