Chapter 3
If one has ever been on a game show, with thousands of people watching in the city and millions of people watching all over the globe, it would be an understatement to say that one should feel nervous and Klaus Baudelaire was no different. Yet the reason for his nervousness was not attributed to the game itself or the questions that he had to answer. Instead, the reasons for his nerves laid closer to his heart where Klaus felt a multitude of emotions rising. This was his hand to play, one that could cost him his freedom and yet at the same time, give him everything he had sought after.
"You nervous?" Quentin replied as Klaus bit back his answer. Though in the past he might have responded rather sarcastically, Klaus had changed quite a bit and there was no need to give any lip to the man that was giving him the best opportunity of finding his sisters.
"Yes," Klaus replied with a small smile on his face as he handed over his glasses. Ever since he was little, his eyesight had been slightly impaired, one that his parents feared would get progressively worse as he continued to read books with small typing and so they made him a pair of spectacles to see. Everything still looked fuzzy though Klaus could still make out most of what was in front of him.
"Sorry about this," Quentin said as he handed the glasses over to an official. "It's just that we had cheating cases in the past where individuals would wear glasses that allowed them to see past our two-way mirror. We placed that mirror to prevent individuals from communicating with the audience though you can still hear them, particularly if they're loud."
"It's okay," Klaus replied. "Part of the procedure."
"If you need me to repeat the question, just do so, okay, Klaus? Wait…I better start calling you Herman." Quentin laughed as he led Klaus down a long, grey corridor where a pair of large green doors stood at the end. As the pair reached the set of doors, Quentin placed his hand on Klaus's shoulders and pulled him to the side.
"Listen," Quentin whispered as his eyes darted along the empty corridor. "When we go out there, remember that you are in the public's eye and that you are playing a game. I know that you want to go and win that Favour from the Mayor to find your sisters but I don't want you to think about that right now. Focus on getting each question right, one after the other. Take it one step at a time, okay Klaus? I'm rooting for you. Hell, the entire city is rooting for you. So play your cards right."
"Yes. Of course." Klaus said as he extended his hand. "Thank you, Quentin, for everything."
Quentin gave Klaus a warm smile before shaking his hand. "Once more unto the breach, my friend."
"Henry V. Shakespeare," Klaus said as Quentin gave a light chuckle before pushing the doors open.
…
Using the word majestic might be an over-exaggeration to some but in the case of Klaus entering the arena, it seemed like the right word to use. All around Klaus were seats filled by over a hundred thousand people all gathering to watch him succeed or fail, depending on their priorities. Over his head stood the twenty-foot tall glass structure which would prevent him from seeing the audience and yet, with all the noise and chaos reverberating around the arena, even Klaus had to admit that he was somewhat impressed. Amongst the audience members were the Uppers, separated by their comfy red chairs and the Norms who were seated further behind in their blue chairs. Yet most of the spectators seemed to be made up of Scabs who despite their raggedy clothes and unkempt looks were cheering loudly for him, many of him carried banners bearing his fake name. Klaus felt a swell of pride as he tried to find Peter and James but the massive crowd proved to be quite difficult for him to see. Quentin, on the other hand, looked beside himself as he waved his hand to the crowd while blowing kisses all around.
"We never had a full house before," Quentin whispered as the crowd continued to chant his name. Quentin showed Klaus to his seat as the officials came to fix up Klaus's mike. Once Klaus was settled, Quentin turned to the crowd and cleared his throat.
"Welcome, Welcome all of you to Victory! Fortune or Debt!" Quentin roared as the crowd repeated his words enthusiastically. "My, my, what a turnout we have today! I must admit that all of you have exceeded my expectations! THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!"
A round of applause filled the arena as Klaus found himself drawn towards Quentin whose expressions and antics showed his incredible showmanship, unlike a certain count that Klaus had once crossed swords with.
