Chapter Two
The sun illuminated the top of the buildings of Dark Avenue when the Baudelaires went out of their rooms to the nearest kitchen. To their surprise, Emma, Sherry Ann, Dante and Hermes were awake, and having breakfast. ‘Good morning! Early starters, aren’t you all?’ Dante asked. ‘It’s not even eight yet.’ Only now did the Baudelaires took notice of Dante’s brittish accent, and made their mind to ask him about how was V.F.D. in the U.K. – an abreviation which here means ‘United Kingdom’, used to refer to the Brittish Islands – ‘Good morning.’ The Baudelaires replied. ‘It’s good that you’re awake. Sleeping in everyday isn’t good. Isn’t it, Hermes?’ Emma asked. Hermes laughed. ‘Not everyone is as dilligent as you, Miss Squalor.’ He replied with a smug smile. ‘Shut up.’ Emma said jokingly. ‘Anyways, Baudelaires, do you have any questions for us now?’ Emma asked. ‘Questions, my favorite for breakfast!’ Sherry Ann said. ‘Nihon.’ Beatrice uttered, which Sunny promptly translated as ‘We wanted to ask you what is with the kimonos.’
‘Oh, that! You see, apparently, the big wigs behind the fashion trends these days decided it was time to ‘go asian’ and they made it so that wearing traditional japanese wear is
in and wearing western clothing is
out.’ Emma said. ‘Therefore to maintain our appearance as four single roomates living together, we dress in japanese clothing so that other Dark Avenuers will not take two looks at us. That and we rarely ever leave the apartment.’
‘It was commemorated in Yoshiwara, wasn’t it? All those japanese folks getting their kimonos out. I doin’t mind wearing kimonos but sometimes I miss my jacket.’ Dante said. ‘I miss my vest.’ Hermes said, straightening his glasses with his index finger. ‘I miss my dresses.’ Sherry Ann said. ‘Yoshiwara…Is the Japanese district…Isn’t it?’ Violet asked, testing how far she could take the questions. ‘Yes. Not a suitable place for a young lady such as yourself, I’m afraid.’ Dante said. Hermes coughed. There was a moment of tension, broken by a sudden offer from Emma. ‘Please, would you like some tea? We have wild berries tea and apple with cinnamon.’
‘You see, we have a mind to go to Yoshiwara.’ Violet said, bluntly. ‘Yoshiwara?! You can’t!’ Sherry Ann replied. ‘Why would you want to go there of all places?’ Emma Squalor asked. ‘It’s that we have a feeling we might find something there. And, I know that Esmé Squalor we’ll be going there. Or is there already.’ Hermes frowned. ‘We can’t stop you from going, but we ask you, please, reconsider. Yoshiwara…It is about the last place any volunteer would go.’
‘Why?’ Klaus asked. He knew that the 667er’s were not telling the whole story. But Hermes was right, if the Baudelaires wanted to go,they would. There was no stopping Violet, Klaus, Sunny, and specially Beatrice Baudelaire once their had their mind set on something. ‘Wait at least until tonight. If you’re leaving it’s best to do it under the shroud of darkness.’ Emma said. To that the Baudelaires had no reply, and they concurred. They finished breakfast and went to the nearest living room, this one with green velvet armchairs and purple wallpaper. ‘I know they are hiding something.’ Klaus said. ‘Yoshiwara is obviously a place of some importance. And it’s obviously where Esmé is headed next. It’s only our logical destination.’
Violet agreed. ‘Sure, but I personally think it’s best if we wait here a while. We must convince the 667er’s to tell us all they know about Yoshiwara and the House of Red Leaves.’ Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice nodded in agreement. However, before I go on to describe the later events, which prompted the Baudelaires to make a hasty exit from 667 Dark Avenue and head for Yoshiwara much sooner than they intended to, I must tell you, dear reader, of a mysterious duo concocting a treacherous, villainous plan just one story below the 667 Dark Avenue Penthouse. This mysterious duo had seen the Baudelaires enter 667 Dark Avenue, and passing unnoticed, they planned so that the Baudelaires would never leave. It’s true that they did survive and leave the building. I interviewed the firemen, the neighbors, and even the neighbors’ dogs to get a clue as to what exactly happened in the few hours that the Baudelaires remained in the so-called safety of the lavish apartment. It just so happens that I came across the identity of this duo as I investigated the surroundings. A cindered business card gave me the clue I needed to identify the perpetrators of the terrible crime that happened that afternoon at 667 Dark Avenue.
