Before the race continued, Edward Nemo was seen outside a red and white striped tent. It was dark and stormy in the background.
"Have you ever had a nightmare? If you have, it probably came from this place, Hallow's End. Here, there's enough spooky stuff to fill a million nightmares. And near the edge of town is just one of them, the Hallow's End Travelling Carnival. A rare mixture of fun and horror, this nomadic destination was the fifth Pit Stop in the Amazing Race.
"The seven remaining teams checked in here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period. This allowed time for them to eat, sleep (yeah, right!), and mingle with the other teams. Although Mike and Sulley finished sixth on this leg, they have elected to cash in the Time Clock they found on the Eastern Sea, and will depart an hour earlier than they would have otherwise.
"Because first place team Paul & Meist arrived more than one hour ahead of the monsters, Mike & Sulley will depart second overall. Can Paul & Meist maintain the massive lead gained by the Fast Forward? Can Violet & Klaus overcome their heavy penalty and pull out of last place? And will cashing in the Time Clock now prove advantageous to Mike & Sulley?
"Paul & Meist, who were first to arrive at 1:46 AM, will depart at 1:46 PM."
It's daylight, for a change. Of course, most of the businesses are closed. Paul & Meist are standing outside the tent, waiting to open the clue.
"So, that clown we met seemed nice," Paul said. "He's not really that scary once you get to know him."
"Yeah, maybe," Meist responded. "I just wish he wouldn't have kept trying to get up my blouse."
"You and me both." At that moment, they were told it was okay to open the clue, so Paul did.
"Travel to the train depot and board a line bound for Peach Town…"
According to Hallow's End law, airplanes can neither land in nor take off from the airport during the sunlit hours. Instead, teams must travel by train 422 miles to Peach Town, an authentic 1876 western town that was built in 2004. Upon arrival, teams must locate the Ronald Reagan Memorial Saloon, where they will find the next clue.
"…Six teams will have 42 dollars for this leg of the race, one team will have zero dollars," Paul read. As soon as Meist confirmed that all the money was there, they were off.
"Those poor orphans," Meist said while she ran. "I hope they can overcome that massive penalty."
"But not so much that they win instead of us, of course?" Paul asked.
"Oh, yeah, of course!"
"Here's the train station," Paul said. He ran up to the counter, and saw a human, sort of. Well, the guy's face was put together like a patchwork quilt, if you get my drift.
"What do you want?" he said just before a loud yawn.
"Um, we need to get on a train to Peach Town."
"Just my luck," the clerk muttered. "The day I make a bet with my boss that I don't get any customers during the late afternoon shift, some looney tourists want to get to Peach Town in the wee hours of the night!" He got on his computer and typed something. "Okay, there's a train coming into the station at about two-thirty, it'll be in Peach Town about two hours after that. If you're in some kind of race, that would be your best bet."
"Great, we'll take it!"
(PAUL & MEIST – First on Train #1.)
"Hmm," Meist said thoughtfully. "Do you think any other teams will get here while we're waiting?"
"They might," Paul said.
"Then that means the lead we got from the Fast Forward will be shot!"
"Maybe not."
"What do you mean?" Meist asked.
Paul whispered in her ear.
(MIKE & SULLEY are second to depart.)
"Caution: Yield ahead," Sulley read.
"Let's hurry," Mike said. "Maybe we can catch the Cohas."
The monsters took off. They reached the station with plenty of time to spare.
(MIKE & SULLEY – Second on Train #1.)
"Hello, there," Paul said when they arrived.
"Hey, what's shaking!" Mike responded.
Both teams settled in, and waited for the train to arrive. While they did, Mike had an idea.
"Hey, Sulley. I don't think any other teams are going to make this train."
"Maybe so. Think we can beat them in a footrace?"
"What if we didn't have to?"
"Huh?"
"The clue said 'Caution: Yield ahead.' That means the next thing we'll encounter is the Yield."
"Ah, I see. You want us to Yield Paul & Meist!"
"Precisely!"
"Then we'll have to make sure that we beat them off the train."
"Don't worry, Big Guy, I'll make sure of that!"
Back at the Pit Stop, another team was preparing to leave.
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are third to depart.)
"Caution: Yield ahead." Michael read. "We better hurry, and hope against hope that we're not Yielded a second time."
Shortly after the supers departed, another team did also.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are fourth to depart.)
"…Six teams will have 42 dollars for this leg of the race," read Anthony, "one team will have zero dollars."
"Should we help them out?" Mercedes asked. "They really need the money."
"Sure, but when we see them, okay? We can't afford to leave money were anybody can find it."
"Agreed."
But before the hitchhikers, or the team ahead of them ever got to the train station, the two-thirty train pulled in. MIKE & SULLEY were on their feet before PAUL & MEIST, and managed to procure the seats closest to the door. The train started to pull away just as VIOLET & MICHAEL showed up.
"Hey!" he shouted at the ticket clerk. "We need to get on that train!"
"Sorry, but nobody gets on that train without a ticket, and by the time I sell you a ticket for that rattler, you'll never be able to catch it."
Michael screamed in frustration. "Well, when's the next train to Peach Town?"
"It'll pull in at about three-thirty."
"Fine, we'll take it."
(VIOLET & MICHAEL – First on Train #2.)
Shortly afterward, the bespectacled human and his alien girlfriend arrived. They got their tickets without incident.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES – Second on Train #2.)
"So, who all got on the first train?" Mercedes asked.
"Uh, there was this married couple and two of the locals, I think," answered the clerk.
"That's got to be Paul & Meist and Mike & Sulley. They'll have an hour on all of us."
