J. Smoke - The Reptile Room

Chapter NINE

"I don't want to enter," Klaus said as he and his sisters stood in front of the door of the Reptile Room. "Monty died in this room."

"I don't want to enter, either," Violet said. "But we'll have our privacy to discuss a plan."

"What plan?" Klaus asked.

"We need to get the proof that will reveal Stephano's disguise," said Violet.

The siblings entered the room and closed the door.

"I've come up with a plan," said Violet. "I hope everyone likes it."

"Okay," said Klaus and Sunny.

"Stephano wouldn't like the idea of leaving us alone," Violet said. "He may excuse himself from the conversation in the parlor, and snatch us away."

"So" Sunny said, which possibly mean't "what'll we do?"

"I'll snoop around Stephano's room and look for any evidence," Violet said. "Klaus you and Sunny can come up with a distraction while I'm gone."

"But what will the distraction be?" Klaus asked.

"Sami!" Sunny shrieked, in which she was saying, "the Incredibly Deadly Viper!"

"I can't wait to begin!" Violet said.

Suddenly, the children heard footsteps behind the door.

"He's here," Violet said, and she saw an open window. Quickly, she ran to the window, and jumped out.

Klaus was about to do the same, but unfortunately, Stephano had found out about the secret doorknob, and he opened the door quickly. Klaus and Sunny managed to hide under Monty's desk, though.

"Time to go for Peru," said Stephano in his normal voice, and he held out his knife.

Klaus and Sunny tried to be as quiet as possible. They closed their eyes. Luckily, Stephano didn't spot them, and exited the room scowling in frustration.

Once Stephano closed the door, Klaus and Sunny got up, and he walked over to the Incredibly Dead Viper's cage. But they stopped, once they walked past Uncle Monty's desk and saw a commonplace book on the desk. Klaus grabbed it, and flipped through the book. He saw a drawn map of the country, at the list of movies starring Gustav, and then, he saw a message. It was the message Monty had written from Zombies in the Snow last night.

Hello, Monty. Danger!

Take the children

on the SS Prospero

to Peru

tomorrow!

Your assistant isn't one of us!

So that was why Uncle Monty was wanting to take him and his sisters to Peru, for their safety. But now that he was dead, the children couldn't go there and explore all the wonders. Klaus was very mad that Stephano had murdered Uncle Monty, and made a vow that Stephano would be captured and brought to jail by him and his sisters.

Now it is necessary to use the phase "meanwhile, back at the ranch." The phase has nothing to do with horses or cows or any people who work in the rural areas. It has nothing to do with a dressing put on a salad. "Meanwhile, back at the ranch" refers to what Violet was doing, while her siblings were in the Reptile Room.

Once Stephano had entered the Reptile Room, Violet leaped out of one of the windows. Quickly, she crouched low, hoping that Stephano see her. After a few seconds, Violet checked to see if Stephano was still in the enormous room, but he wasn't. So Violet stood up and walked over to one of the tall trellises, which was leaning by the wall of the house.

We all know of course that we should never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever use an outdoor trellis as a step stool or ladder. They aren't as strong as you think they are, and could slip from position.

But Violet knew this was an emergency, since there wasn't really another way to reach Stephano's room. She rembered when she was three, and she was scared of the idea of climbing up the trellis. Violet didn't like the idea, today, but knew it was the only way because Klaus and Sunny would be preforming a distraction in the Reptile Room.

She put a foot on one of the steps, grabbed the fence, and put another foot on. Slowly, she began making her way up the trellis, the higher she got, the more afraid she became. She felt a gust of cold air hit her, and nearly lost balance. She felt the trellis shake, and she also almost lost balance. Once she reached the window, she pushed it open, and crawled into Stephano's room.

Once the eldest Baudelaire climbed past the curtains, she saw that Stephano had been blowing his nose on them, such a vile thing to do. Violet opened several cabinets, but found nothing, no evidence on the assassination committed by Stephano. Then, she realized that the evidence must be inside Stephano's suitcases, which were inside the jeep. Springing to her feet, Violet began to head down the stairs, when she realize that Stephano wouldn't want the children looking through any of his items, and had possibly put a lock on one of the suitcases, or locked that car.

The eldest Baudelaire entered the bathing room and walked up to the sink. She grabbed out her hair ribbon, and tied her hair up. She was coming up with an invention. Violet had a small pouch she wore almost everyday, and inside that pouch was a small inventory of items—such as corks, thumbtacks, or strings—for inventing. She grabbed out two metal wires. Normally, one lock pick would be good for breaking into something, but two made things a little easier. Violet turned on the faucet briefly to rinse the wires, then grabbed the bar of soap, and rubbed it on for a slick coating.

Once she finished, Violet exited the room with her invention, and was about to head down the stairs, when she hear footsteps. Someone was coming. Quickly, she walked into Stephano's room, and over to the window. But the wind had blown it closed, and Violet didn't have enough time to open it. Quickly, she ran to the cupboard and hid inside. She heard footsteps, and heard Stephano say in a regular voice, "Time to go to Peru."

The wicked man spotted the cupboard and walked over to it. Violet held her breath. But just as Stephano put a hand on the knob, he heard a loud screech. "Screeching iguana clock," he spat out the words in a disgusted way, and turned the knob. But before he could open the door, he heard another loud screech, but this time louder than before. Wondering what it was, Dr. Stephano exited the room.

Violet sighed in relief, and hoped that the screech was indicating a good thing, that Klaus and Sunny were doing their distraction.