FIVE - search for a dumb book

Robyn, Klaus, Violet, Sunny, Duncan, and Isadora all walked towards the library, hoping not to run into anyone slightly annoying. Unfortunately, they did run into someone who is more than slightly annoying, Carmelita Spats. Robyn hid in between the Quagmires and Baudelaires so that Carmelita wouldn't see her.

"I smell people who lost their parents in fires," Carmelita spat. She chuckled manically. To this day, I do not know how Robyn and Marigold tolerated Carmelita and her tapping shoes. I'm proud of Robyn's efforts to committing to spying so well that she had to act like she liked Carmelita.

"Quagmires and the Baudelaires. Lovely to see you, and together, I might add," the librarian said, grinning. Robyn stepped forward to be able to see her. The librarian's eyes widened.

"Oh, why hello Robyn. Surprised you're not with Marigold or Carmelita."

"They can sometimes be such a pain in the ass-"

"Okay, let's keep it PG, especially for Sunny," the librarian reminded. Robyn nodded.

"Are you still open?" Isadora asked.

"I'm afraid I was just locking up. Ten minutes goes by real fast. But you can come back tomorrow." Robyn and Isadora frowned.

"We can't wait until tomorrow. Please?" Violet begged.

"We're trying to find a book," Isadora explained.

"An important book," Duncan added.

"It might have the answers to all of our questions," Klaus spoke.

"And give us hints to finding out very important information," Robyn said.

"That's basically what I just said-"

"Shut up, Klaus," Robyn joked.

"What's the title?" The librarian asked, ignoring Klaus and Robyn's bickering.

"The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations." The librarian had a small smirk on her face. It was a sign to Robyn that her gears were turning, which means that this librarian had an idea and plan laid out in her head.

"Let me see what I can do." She gestured for the six of them to come in. Robyn smiled and turned to Duncan, feeling a rush of excitement. They walked in, right next to each other.

"We only have a few minutes before Nero comes by on his rounds," the librarian explained. "If he catches you here, he'll make you trim his toenails."

"He wouldn't," Violet replied with worry.

"He would," the Quagmires and the librarian groaned in disgust. Robyn chuckled at Duncan, causing him to glare at her. She put her hands up in surrender.

"You don't happen to know its Dewey Decimal number?" The librarian questioned.

"We don't even know who wrote it," Klaus complained.

"That's okay. That's what I'm here for." The kind librarian smiled and set the alarm clock for a couple of minutes. She went searching for The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations while Robyn carefully read over her notes in her commonplace notebook she added.

- 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙏𝙀 𝙃𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 𝙊𝙁 𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙍𝙀𝙏 𝙊𝙍𝙂𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙕𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 (?)
- 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙛 = 𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡
- 𝙚𝙮𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙤
- 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙮𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖

Robyn looked back up once the librarian closed her drawer. She gave the six brilliant children a disappointed look.

"I'm sorry," she started.

"You don't have it," Klaus noted glumly.

"Due to budget cuts, crumbling infrastructures, and the priorities of a certain vice principal, this place has become something of a faltering institution," the librarian spoke. She added, "although, I do have a few other books that I think you might like." She walked over to a cart full of heavy, leather books collecting dust. She listed books such as The Incomplete History of Trechery and The Incomplete History of History.

"That does sound fascinating, but..." Klauß voice trailed off. The librarian looked sympathetic.

"I know. In every library, there is a single book to answer the question that burns like a fire in the mind," she spoke. Robyn remembered the phrase, but only bits and pieces from her mom's journal diary book thing Robyn liked to call it.

"Where did you hear that?" Violet asked, practically reading Robyn's mind.

"I don't know," the librarian replied. "I must have read it somewhere. Why?" Duncan tapped on Robyn's shoulder, causing the poor girl to be jumpy. Duncan quickly released, not wanting to frighten her any longer.

"Sorry for making you nervous, I just wanted to ask you something," Duncan apologized.

"It's totally fine. But yeah, go ahead, what's going on?" Robyn asked, turning herself to face Duncan. For Duncan, as soon as she gave him "that look," he totally forgot what he was going to say. Isadora was too focused on what Klaus was saying to notice her brother failing at talking to a girl.

"Uhm..." a chime erupted from an object, terrifying Duncan and Robyn this time. They latched onto each other until they realized it was just a timer.

"Drat," the librarian muttered.

"Drat?" Isadora sounded confused, due to her tone of voice.

"Vice Principal Nero will be here in-" the door opened to reveal the agitating vice principal.

"Vice Principal Nero will be here-Vice Principal Nero is already here, and this library is supposed to be closed!" The vice principal shouted.

"It is closed, and it's empty. You must be having a bad dream." The librarian waved her arms around like a witch or magician.

"That only worked on me once," Vice Principal Nero mumbled. Robyn stepped forward.

"I'm so sorry Nero, but they were just helping me find my notebook for Mr. Remora's class. They didn't do anything wrong," Robyn confessed, taking her notebook out of her pocket. "They found it, and we were just leaving." The vice principal seemed skeptical, but nodded.

"Okay, you better thank this girl, orphans. Anyways, I need you guys to report to the athletic field in ten minutes. Attendance is mandatory," Vice Principal Nero expressed. "Mandatory means 'anyone who doesn't come had to buy me candy and watch me eat it.'"

"He wouldn't," the Baudelaires grumbled in unison.

"He would," the Quagmires replied.

"I would!" The vice principal started to walk outside and the children followed.

"This is a very exciting day for me, so you orphans, you two twins, and Robyn should be should be excited." Robyn rolled her eyes after he said twins.

"The Quagmires are triplets, not twins," Violet spoke.

"Twins is what you call triplets when one of them burns to a crisp. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get my violin for the pep rally," Vice Principal Nero droned on, speeding up. Robyn and Isadora took turns rolling their eyes at the vice principal who thought he had a future as a violinist.

"Welcome to Prufrock Prep, Baudelaires. In a world too often governed by corruption and arrogance, it can be difficult to stay true to one's philosophical and literary principles," the librarian said.

"We wholeheartedly agree," Klaus responded, holding Sunny while standing next to his older sister.

"All decent people do."