"Now, now," Quentin said as he tapped his hands in the air, a sign for the audience to remain silent. "It goes without saying that today's game will be unlike any of the games that we have played in the entire history of this game show. For those of you who have been living under a rock or for whatever reason you may have not heard, today's game marks a very historic milestone in our history. For the first time, an individual who bears the green band in our proud city will be competing in our competition as he takes on seemingly insurmountable odds to win our glorious prize of a billion dollars!"
Quentin gave a slight pause as applause and cheers break out throughout the arena. Satisfied with the response, Quentin took to his seat as he clapped his hands. Almost instantly, two visual devices emerge from the ground and Klaus found himself staring at a blank screen, mere inches away from his hand.
"Now this individual might need no introduction, given the amount of publicity he has been having daily but let's just do it anyways," Quentin said with a silly expression on his face as the audience laughed along. "So, your name is Herman Melville, I take it? Similar to the author of that classic story, Moby Dick?"
Klaus paused as he looked around the arena. Besides the audience, Klaus could see a plethora of cameras facing him in every direction, no doubt each one televising the event to every corner of the globe. Klaus turned to face Quentin as he gave a slightly apologetic look.
"No."
A loud gasp came across the audience as people started to whisper excitedly amongst themselves. Quentin looked slightly taken aback before composing himself with a nervous smile.
"Haha. See, the importance of always double checking." Quentin laughed as some parts of the audience joined in while most were still chatting quietly. Klaus felt a twinge of regret having put Quentin in this position but as Quentin had told him outside the arena, he had to play his cards right. Klaus now had a worldwide audience and such an opportunity could not be wasted hiding behind a façade.
"My name is Klaus Baudelaire. I repeat, my real name is Klaus Baudelaire and I am a Scab."
The mention of the last word drew a chorus of cheers as well as jeers although, given the numbers in the audience, the latter was easily drowned.
"So that's your real name? Klaus Baudelaire? Why all the secrecy?" Quentin asked as Klaus turned his attention to him. He was relieved to see that instead of being irate, Quentin looked genuinely concerned as to what Klaus was about to answer.
"It's because, for past eight years of my life, I have been an orphan. And there have been many times when I often feared trusting people. But there are things more important than my fears and that is my resolve to see this game through to its end. You see…" Klaus said as he stood on his feet. "I have two sisters. My younger sister is Sunny Baudelaire and my elder sister is Violet Baudelaire. I have spent the last six years of my life trying to find them but to no avail. This is my last shot at finding them. So for my sisters if they are listening and especially for Violet, I'm alive. I'm here in Viceroy City and if you are watching this, please come here and if you can't, then I'll be coming to you. Whatever it is, I promise you that I will find you and that I love you both an inordinate amount."
As soon as he finished with his speech, a tear trickled down Klaus's face. He felt a slight weight lifted from his shoulders as he heard soft claps from the audience. As Quentin stood to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, the claps turned into resounding applause as people from the audience started to chant his name.
"Spoken like a true knight on a quest," Quentin said out loud as he led Klaus to his seat. Inside, Quentin was leaping for joy. Klaus had proven himself to be more than just a mere contestant. Finally, after hundreds of contestants have competed in the show, Quentin had a person that people could relate to. More than that, Klaus Baudelaire was someone people sympathise for and Quentin had no doubt in his heart that he had made the right call sponsoring Klaus into the game. Quentin nodded to the officials by the side as the glass structure started to lower itself to surround the pair. The audience grew silent as the lights dimmed. Quentin watched as the audience disappeared from sight and he and Klaus sat on opposite chairs with cameras and a powerful white spotlight shining from above.
"Now, for those of you who have never seen this game before, here is how the game is played. Klaus will have to answer fifteen multiple choice questions, each with a sum of money allocated to it. For the first six questions, Klaus may choose to answer or walk away and he would be given the money for the questions he has answered correctly. However, once Klaus has passed the sixth question, he can no longer walk away safely or answer incorrectly as the failure to do so would lead to him having to pay the amount of the question he has failed at. He would be given three lifelines. 50-50 where we give him a choice between a correct and an incorrect answer, he may choose to phone a friend or he may choose to ask the audience. Once a lifeline is used, it can no longer be used again. So Klaus Baudelaire, are you ready to play the game?" Quentin said as Klaus nodded his head. "Right, let us play Victory!"
