Chapter 7
"How are you, Klaus?"
Such a simple question and yet Klaus Baudelaire was at loss for words. The sound of Isadora's voice had awoken a sleeping beast within him as Klaus felt that there was nothing more he would like to do than fall to his knees and cry. If anyone could understand him and would be able to empathise, it would be Isadora.
And yet…
The rational side of his brain kicked in as Klaus blinked his eyes multiple times, hoping to wipe away any tears from trickling down the side of his face. He had to remain focused. Violet and Sunny depended on him and Klaus couldn't afford any distractions.
And yet…
He could hear Quentin counting down the seconds as the entire arena was now silent and glued to his every move. Klaus allowed a bittersweet smile on his face to break out as he shifted about in his chair. Isadora repeated her question once more as a smile broke out on Klaus's face. Throughout the eight years of his life ever since the day Mr. Poe came to Briny Beach to inform the Baudelaires that their parents had perished in a fire, there were very few times since then that Klaus could say that he was actually happy. One of those times had been during his return to Prufrock Preparatory School. As Klaus savoured the voice of Isadora Quagmire, his mind raced back into the past where a place once devoid of any form of joy had become the scene for one of Klaus's happiest memories.
And yet…
…..
Klaus crept out of his dormitory, careful not to wake up any of his new classmates and roommates as he snuck into the hallway. Making a beeline for the library, Klaus reached for the door before tapping three times. He could hear movement inside the library as a faint glow appeared through translucent glass panels of the door. Pressing his ear to the wooden door, Klaus could hear a faint whispering coming from the other side.
"What's my favourite book by Charles Baudelaire?"
Klaus rolled his eyes. "Les Fleurs Du Mal"
"In English please."
"The Flowers of Evil."
Klaus heard the sound of a key jingling and a lock being sprung open before finding himself falling through the gap where the door had been. Collapsing on the floor before immediately picking himself up and dusting himself off, Klaus fixed his glasses before glaring at a giggling Isadora behind the door.
"Very funny," Klaus said as Isadora winked at him before dragging Klaus in between two large shelves of books. Klaus found himself being squashed between two shelves as he and Isadora sat on the floor using the shelves as back support. Though the library was shrouded in darkness, Isadora had brought along a flashlight which illuminated the place where they sat.
"You've gotten taller," Isadora exclaimed as Klaus noticed that her cheeks were sporting a faint blush.
"You're alive," Klaus exclaimed as Isadora nodded at his words. Upon seeing each other for the first time, Klaus had wanted nothing more than to talk to Isadora but a new study period had forced their first conversation to end abruptly.
"So how do we do this?" Isadora asked. "Who goes first?"
"You go first," Klaus said as Isadora cleared her throat. As Klaus listened intently to her story, he couldn't help but notice just how much Isadora had changed. It seemed strange to him that at one point in his life, Klaus had thought of a girl other than that of his sisters. From her soft lips to her silky brown hair, something inside of Klaus's stomach began to flutter.
"After we were reunited with Quigley, the three of us wanted Hector to keep flying in search of you three. But then we received an S.O.S call from a submarine called the Queequeg. A girl called Fiona mentioned you by name and so we came to its location. But before we could rendezvous with whoever was on board, our hot-air balloon was attacked by eagles and we collapsed on the top of the Queequeg. Before any of us knew it, we were being sucked into something that I later learnt was called The Great Unknown. All I can remember is us crashing onto the submarine and then, being in submerged in the sea. I must have blacked out because days later, I was found drifting on a piece of wood by a passing boat with Hector's hat in my hand. Jacquelyn visited me at the hospital where they took me and it's she who got me here."
"What about Fiona, Duncan, Quigley, and Hector?" Klaus asked as Isadora shook her head.
"No idea. The V.F.D has been searching for them for quite some time. They surmised that perhaps everyone is still alive but as to their whereabouts, no one has any idea." Isadora said as Klaus could see her eyes brimming with tears. Reaching out to squeeze her soft hand, Klaus gave Isadora a reassuring smile.
"Well, I'm sure they're fine. Duncan and Quigley are two of the most resourceful people I know." Klaus said as Isadora gave him a grateful smile. Wiping away her tears, Isadora nudged Klaus on his knee.
"What about you?" Isadora asked as Klaus heaved a sigh before telling Isadora everything that had happened to them after the escape from the village. From hostile hospitals to undersea grottos, burning hotels and being shipwrecked on an island, Isadora could only gape in astonishment as Klaus recounted his separation from his sisters and his mission to find them.
"Klaus," Isadora exclaimed as soon as he finished his story. "That's just…crazy! To think of everything you three had to endure, it's almost like someone decided to write the most unfortunate events to have ever occurred to a person and place you three as the protagonists."
