Chapter Twelve
The ground was still shaking when the Baudelaires were running in the jungle alongside Charles and Lars, but they had managed to get away from the danger zone. The Baudelaires were tired of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, betrayal, villains, and most of all, the jungle. Sure, it was a beautiful place, but there's no worse off place to be when one is so unfortunate as the Baudelaires are than a jeopardized jungle filled with vicious volcano flies, roots that made them trip and fall, and an unsettling ammount of hummidity. The Baudelaires were tired and wanted out of Jupiter Island, and they want it
pronto, a word which here means 'now'.
'We need to get out of this island
pronto!' Klaus said, as they diminished their pacing, when the ground stopped shaking completely. 'We need to talk about what we just saw!' Violet added, gasping for air in between words. 'Agreed. But let's do so as we hike towards the hangar. We need to get
The Invincible up and running.' Lars said. Charles giggled nervously, adding 'I think you mean
flying, Lars.' Lars also smiled nervously, and the group resumed their hike towards the hangar. They knew it was near, as Juno had informed them.
'If we heard correctly...Fiona and Fernald were after the bowl to save their stepfather. Captain Widdershins.' Lars said. Knowing Elizabeth and being close to her, Lars showed disdain for Fernald and Fiona's stepfather. After all, it was him that helped Fernald destroy the Anwhistle Aquatics for the first time. 'If they asked my opinion I'd tell them to leave that old codger wherever he is.' Lars added, bitterly. 'You must try to understand them, Lars. People would do anything for their family.'
'It's true.' Violet said. She even agreed on marrying the late Count Olaf in the past if it meant that Klaus and Sunny would survive. Klaus and Sunny agreed, and even Beatrice, who was too young.
'Also...I know who it was that betrayed Boreas Botanics.' Charles said. 'It was Harold Potter. He once worked here as a herpetologist, categorizing the snakes of the jungle, along with one Montgomery Montgomery. Harold was Montgomery's pupil, but he disappeared in the sea...If you know what I mean.'
'He worked with Uncle Monty?' Sunny asked. Uncle Monty was how Montgomery Montgomery had asked the Baudelaires to call him when they went to live with him in his house near Tedia, in what seemed like aeons ago. She was very surprised to learn that he could have known and worked with such an evil man as Harold Potter, the murderer of Mortimer Montague, another valorous, if not eccentric volunteer.
'Yes, long ago.' Charles said. 'If that is true...that Harold once disappeared in the sea...Could he have been turned evil like Felix?' Violet asked, looking at Lars. He wasn't as affected as she thought by seeing Felix again. 'Yes. Harold could have been taken by the Great Unknown as well as Felix. I can see a connection.'
'But Esmé was never taken into it.' Klaus added. 'Not that we know at least.'
'Maybe she didn't have to.' Lars said. 'Look!' And then Lars pointed somewhere, and the Baudelaires saw it; the abandoned hangar that contained Juno's zeppelin,
The Invincible. There was a Vernacular Fastening Device locking the doors, but they all knew the passwords. Approaching the hangar - which was covered in moss and vines - it reminded them of Montague Manor, when things really began to take a turn for the worst for them; the murder of Mortimer Montague and destruction of Montague Manor in yet another fire; it just sent a chill down the Baudelaires' spines to have those memories jump into the foreground of their consciousness.
'Okay. So the three passwords are the name of famous female volunteers.' Lars said. He approached the vernacular fastening device and typed ELIZABETH on the keyboard. Charles Boreas approached the device and typed JUNO on the keyboard. Violet Baudelaire then followed in their example and typed BEATRICE. The device unlocked, the doors opened. The inside of hangar was very dark, and they could not see much.
'Maybe there's a switch?' Violet suggested; Lars was already onto it, and using a flashlight he removed from his back pack, he found a box of light switches; turning them all on, the light was restored in the hangar, and the Baudelaires, Lars, and Charles, saw it.