(MARTY & JENNIFER are fifth to depart.)
"Caution: Yield ahead." Jennifer read. "You don't think that Michael and Violet would Yield us back for Yielding them, do you?"
"Relax, babe," said Marty. "I have it on good authority that the supers left their Yield sticker in Cluedoville. We'll be just fine."
The McFlys departed for the train station.
(ORSON & ROY are sixth to depart.)
"Locate the Ronald Reagan Memorial Saloon to find your next clue." Orson read.
"Wait a minute," Roy said. "Nothing in 1876 was ever named 'Ronald Reagan Memorial anything'! The Gipper wasn't even born yet!"
"It says the city was built in 2004, Roy. Anachronisms are probably a common occurrence in Peach Town."
"I have no idea what you just said, but let's go anyway!"
In time, Marty and Jennifer arrived at the train depot.
"When's the next train leaving for Peach Town?" Marty asked.
"Three-thirty," the clerk told him.
"Great, two tickets, please."
"Here."
(MARTY & JENNIFER – Third on Train #2.)
The McFlys got some dirty looks from Michael and Violet as they passed.
"I'm really glad we're going to the Old West," Marty said to nobody in particular. "Of all the racers, I'm the only one who's had experience in this area."
Back at the tent, there was still one unfortunate team left.
(VIOLET & KLAUS are last to depart.)
"…Six teams will have 42 dollars for this leg of the race," read Violet, "one team will have zero dollars. That's us. Klaus, is all the money there?"
Klaus chuckled. "Yeah, but I wish they wouldn't have given us such small bills!"
Violet laughed again, and they were off.
At the train station, two barnyard critters arrived and got tickets for the next train into Peach Town.
(ORSON & ROY – Fourth on Train #2.)
"Let's see here, we have the McFlys, the hitchhikers, and the supers, and us." Orson said. "I'm guessing that the two teams in front of us got on an earlier train."
"You're guessing correctly, then," said Violet Parr.
"So, that leaves the orphans. How will they get a ticket if they don't have any money?"
"Chill," Anthony said. "I have a plan."
Later, the destitute orphans arrived at the train depot.
"Hi, I'm Violet Baudelaire and this is my brother Klaus. We don't have any money, but we need tickets to Peach Town."
"You're in luck," said the patchwork-faced ticket vendor. "Somebody came here and bought two tickets on a train to Peach Town, and said to deliver them to a Violet and Klaus Baudelaire."
"Really?" Klaus said. "Who?"
"Let me see if I can…aha! His name was Anthony Dent."
"Cool! We'll take them!"
(VIOLET & KLAUS – Fifth on Train #2.)
In the waiting area, Violet B. sought out Anthony. When she found him, she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you. You saved our hides," she whispered in his ear.
"You're welcome. I was happy to do it."
"Somehow, some way, my brother and I will return the favor."
"Thanks, but that really isn't necessary."
About then, the second train pulled into the station. Anthony pulled away from the embrace and insisted that they all get on. They did, but they all jockeyed to get the seats closest to the door.
Those seats went to ORSON & ROY. ANTHONY & MERCEDES could have had the next best seats, but Mercedes insisted that VIOLET & KLAUS take them while she and her partner took the third best seats. MARTY & JENNIFER just beat out VIOLET & MICHAEL for the fourth best seats by inches. Dejected, the supers took the last available seats.
All teams are now travelling by train to Peach Town. MIKE & SULLEY and PAUL & MEIST will arrive at about four-thirty PM, while the other teams will arrive an hour later.
Just as the green one-eyed monster had said, MIKE & SULLEY were off the train before PAUL & MEIST. Mike figured it would be better to get directions now than be lost later, so he asked the gentleman running the ticket booth where he could find the Ronald Reagan Memorial Saloon.
"Why, shore!" the guy said with a heavy Southern accent, "Y'jes go down Main Street, fer 'bout fiddy paces er so, an' id'll be th' buildin' wid dat nice pickder o' th' Teflon Prez-ee-dent."
"Uh, thanks, I guess," said Sulley.
While they were getting directions, PAUL & MEIST started into town.
"Excuse me," said Meist to a female passer-by, "can you tell me where the saloon is?"
"Well, I never!" she said. "A lady shouldn't speak about such things! And in the middle of the daytime!" She slapped the poor racer across the check and left in a huff.
Paul wasn't having much better luck. "Hey, where's the Reagan Saloon?"
"I just came from there! It's that w…whoa! The whole town is spinning. Okay, just let me get my bear…" He never finished, but instead fell down drunk in the street. But then, out of nowhere, the monsters came dashing up the street.
"Meist! I think they know where it is!" Quickly, the carpenter and his wife chased after Mike & Sulley.
"Paul, honey, what about the plan?"
"Don't worry! We let them lead us to the place, then when we can see it for ourselves, we beat them to it!"
"Ah! Clever!"
Unfortunately, it wasn't clever enough. By the time the teams got within sight of the saloon, the monsters had such a lead on the Cohas that they couldn't overtake them. Sulley burst through the swinging doors just like an outlaw in an old western. Mike was not far behind him.
"There's the Yield!" Sulley said.
Before the race resumed, a shot of Ed drinking a shot of whiskey was shown.
"This is the second of only three Yields hidden on the entire race. The first team here can force any team behind them to Yield, or stop racing for pre-determined amount of time. Each team can only use their Yield power once, so they need to decide for themselves the best time to use it. If a team has been forced to Yield, they must turn over this hourglass, and wait for all the sand to run out before continuing."