"Tell me about it." Klaus sighed as he looked around the library. "And the story's not done, either."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I am grateful for Jacquelyn to put me here and give me a place to stay but I'm way past the whole going to school thing. I need to find my sisters. I need to find Violet." Klaus spoke as he stood to his feet. "I'm just going to be here for a week or so, maybe gather some food supplies and just be on my way."
"Klaus, wait," Isadora said as she stood up to grab his hand. "Let's think about this."
"I can't, Isadora." Klaus insisted as he pulled his hand away. "I can't be here in some safe and happy place while my sisters are out there. For all I know, they could be captured or locked out somewhere or…"
"Or they're trying to find you and you're not doing any favours by moving from place to place," Isadora said as she grabbed both his hands. "I might not know how it feels to be separated from your sisters but I'm probably the only who can understand better than anyone. Two years ago, I was in your position. I wanted nothing more than to search for my brothers but I knew that wandering from town to town, it's just a fool's errand. The V.F.D is much more capable of finding my brothers than I could ever be."
Klaus gave a snort of derision. "Really? Then how come in two years, the V.F.D haven't even found your brothers? Were they ever close?"
"No." Isadora sighed as she pulled away. Immediately, Klaus felt a large amount of regret as he reached for her.
"I'm sorry." Klaus sighed as he turned her to face him. "It's just that…it's frustrating. I've never been away for this long from my sisters and even then, at least I always had either Violet or Sunny with me. Now, I'm just alone."
"So was I, Klaus," Isadora replied with a smile on her face. "That is until you came along." Isadora gave a sigh before staring back at Klaus. "At least, stay here for a year. You can always check on the status of your sisters with Jacquelyn and at the same time, graduate with a certificate that can give you a better chance of getting the odd job should you insist on travelling the globe in search of your sisters."
"Okay," Klaus said after staring at Isadora for the longest time. "I'll give it a year."
"You'll get them back just like how I will get Duncan and Quigley back," Isadore said with a smile.
"Can't imagine how you dealt with all of this all this time," Klaus said as Isadora gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Well," Isadora said as she took a step closer towards him. Klaus could feel his stomach doing all sorts of twists and turns as his heart started to beat faster. "I just think that if Duncan or Quigley could see me now, they wouldn't want me to be unhappy. I don't even know if they're out there but if they are, I'm sure they would want me to be happy."
"Sunny could always look on the bright side of things." Klaus chuckled. "Ever since she was born, our parents always said that Sunny would often smile and laugh, even in the gloomiest of moments. Hence, her name."
"She always did have that spark in her." Isadora smiled as she ran her fingers through her hair. A few strands of her brown hair fell over her forehead as Klaus felt a lump in his throat. "And what about Violet? Would she want you to be happy?"
….
"Here, Sunny," Klaus said as Sunny tugged on his sleeves, begging to be let down. As Sunny wandered around the burnt remains of their living room, Klaus turned to his sister who looked to be searching for something underneath the dusty and grey rubble of their fireplace.
"Father used to put photographs of us on the mantle," Violet said as Klaus walked towards her. "I just want to see if they're still there."
"To think there was a secret passage underneath our house this whole time," Klaus said as he launched his foot against the hatch which covered the opening of the secret tunnel between their home and 667 Dark Avenue. Some of the dirt fell onto his grey suit with white stripes and yet, Klaus couldn't care anymore. The clothes he was wearing felt similar to what he was feeling as he looked around the remains of his home. It's all just a façadeKlaus thought bitterly as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I know what you're thinking," Violet spoke as Klaus turned to face his sister. He could see it in her face as well, the confusion, the anger, the pain. What seemed like a series of unfortunate events were in fact, just a series of consequences that occurred on the day the Baudelaire mansion caught on fire.
"Do you think Esme could have…" Klaus began to speak as Violet raised a finger to his lips, indicating that he should stop.
"We can't think of that now, Klaus. We have to focus on getting Duncan and Isadora back."
"I agree but shouldn't we ask ourselves…"
"Ask ourselves what, Klaus?" Violet spoke, her tone half-resigned and half-exasperated. "What happened to our parents? Why do all these horrible things keep happening to us? And how much have we gotten so far, Klaus? Nothing but bits and pieces."
"Yes, but these pieces might lead us to…"
"A wild goose chase? A red herring? Take your pick, Klaus." Violet said as she grabbed his hands. "Maybe going down the past isn't what we should do. Our parents are gone but the Quagmires are not and honestly, at this point, all I can say is that I want us to save Duncan and Isadora. After we do that, we can all run away somewhere until I come of age and we can live peacefully somewhere."
"No guardians?" Klaus said as Violet raised her eyebrow.
