After removing their blindfolds, the Baudelaires pursue Count Olaf and make it there just in time. Yet, after threatening to let each other’s location known, the kids realize they have little choice but to join him. But at least he fills them in on his plans to go down to the laundry room for the Sugar Bowl, poison everyone with the Medusoid Mycelium, and escape with his boat from the roof. So why kidnap Justice Strauss? Well, because she knows a lot about the kids and he needs an answer about a medical condition they all share. Despite that he could’ve easily figured out they were allergic to peppermints at the Anxious Clown. Besides, Klaus gave Olaf that info very easily for the Verancularly Fastened Door. Yet, once she’s ungagged, Justice Strauss produces Jerome’s book, which contains the sufficient evidence to put Olaf away. But she’s confident her co-judges would give a fair ruling, which the kids shoot down quickly. As for the second question, it’s poison darts which killed Olaf’s parents but more likely when he was an adult. And the third? Well, Klaus just looked at the index of Jerome’s book and looked it up there. However, he knows that Olaf won’t find it in there, which pisses him off. Nevertheless, Violet volunteers to use drag chutes from laundry sheets to get the boat out from the roof while Sunny assists to burn down the hotel which seems like music to Olaf’s ears. Since he’s a pyromaniac at heart. So they help their archenemy set fire in the laundry room and go up the elevator, warning the people on each floor they stop on so the people can get out. Yet, since most people inside still have blindfolds on, you can guess the evacuation efforts will be chaos. Once they reach the top, Violet ties the drag chutes before the children push the boat down. Justice Strauss tries to the kids to stay, but they have already decided to help Olaf escape and go with him at sea. And it’s at sea where we leave the kids with him.

The song I chose at the end of this book is “Down Once More” from Phantom of the Opera where Raoul tracks the Phantom in his lair to rescue Christine while there’s an angry mob pursuing them. It’s a highly emotional moment when Christine tells Erik that she rejects him for being a controlling bastard to her yet she still cared about him. And it ends with the Phantom letting her go with Raoul. In this version, I have the Baudelaires catch up with Count Olaf and help him escape.

 

“Down Once More” (ASOUE Version)

Violet:
Oh my god, Oh my god

Count Olaf:
Baudelaire orphans, here you are
Want me to give out your place away
Violet:
Not so fast, Olaf
I can yell to everyone and shout out where you are, too, Count..

Count Olaf:
Shit.

Klaus:
We’ll come with you

Count Olaf:
Oh, all right, if you three orphan brats, insist. Seems like we don’t have much choice.

Down once more to the laundry room for the Sugar Bowl
Then we release the Medusoid Mycelium
Next we’ll escape on the rooftop with my own boat
Now there’s just that damned Vernacularly Fastened Door to unlock
Do any of you have the answers to two questions so we can open it?

Justice Strauss:
Olaf, I strongly object to this
This is absurd!

Here I have Jerome’s book
Contains evidence I have looked
But it proves that you’re a crook
And that you will soon be booked
Olaf, Olaf…
You’re fucked…

Violet:
Did you see your co-magistrates?
They’d let him get away

Crowd:
Track down these murderers they must be found!
Track down these murderers they must be found!
Hunt out these children, who run the ground! Too long they caused us pain, but now we know, the Baudelaire orphan kids are here deep
Down inside!
He’s here the notorious Count Olaf…
He’s here the notorious Count Olaf…

Justice Stauss:
I have known them for years, how could all this be true?
They told me everything that I know about you.

Count Olaf:
Those two judges were aligned with me and helped me escape, so the Baudelaire brats were right the whole time…

Justice Strauss:
Jesus Christ, what the hell have I already done?

Count Olaf:
Okay, Justice, answer the first question
You don’t want a harpoon in your chest then
Tell me if you dare, now tell me
What medical ailment these Baudelaire orphans all face
Klaus:
We all have peppermint allergies, Olaf
You should’ve known from the Anxious Clown

Count Olaf:
Now, I’ve long known, the second one
Since my folks were killed by poisoned darts
That means there’s just the third one left
Since books take long to read, we’d be caught before we start

Klaus:
I know
I’ve figured out the last one
It’s in Jerome’s book

Count Olaf:
Mob will overrun us by Chapter 1!

Klaus:
I just went to the index

Count Olaf:
You did that
I always wondered
You did that
Who would’ve thought that?

Klaus:
Well, it helps me get to the right page

Violet:
Klaus, Klaus…
You help Olaf…

Klaus:
Come on, sisters..
My girls, Olaf won’t find it
Since the Sugar Bowl isn’t there

Count Olaf:
Where’s that bowl, would you like harpoon or spores?

Violet:
Push your boat from the roof, how?
A boat like that will not survive the fall
I can get it down for you, everyone’s failed us
I will use laundry sheets
To make drag chutes from the roof
For I know you’re our only ticket out of here
You’ll need a crew
This is the point of no return!

Klaus:
Our sister Sunny is willing to help you burn down the hotel, so we’d make our escape

Count Olaf:
Didn’t know Vi had a mind like McGyver…
Or how your kid sister had love for fire…
Wished Carmelita had your spunk…
I was so busy with errands, arson must’ve escaped from me

Justice Strauss:
Too late for turning back, too late for prayers and even arson

Count Olaf:
Go help your sister and start that fire
We’ll use this gas and book, I’ll get the matches

Violet and Klaus:
No matter what we choose, we cannot win!

Count Olaf:
Cocktail party’s now postponed
Release spores before chemicals

Violet:
Let’s press every button to warn folks

Justice Strauss:
Good idea, children…

Count Olaf:
Past the point of no return –

Klaus:
Fire’s spreading,
Sisters, let’s go!

Violet:
I’ll get the sheets

Count Olaf:
… the final threshold…

Violet:
Call the fire department straight away!

Klaus:
There’s a fire in basement

Count Olaf:
Keep blindfolds on you, girls, there is no blaze

Klaus:
You want your Esme to burn?

Man with Beard But No Hair:
Wonderful fire

Count Olaf:
We’ve passed the point of no return …

Violet:
You need to leave
Now go, please hurry!

Count Olaf:
We’ve reached the rooftop, now let’s go

Justice Strauss:
Thank you for stopping Count Olaf
From releasing the deadly shroom
But why are you going with him, what is wrong with you?

Crowd:
Track down this murderer he must be found!
There is a fire inside, we should get out! Take off our blindfolds now, go through the front door! We got to hunt down the Baudelaires!
Deep down inside!

Violet:
Must tie – drag chutes – Devil’s tongue knot…

Count Olaf:
Wish I’d open – fungus on them all…

Klaus:
Move fast – building’s come unsound

Count Olaf:
Push the boat – leave here now, before the chemicals, it’s burned to the ground, or reaches the roof
GO NOW!
GO NOW AND LEAVE HERE!

Klaus:
Count Olaf…
Sugar Bowl fell into the pond
Not the laundry room

Violet:
So, Sunny, you really thought to send a fire signal
Take the spatulas

Justice Strauss:
Stay here, children, we’ll go to the authorities
We’ll go down and you’ll explain it all

Violet:
No one will believe us

Klaus:
We can’t

Violet:
We’re sorry

Count Olaf:
Out to sea with no one else in sight

Sunny:
The last safe place is safe no more tonight