Unfortunately Fortunate

Another Assassination

The children and Josephine enter the sailboat and leave Curdled Cave, sailing the large lake. "Uh-oh. 

Uh-oh. Uh-oh." Josephine repeats in fear.

"Aunt Josephine, I really do wish you'd stop saying that. Hurricane Herman is over, the sailboat is working perfectly, and we'll be back to Damocles Dock by morning. We're as safe as can possibly be expected." Violet tells her.

"Oh, how much I wished she had an off switch." Elizabeth says.

Sam walks over to her and sits down. "Maybe... maybe you could think back to a time when you were a little more fierce and formidable." He then takes out the photo from the library and gives it to Josephine.

"Where did you find this?" She asks, taking the photograph.

"In the library." Sam answers.

"I haven't seen this photograph in years. Lucky Smells Lumbermill. Ah, it's not far from here. Oh, look at Ike. Look how handsome he looks in that hat. Oh, and look at Monty!" Josephine says with a smile.

"And my parents." Sam says, causing Elizabeth and Keira to turn and look at them.

"Yes. And your parents. In fact, all of your parents. Such brave and noble people. Oh, how I miss them." Josephine passes the photo back to Sam, who puts it in his pocket. The children glance at each other with small, sad smiles on their faces.

"We miss them, too." They all say.

"But we have questions about them. They never told us about you. They never told us about Uncle Monty. I have a feeling there's lots of things they never told us about." Klaus tells her.

"Your parents, Baudelaires, Quagmires, Farmers, wanted to raise you in a quiet world, far away from the fiery injustices that were threatening all of us. They were trying to keep you safe." Josephine tells them.

"It didn't work." Klaus says.

"No. No, it didn't." Josephine says. Elizabeth looks at the photograph, remembering that day so well. "Not long after this photograph was taken, your parents and I had to make a vastly frightening decision. I remember that day so well, Klaus. Your mother had just wrestled one of our enemies to the ground, when she turned to me and said... Uh-oh."

"What?" Sam asks.

"Uh-oh. And I mean it this time." Josephine says.

Keira sighs and rolls her eye. "What's wrong?"

"We are now entering the territory of the Lachrymose Leeches. Oh, my poor Ike!" Josephine says. "He always loved shredded beef tamales, and they ended up sealing his doom."

"I'm sure we'll be all right. You said that the leeches were usually harmless."

"Unless you have recently eaten." Josephine reminds them.

"We haven't eaten anything since those peppermints at the Anxious Clown. That was brunch, and it's almost morning now." Elizabeth says.

"You didn't eat anything recently, did you, Aunt Josephine?" Isadora asks but reserves not reply.

"Aunt Josephine?" Duncan asks.

"Banana. I ate a banana just before you arrived." Josephine says before burping.

"Uh-oh." Violet says.

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Klaus says. "Leeches are very small animals. If we were in the water, we might have reason to fear, but I doubt they'd attack a sailboat. Hurricane Herman might have even scared them out of the territory."