"Has any of our guardians ever worked out? Our parents may be lost and so too were the Quagmires but we don't need parents to have a family. I say enough of Mr. Poe and his insistence at giving us to a guardian that would just let us down time and time again. I say let's just find the Quagmires and be happy."
Klaus could see the desperation and despair in his sister's eyes. She was right, of course. Though he would never admit it out loud, Klaus was tired from chasing ghosts. All the paths which led down that road only brought about pain and Klaus had had enough of the Baudelaires being stuck in some calamitous situation. Hoping to distract her away from the pain that surrounded them in ashes, Klaus nodded at his sister's suggestion.
"Besides, maybe it's possible that…" Klaus said before pausing to pick Sunny up. "..our parents couldn't have known about this."
"Could they?" Violet asked before a ticking clock and Sunny's comment reminded them of what's at stake. As the Baudelaire orphans walked out of their home and onto their garden path, Klaus turned to Violet.
"I just hope we can get there in time."
"We will, Klaus. In the meantime, I'm sure the Quagmires are alright. Duncan can take care of himself."
"And so too can Isadora," Klaus replied as Violet stopped in her tracks to smile at him,
"What?" Klaus asked as Violet shook her head.
"Nothing. It's just…"
"Out with it."
"I did notice a thing between you and Isadora," Violet said as Klaus's cheeks began to blush. "She's good for you, you know."
"Let's just go get them back," Klaus said as Violet nodded before walking beside him.
"Promise me something, Klaus," Violet said as they neared the end of their path.
"What?" Klaus asked as Violet turned to face him. She reached out for his glasses which had been slightly misplaced before adjusting it for him.
"That you'll give yourself a chance to be happy," Violet said before smiling at him.
….
"She would want me to be happy." Klaus sighed as Isadora beamed at him. As Klaus stared into Isadora's brown eyes and her soft lips, he could feel a strong force pushing him closer towards her face. Instead of looking surprised or even shocked, Isadora seemed to be moving closer as well, her lips mere inches away from Klaus. Klaus could feel his heart beating in his chest as he leaned closer, their noses brushing against each other as his lips made contact with hers.
As Klaus stood there kissing Isadora on the lips, he could feel her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed harder onto his. On instinct, Klaus wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as he kissed her harder, his need to feel any form of love or happiness overcoming any form of rational thought in his mind. As Klaus closed his eyes, he could feel the brush of the hairs on Isadora's forehead ticking his eyebrows, her hairstyle of bangs quite similar to…
Violet
In his head, Klaus could picture his sister screaming his name as she threw him the lifeline while he struggled to keep himself afloat in the storm. All he could hear was Violet screaming his name as what was left of the Beatrice sailed further and further out of sight. His heart was no longer pounding but instead, it was plummeting as a wave of guilt made its way throughout his body. No longer feeling the wanton need to embrace Isadora, Klaus pulled away gently. He could see Isadora staring curiously at her with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
"Klaus?"
The mention of his name snapped Klaus's mind back to his situation. He could sense that Isadora wanted this, whatever one might call their relationship to be, with him and yet Klaus couldn't bring himself to be content with the moment. Something was missing, Klaus thought as Isadora smiled hopefully at him. Unable to bear the thought that he might hurt Isadora's feelings by rejecting her, Klaus opted for a moment to rationalise the situation. Whatever he felt with Isadora was foreign to him, though Klaus had to admit, with a tinge of embarrassment, that he was all for kissing her again. Recalling the words of his sister, Klaus took a deep breath before putting on a mask of bittersweet happiness on his face before answering Isadora with the most clichéd response that anyone could give in moments when they weren't sure of what to say.
….
"I'm fine," Klaus replied as Quentin tapped on his watch. Realising the urgency of their situation, Klaus's mind snapped back on point.
"Isadora," Klaus spoke as he stared at the question. "I'm assuming you're watching the show."
"But of course," Isadora replied. "It's not every day you get to see Klaus Baudelaire live on television. I really like your hair."
"Thanks," Klaus said as he heard a giggle coming from an audience member behind him. "So, what do you think is the answer?"
"You already know this, Klaus," Isadora replied. "You had it in you the whole time."
A smile broke out on Klaus's face as he let out a laugh. "Subtle."
Isadora gave a laugh as Quentin did a cut-throat expression with his hands, indicating that his time was up.
"I have to go now, Isadora," Klaus said, his disappointment evident.
"I know you do. I hope you find them, Klaus. I hope you find her." Isadora answered before pausing. "Goodbye, Klaus Baudelaire."
"Goodbye, Isadora Quagmire." Klaus sighed as the line went dead. A few seconds of silence passed before Quentin cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry, Klaus."
"It's okay. She's going to be okay."