Beating the humans to the Yield mat by a few steps, Mike and Sulley began the Yielding process. Sulley dug out Paul & Meist's picture and placed it on the sign, while Mike took the number "1" from the stand, then placed their team's "Courtesy of:" sticker in the corner.
"We choose to Yield Paul and Meist," Mike said to the camera. The process was complete, so they dashed to the clue box and took one.
(MIKE & SULLEY are currently in first place.)
"Make your way to Jane's Outfitters…"
Teams must now travel to this clothing store, known as Jane's Outfitters, which is run by a nice woman, named Jane West. It is she who will give teams the next clue.
"Hurry, Sulley, let's go!" Mike said. They dashed out the door.
While they were doing this, Paul and his wife had already stood on the mat and started the hourglass. The male was fuming, and proceeded to utter a string of obscenities even after their now enemies were gone.
"Hey, hey!" said the bartender. "Watch your language! A little lost time is nothing to get foul about!"
"I'm not upset because of the Yield!"
"Then what the hell was you cussing for?"
"That one-eyed sumbitch stole my idea!"
"Oh. Still, there are ladies present, so you'd best keep an eye on your tongue."
"Yeah, whatever," Paul said and he stood back on the mat.
Outside, the monsters started to run down the dusty streets of Peach Town.
"Whew!" Sulley said. "Is it hot out here, or is it just me?"
"You know, now that you mention it," Mike said, "it is a wee bit warm out here."
"A wee bit? I'm sweating buckets here!"
"Hey, don't complain about it. You could stand to lose a few pounds, you know."
"Oh, will you just shut up about my weight!" Sulley probably shouldn't have said that as loud as he did, but it was too late to take it back now.
"I…I…I'm sorry," Mike said, "I didn't mean…I mean when you didn't say anything about, I just assumed that…oh, never mind."
Sulley chucked. "Apology accepted, I forgive you. Now, let's get back to the race."
"You sure you're not too hot?"
"That cloud up there just gave us a little shade, we'd better take advantage of that."
Back at the saloon, Paul and Meist looked very downtrodden. One of the bar patrons noticed this, and was full of sympathy for them.
"Hey, barkeep," he said, "Give these two each a shot of Red Eye on me!"
"Thanks," Meist said, "but we really shouldn't be drinking. We've got a race to run."
"Alright, make it two lemonades. They look like they could use a cool drink."
"Oh, thank you sir!" Paul said as they took their drinks.
"No problem. Well, I've got somewhere I need to be." He picked up his hat and left.
"Wait," Meist said. "We sure could use a guide on the Race! Can't you help us out?"
"I'd love to, but I have an appointment I must keep." And he was gone.
Meanwhile, the monsters had located Jane's Outfitters. They saw a bunch of clothes around, in strangely modern looking displays. There was a black-haired woman standing behind a counter, wearing period clothing.
"Howdy, y'all!" she said as loud as she could without straining her voice. "You two must be with that race that's comin' through town!"
Mike walked up to her. "That we are," he said sweetly.
"I have somethin' for you!" She reached from behind the counter and pulled out an envelope. She handed it to Mike, who ripped it open.
"Roadblock," he read, "who has more patience?"
The next shot was one of Ed inside Jane's Outfitters.
"A Roadblock is a task that only one person may perform, and no person can perform more than six. In this Roadblock, that person will search through the massive selection of Jane's Outfitters. They will dig through all the shirts, pants, hats, boots, etc., for one of seven envelopes. Inside the envelope, they will find instructions and material for the next task they must complete."
"You do this one, Mike," said Sulley.
"All right," he answered. And he set to the task.
He started with a display of shirts. He turned out pockets, dug up into sleeves, even frisked for hidden compartments. But he found nothing. He next looked under a few hats, expecting the envelope to be under them, on the table. And yet nothing.
"This is starting to get boring."
Back at the saloon, Paul had let his hair down, so to speak. He struck up a conversation with the patrons about his job in carpentry.
"Y'know," said one of the old cowboys, "our town schoolhouse has been ailing something awful for the past four months. Maybe after the race, you might see about fixin' 'er up some, eh?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Paul, let's go!" said Meist. "Come on, the hourglass is empty!"
"Oh, right!" He downed the rest of his drink and dashed after his lovely wife while she got her clue.
(PAUL & MEIST are currently in second place.)
"Okay, so where's Jane's Outfitters?"
"It's a ways down south. It's about time you two got some decent clothes too!"
"What's wrong with what we're wearing?" asked Meist.
"Nothing. It's just that in that getup, you won't last more than half an hour in the blazing sun."
"Yeah, thanks for the advice." They departed rather quickly.
Meanwhile, at Jane's Outfitters, Mike was just about at the end of his rope. He had searched everywhere, or so he thought.
"I can't find that stupid clue anywhere!" he shouted.
"Are you sure you looked everywhere?" Sulley asked.
"What do you mean 'did I check everywhere'? Of course I checked everywhere! I checked all the pockets of all the shirts and pants, I checked under the hats and the boots, I even checked under the tables!"
"Hmm. Doesn't sound like everywhere to me," said Miss West.
"Where else would the stupid thing be?" Mike said very loudly. Neither Jane nor Sulley said anything. "Wait, where else would that stupid thing be?" Mike said a little more softly. He started to rifle through the clothing, looking everywhere this time.
While he did, another team arrived, much to his chagrin. Paul and Meist got their clue from Jane.
"Hmm, you have more patients, dear," said Paul. "You are a nurse, after all!"
"Okay, I'll do it, in spite of your lousy joke! Hey, Mike, mind telling me where you already looked?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do mind! You want the clue, you can rip out your hair like I did!"
