The fire burned all around them, heat building up. Karen ran to the library and pulled off the carpet. "Quinten! Come on! We'll treat our burns later when we reach Hotel Denouement! At least, if we hurry." Quinten came staggering out of the glass planetarium, badly burnt. Karen quickly helped him climb down the hatch, and then joined him and shut the trapdoor behind them.

At the same moment, Bertrand and Beatrice fiddled with a map of safe places. "Right, so Hotel Denouement is that way, and Montgomery's house is the other way." Bertrand studied the map. "Bea, my guess is that Denouement is the safest place." Beatrice looked up at him. "What? But shouldn't we find the children?" Bertrand nodded. "Yes, I know, but Count Olaf will come after the both of us, and then the whole family will be in danger, and-do you hear that?" Soft footsteps padded through the tunnel. "Who's there?" The shadows of two people appeared, holding a lantern. Beatrice studied the warm brown eyes, the dark chestnut hair, pulled into a messy bun as always. The sharp brow. "How many types of eagles were mentioned in Animal Bones with Kelly Jones?"

"Twenty-four. Not bad, Bea. You always remember that well-read people are less likely to be dangerous."

"Again, standard training. Did your house burn down too?" Quinten nodded. "Duncan and Isadora got away, and we sent Quigley down here earlier before we came down as well. What about you?" "We sent our children to Briny Beach for a while."

"okay."

Present time

"And that's how we met, kids!" Duncan sighed. "Alright. But the more pressing question is, when do we start our VFD training?"

"Tomorrow at seven o'clock."