"No, it's not that," Quentin said as Klaus turned his attention to the host. "It's just that she never gave you an answer."
"Actually, she did," Klaus replied with a smile. "She always did."
….
As Klaus sat on the roof of Prufrock Preparatory School with his graduation certificate in his hand, he could only heave a sigh as he stared up at the twinkling stars that shone across the darkness that blanketed the sky. It had been a year since he first attended Prufrock once more and though he was a year younger than Isadora, Jacquelyn had placed him in her class as he graduated with flying colours. The past year had seemed to breeze by in a second as Klaus recounted each day, talking to Jacquelyn as to the status of his missing sisters. Though each day brought about the same amount of disappointment and gloom, it had been papered over with the presence of Isadora.
Klaus turned his head to see Isadora lying down on the mat next to him, her yellow valedictorian sash still fixed around her chest. Their relationship had been quite the change in his life as Klaus found himself looking forward to spending each day with her, sometimes even skipping classes just to see her on her free periods. He had improved in his kissing according to Isadora although Klaus did point out that he had only kissed two girls, a revelation of his moment with Fiona being a sore spot for their relationship. And yet as Klaus held her hand as he stared up at the night sky, he couldn't help but feel that he was at long last, happy where he was.
"Why do you like coming here?" Isadora asked as she turned to face him.
"I don't know," Klaus replied as he turned to face her. "The world is quiet here. And lying down underneath the stars just makes me feel happy thinking that perhaps somewhere across the world, Violet and Sunny are looking at the exact same thing at the exact same time."
"You do know that the chances of that being true are…" Isadora spoke before noticing Klaus's face and changing her thought. "…quite the possibility."
"Nice." Klaus laughed as Isadora let out a giggle. "So what are you going to do, tomorrow?"
"I haven't the faintest idea. Maybe I'll go to the Village of Fowl Devotees."
Klaus made a face. "Why would you want to go there?"
"I want to place Hector's hat back at his old place." Isadora sighed. "I know, I know. It sounds silly but when we were flying with Hector, he always mentioned how he wished he left his hat back at his place. It was his father's you see, and like Hector would want it as some kind of tribute to his old man."
Klaus moved closer to Isadora as he gently dragged the hairs down her forehead. "Doesn't sound that silly to me," Klaus said as he leaned in for a kiss. As he kissed Isadora, Klaus could feel something prickling at the back of his head, an uneasy feeling that something unfortunate was about to happen.
"Wow!" Isadora exclaimed as they pulled away. "Don't think you ever kissed me like that before."
Klaus smiled at Isadora. "We can go together tomorrow. I may not like the Village but it's a good place for me to start. Violet and Sunny might have passed through there."
Isadora gave Klaus a strange look before sitting herself upright. "What do you mean a good place to start?"
"I mean.," Klaus spoke as he sat upright as well. "It would be a good place for me to start my search."
"Wait, you're not still thinking about leaving, are you?" Isadora cried as Klaus gave her a confused stare.
"Of course I am," Klaus said as Isadora got up to her feet. "It's what we agreed to, remember? A year ago at the library?"
"I didn't agree to anything." Isadora sighed as she paced about in front of him. "I should have seen this coming…" Isadora muttered to herself.
"Wait, back up for a moment," Klaus said as he got up to his feet. "You can't possibly want to stay at Prufrock anymore? You're graduated like me."
"Yes, but the principal has offered me lodging for another year," Isadora replied. "I'm not going to stay here all my life but I'm certainly not going to go about gallivanting down the countryside screaming for my brothers at the top of my lungs."
"So what?" Klaus exclaimed as he felt the heat rising in his body. "You're just going to give up?"
For the first time in his life, Klaus saw a look on anger on Isadora's face as she glared at him. "I'm never going to give up on my brothers, Klaus Baudelaire but unlike you, I'm being rational about this rather than giving in to my emotions. It's been three years since I last saw or heard anything about them. What do you think crosses my mind each day when Jacquelyn tells me she hasn't had news about them? What does any sane, rational person think when the most extensive search conducted by the largest secret organisation in the world who uses vast resources to search for my brothers yield failed attempts daily?"
"No, no!" Klaus yelled as he grabbed Isadora by the shoulders. "You can't think like that! You can't lose hope."
Yet as Klaus held Isadora, he could finally see what was behind the mask that Isadora had placed on her face each day. He could see her, a strong and driven woman, staring back at him with fragile eyes as a resigned look came across her face. He could feel her trembling as Klaus pulled her into a hug, squeezing her for all he's worth as Isadora broke down in tears, her graduation sash damp with her sobs.
"Klaus," Isadora whispered after her composing herself. Klaus could feel her pulling away as she stared at him, her brown eyes glistening with tears. "I think you have to go."
