Chapter Six

Klaus was happy.

It was the last day of September, and he'd been at the V.F.D. Headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains for almost six weeks. In that time, he thought that he had managed to settle in well to his new life. While many aspects of it were still far from perfect, nothing was getting worse. He had settled into his training at the Headquarters quickly, enjoying the company of the other young men and women on the course. He found all of the core lessons interesting enough, although he vastly preferred his specialist studies, in which he was taught how to become a researcher in one-on-one lessons with Dewey Denouement, which he found most enjoyable. He would sleep in a dormitory with the other male neophytes, and he soon found that he was good friends with many of them. There was one boy called Fabian who Klaus was particularly good friends with, as Fabian was around his age and wanted to become a detective, a more hands-on approach to Klaus' own interest. There was another boy slightly older than Klaus called Simon Webber who could play the guitar, and Klaus often found pleasant music coming from his dormitory in the evenings. All in all, it was a lovely place to be.

Violet also enjoyed the lessons, although she often grew lonely due to the lack of female company. Most of the girls being trained were three or four years younger than her. But she didn't mind too much. Violet was a keen learner, and she was often so absorbed in her studies that she didn't mind working alone. But what she really did enjoy was her specialist lessons, in which she worked with an older man called C.M. Kornbluth who Violet thought was even more passionate about inventing than she was. Much like Violet, he was always tinkering away at some project or another, and was always eager to help and assist her with anything that she needed help or assistance with. Violet always found his private lessons the most interesting of her training. Over those first few weeks, she spent a lot of time with her tutor, often taking the time to visit him outside of lessons to show him some invention or other that she had devised in her free time.

Along with Klaus' research skills, Violet's inventing skills blossomed at the Headquarters during those weeks, and the two Baudelaire siblings felt as though they hadn't been happier since the terrible fire that destroyed their home. In their free time away from training, the two Baudelaires often visited the extensive library at the Headquarters, and spent many evenings researching topics of their choice. Of course, much of the library was official records, but this section was kept off-limits to neophytes, which was both a blessing and a curse to Violet and Klaus. Part of them wanted to read the old records about how their parents came to be involved in this organisation, but they also didn't want to find out. Klaus was more curious that Violet, but even he understood that if his parents had wanted them to find out, they would have been told. He didn't want to stand against his parents, especially not with a matter as sensitive and important as this.

The only downside to the Baudelaire children's lives at that time was the rest of the family's condition. Every day, Violet and Klaus visited the hospital wing to talk to their father, but his condition was barely improving. The doctors told the children that it would be weeks, maybe even months, before the harpoon wound would fully heal. Violet and Klaus also asked members of the council regularly about what they called 'The Baudelaire Case', but they rarely told anything of importance. They usually just smiled sadly at them and said that everything was under control, but over time Violet and Klaus began to doubt it.

But at least they had found some happiness in the Mortmain Mountains after the ordeals that the summer had given them. While Klaus had made new friends within the Headquarters, Violet stayed with Arlo. There weren't many girls (or boys, for that matter) of her age, and the bond that she had formed with Arlo in the Verdant Valley only grew stronger as summer turned into autumn. Arlo had plenty of free time; Lemony was going through a quiet period in terms of work, and Arlo had plenty of time to work on his pastime. With Violet's help, he managed to construct a second glider, and earned permission to test it in the Valley of Four Draughts. One weekend in September, he managed to convince his chaperone to come with the tow of them in a climb up Mount Fraught near the Headquarters. Lemony agreed, and the three of them spent a day climbing, camped overnight at the summit, which had the most spectacular view that Violet had ever seen. In the hours after dawn the next day, they set up hand-gliders and flew them from the top, in one of Arlo's riskiest ideas to date. Still, it worked, and looking back on the weekend, Violet thought that it was one of the best of her life.

In general, all was well for the Baudelaire siblings. At least, all was well until that evening, when September was drawing to a close.

Klaus was sitting in a comfy chair in a corner of the V.F.D. library, relaxing as he had done on many an evening. The motto of the secret organisation was 'The World is Quiet Here', and Klaus saw it written on the archway into the library every day. Here, where he always felt peaceful, he could only agree with the motto, which seemed fitting for his tranquil surroundings. All was quiet, but for the hushed whispers of Violet and Arlo at a table just out of his sight. It didn't bother him, though, as he was still able to focus on his reading, which on that particular night was a book about the flora and fauna - which were fancy words for "plants and animals" - of the Finite Forest. Everything was peaceful.

"Baudelaires?" a worried, female voice called out suddenly, much too loud for a library. Violet heard the woman get reprimanded by the librarian, but then she called out again, and Violet realised that the voice belonged to Kit Snicket.

"Baudelaires?" she called. "I have news from Bladeridge Castle!"

Suddenly, both Violet and Klaus were on their feet, hurrying from the library, with Arlo desperately trying to keep up with them as they weaved past other volunteers through the narrow gaps in the corridors. Violet and Klaus both felt anxious as they reached Kit, as they knew from her tone of voice that they would not be receiving good news. They wanted to know what had happened, but they were unsure whether or not they would be better off for knowing.