The Invincible had Juno's personality all over it the same way that the
Elizabethan Whistle had Elizabeth Anwhistles' personality all over it.
The Invincible was painted in a black and green color scheme with the symbol of Boreas Botanics painted on the side - a flower with an eye inside it - the VFD eye - . and the zeppelin was decorated with an organic, plant motif; in a style many would describe as
art nouveau.
'It's...amazing!' Violet said, looking at the marvel and beauty of
The Invincible. She couldn't
wait to operate it, even if she was unexperienced, and with Juno's quick summary on how to do it, she felt confident enough that she would be able to save herself, her siblings, along with Lars and Charles from the jeopardized island.
'We have to activate the engines and leave them at full power. The tank is full, from what I can tell looking at this computer.' The computer in question displayed the technical information on
The Invincible. It was surprisingly well-preserved considering how the hangar looked from the outside. 'Violet, we need to open the ceiling doors.' Lars said.
'I'm on to it.' Violet said as she reached for the levers and buttons Juno had mentioned. It was hard to operate the computers as they were a bit outdated and rusty, but they worked fairly well for computers that were in a hangar in the middle of a jungle.
'We'll have to wait a bit. The mechanisms are a bit slow.' Violet said, looking up at the ceiling. They could already see a portion of the grim, cloudy sky above the hangar. A thin rain poured through the open space, falling on top of the zeppelin.
'Charles...What about Juno, Jessica and Jane? Will they be safe?' Klaus asked. Even though he didn't reciprocate Jessica's feelings, he still considered her a friend, and a valorous volunteer.
'They will. They know how to survive in this place better than anyone.' Charles said with a comforting smile. It was comforting indeed to know so, but the Baudelaires could never be sure. The only thing they were sure of is that they had to get out of Jupiter Island, and fast.
'The celing is opening up quite fast now.' Lars said, looking up. And so it was. The diffuse light given by the grim looking sky poured through from the opening along with the rain and the wind. Suddenly, it was really cold, and the Baudelaires held each other in a friendly sibling embrance. Lars and Charles did not embrace, but they stayed very close.
'Maybe Fiona didn't turn really evil.' Klaus said, breaking the silence. 'Maybe she is really still the Fiona we met in the
Queequeg, in there, somewhere.' Violet smiled. Even though Violet was the one most prone to distrust Fiona other than Klaus, she agreed with him. Because not agreeing with Klaus' statement was negating her own belief that if Quigley were to return from the Great Unknown he would still be the same Quigley Violet met in the Mortmain Mountains. Violet held Klaus tighter in a comforting, warm embrace.
Lars and Charles were behind the Baudelaires, and when Sunny looked back to check on them, she saw the two sharing a tender moment. I will not say what Sunny saw, but I'll say that she smiled at the sight, feeling great joy to be safe, with her family, and with two noble volunteers that had so much helped them. Turning back, Sunny laid her head on Klaus' shoulder.
A few minutes later, the ceiling was fully open, and an alarm sounded. 'It's ready to go!' Violet said, rushing to the computer. She pushed a few more buttons, and then climbed on the stairs that led to the inside of
The Invincible. 'Follow me, everyone!'
And follow Violet the others did. It fills me with joy to say that Violet, Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice Baudelaire later succesfully managed to escape the jeopardized island aboard
The Invincible, but I do have to warn you, dear reader, that Lars' journey with the Baudelaires ends here, and Charles' along with his. I will not say the two died, but I cannot say what happened to them after the events described in the next chapter, which, due to happening so fast, is quite short.
Chapter Thirteen
The expression 'the sweet escape' can be used to describe when one manages to get out of a tough situation. You can be fortunate enough to experience it if you are ever arrested and then rescued by a team of four comrades, or if you find out you left your wallet at home after enjoying a meal in a restaurant, only to be rescued by a friend who saw you through the window from across the street. The sweet escape can take many forms, and one of the forms it took was that of
The Invincible, Juno Boreas' zeppelin.