"I can't do this without you," Klaus replied, not wanting to let Isadora go.
"You have to," Isadora said as she fixed a bittersweet smile on her face. "You need to go find her. You need her, Klaus, more than you'll ever need me."
Klaus could only gape as Isadora pulled herself away from his embrace before turning herself away from him. He could see her shoulders falling to their sides as Isadora turned to face him.
"Violet is important to me, Isadora, but that doesn't mean…" Klaus began to speak as Isadora shook her head. Klaus watched as Isadora placed her hand on her hair before letting her front strands drop over her forehead.
"Did you ever wonder why you had to do this every time you kissed me?" Isadora said as Klaus stared at her. "Or why every time we kiss, it feels like I'm kissing an empty shell with nothing inside? It's because of her, Klaus. It's always her."
"Who?" Klaus replied awkwardly. "Fiona?"
Isadora gave a mirthless laugh at Klaus's poor attempt at humour. "Fiona, myself, Beatrice, even Sunny. We're all important to you in different ways and some more than the other but there will always be one girl who you care about more than any of us."
"Violet's just my sister," Klaus said as Isadora shook her head.
"She's more than just a sister, Klaus, and we both know that. Duncan, Quigley and I might be triplets but even we don't come close to the connection you have with Violet. You care about your sister an inordinate amount and now that she's not here, you're just empty. You need her, Klaus, in ways that I can't even imagine. So even though I might be against it and even though it may be completely irrational, I think you should leave Prufrock and go find her. Follow your heart, Klaus Baudelaire."
"What about you?" Klaus asked as Isadora walked to the side of the roof where the ladder stood.
"I'm going to stay here for another year, probably help out around the school. By then, I'll be eighteen and in control of my family fortune where I will use every financial resource available to find my brothers and your sisters, if you haven't found them by then."
"But what if I choose to stay? Could we be together?" Klaus asked as Isadora reached for the ladder before turning around to give him a smile.
"Perhaps. But only if you choose to stay." Isadora replied as she stared back at him. "So what will it be, Klaus? What's your choice?"
…..
"So what will it be, Klaus?" Quentin asked as he motioned to the screen. "What's your choice?"
"My answer is A. Salmon," Klaus replied as he smirked at the thought. Isadora's use of the word "in" might seem like a random preposition but to Klaus, it was a reference to Esme Squalor's favourite word which brought back the memory of Klaus, Violet, and Sunny being forced to dine at Salmonella. "Final answer."
"Correct!" Quentin cried as the audience applauded once more though Klaus could hear many of the audience members chatting to each other, a sign that Klaus had now passed his first test in a series of questions that would determine his faith.
"I suppose that it's probably time for us to go to a commercial break," Quentin spoke as loud groans and protests rang throughout the audience. Klaus felt himself smiling as he tried to imagine the audience's response. Klaus himself didn't want to stop, his achievement at surviving the seventh question only added momentum to his cause.
"What say you, Klaus?" Quentin said after he failed to pacify the audience.
"I think we should do one more at least," Klaus replied as Quentin gave him a smile.
"Very well! Let us proceed to the eighth question." Quentin cried to a chorus of cheers. Klaus looked patiently to his screen which was blank as he awaited the eighth question. However, instead of a question appearing, Quentin spoke up again.
"Now, Klaus, before I reveal the next question, there is something I need to ask you," Quentin said as Klaus turned to him. "You see, even though this is a game show, I always make it a point for us to get to know the contestant who in this case, is you. So tell me, Klaus Baudelaire, tell me something about yourself."
"I wouldn't know where to start," Klaus replied as Quentin shook his head.
"That's not good enough. Come on, give us something. What about you and Isadora? What's that about?"
Klaus averted his gaze as he looked at the screen. A look on Quentin's face told him that Quentin wasn't going to let him off easily. Sighing, Klaus spoke reluctantly.
"You could say that she and I used to go out. We went out for about a year."
"Interesting! Finally!" Quentin exclaimed in delight as Klaus heard the audience chatting excitedly throughout the arena. "So Klaus, it seems there's more to you than meets the eye. So tell us about Isadora? What kind of a person was she?"
"Incredible," Klaus said as his thoughts went back to Isadora during that year at Prufrock Preparatory. "She's smart, driven and has an amazing sense of humour. She's patient and kind and she never gives up on you, even when you give up yourself. Not to mention, Isadora is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life."
"She sounds amazing, Klaus," Quentin said before giving him a cheeky grin. "And from the way you're speaking about her, it seems that you still might have a thing for her."
"It doesn't matter anymore," Klaus replied as Quentin gave a frown before sighing.
"Well, I think I speak for myself and for your supporters when I say I hope you both can find a way to resolve things. A girl like that only comes in your life once in a blue moon. Don't let her get away."
