A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket Read Free Book Online Page A

doesn't matter how he found us. The point is that he's here and that he undoubtedly has a scheme to snatch our fortune." "But why did you pretend not to recognize him?" Klaus asked. "Yes," Isadora said. "If you told Vice Principal Nero that he was really Count Olaf, then Nero could throw the cakesniffer out of here, if you'll pardon my language." Violet shook her head to indicate that she disagreed with Isadora and that she didn't mind about "cakesniffer." "Olaf's too clever for that," she said. "I knew that if I tried to tell Nero that he wasn't really a gym teacher, he would manage to wiggle out of it, just as he did with Aunt Josephine and Uncle Monty and everybody else." "That's good thinking," Klaus admitted. "Plus, if Olaf thinks that he's fooled us, it might give us some more time to figure out exactly what he's up to." "Lirt!" Sunny pointed out. "My sister means that we can see if any of his assistants are around," Violet translated. "That's a good point, Sunny. I hadn't thought of that." "Count Olaf has assistants?" Isadora asked. "That's not fair. He's bad enough without people helping him." "His assistants are as bad as he is," Klaus said. "There are two powder-faced women who forced us to be in his play. There's a hook-handed man who helped Olaf murder our Uncle Monty." "And the bald man who bossed us around at the lumbermill, don't forget him," Violet added. "Aeginu!" Sunny said, which meant something like "And the assistant that looks like neither a man nor a woman." "What does 'aeginu' mean?" Duncan asked, taking out his notebook. "I'm going to write down all these details about Olaf and his troupe." "Why?" Violet asked. "Why?" Isadora repeated. "Because we're going to help you, that's why! You don't think we'd just sit here while you tried to escape from Olaf's clutches, would you?" "But Count Olaf is very dangerous," Klaus said. "If you try and help us, you'll be risking your lives." "Never mind about that," Duncan said, although I am sorry to tell you that the Quagmire triplets should have minded about that. They should have minded very much. Duncan and Isadora were very brave and caring to try and help the Baudelaire orphans, but bravery often demands a price. By "price" I do not mean something along the lines of five dollars. I mean a much, much bigger price, a price so dreadful that I cannot speak of it now but must return to the scene I am writing at this moment. "Never mind about that," Duncan said. "What we need is a plan. Now, we need to prove to Nero that Coach Genghis is really Count Olaf. How can we do that?" "Nero has that computer," Violet said thoughtfully. "He showed us a little picture of Olaf on the screen, remember?" "Yes," Klaus said, shaking his head. "He told us that the advanced computer system would keep Olaf away. So much for computers." Sunny nodded her head in agreement, and Violet picked her up and put her on her lap. Nero had reached a particularly shrieky section of his sonata, and the children had to lean forward to one another in order to continue their conversation. "If we go and see Nero first thing tomorrow morning," Violet said, "we can talk to him alone, without Olaf butting in. We'll ask him to use the computer. Nero might not believe us, but the computer should be able to convince him to at least investigate Coach Genghis." "Maybe Nero will make him take off the rurban," Isadora said, "revealing Olaf's only eyebrow." "Or take off those expensive-looking running shoes," Klaus said, "revealing Olaf's tattoo." "But if you talk to Nero," Duncan said, "then Coach Genghis will know that you're suspicious." "That's why we'll have to be extra careful," Violet said. "We want Nero to find out about Olaf, without Olaf finding out about us." "And in the meantime," Duncan said, "Isadora and I will do some investigating ourselves. Perhaps we can spot one of these assistants you've described." "That would be very useful," Violet said, "if you're sure about wanting to help us." "Say no