The rides to Eleanora's house seemed to take no time at all. Everyone was silent the whole way. When they got out of one of the many cars, the Baudelaires stopped in their track.

     For there, sitting next to Eleanora's home, was the ruin that used to be the Baudelaire mansion. Except for the fact that most of the remains were gone. Taking up half of the property was a new house, small, yet looking quite cozy. Klaus turned to Eleanora and asked, trying to stay calm,

     "What happened to the remains of our home?"

     "I'm sorry," Eleanora said apologetically, "Arthur decided, that, since you were gone, the bank needed to sell the property. I advised him not to do so, and told him that you would return, but of course, he was too foolish to realize that the ocean couldn't destroy a Baudelaire."

     Violet glanced at Klaus, noticing his face was starting to turn red. Eleanora noticed as well, and said quickly,

     "Well, let's go to my home, shall we?"

      Klaus sighed and followed Eleanora to the fairly large house right next to the Baudelaire property. The home appeared to be quite well decorated and up to date. Eventually almost everyone found a seat either on the posh, a word for "Luxurious" furniture or the gilded, a fancy word for "Decorated" carpet.

     "So, who wants to go first?" Eleanora asked quietly.

     "We will," Isadora said. It had been a while since either her or her brother had spoken.

      "Oh, and none of this will be recorded, just so you know," Eleanora said with a soft smile, "Since I, unlike my fellow reporters, understand people's wanting to keep things quiet. But, I'm afraid the whole "Baudelaire Murderers found at last" ordeal will not be kept private. People are still waiting to hear that you are alive, Baudelaires. They knew all too well that Veronica, Klyde, and Susie Baudelaire were to lucky and adaptable that there was no way they couldn't overcome a fire."

     "Oh, and I expect the fact that we are alive will be circulated throughout the world too, and that the Baudelaires were keeping all of us captive will be a well-known fact by sundown tomorrow," Quigley said with a grin.

     "Yes, it will, assuming that my annoyance of an older brother Arthur will keep his mouth shut, not."

     "Well, there's not much to it really," Isadora said fairly, "We went to Prufrock Preparatory school for about eight months total, which then ended when Count Olaf kidnapped us. We spent time-

     "Duncan spent time in the cellar, while Isadora was trapped in a tower." Quigley continued, "And then they were in an empty elevator shaft, then in Foul Fountain in the Village of Fowl Devotees. Then they escaped from Count Olaf in a hot air balloon, which unfortunately was taken down by eagles."

     "I think you will all be happy to know that Count Olaf's house will be knocked down soon to make a new office building for Mulctuary Money."

     "What about Justice Strauss's home?" Sunny asked.

     "It will be torn down as well." Eleanora said, sadly, but it seemed that she was hiding something from everyone.

     "But where will she live?" Violet said.

     "Justice Strauss has, ah, already found a new home- the city's cemetery," Eleanora said, whispering the last word, as if it could soften the blow of a friend's death.

     "Jerome Squalor?" Sunny asked timidly, on the verge of tears.

     "He passed away, but not in the fire. He fell out of a window when he was wearing that blindfold. Name pretty much anyone that was at the Hotel Denouement that Thursday, and they're dead." Eleanora said, whispering the last word of that statement too, trying to make it seem not so bad, but the cold hard truth was one sentence long: V.F.D. had fallen apart.

     "I can see you don't fully understand, Baudelaires," Eleanora said, "Which is both good and bad."

      "We don't know anything either, miss," Friday spoke up.

     "Ah," Eleanora sighed, "You must be Thursday's child. You looks so much like him." And she gave a small smile at Friday's reaction, which was nearly lunging towards Eleanora, and she would have landed on her if Omeros hadn't grabbed her arm. While she struggled against Omeros's firm grip, she managed to say,

     "You know him?" She asked, wiggling her right wrist.

     "I know him- or knew him, anyways. No one has had contact with him for years."

     Friday opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

     "Eleanora?" Mr. Poe's voice was muffled by the polished wooden door, then someone said in a louder voice,

     "Let me go! I can stand on my own!"

     Isadora rushed to the door and hugged whoever was behind it. She dragged him into the room. Standing there was Duncan, but he looked severely bruised. His face was pale, hair completely messed up, clothes tattered, and his arms and legs had several cuts and scratches on them. Quigley jumped up and let Duncan take his place on the couch next to Fiona and Isadora. Quigley paused, scanned the room, and chose to sit next to Violet, who gave a small smile.

    "What has happened in the last year?" Fiona asked.

     "That story, like each and everyone's in the world, is an extremely long one. One question at a time, please," Eleanora said. Mr. Poe coughed. Eleanora looked very annoyed and turned to face him, "Can I help you?"

     Mr. Poe began to cough into his handkerchief, before saying, "Well, I suppose you want some answers. Yes, both of your fortunes both still belong to you, though you may want to claim it now, before the esteemed Esme Gigi Genevive Squalor's new law comes into order. All I need," He paused, searching his pockets for something, "Is a signature from one person to be the rightful owner of the entire fortune," And waited for someone to stand up. Quigley and Violet stood up, hand in hand, and walked towards Mr. Poe, and each signed, to the banker's great delight.

     Mr. Poe had a great coughing fit again before wheezing out, "Well, must be on my way!" And then turned to leave before anyone could say a word.

     As soon as the door had shut, Isadora asked, "What happened to our family's old property?" To which Eleanora winced and said,

     "Arthur... sold it... to Esme Squalor..."

     "What?" All three Quagmire triplets yelled.

     "Yes, he sold it, Quagmires. It has become a new stilted house overlooking the entire city."

      "What happened that allowed Esme Squalor to become the city's first most important advisor?" Violet asked, fists clenched.

     "All of the others," She paused and got air quotes ready, then said, "Mysteriously disappeared."

      Sunny rolled her eyes and asked, "Anything else happened?"

     "Well, two of the three Snicket's are dead, the regular fire department has nearly fallen apart, as has the police department. People are in fear. Fires break out and they aren't put out till the next few hours. Then we have Esme Squalor pretending everything's lovely while people are robbed, killed, or go into poverty because of the lack of control." She was about to speak again, but Klaus and Duncan said at the same time,

     "Wait- two of three Snicket's?"

     "How is that possible?" Quigley said, "Because-"

     "We were told that all three were dead!" Isadora said, "Jacques is dead, and Kit is dead, and the last one is supposed to be dead!"

     "Well, he's not," Eleanora said, "He is still alive. And there is another as well. We may visit them later, it depends. I think this is enough information for today. Now.... Sleeping space... This could get complicated."

     "We can share a room," Duncan said, pointing to him and his siblings.

     "Same for us." Violet requested.

      "Well, some people will have to sleep in the sitting room, and some right here," Eleanora said, sighing.

    "We'll take the sitting room." The islanders nearly shouted, looking in the room with great interest.

    B"That leaves us in the living room," Fiona said. And everyone headed to there designated sleeping spot, but only Eleanora and Beatrice slept, because everyone else was wide awake, thinking about what they had just learned.