Klaus watched the screen as the first question came into view. Though the question looked simple enough, Klaus took a moment to sneak a glance at Quentin who now looked to be frowning slightly. Yet the expression on Quentin's face disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"For ten dollars, which of the following weighs the heaviest? Is it…
A pound of feathers
A pound of gold
A pound of silver
They all weigh the same.
Klaus stared at the question for a moment before looking at Quentin and clearing his throat.
"Quentin, I would like to use my lifeline. 50-50."
…
Arthur spat out his drink as he paused the image on the screen before looking at Klaus in disbelief.
"You used a lifeline for such a simple question?" Arthur sneered as he gave a derisive laugh. Klaus stared curiously at Arthur.
"Didn't you watch the show?"
"I haven't seen any of it yet," Arthur replied as he took another swig. "I've only just got back from vacation."
"I see," Klaus said as he turned to face the mirror once more before staring back at Arthur. "The question isn't as simple as it looks."
"Course it is! The answer is obviously D." Arthur replied condescendingly. "Even my five-year-old child can tell you that. Everything weighs a pound so they all weigh the same."
A smile crept up on Klaus's lips as Arthur glared at him.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Klaus replied as he smirked at Arthur. "Just that it's nice to know that our esteemed police officers share the same amount of intelligence as a five-year-old."
Arthur balled his fists. "You giving me cheek, boy?"
Klaus glared at Arthur before softening his expression. "No. Just play the video. You'll understand what I mean."
"How is it you got to a billion questions, I don't even know," Arthur replied icily as he reached for the remote. "Seems foolish to waste a lifeline so early in the game."
"Not really," Klaus said as Arthur pressed the play button.
…..
Quentin stared back at Klaus in disbelief. Behind him, he could hear the scoffing of the crowd, most of whom he recognised as voices belonging to the Uppers. Yet Klaus was unfazed as Quentin studied the same stoic expression on his face as he had seen back at his home.
"You sure about that? I just want you to know that if you choose to go ahead with this, you won't ever get to use that lifeline again."
"I'm sure," Klaus said as he repeated his previous words once more. "I want 50-50."
Quentin gave a sigh. "Very well. Computer, please remove for us two incorrect answers."
As soon as the screen flashed once more, Klaus could hear a collective gasp as he smirked to himself. There were only two answers left. A or B.
"A. A pound of feathers. Final answer." Klaus said as Quentin locked the answer in.
….
"What?" Arthur cried as a round of applause was heard at Klaus's success of answering the question correctly. "What in the world…"
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Klaus replied as he interlaced his fingers. "The question was tricky, to begin with. Usually, you would be right in saying that all three items weigh the same as they all weigh a pound and as a ten dollar question, you wouldn't have expected anything less. But the thing is, from the moment I sat in that chair, I knew the truth."
"What truth?" Arthur asked.
"That someone didn't want me to win," Klaus replied as he glared at the mirror. "The key was in the word, weigh. You see, a pound of feathers uses a weighing system known as the avoirdupois system which is what you used to weigh most things. Sixteen ounces equates to a pound so a pound of feathers would weigh 453.39 grams. However, gold and silver are precious metals and are weighed according to the troy system where only twelve ounces equate to a pound bringing the weight to be around 373.24 grams. Hence a pound of feathers weighs more."
"But the question is only worth ten dollars," Arthur replied. "Why have such a complex and tricky understanding of the question?"
Klaus could only smile at Arthur as his mind shifted back to the past once more, nearly ten years ago.
…..
"Poor guy," Klaus said as he and Violet sat across the television set. On the screen of their television set, there stood an image of a couple of fighters boxing in a match. Klaus felt a great deal of sympathy as the shorter bald fighter looked to be taking some hard hits from his larger, black-haired opponent.
"I know right," Violet replied as she ran her fingers through her long hair. "That big guy is being played so badly."
"What are you talking about? He's winning." Klaus exclaimed as Violet gave a laugh.
