A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Slippery Slope Read Online Free

and how kindly the Quagmires had tried to help them solve the mystery that surrounded them all. He was thinking so hard about these things that when Violet finally broke the silence, it was as if he were waking up from a long, confusing dream. "Klaus," she said, "when we were in the caravan, you said you wanted to tell me something before we tried the invention, but I didn't let you. What was it?" "I don't know," Klaus admitted. "I just wanted to say something, in case, well, in case the invention didn't work." He sighed, and looked up at the darkening sky. "I don't remember the last thing I said to Sunny," he said quietly. "It must have been when we were in Madame Lulu's tent, or maybe outside, just before we stepped into the caravan. Had I known that Count Olaf was going to take her away, I would have tried to say something special. I could have complimented her on the hot chocolate she made, or told her how skillful she was at staying in disguise." "You can tell her those things," Violet said, "when we see her again." "I hope so," Klaus said glumly, "but we're so far behind Olaf and his troupe." "But we know where they're going," Violet said, "and we know that he won't harm a hair on her head. Count Olaf thinks we perished in the caravan, so he needs Sunny to get his hands on the fortune." "She's probably unharmed," Klaus agreed, "but I'm sure she's very frightened. I just hope she knows we're coming after her." "Me, too," Violet said, and walked in a silence for a while, interrupted only by the wind and the odd, gurgling noise of the fish. "I think those fish are having trouble breathing," Klaus said, pointing into the stream. "Something in the water is making them cough." "Maybe the Stricken Stream isn't always that ugly color," Violet said. "What would turn normal water into grayish black slime?" "Iron ore," Klaus said thoughtfully, trying to remember a book on high-altitude environmentalism he had read when he was ten. "Or perhaps a clay deposit, loosened by an earthquake or another geological event, or some sort of pollution. There might be an ink or licorice factory nearby." "Maybe V.F.D. will tell us," Violet said, "when we reach the headquarters." "Maybe one of our parents will tell us," Klaus said quietly. "We shouldn't get our hopes up," Violet said. "Even if one of our parents really did survive the fire, and the V.F.D. headquarters really are at the Valley of Four Drafts, we still don't know that we will see them when we arrive." "I don't see the harm in getting our hopes up," Klaus said. "We're walking along a damaged stream, toward a vicious villain, in an attempt to rescue our sister and find the headquarters of a secret organization. I could use a little bit of hope right now." Violet stopped in her path. "I could use another layer of clothing," she said. "It's getting colder." Klaus nodded in agreement, and held up the garment he was carrying. "Do you want the poncho," he asked, "or the sweatshirt?" "The poncho, if you don't mind," Violet said. "After my experience in the House of Freaks, I don't wish to advertise the Caligari Carnival." "Me neither," Klaus said, taking the lettered sweatshirt from his sister. "I think I'll wear it inside out." Rather than take off their coats and expose themselves to the icy winds of the Mortmain Mountains, Klaus put on the inside-out sweatshirt over his coat, and Violet wore the poncho outside hers, where it hung awkwardly around her. The two elder Baudelaires looked at one another and had to smile at their ridiculous appearance. "These are worse than the pinstripe suits Esme Squalor gave us," Violet said. "Or those itchy sweaters we wore when we stayed with Mr. Poe," Klaus said, referring to a banker who was in charge of the Baudelaire fortune, with whom they had lost touch. "But at least we'll keep warm. If it gets even colder, we can take turns wearing the extra coat." "If one of our parents is at the headquarters," Violet said, "he or she might not