"Uh, Mike, you don't…"
"It's a figure of speech, shut up!"
Mike reached into a boot, and felt something thin and papery. He pulled out a plain white envelope.
"Is this what we're looking for?"
"Yessir, it is," Jane said. "Why don't you go ahead and open it?"
Excitedly, Mike and Sulley opened their envelope. Inside was a 50-dollar bill, and a letter addressed to "Racers,"
(MIKE & SULLEY are still in first place.)
"Take the money," Mike read, "and buy yourself a new wardrobe!"
Teams must now take the fifty dollars found in the envelope and purchase some period clothing from Jane herself. When they are properly decked out, they must travel next door to this old time photograph shop, and have their picture taken for posterity. Once the proof comes back, they will receive the next clue.
"Oh, jeez, I don't know if she carries anything in my size!" Sulley said.
"Relax, there," Jane told him. "When I heard you were coming, I ordered a special ensemble just for you!" While she went into the back room, Mike started to try on some clothes.
"What do you think of this vest?" he asked Paul. "Does is suit me?"
"Looks snazzy," he answered. He was still sore about the Yield, but he wasn't going to lie to the little devil.
Mike then went over to try on hats. Meanwhile, Meist continued to search through the clothes, and Jane returned with a large cowboy outfit. Sulley went to try it on. He emerged from the changing room with his hands on his belt and his eyes narrowed.
"This town ain't big enough for the fourteen of us," he said with a bit of a drawl.
"Well, don't you look like ol' Clint Eastwood!" Jane said. Then she saw Mike, in just a suede vest and a white Stetson. "And I see you're going with a more minimalist approach. It's looks good either way."
"Thanks, toots."
"Okay, your total comes 41 dollars and 58 cents."
They paid her, got their change and left. They stepped quickly to the photo shop next door.
The photographer greeted the monsters with a warm "Howdy!" which they returned. He instructed that they should step into the backroom, where the painted background was set up. They stood in front of it, and struck a pose. The photographer took the picture and went into the darkroom to develop it.
While the picture was still developing, and Meist was still looking for her envelope, the second train arrived. Sequentially, ORSON & ROY, VIOLET & KLAUS, ANTHONY & MERCEDES, MARTY & JENNIFER, and VIOLET & MICHAEL ran from the train and into the streets. Orson got directions from a local, and the other racers all followed him. They got to the saloon in about the same order that they got off the train.
"Hey, look! Paul and Meist were Yielded!" Roy observed.
"Serves them right," Violet B. spat.
"It doesn't matter," said Jennifer. "They're too far in front to be eliminated this leg."
"You never know," Michael said. "Teams have tumbled from first to last."
"Whatever," said Mercedes, "let's just get our clues."
(ORSON & ROY are currently in third place.)
(VIOLET & KLAUS are currently in fourth place.)
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are currently in fifth place.)
(MARTY & JENNIFER are currently in sixth place.)
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are currently in last place.)
"Jane's Outfitters," read Klaus. "We better find this place fast!"
All of the racers dashed out of the bar like it was on fire.
Back at the photo shop, the white-bearded photographer emerged from the darkroom.
"Okay, I have your copy for you…"
"Ooh, ooh, let me see!" Mike said excitedly. He grabbed at the photo and looked at it. One could see Sulley in the picture plain as day, but the top of the white Stetson was all of Mike that was in the frame.
"This is unbelievable," Mike said, almost disappointed.
"Mikey," Sulley said, trying to console him.
"I'm in an old timey Western photo! Yahoo!"
Sulley smiled. Mike had always been a bit of a loose cannon.
"And here's your next clue," he said.
Mike tore it open quickly.
(MIKE & SULLEY are still in first place.)
"It's a Detour," he read. "Rope 'n' Ride, or Sing 'n' Dance?"
The next shot was one of Ed hanging onto a fence, in a gray cowboy hat.
"A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams have to choose between two common activities in Westerns. The choice? Rope 'n' Ride, or Sing 'n' Dance."
"In Rope 'n' Ride, teams will travel a short distance on foot to this animal pen, where they must perform a popular rodeo sport, team roping. Once they complete it satisfactorily, they will receive their next clue. This task is physical, and irrefutably the 'cooler' of the two. However, for teams without roping experience, this task could take a while.
"In Sing 'n' Dance, teams will travel a long distance by stagecoach to this dance hall. Once there, they must participate in a square dance, for a full thirty minutes. At the end of thirty minutes, they will receive the next clue. Players will look incredibly dorky during this task, but it's not physically demanding, and teams can finish it quickly."
"Hmm," Sulley said. "What do you think, Mike?"
"I don't know what 'team roping' is, but you and I can sing and dance with the best of them!"
"True, true. Looks like we'll be a-singin' and a-dancin'!" They departed from the photo store, and they found a stagecoach waiting for them.
Back at the clothing store, Meist was still looking for that envelope. It had been so long; that she started to grow irritated with the task.
"Why can't I find the stupid clue?" she moaned to the heavens.
Just as she did, a smart aleck rooster ran into the store with a stout pig right behind.
"Oh, great, now the rest of the teams are here! Our lead is shot!"
Roy took the clue from Jane and opened it.
"Roadblock. You have more patience, Ors."
No sooner did Orson start looking than VIOLET & KLAUS arrived.
"I think you should do this Roadblock, Klaus." And he did.
After this, ANTHONY & MERCEDES showed up, followed by MARTY & JENNIFER, and then VIOLET & MICHAEL.
"I'll do this one," Anthony said boldly.
"You're much more patient than I am, Jen," said Marty.
"I'd better do this one," Violet P. told her partner.