As Klaus absorbed Quentin's words, his mind shifted back again to that fateful night four years ago.
…..
"What should I do?" Klaus sighed as he laid down on the mat, his eyes staring up into the night sky. Throughout the entire year, Klaus had eagerly looked forward to the day he had to graduate. He had imagined himself driving around from town to town with Isadora as they looked for their missing siblings. It made no sense for him to stay in Prufrock. The V.F.D had proven themselves useless in finding his sisters and the longer he waited, the longer his sisters would remain missing.
"Argghhh!" Klaus yelled as he stood to his feet as he thought about what Isadora had said to him.
"Violet's just my sister," Klaus said as Isadora shook her head.
"She's more than just a sister, Klaus, and we both know that."
"She's right, you know."
The sound of a familiar voice caused Klaus to jump a foot in the air as he turned around, startled at the voice. Klaus's eyes widened as he turned behind to see a figure standing no more than a few feet away from the mat, her long brown hair with bangs and radiant blue eyes staring back at Klaus.
"Violet? Is that you?" Klaus asked as Violet smiled at him before shaking her head.
"No, I'm not here. And neither are you." Violet said as she pointed to a figure on the mat whom Klaus had not noticed before. A closer look revealed that the figure was himself, sound asleep as a plate of bread with blue cheese laid beside him.
"What's happening?" Klaus asked as Violet gave a giggle before pointing to the plate of cheese.
"Blue cheese had an effect on the mind, Klaus. It's said to be able to make you hallucinate with extraordinary vivid dreams like the one we're in now."
"I'm dreaming," Klaus replied, sounding disappointed as Violet gave him a bittersweet smile.
"I'm afraid you are, Klaus," Violet replied as she took his hand before giving him an encouraging smile. "It doesn't mean that this isn't real, Klaus. You were troubled before you slept. What happened between you and Isadora?"
"If you're in my mind, don't you already know?" Klaus asked as Violet led him to the edge of the roof.
"Humour me," Violet said as Klaus recalled everything that he and Isadora had discussed. Klaus watched as Violet listened intently to his every word.
"So, what are you going to do?" Violet asked as Klaus threw his hands into the air.
"I have no idea." Klaus sighed. "On one hand, I want nothing more than to go out and look for you and Sunny but on the other hand, I don't want to lose Isadora."
"So don't lose her. Stay here with her and wait for us to come to you."
"I can't take that risk, Violet. What if something happened to you and Sunny and neither of you can come to me?"
"We've always managed to figure a way out of our predicaments before, Klaus," Violet spoke gently as Klaus shook his head.
"Not without each other." Klaus sighed. "No disrespect to Sunny but it's always been you and me taking charge of the situation together. What if you need information about something? How can I help if I'm not there?"
"We'll manage." Violet sighed. "You can't just leave Isadora, Klaus."
"I don't want to," Klaus replied. "But I have no choice."
"Why? Of course, you have a choice."
"No, I don't," Klaus said as he walked away. "I have to find you."
"Why, Klaus?"
"You know why."
"No, I don't!" Violet replied, her rising tone forcing Klaus to look back at her. "Klaus Baudelaire, don't you dare lie to me. Why are you abandoning Isadora when you care about her? Why do you insist on doing something foolish like travelling from town to town when it makes more sense to just stay put and use V.F.D resources? Why do all of this?!"
"Because if I don't, I might never do it!" Klaus roared, as Violet looked slightly taken aback from his tone. "Look at Isadora! She's losing hope in finding her brothers and I don't ever want to be like that! To relegate you like it's just some lost cause!"
Klaus could feel tears streaming down his face as he looked back at Violet with anger. "For the first time since we separated, I'm actually happy, Violet. I am. I'm with Isadora now and if I stay, that might be all that matters to me. I might give up looking for you!"
"So?" Violet cried as she took a step towards him. "Would that really be so bad? You've suffered just as much as anyone else and if the tables were turned, would you want me to give up my happiness to go find you? Klaus, you promised me you'll be happy. Why don't you keep your promise?"
"I can't." Klaus sighed.
"Yes, you can!" Violet insisted. "You can't let Isadora go. Don't let her get away."
"You don't understand…"
"Yes, I do! Stay with her but keep a lookout for us, that's all I asked…"
"I can't do that…"
"Yes, you can, Klaus!" Violet screamed as Klaus could see her pleading with tears down her face. "I meant what I said back at our former home. Stay with Isadora. Be happy. And if it means having to let us go, then let us go."
"You can't expect me to do that."
"Why are you being so stubborn, Klaus?!" Violet sighed. "You know very well that if I could actually be here –"
"BUT YOU'RE NOT HERE, ARE YOU?!" Klaus yelled at the top of his voice as Violet flinched under his tone. "You're not here! You're nothing but a figment of my goddamn imagination and I can't do anything until I find you! Don't you get that, Violet? I'm nothing without you."
