And It Went Up In Smoke

Chapter 22: 2/3 + 1/3 = Whole

Violet POV

I groaned internally. Why were we made to suffer like this? We'd had enough of that brat at Prufrock, and she had to be here too? What even was this?

"Cakesniffers!" she squealed. "Answer me! And take off your masks!"

I shook my head immediately. We couldn't afford to be recognised. "Sorry, we can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Did you hear what I said? I'm the False Spring Queen, you have to do what I say!"

"We're sick." Klaus butt in. Thank the gods for his quick thinking. "It's contagious, we were bitten by snow gnats. We have...AOCSS."

"Ew! Are you snot nosed?"

"Yes, very. And our faces are all splotchy." Isadora chimed in.

"We could still take off our masks if you really wanted, though?" Duncan said, and began to lift his mask ever so slightly before we heard a cry of despair, and a shrill voice screaming, "No need! Keep them on!"

"If you insist." he said, setting his mask down. I sighed with relief. 

An older lady rose from her seat by the fire. Judging from other neckerchief, cowboy-like boots and badges stitched on to her clothes, she seemed to be some sort of camp leader. She gave us a warm smile. 

"Hi, I'm Brucie, Scoutmaster of Troupe 113, and these are the Snow Scouts! You're welcome to stay with us for now, it's quite cold outside. Why don't you go sit at the back so you're not at risk of contaminating the others? The fire's still hot there, don't worry. And we'll scrounge up a few supplies for you all."

"What?! No! You're not allowed to stay! Get lost, cakesniffers!"

"Carmelita, you can't make decisions around here. I'm in charge."

"Who put you in charge?"

"All of your extremely wealthy parents, although I am starting to suspect they had their own reasons for sending you out into the wild."

Carmelita opened her mouth to retort, but I was frankly tired of hearing her, so I interrupted and said, "Thank you, that's incredibly kind of you."

"Of course. Snow Scouts are accommodating." Brucie said, looking around expectantly. There was silence.

"That's...great to hear..." Duncan replied, and we began making our way to the back with the other person who had their mask on.

They shifted to make room for the five of us, and said, "Welcome. Sorry about Carmelita." The voice was deep and sounded familiar.

"Thanks. It's no problem, though, we're quite used to her." Klaus replied. Isadora and Duncan were staring at the person. It was hard to make out their expressions, but they seemed to be both suspicious and alarmed. 

I squeezed Duncan's hand. "What's wrong?" I whispered, as Klaus continued to make conversation with him.

"Well...doesn't he sound a bit like me?" he asked.

I thought over it. "I suppose, why?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, he just seemed like...I just thought...never mind."

"No, tell me."

"I...this sounds really crazy but, it kinda seems as if, maybe, possibly, it's Quigley?"

I stared. "Quigley?"

"He sits like Quigley, sounds like Quigley, has almost the same build as me...and he has the same scar Quigley has on his right hand. A nick from a compass he was trying to use for a map when we were four."

My heart was pounding in my chest. This was terribly sudden. I couldn't even imagine what it must be like for Duncan and Isadora. "Okay, think it through rationally. Let's say he's Quigley. Is there any sort of secret signal or code you used to communicate with him in? When you were younger? Something only he would know?"

Duncan fell silent. I could almost imagine him gnawing his lip in concentration. "Oh!" he exclaimed softly after a moment. "Mom and dad had made us learn a poem. About triplets.

"What's it called?"

"Um. Triplets."

"Oh." I cleared my throat. "Recite it for him."

"I don't know...what if he's not Quigley? He'll think we've gone mad!"

"Duncan. What if it is him? And there's no harm in people think you're mad."

He nodded once, and squeezed my hand tightly. We turned back to face the Klaus, Isadora, and who we supposed was Quigley.

"So what's AOCSS?" he asked.

"Oh!" Klaus blushed. "I made it up. Annoyed Of Carmelita Spats Syndrome."

The boy let out a raucous laugh, slapping his hand on his knee. Soon we were all giggling. 

"Snow Scouts, keep the volume down back there! We don't want to attract any wildlife!" Brucie called out.

We nodded and fell silent. There were a few moments of awkward quietude. Then Duncan began running his thumb over the back of my hand, then cleared his throat and began,

"So many good things come in threes.

From Musketeers to ABCs.

But triplets are the best of all,

From little ones to those quite tall."

Isadora gasped softly, and continued with a trembling voice a minute later,

"And from that time such life begins.

It's extra laughter, triple grins.

With joys and mischief multiplied,

And two defenders by each side."

They both turned to look expectantly at the unknown boy. He rose out of his seat and knelt before the two of them, holding their hands. I gasped, and Duncan and Isadora squeezed his hands back. Klaus was looking between the three of them, no doubt confused out of his mind at what was going on. The boy continued,

"So much alike, forever linked,

And  yet they're also quite distinct.

They share a birthday and a name,

But moods and tempers aren't the same."

Isadora let out a soft laugh and sniffed as Duncan moved to kneel down beside the boy. Klaus let out a soft "Oh!" and turned to look at me as I nodded, trying to stop the tears in my eyes from spilling over. The three of them continued in unison,

"From days of youth till life is done,

It's one for all and all for one.

God made us novel and precise

But special folks — He made them thrice!"

"Duncan? Isadora?" the boy whispered. They nodded, and asked, "Quigley?"

The boy lifted his mask up and over his head. His resemblance to Duncan was striking. They had the same high cheekbones, mischievous eyes, but Quigley's were darker as was his hair, which spilled forward onto his face. Isadora and Duncan yanked their masks off too, and the three faces grinned at each other, eyes watering, sniffing and faces flushed. 

Then Isadora's tears spilled over as she pulled her brothers into a massive bear hug and said, brokenly, "We're finally whole again. I missed you, Quigs."