Now there were six teams inside the outfitters, and it was getting kinda crowded. But nobody was more upset about this than Paul & Meist, the latter more so, as she was doing all the work.
"Just relax, dear," Paul said, trying to calm her down. "Set your own pace. This isn't a race!"
"Yeah, Paul, it kind of is a race!" she shouted back.
"Hey, I got one!" shouted Jennifer.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding!" Meist grumbled. And she resumed her search.
(MARTY & JENNIFER are currently in second place.)
"…Once you have your new outfits, travel to the photo shop next door and have your picture taken," Jen read.
While the McFlys went to pick out some new threads, Violet Parr found something flat and thick inside the sleeve of a flannel shirt. She pulled it out, and saw that it was a white envelope.
"Is this what I'm looking for?" she asked. When Miss West confirmed that it was, they tore it open rapidly.
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are currently in third place.)
"Hey! Fifty bucks!" Michael said.
"It says we have to buy new outfits with that money."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
About this time, the stage carrying MIKE & SULLEY pulled up to the dance hall. They knew it was the right one, because it had a route marker on the door. They stepped inside, and the crowd was shocked at the sight. And rightfully so, I mean, two monsters just crashed the party, for heaven's sake!
Luckily, the dance caller was forewarned about something like this happening. "Now, now, people, calm down. These creatures, frightening though they may look, mean us no harm! Right, boys?"
"Uh, right!" they said, picking up on his cue.
"They're just here to have a good time. Ain't we all?" The crowd roared in affirmation. "Well, then, why don't we?"
The music started up again, and the patrons resumed dancing. Mike, ever the gentleman, invited one of the locals to dance. She was so entranced by his charm that she forgot about ever being scared of him.
Back at the outfitters, Meist still hadn't found an envelope. She was now in tears, because she had been at this for nearly an hour and still had nothing to show for it.
"This will be our undoing," she moaned. "I just can't find the stupid thing!"
Meanwhile, Marty and Jennifer had purchased their new outfits. Marty was happy to be back in a brown cowboy ensemble, while Jennifer was getting used to walking around in a floor-length blue dress. It took her a full three minutes just to walk the twenty-four yards to the photo shop.
Violet & Michael were still in the store, because, well, Violet was a little, how can I put this nicely, uh, self-conscious of herself.
"Come on, Violet, we have to go!" Michael said.
"I'm not going anywhere in this getup! I look like freaking Scarlett O'Hare!"
"I know you think you look dorky, but I'm sure it's not that bad!"
"You wouldn't know, you haven't seen it!"
"Well, then come out of there, and let me see it!"
"No!"
"Vi, I don't care how dorky it is, this is a fictional million dollars we're talking about here! Look, if it doesn't look good on you, I'll wear it myself!" The words were out, and he couldn't take them back, much as he wanted to.
But it worked. Violet stepped out of the changing room. She wanted to disappear, but the power inhibitor wouldn't let her.
"It looks great," Michael said. "Red is really your color!"
"Oh, you're just saying that so you don't have to wear the dress!"
"No, I'm really not! It's just a happy coincidence."
"Fine, I'll wear it, but as soon as we get our picture taken, I'm changing back into my normal clothes, okay?"
"Deal." They paid for the clothes and left in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Klaus made a pleasant discovery in a pair of snakeskin boots.
"Hey, I found it!" he cheered.
(VIOLET & KLAUS are currently in fourth place.)
Meist watched as they opened the plain white envelope and take out the fifty dollars.
"Wait a minute, that's the envelope were looking for? A plain white one? All this time I thought it would be one with the race logo on it! Oh, man, I found like eight of those, but I left them alone!"
Paul was having mixed emotions for the first time in his life. On the one hand, he was upset that his wife could have ended this agony sooner, and yet she didn't, because she was ignorant. On the other hand, he was very glad that the nightmare would soon be over anyway. He ran over when Meist located one of the envelopes she earlier ignored.
(PAUL & MEIST are currently in fifth place.)
"Let's hurry, we have to make up for lost time," Meist said.
Over at the photo shop, MARTY & JENNIFER had gotten their photo back from the darkroom.
"Well, you did a very fine job, there," Jennifer said. "I haven't looked this good in a picture since my high school yearbook!"
"Thank you, I do my mother proud every day when I take a good picture. Here's your next clue."
(MARTY & JENNIFER are still in second place.)
"Think we can rope cattle, dear?" asked Jen.
"It's worth a shot!"
They set out on foot. As they left, they nearly collided with VIOLET & MICHAEL, who were on their way to the photo shop.
"Okay, we're here, let's get this over and done with," said Violet.
About this time, both Orson and Anthony found their envelopes.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are tied for sixth place with ORSON & ROY.)
While the farm critters and the hitchhikers picked out clothes, VIOLET & KLAUS had bought new threads with the much-needed fifty bucks. Right on their heels were PAUL & MEIST, who were trying their hardest to pass the orphans.
Meanwhile, MIKE & SULLEY were nearing the end of their half-hour. For what would be their last dance, they took the center of the floor, and a spotlight shone on them. Sulley did a simple little shuffle of his feet, while Mike really cut a rug. As the last few seconds ticked away, he threw his hat into the air, spun around on his round bottom, and caught the hat at the very end of the spin, for a big finish.
The crowd clapped wildly.
"Thank you, thank you! Don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses!" Mike said while he drank in the applause. Sulley, on the other hand, was more concerned with getting the next clue.
(MIKE & SULLEY are still in first place.)