"Come with me," Kit Snicket said as the three children arrived at the exit of the library. She looked anxious, which only made the Baudelaires feel worse. "I only expected two of you," she said hourly when she noticed Arlo was with them. "But you should come too, Thursday. My brother requires your assistance. All three of you should follow me."
And so Kit led the way trough the corridors of the V.F.D. Headquarters towards the council room, and all three children were unsure of what to find when they arrived.

When they did arrive, they found the council room to be much as it was on the day that they first arrived, as though a meeting was about to start. Today, Dewey Denouement sat at the head of the table, and as Violet sat down anxiously, he was busy reading two sheets of paper intensely. Looking around the table, Violet noticed that there were slightly fewer people at the table today than on the first day, but their facial expressions did nothing to help Violet's anxiety. The jovial, kind faces were gone; today, everyone was focused on their own problems, and Violet saw worried faces around the room. Most worryingly, she saw the look on her father's face from across the table, which did even less to help her than the others.

"Today," Dewey Denouement read once everyone had taken their seats. "I have received two very important letters. One is from a friend; Jacques Snicket, who we now know to be safe. He has reached the Verdant Valley base, where he has the Snicket File in safe hands." This news seemed to cheer up the council members around the table, although it meant little to Violet, Klaus and Arlo. "However, the second letter has been sent by Count Olaf, from Bladeridge Castle itself. It reads as follows." Dewey Denouement held up a small sheet of paper so that it was easily legible in the light, and paused to clear his throat before reading the letter aloud.

Dearest volunteers,

Recently I have noticed some of your number taking interest in my work at Bladeridge Castle. Too much interest. Madame diLustro and her apprentice are dead. I mean to warn anyone else who intrudes in our business at the castle that they will meet a similar fate to your late comrade.

However, I will admit to holding Beatrice and Sunny Baudelaire in the castle against their will, and I am willing to release them for the right price, of course. I expect no money or objects of value, too. Just the sugar bowl, delivered directly to me in exchange for one of your finest agents and her child. Of course, my fortress is so heavily guarded that attack would be foolish, so this really is your only option.

I'll be waiting where you know to find me,

Olaf

Dewey put down the piece of paper and looked around the table sadly. Most of the volunteers looked distraught, although Klaus couldn't tell whether they were grieving for the loss of their comrade or struggling to work out a plan of action.

"I'm sure that we are all troubled by the loss of diLustro," Dewey said carefully, and several council members nodded. "But at the moment, we have more important things to worry about."

"Like how we're getting Beatrice back?" asked a chubby, red-faced man that Violet and Klaus now knew as Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, a herpetologist, which is a word used to describe a person who studies snakes.

"Exactly," Dewey agreed confidently. "The first thing to note, and I'm sure that we all agree on this, is that we cannot give the sugar bowl to Olaf."

"Why not?" asked Violet frustratedly. She didn't know why a sugar bowl could be so important. It was clear to her that it was worth more than one would assume that a Vessel For Disaccharides would be worth, but more than the lives of two people? She doubted it.

"It's not the sugar bowl itself that is important," Lemony Snicket explained, who was sitting next to Arlo. "It's what's inside."

"And what is inside?" Klaus asked, but Dewey had already moved on the debate.

"It's clear that we need to send agents to continue diLustro's work," he said. "And Lemony has already volunteered himself and his apprentice for the mission." This took Arlo by surprise, but it also pleased him. Wasn't this what he had wanted? "However, we need more than a team of two," Dewey continued. "I've tried to contact Jacques over him taking part in this mission, but we won't have a reply until the morning. In the meantime, I need a couple more of you to volunteer for this mission."

Both Violet's and Klaus' hands shot straight into the air. Both of them wanted to get their mother and sister back desperately. It had been two months since they last saw them, and the two siblings had found themselves missing them more and more. And why shouldn't they volunteer, anyway? It wasn't like they couldn't handle themselves. They'd survived the ordeal to reach the Mortmain Mountains, hadn't they? Arlo would be by their side once more, and this time there would be adults with them, too.

However, Dewey Denouement did not seem as keen as the Baudelaire children to let two relatively untrained children take part in such an important mission. He scanned the room looking for other volunteers to choose instead, but no-one else had put themselves forward. They either didn't care enough for the mission or were too fearful of repeating Madame diLustro's fate to volunteer. Reluctantly, Dewey turned once again to Violet and Klaus.

"Very well, Baudelaires," he said, trying to appear as though he condoned - a word which here means "approved" - their eagerness to be a part of the mission. "You shall join Snicket and his apprentice on their mission. You have tonight to prepare, and the four of you will leave in the morning, when I have received word from Jacques Snicket in the Verdant Valley." Dewey paused for a moment, trying his best to smile despite his uncertainty.

"Good luck, Baudelaires," he said at last. "You'll need it."