‘We should just see if we can find anything on Yoshiwara here in the apartment. The 667er’s must keep their own personal records.’ Klaus said, straightening his glasses. ‘Yes, but this apartment is so
huge.’ Violet replied. ‘I think we all remember the hard time we had here before.’ The younger Baudelaires shuddered in rememberance. Their past times at that apartment had not been very pleasant, except maybe for their caring – albeit a little spineless – guardian, Jerome Squalor. ‘Let’s look.’ Sunny said, with resolve. And so began the Baudelaires’ search of the 667 Dark Avenue penthouse. One of them had to remain vigilant, because the 667er’s often treaded the hallways of the apartment, running errands, and the Baudelaires knew better than to arise suspicion. They searched and searched, through kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, libraries, dining rooms, studies, standing rooms, sitting rooms, ballrooms, and to their surprise,
greenhouses, but found nothing. When they were about to give up, the Baudelaires encountered a set of double doors they did not remember seeing during their previous stay at the penthouse. They were lavish doors with gold and crystal doorknobs. ‘I don’t remember these doors.’ Violet said, as she and her siblings approached. ‘I think…It might be Esmé and Jerome’s room.’ Klaus said, as he examined the doors. ‘Why?’ Violet asked. ‘This could be another kitchen for all we know.’ Klaus took one of the doorknobs, and Violet, the other. Turning both at the same time, brother and sister opened the doors.
When they went in, Violet realized what made Klaus guess the nature of the bedroom that revealed itself before them. The faint, yet nauseating aroma of Esmé’s perfume intoxicated the air in the room. Not only that, portraits of Jerome and his wife were scattered all around. Jerome always smiled, but Esmé, never. The room was decorated in dark shades of red, and pinstripe wallpaper. The enormous bed before them was richly engraved with the letters ”J & E”. Upon the dresser, a small velvet box sat untouched. In it, a diamond ring. ‘This must have been the wedding ring.’ Violet uttered as she took the ring and tried it on. A chill went down Violet’s spine, an she shuddered. ‘Is it me or is it cold in here?’ She said. Klaus, on the opposite side of the room, examined what seemed to be Jerome’s desk. A portrait of him and Esmé was carefully displayed. He was smiling, she wasn’t. ‘Poor Jerome.’ Klaus said. ‘He didn’t deserve it.’
‘What?’ Sunny asked, sitting next to Beatrice, who was tired of all the searching. ‘He was a good person, and a volunteer. And yet he married Esmé, and now we don’t even know if he’s dead or alive. And
she, well…She is alive.’ Klaus said, bitterly. Violet heard what her brother said, but her attention was focused elsewhere. A picture, on Esmé’s dresser. This one did not depict her and Jerome. It was a picture of Esmé and another woman. The other woman was seen from behind, and Violet could not see her face, as she had a large hat that covered the upper half. Violet could see the dark straight hair, the dark-lipstick covered lips, and the mysterious smile. It was
her. It was
R.
‘This is
her. This is
R.’ Violet said, grabbing the framed photograph, and showing it to her siblings. ‘She knows Esmé, and has known her for some time. But if she does, why is she helping us? It doesn’t make sense.’ Klaus took a gander – a word which here means he ‘looked at the picture for a long time’ – at the photograph. Before he could say anything, however, the Baudelaires heard screams. The 667er’s voices.
‘Violet!Klaus!Sunny!Beatrice!’ Emma’s faint, desperate voice was heard coming from the hallway. They could also hear coughing. ‘Baudelaires!’ More coughing. ‘Oh no.’ Violet uttered, and the Baudelaires rushed outside the Squalor’s room. They could see a think smoke spreading through the air. The smell was unmistakable. A
fire.