"Travel by foot to the next Pit Stop…"
Teams must now travel on foot from the dance hall, or by horseback from the animal pens, to the center of town. Once there, they must locate the Peach Town courthouse, and find the old jail inside. This now retired incarceration facility is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
The monsters dashed out of the dance hall and ran as fast as their legs would permit.
At the photo shop, Violet Parr had changed back into the clothes she was wearing at the start of the leg. Michael, on the other hand, found his duds to be quite comfortable, and decided to leave them on. The photographer returned with their picture.
"Oh, man, my eyes were closed!" Michael said. "Can we take another one?"
"NO!" Violet shouted. "Uh, I mean, no, this one's fine. We really must get going!"
"If you say so," said the photographer. "Here's your next clue."
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are still in third place.)
"Hmm. I think we should try the Rope 'n' Ride thing," said Michael. Violet agreed.
As they set out for the animal pens, they saw VIOLET & KLAUS waiting in line for the photographer, and PAUL & MEIST behind them. Outside, they saw ANTHONY & MERCEDES rushing to the photo shop, with ORSON & ROY close behind.
Over at the animal pens, MARTY & JENNIFER had just arrived. They were greeted by a young cowboy dressed in typical attire.
"You folks here to do some ropin'?" he asked.
"Yessireebob!" Jen said, trying to get into the Western spirit.
"If you'll look over yonder, those friends of mine will show you what to do." He pointed to another pen. In the chute were a calf and two cowpokes on horses.
The chute was opened and the calf took off running. The calf was tied to a rope, to ensure that it got a head start. When it reached the end of the rope, a little thread snapped, releasing the horses. Both the riders started to twirl their lassoes while they gave chase. The lead cowboy threw his rope and caught the calf by its head. He tightened the rope and turned the cow to the side. Then the cowgirl behind him threw her rope to the ground and caught the calf by its legs. The calf stumbled and fell. A whistle was blown to signify that they were finished. All of this happened in about 6 seconds.
"Whoa!" Jen said astonished. "We have to do that?"
"That's right."
"Relax, we got this," Marty assured his wife.
The McFlys were escorted over to one of the empty pens. Marty mounted his horse with ease, while Jennifer needed a little help. They were handed ropes. Marty showed Jen a few pointers in handling the lariat. She now felt like she was ready. They agreed that Jen would catch the calf by the head while Marty would catch it by the heels.
It was just when they were about to start when…it hit! VIOLET & MICHAEL were still hoofing it to the animal pens, while MIKE & SULLEY were running to the Pit Stop. VIOLET & KLAUS had just gotten their picture back, and had elected to do the Sing 'n' Dance Detour. The unfortunate orphans were just about to step into the stagecoach when…it hit! What hit, you ask? A duststorm, that's what!
At the animal pens, the nearby cowboys got wind of it first.
"Bandanas up!" they shouted. Marty was fortunate to have bought a bandana earlier. Jennifer, unfortunately, had no such luck.
"Shut your eyes, cover your mouth and nose, and breathe through your hand!" someone shouted. She did, and it worked.
The supers were on the streets, when they suddenly felt a whole lot of dust in their eyes. They did an about-face and scratched at them until they stopped itching. Then, they felt a lot of sand coming at their backs. In that moment, both Violet and Michael froze. They found they could breathe just fine as long as they kept their backs to the wind.
"Vi!" Michael shouted over the din of the storm. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah!" she yelled. "You?"
"Never better!"
"So, do we just stand here until this dust dies down?"
"I guess so!"
Elsewhere in town, Mike and Sulley dealt with the duststorm in a different way. As soon as the dust started to pick up, they ran perpendicular to the wind until they were between buildings. Once there, Sulley shook out whatever dust was caught in his fur, much to Mike's chagrin.
"Okay, we'll just stay right here until the duststorm quits. Hopefully, we'll still be in first place."
"Can't think of a better plan than that."
The Baudelaires were lucky in this situation. All they had to do was get in the stage, and they would be protected from the storm. Unfortunately, their driver also had to get into the cabin to get out of the storm.
"Don't worry," he told them. "Duststorms don't last long in Peach Town. We should be ready to go in five, ten minutes tops."
Inside the photo shop, the duststorm didn't hinder the last three teams' progress. While PAUL & MEIST were getting their picture developed, Mercedes noticed the duststorm outside.
"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "This should complicate things a little bit."
In the back, the white-bearded photographer emerged from the darkroom with their proof. He handed them the clue, which they tore open.
(PAUL & MEIST are still in fifth place.)
"Another Detour," Paul said.
"I used to take riding lessons from an expert," said Meist. "I hope I can remember my lessons."
They ran out to the main room, and stopped when they saw the dust.
"Great, we're stuck here!" Paul complained. "First the Yield, then the mishap at the Roadblock, now this! What else can go wrong?"
While they waited for the dust to quit, the hitchhikers followed the old photographer to the back room. He commented on how attractive Mercedes looked in green, to which she simply blushed. He took their picture quickly, and went to develop it.
While he was developing that photo, the duststorm finally died down, an agonizing seven minutes after it started.
VIOLET & MICHAEL dusted themselves off and continued to run. So did MIKE & SULLEY. VIOLET & KLAUS's driver stepped outside and started up the carriage. PAUL & MEIST burst out of the photo shop like a rocket.
Back at the animal pen, MARTY & JENNIFER could finally start their first attempt at roping the calf. Jennifer signaled that she was ready.
The chute opened and the calf took off. When it had enough of a head start, Jen and Marty came out after it. So far, so good.
Jen nervously lifted her rope and twirled it just like Marty had shown her. She kept her eyes open and threw with purpose, as if the very million depended on it. To her surprise, she caught the calf!