With that final outburst, Klaus collapsed to his knees as he fell sobbing on the ground. He could feel a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him. Though he knew her touch wasn't real, Klaus felt himself being drawn to the warm embrace of his sister.
"She was right." Klaus croaked as Violet cupped his face with her hands. "I'm empty without you."
"I just wanted you to be happy, Klaus," Violet whispered as Klaus could see tears trickling down her cheeks as well. "I just want you to be happy."
"How can I be happy without you, Violet?" Klaus whispered as Violet crushed him in a tight hug. As he held his imaginary sister in his arms as tightly as he could, Klaus knew what he had to do.
…
"Ready to move on?" Quentin asked as Klaus was brought back to reality. Nodding his head, Quentin read out the eighth question.
"Dues ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is abruptly resolved by an unexpected occurrence. Out of the great ancient Greek tragedians, which of the four is widely regarded as the most notable user of the term? Is it…
Aeschylus
Euripides
Sophocles
Homer
"Take your time, Klaus," Quentin said as the arena grew silent with anticipation. Klaus could see that Quentin was concerned about his ability to answer the question and Klaus himself had to admit, he wasn't particularly well versed in ancient Greek tragedy. Yet as he stared at the four answers, Klaus turn his attention to the term dues ex machina. He knew the English translation meant ' god from the machine'. Somewhere along Klaus's mind, he could hear the sound of gears turning as an engine roared to life.
….
Klaus rested his head on the leather seats as he admired every inch of the machine. From the brakes and clutch to the radio as well as the smooth and wide interior of the car, Klaus could see himself living inside the machine for days to come. The smooth transition of the gear shift impressed him as well as the low mileage of the car which was surprising considering that it had been passed down from two previous owners.
"Courtesy of my family," Bob said as he tapped on the window. "Since my uncle passed, this thing has been seating on my driveway collecting dust so I thought, why not put it to some good use? I left a tank of petrol in the car should you need to refuel and I've gone through everything. You sure you're ready to drive?"
"I'm confident," Klaus said, thinking back to his driving lessons at the school and how he had been awarded an A in driving. "Thanks, Bob! But… I don't have a license."
Bob gave a chuckle as he handed something over to Klaus. "Jacquelyn and I took the liberty of getting you one from the Vehicular Forms Department."
"Nice," Klaus said as he got out from the car. Klaus smirked at his new name, Herman Melville being printed in clear, bold letters. "Thank you so much, Bob," Klaus replied as he gave Bob a hug.
"Awww," Bob said as he happily embraced Klaus. "Just make sure you take care of yourself, kid."
"I'll get the car back to you," Klaus replied as Bob shook his head.
"It's yours. Just make sure you take good care of it, and yourself!" Bob said as Klaus nodded gratefully at him. He could see Jacquelyn approaching the pair as Bob excused himself to the side.
"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" Jacquelyn said with a concerned expression on her face. "You could stay here with Isadora for as long as you want. You'll be safe here."
"I can't stay," Klaus replied as Jacquelyn reluctantly nodded her head. "Violet and Sunny are out there and while I appreciate everything you and the V.F.D have done, I have to look for them."
"I understand." Jacquelyn sighed before giving Klaus a smile. "I have something for you."
"What is it?" Klaus said as Jacquelyn handed him a photograph. On it was a picture of Beatrice smiling at the camera. Klaus felt a tugging at his heart as he beamed with pride at the photograph.
"Thought you could use a little pick-me-up," Jacquelyn said as Klaus placed the photograph of Beatrice next to the photograph of Violet and Sunny that he kept on the dashboard of the car. "A little incentive to motivate you."
"I have no words…" Klaus said as he turned to Jacquelyn who handed him two more items. The first was a spyglass which Klaus recognised as the one all V.F.D members had. "That will help identify you as a V.F.D member should you come across any of us on your journey. And that…" Jacquelyn said as she pointed at the envelope. "Is just something you might need along your way."
Klaus opened the envelope to see a large wad of cash being stashed inside. He stared back at Jacquelyn, his head shaking.
"This is too much…" Klaus began to speak only for Jacquelyn to put a finger on his lips. "No, it's not," Jacquelyn whispered as she placed the envelope and spyglass into his coat. "It's the least I can do. I hope you find them soon, Klaus." And with that Jacquelyn gave him a kiss on the forehead before stepping aside for the final person to see Klaus off.
Isadora made her way slowly towards Klaus. She had a despondent look on her face though she was not crying, her eyes were still a little red. Nevertheless, as she approached Klaus, he could see her giving him a smile, similar to the one she gave him back when she and Duncan agreed to distract Count Olaf so that Klaus and his sisters could study.