"Tell you what. Let's make a bet. I pick the bald guy and if he wins, you'll have to do my dish-washing chore for tonight. If you win, I'll do yours tomorrow."
"Deal!" Klaus replied excitedly as he shook his sister's hand. Together, the pair of them glued their eyes to the television set. The fourth round of the fight was happening and Klaus felt a rush of delight as his large boxer appeared to be decimating the smaller fighter.
Suddenly, a strange turn of events happened. The smaller fighter dodged a punch from the larger boxer and landed a well-placed punched around the back of the larger fighter. Klaus stared at the larger opponent appeared to be frozen in his tracks as the bald fighter repeated the move once more. Almost instantly, the larger opponent collapsed to his knees as the referee checked on him before declaring the fight over.
"What the heck?!" Klaus cried indignantly as his sister cheered out loud. "What the heck just happened?"
"You got cocky, that's what happened!" Violet answered as she laid her head on his shoulders.
"The fight's a joke," Klaus replied irritably as he crossed his arms. "Someone probably rigged this."
Violet raised her head as she stared at her younger brother before sighing.
"Klaus, you know better than to be a sore loser. Tell you what, congratulate me and I'll explain why the other fighter won."
"Fine." Klaus sighed before smiling at his sister. "Congratulations. I'll do the dishes tonight."
Violet beamed at her younger brother. "Well, the thing is, my baby brother, you missed out on a very important clue. When my fighter was getting beaten up, to you and to many people I suppose, all you see is a guy being way out of his league. But for me, I saw a guy who is actually very, very clever. He wasn't getting beaten up because he was a bad fighter. He was getting beaten up on purpose."
"Why would anyone do something stupid on purpose?"
"Sometimes, what may seem silly to others is in fact, a brilliant move," Violet explained gently. "The bald fighter was doing two things. He was studying his opponent's move as well as getting him to a point where his opponent's body would be strained from having thrown blow after blow. Once his opponent made a mistake, my fighter simply took advantage. He wasn't getting beaten up, he was studying. Strategizing. And when an opportunity presented itself, he took it. The bald fighter knew he couldn't beat his opponent straight up so he simply invented another way to do so."
"So what others may perceive as weakness, it was actually playing to his strengths," Klaus said, impressed at Violet's explanation. "That's brilliant, Violet"
"Thank you!" Violet replied as Klaus watched a faint blush appear on her cheeks. "Sometimes, showing your weakness is the best way to measure your opponent."
The pair of them waltzed into the dining room where Sunny was busy chewing a piece of wood she had found in the garden. "Come, let's get ready for dinner. And afterward, I'll help you with the dishes."
"But I lost the bet, Violet," Klaus replied. "I can't let you do that. I must stand by my word."
"True," Violet replied with a smile on her face as they walked with linked arms as they made their way to the kitchen. "But you're my brother. I can't help it." Violet said as Klaus beamed at his older sister.
….
As Klaus watched Arthur reach out for the remote control, his eyes darted towards the mirror. In the weeks prior to the game, Klaus had spent his free time at the library expanding his general knowledge. It also presented him with an opportunity to read about the game show itself as well as the Mayor of Viceroy City. The Mayor, it seemed, was a very private person and not once, not even in the papers, was his name ever mentioned. However, the Mayor was a man who commanded a great deal of respect and exerted his influence, not only in the city but in many places around the globe. Klaus often wondered how the Mayor would react to him joining the game though according to the laws of the game show, although Quentin could officially approve him for taking part in the game, the final say rests with the Mayor who ran a great deal of operations behind the game including the assignment of questions.
Thus, a lifeline was a worthy sacrifice for Klaus to gauge who he was up against. It became clear to him, as soon as he answered the first question correctly, that he was no longer on a game show but rather in a fight against a very powerful opponent. One who would do anything to prevent a Scab like him winning the competition and in the strange sense of irony, the Mayor was also the only one who could give Klaus what he desired most in this world. Fifteen questions had become fifteen rounds and in this prize-fight, Klaus had walked away weakened but victorious in the first round.
Fourteen more to go.