Jen pulled on the rope and tightened it around the calf's neck. Then she turned the calf so Marty could snare his heels. Marty tossed his rope to the ground, and when the calf stepped into the loop, he pulled it tight. With a surprised moo, the calf tumbled. A judge blew his whistle and gave a thumbs-up.
"Yes!" Marty said. He led his horse around to the official, who handed him a clue.
(MARTY & JENNIFER are still in second place.)
"Ride your horses to the next Pit Stop, the Peach Town courthouse…" he read.
The McFlys rode their horses back into town.
Back at the photo shop, ANTHONY & MERCEDES had just gotten their picture back, along with the next clue.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are currently in sixth place.)
"Yeah, I don't think I'm cowgirl material," Mercedes confessed.
"Me either. I mean, uh, you know what I mean. Let's go!"
While they were leaving, and the barnyard animals were getting snapped, two very rhythmic monsters were searching the courthouse for Ed and the mat. They found him at the old jail, standing next to a policeman with a star-shaped badge. They stepped on the mat with a jump.
"Howdy," said the man who was clearly the sheriff, "and welcome to Peach Town."
"Thank you," Sulley said.
"Mike and Sulley, you are team number one!"
(MIKE & SULLEY 1ST PLACE.)
Mike's jaw dropped. "Yes! First place, babeeeee!"
"And I have more good news for you!" Ed said.
"A prize, for us?" Mike asked.
"Yes! As the winners of this leg of the race, you have won a deluxe vacation package to Munich, Germany. First class flights, spacious accommodations, free room service, sightseeing, all courtesy of Travelocity, and you can enjoy that after the race."
Sulley's mouth was watering just thinking about it. "Oh, man, that is going to be so fantastic!"
"And now, for the bad news. Guess where you guys are staying tonight?" The sheriff held up his keys and jingled them.
"What? No, not in the jail?"
"I'm afraid so."
While this was happening, VIOLET & MICHAEL arrived at the animal pens. After seeing the team roping demo, Michael began to have second thoughts.
"I don't think I can do this," he muttered.
"Would you rather do the dancing one instead?" Violet asked. She wasn't being sarcastic, it was a legitimate question. However, Michael didn't catch that.
"You're right," he said, "we have to do this one."
Elsewhere, VIOLET & KLAUS quietly snuck into the dance hall, and proceeded to get their groove on, so to speak.
Back at the photo shop, ORSON & ROY got their clue from the photographer, along with their proof.
(ORSON & ROY are currently in last place.)
"I think the team roping thing would be our cup of tea," said Orson.
"Then what are we still doing here?" Roy asked.
While they hoofed it to the animal pens, MARTY & JENNIFER slowed their horses down at the entrance to the courthouse. They tied the beasts to the hitchin' post and went inside.
"The clue said that we'd find Ed near the old jail, now where is it?" Marty asked.
"There's a route marker!" Jen shouted. The elderly couple ran that way, and found the mat.
"Marty and Jennifer, you're team number two!"
(MARTY & JENNIFER 2ND PLACE.)
"Yes! We're moving back up!" Marty said.
"Now, you see those guys?" Ed nodded toward the cell where Mike & Sulley were. "Guess where you're staying tonight?"
"Oh, no!" Jen moaned.
"That's cool," Marty said. "I've always wanted to spend an evening behind bars."
While the McFlys were being checked into the old gray bar hotel, ANTHONY & MERCEDES arrived at the dance hall.
Over at the animal pens, VIOLET & MICHAEL were having trouble mastering the skill of roping the calf. Michael had no problem roping the calf's neck, but Violet just couldn't get it around its heels.
"It's no use!" Violet moaned after their third failed attempt. "I'll never be able to catch it by the heels. I probably could snag its neck, though."
"Hmm," said Michael. "You don't you be the header, and I'll be the heeler?"
"Do you really think that will work?"
"I'm willing to try anything at this point."
So, they switched positions. Violet would now ride out first, and rope the calf's head, while Michael followed and roped the calf's heels. Just before they tried for the fourth time, PAUL & MEIST arrived.
"This looks promising," Meist said.
"Y'all are just in time," said the cowboy running the show. "I think them two're 'bout to do it right."
He pointed over to the pen where the supers were. The calf had already been released, and Violet had given chase. She swung her rope wildly and threw it like a baseball. She caught the bovine by the neck and turned it sideways. Michael tossed his rope to the ground and snared the calf by the heels. They did it in about 25 seconds.
"Wow, that's impressive," said Paul.
"Eh, it's not that great. The best ones can do it in a fraction of their time."
Still, they had done it, and they got the next clue.
(VIOLET & MICHAEL are still in third place.)
"…Once there, you will find Ed at the old jail," read Violet.
"Hyah!" Michael shouted to the horse. They were off.
When they were gone, Paul & Meist were directed to the pen. Meist mounted her horse easily, but Paul had a little trouble. He got on the horse easily enough, but…
"Um, honey, do you need some help? Or do you enjoy staring at the horse's ass?"
"Oh, shut up!" he shouted. He spun around to face the right way, and entered the chute.
During their first attempt, Paul tried to rope the calf by the head, but missed. In the second attempt, he missed again. For the third attempt, Meist tried her hand at the head position, and she…missed.
Meanwhile, over at the dance hall, Violet Baudelaire found Anthony Dent in the corner of the room. She danced over to him.
"Howdy, cowboy," she said.
"Oh, hello, Violet."
"You know, I never got to properly thank you for helping us out back at the train station."
"I told you, that wasn't necessary."
"My brother and I are just about finished here, so, maybe, if you wanted to, I could trouble you for one last dance?"