"So…" Isadora spoke first with a strange smile on her face. "Jacquelyn, Fiona and myself. Getting quite the reputation as a ladies man, aren't you?"
Klaus could only laugh lightly at Isadora's attempt at humour before noticing something in her hand. "What's that?"
"It's Hector's hat," Isadora said as she handed him over a straw hat. "I figured that maybe you wouldn't mind just dropping this over at his old place. You don't have to, of course…"
"I love to," Klaus said as he gave a smile before taking the hat and placing it in his car. Turning around, he could see that Isadora had taken another step towards him, their faces now inches apart. Klaus studied her face as he tried to memorise every detail of Isadora Quagmire. Though he knew that there was every possibility he was going to see her again, Klaus couldn't help but feel the same way he did back at the library all those years ago with Duncan, Isadora, Violet, and Sunny. Noticing something about her face, Klaus smiled as he brushed away the strands that had fallen down on her forehead. He tucked them back on the side as Isadora smiled back at him.
"Just promise me you'll be okay," Isadora whispered as Klaus nodded his head. Before he could say anything, Isadora threw her hands around his neck and pressed her lips onto his. Klaus hugged her as tightly as he could, not wanting to let her go. After what seemed like forever, Isadora pulled herself and turned away from him as Klaus touched his lips which he could still feel the lingering pressure of her lips.
"Isadora," Klaus whispered as she turned back to face him. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologise for, Klaus." Isadora sighed. "Like I told you, follow your heart. It rarely leads you astray."
With that, Isadora walked towards the gates of Prufrock Preparatory School where Jacquelyn and Bob stood. Klaus heaved a sigh before entering his car and turning the key.
Klaus felt the car shudder as the engine roared to life. As Klaus waved goodbye to the three important figures in his life, he turned the car around, facing it towards the road ahead where the sun had been steadily rising.
"Klaus, are you sure you want to do this?"
Klaus looked next to him to see Violet staring back at him with a sad look in her eyes.
"Guess I didn't fully digest that cheese," Klaus said as Violet gave him a bittersweet smile before pointing to his windscreen mirror where he could see Isadora staring at the back of his car. With a sigh, Klaus pressed his foot on the gas pedal as the car took off onto the path away from Prufrock Preparatory School.
"Kind of feels like this is a deus ex machina of some sort," Violet said as she tapped on the dashboard.
"You know, that term was most notably used by Euripides in his play," Klaus said as Violet made a face. "Although it was said that Aeschylus was the first to use it in his play called…"
"Klaus, really?" Violet replied as Klaus gave a mirthless laugh before nodding. Turning his eyes to the car's side mirror, Klaus could see the image of the school getting smaller in the distance.
"You know, it doesn't have to be," Violet said as she scooted herself towards him before leaning her head on his shoulder. "Things could work out."
"Yeah, once I find you and Sunny, I could return back to Isadora," Klaus replied.
"Not to mention, you might find Duncan and Quigley along the way," Violet said as Klaus gave her a smile.
"Yeah, and we could all be reunited together with Beatrice and Jacquelyn and Bob!" Klaus cried excitedly as Violet gave a laugh.
"Yeah, and just imagine all of us living in some fancy house. We could get Sunny into a good school where she would grow up and make friends."
"We could raise Beatrice and put her in a good school as well!"
"Not to mention, that you and Isadora can finally be together for good," Violet said as she playfully nudged him.
"Yeah, I can just imagine us. Spending our days talking and reading in the library. Going out for walks on Briny Beach. Exploring the world together."
"And one day, getting married and having a family of your own," Violet added with a smile on her face. "Wouldn't that be amazing, Klaus? You could be married to Isadora, we would have our fortunes to help us in raising Sunny and Beatrice and I would most likely be with…"
The abrupt roar of the engine drowned his sister's voice as Klaus stared at his side mirror once more. Prufrock Preparatory School was but a tiny dot out there in the distance and with its disappearance, so too were Klaus's hopes at ever seeing Isadora Quagmire ever again. Turning to face his sister and hoping to be comforted by her apparition, Klaus could only see an empty seat next to him.
"Violet?" Klaus whispered only to be met with the deafening sound of silence in the car. Klaus could feel his stomach grumbling once more as he turned to the empty road ahead of him. It had suddenly dawned on him. He was now all alone.
As Klaus drove through the Hinterlands with only the roar of his machine being the only sound in an otherwise barren and silent world, Klaus could not help but fantasize about a better life with his sisters and the Quagmires. Yet despite the happy images that were going through his mind, Klaus knew far better than to give in to fantasy. After all,
That's not how the story goes.
…..