‘Where are you?!’ Emma cried again. ‘Emma! We are here!’ The Baudelaires shouted back. ‘Goodness!’ They heard Dante’s brittish accent. ‘Where are they?’ Sherry Ann’s voice. ‘This way!’ Herme’s voice. Turning around a corner, the Baudelaires found the four 667er’s. Emma was on the floor, crawling. A heavy smoke dominated the room she was crawling out of. ‘A fire!’ Emma cried out. ‘A fire! They started a fire!’ Emma shouted. The Baudelaires rushed to her side, and helped her up. Dante, Sherry Ann and Hermes walked out of the smoke-filled room. They could see the fire, and cinders were floating in the air. The 667er’s clothes were also singed, and damaged. Even Hermes’ glasses were broken. ‘They invaded the apartment! We should have known! This penthouse was no safe place!’ Dante said. To the Baudelaires’ great terror, two human silhouettes could be seen through the smoke. ‘Run! This way!’ Dante grabbed Violet’s hand, Emma grabbed Klaus’ and Sherry Ann and Hermes each picked up the two younger Baudelaires as their made their escape away from the flames. ‘They must have moved here a short while ago!’ Dante said while they ran. ‘Who
are they?’ Violet asked, desperate. The whole thing was too terrible. Not
another fire. Not so soon.
‘They have these absurd, garish, over the top heat-resistant garments!’ Sherry Ann said. ‘They can walk across a wall of flames and feel nothing!’ The group made their way across several rooms, their running capabilities hindered by their kimonos – not used by runners for a
reason – as they crossed the 667 Dark Avenue penthouse.
‘All our work! Our books, our research! All gone! What will my cousin say?’ Emma cried. ‘Emmz, it’s not your fault!’ Dante said. ‘And it’s not all gone!’ Hermes said. ‘We do have copies of most of the files, hidden in—‘ Sherry Ann was interrupted by an explosion – the shockwave knocked the whole group on the floor. The apartment was burning, and one of the kitchens had been set ablaze, the gas container in it, burst. ‘Quick, this way!’ Dante said, as he helped everyone up. The Baudelaires and the 667er’s soon saw themselves just outside the penthouse. It was almost as if they had a planned escape route. ‘We did some work in the penthouse. We created escape routes all over the place, and we avoided using emerald wood.’ Hermes said. ‘The fire will not spread through the whole penthouse, but it will render this place completely compromised.’ Sherry Ann said. ‘Baudelaires, if you still want to go to Yoshiwara, now is the time. We stored your things near the entrance while you were searching the apartment.’ Seeing he look on their faces, Dante smiled. ‘We know you from tales, Baudelaires. You’re an intrepid bunch. We knew you’d search the whole aparment as soon as we lost sight of you.’
‘If we go, what will happen to you?’ Violet said, picking up her suitcase. She was worried for the safety of her siblings first and foremost, but the 667er’s were so kind to her and her siblings. It was too hard. ‘We can handle this! Now, I trust my cousin Jerome has taught you how to reach the first floor faster. You can’t use the elevator in a fire.’ Emma Squalor said. ‘Yes, he did teach us.’ Klaus said. ‘But what will you do?’
‘We’ll try to contain the fire. The two inside the apartment probably thought there was still some emerald wood left and that the whole place would be in flames much faster, but we outsmarted them in that department.’ Sherry Ann said. ‘Right now, you can’t be here. We’ll hold our own, but you must go to Yoshiwara.’ Emma said. ‘I wish we could have met in more pleasant circumstances.’ Dante said. ‘Us too.’ Sunny uttered. It was too hard. They had just met the most sane, reasonable and capable adults – four of them, at once, a rarity in the Baudelaires’ lives – and now another fire was separating them. It was too cruel.
‘Goodbye, Baudelaires! Good luck in Yoshiwara.’ Emma Squalor said, as Violet, Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice Baudelaire slided away, using the same method Jerome Squalor had taught her and her other cousin.