"If I say yes, will that make us even, and you'll stop bugging me about it?"
"Of course."
"Then, I would be honored."
Anthony escorted the young girl to the center of the floor. They danced a Texas two-step for quite a while. After the dance, Violet commented on Anthony's skill.
"Let's do this again sometime," she whispered in his ear.
Anthony pulled away. He started to look for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Klaus pulled his sister toward the door. In his hand was the next clue.
(VIOLET & KLAUS are currently in fourth place.)
"…Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated. That can't be us again, sister!"
"All right," Violet said and she ran with her brother to the Pit Stop.
Speaking of which, VIOLET & MICHAEL had arrived there a while back. They checked in.
"Violet & Michael, you're team number three!"
(VIOLET & MICHAEL 3RD PLACE.)
"That's okay, we're still in this," Michael said.
"Now, can you guess where you guys are staying tonight?"
Violet looked and saw two cells occupied by two other teams. "We're staying in the prison?"
"No, this is just jail, where we hold you until your trial date. Prison is where you serve your sentence."
"Well, thank you for that criminology lesson. We've been agonizing over that since the start of the race!"
"Okay, I've heard enough," said the sheriff. "It's the can for you two!"
While, the chief officer of the law was manhandling the supers, PAUL & MEIST…still hadn't gotten the hang of this team-roping thing. While they faltered ORSON & ROY arrived, ready to rope 'n' ride.
The barnyard animals mounted their horses and were led into another pen. They agreed that Roy would be the header and Orson would be the heeler. When Roy signaled he was ready, they began. Roy roped that calf like an expert, and so did Orson!
"Wow," said the official. "I've seen humans do it faster than that, but I've never seen two animals rope a calf, much less that fast! Where did you ever learn to rope like that?"
"When you live on a farm, you have to know how to rope a calf," said Orson.
"How true."
(ORSON & ROY are currently in fifth place.)
"Ride your horses to the next Pit Stop!" Roy read.
The rooster and the pig rode away.
On seeing this, PAUL & MEIST got very discouraged.
"Maybe we weren't cut out to be cowboys after all," said Paul.
"You want to do the dancing thing?" Meist asked.
"I think we better." They dismounted and left. But before they did, Paul turned back to the cowboy who greeted them. "I guess we let you down, huh?"
"Naw. Ain't no shame in knowin' what you can do an' what you can't do. You city slickers can't rope cattle, but that's okay. Good luck, though."
Over at the courthouse, two orphans were checking in.
"Violet and Klaus, team number four!"
(VIOLET & KLAUS 4TH PLACE.)
"Yes!" Klaus cheered. "We're out of the cellar, and moving back up!"
"Now, guess where…" Ed never finished, because Violet beat him to it.
"We're staying in the jail?"
"How did you ever know? Are you psychic or something?"
"Lucky guess."
As they were being locked up, the hitchhiker team had just finished their half-hour of dancing. They got their next clue and ripped it open.
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES are still in sixth place.)
"Travel by foot to the next Pit Stop…" Anthony read.
"Come on, we've got no time to lose!" They started running.
As they ran, they noticed another stagecoach pulling up to the dance hall. PAUL & MEIST stepped out of it and inside.
Anthony and Mercedes kept running until they came within sight of the courthouse. When they got there, they saw ORSON & ROY tying up their horses. They quickly exchanged greetings and ran inside. Then, they started to look all over for the mat. Mercedes found it first, and she and Anthony checked in.
"Anthony and Mercedes, you're team number five!"
(ANTHONY & MERCEDES 5TH PLACE.)
"Whew," Anthony sighed. "We'll take it."
"Either of you care to guess where you'll be staying tonight?"
"Oh, man, the jailhouse?"
"Yep."
"That's okay, we've been here before," said Mercedes.
"Okay, could you step off the mat, please?" They stepped off so that Orson and Roy could step on.
"Orson and Roy, you are team number six!"
(ORSON & ROY 6TH PLACE.)
"Oh, rats!" Roy said. "We're falling."
"But you guys are still in the Amazing Race."
"Only by a thread."
"Yeah, well, I hate to bear bad news when you're in such a gloomy mood already, but you guys will be staying in the jailhouse tonight."
Orson sighed. "Oh, well, at least we can still win it."
A sad interlude played as the very last team checked in.
"Welcome to Peach Town," said the sheriff.
"Hey, I know you," Paul said. "You're the guy who bought us lemonade at the saloon!"
"That's me," he answered.
"Paul and Meist," said Ed, "you're the last team to arrive."
(PAUL & MEIST LAST PLACE.)
"I'm sorry to tell you that you've been eliminated from the race."
Meist burst into tears on hearing the news. "First to last! How humiliating!"
"You two have been fierce competitors, and I'm really sorry to see you go."
"I really wanted to win," Paul mused. "We did our best, but it just wasn't good enough, I guess."
Later, Paul unburdened his soul to the camera. "I don't blame Meist for us losing. She's an amazing woman, capable of things I had never imagined. We may not be millionaires, but I had a good time on the race. No regrets."
"I love my husband," Meist confessed, "stubbornness and all. We've really gotten closer together during the race. I had almost forgotten that he was a good dancer, until we slow danced in Peach Town." Meist dried her eyes. "I'm just glad it's over. I miss my kids, and I really want to hear their voices again."
ON THE NEXT AMAZING RACE: DREAMLAND…
Our teams will blast off into the final frontier, and explore the Martian colony of New Chicago. Can they survive the harsh red planet? Can they survive the harsh inhabitants? Six teams remain, which one will be eliminated next?