As
The Invincible rose in the sky, leaving Jupiter Island beneath it, and the gray clouds surrounded them. 'Let's lower
The Invincible now, Violet! We can't see anything with this mist!' Lars said, as he helped Violet maneuver the zeppelin back towards the sea as it ventured away from the island.
'Where should we go next?' Violet asked. Lars reflected on the question for a moment, and then answered. 'Head for the hinterlands. We can't fly the zeppelin into the city.'
'Hinterlands it is. Roger!' Violet said, as she piloted the air vessel towards the main land. During the whole trip, however, the group had a sick feeling that they were being followed, somehow. They looked and saw nothing as there was a thick mist behind them, and they couldn't see anything. When
The Invincible was about to fly above land,
it appeared, behind them. The
Jabberwock, the helicopter that belonged to the Casanovas. When they saw the huge, menacing black helicopter behind them, Charles rushed to Violet, holding his back pack.
'The sugarbowl I gave them...It was a hoax...A copy! This is the actual sugarbowl! They must have realized it somehow! Violet, you need to get as far away from here as possible!' Violet, along with her siblings, was terrified. 'What about you too? Why are you talking as if you're saying farewell?'
'Because we are. Charles and I talked about this in private. If they should ever come after us, we'd lead them off so you could escape. The sugarbowl is more important than us.' Lars said. He held two large pieces of equipment that are commonly known as parachutes. 'We have another copy of the bowl. You'll take the real thing with you. Here it is.' Saying this, Charles removed the sugarbowl from his back pack, leaving the fake one inside. Violet knew it was the real because of it's aspect and hardness.
'We'll take the fake bowl and jump. You go to the mainland, land, and hide. If we survive this, we'll look for you somehow!' Lars said, as he attached the parachute to himself, and as Charles did the same to himself.
'Baudelaires...It was a privilege to serve as a volunteer by your side. I hope we do meet again. Thanks for everything!' Lars said, hugging each Baudelaire tightly one by one.
'Baudelaires...So many things I want to say and so little time! I do believe we'll meet again. I wish you the best luck!' Charles said, also hugging each Baudelaire one by one.
The
Jabberwock was closer now, and they could see Esmé Squalor hanging outside, safely strapped to the inside of the helicopter by a series of safety belts. She was furious. 'Give it to us! Or we will shoot a missile at you!' She shouted. Felix Casanova could be seen piloting the
Jabberwock with Harold Potter serving as co-pilot.
'Never! See this?' Lars said, as he climbed on the ledge of the zeppelin. 'This is the real bowl! You want it?' Lars smiled wickedly. 'Come and GET IT!' and then, Lars jumped, disappearing beneath
The Invincible. Charles gave one last look at the Baudelaires and jumped too.
'Nooo!' Esmé's voice was heard. 'It could be another hoax, Esmé!' Carmelita's voice was then heard from inside the
Jabberwock. 'Shut up! We have to make a choice here Felix! Do we go after the Baudelaires or those two fools?'
'If they are crazy enough to sacrifice themselves for those worthless brats, they're taking the real sugarbowl with them!' Felix's voice was heard, and the
Jabberwock lowered, pulling away from
The Invincible. The Baudelaires were now flying over land, and not water, as the they saw a coat of mist shield the
Jabberwock from their sight.
'What are we gonna do, Violet?' Klaus asked. The Baudelaires now were once again, by themselves, with no where to go. 'Lars said we should head for the hinterlands. If Lars said it, I have a feeling that's where we should be going.' Taking the wheel, Violet set the course of the zeppelin to the hinterlands.
'I wonder what we'll find next.' Sunny said. 'Ditto.' Was Beatrice's comment. The Baudelaires did not know what they were about to find next in the series of unfortunate events that was their lives, but they only hoped that if they would again get into trouble, that they would have another 'sweet escape' as they were having now.