Now the Baudelaires are suited and booted and ready to play the part of Hotel Denouement concierges. Hopefully somewhere along the way they’ll locate the Jacques Snicket imposter and decide whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy.
What Happens?
The children enter the hotel and immediately notice that there are
numbers everywhere but before they can figure out what they mean, a manager who
is either Frank of Ernest shows up. He’s very busy and can’t tell them very much
before he goes away again, only for another man who is also either Frank or
Ernest to show up. It’s not clear which this guy is either. He also goes away,
to be replaced with either the first or the second guy, leaving the children
none the wiser as to who they are dealing with. They do learn that the hotel is
organised using the Dewey Decimal System and that in order to do their job
they’re going to have to go their separate ways, something which does not seem
very safe, but will allow them to scope more people out.
Thoughts as I read:
This chapter image reminds me of being in Wales. We went to St
Fagans and the big house there had the row of bells in the servants’ quarters so
that they could see where they were wanted. This image shows us three of these
bells, numbered 370, 371 and 372. The centre one is clearly ringing. I guess
this means that the Baudelaires will get stuck into their work and things are
going to be rather busy for them.
There are places where the world is quiet, but the enormous
lobby of the Hotel Denouement was not one of them.
We learn that the Baudelaires have no problem gaining access to
the hotel, they fit right in with their concierge outfits. The place is full of
guests who are hanging around the reception desk, which has ‘101’ written behind
it. That’s not the only thing to have a random number on it; the lifts have
‘118’ on the doors, there’s a piano with the number ‘152’ on, the green wooden
floors are number ‘123’, a fountain with ‘131’ on, and in one corner of the room
is the number ‘176’. All will be explained shortly.
The Baudelaires are slightly overwhelmed until Sunny says ‘Frank
first’ reminding them not to worry about finding the imposter right away,
instead they need to find the man they signalled to before entering. Before they
can get very far the manager shows up. They know he’s the manager, or rather one
of them, because he’s got a label on his coat that says ‘MANAGER’. Unfortunately
Violet isn’t specific enough when she asks ‘Frank… or Ernest?’ because the man
just replies ‘Exactly’.
Frank/Ernest tells them that he doesn’t have time to explain the
system at the hotel, so they’ll have to figure it out for themselves. That’ll be
tricky. Especially as he apparently wants them to get right to work helping the
guests with whatever they need. Then he gets distracted by a bellboy and leaves
the Baudelaires alone (next to a bench with the number ‘128’ on it, in case
you’re keeping track here).
The children try to work out whether they just met Frank or
Ernest. Violet points out that he did use the word ‘volunteer’ and Sunny adds
‘Thursinterest’ meaning ‘He knew that Thursday was important.’ But this doesn’t
exactly tell them whether or not he’s a good guy or a bad guy. Perhaps they
should have asked ‘are you Frank?’ or used a code phrase like ‘the world is
quiet here’ and seen what he said?
Violet does try this approach when a man who looks just like the
man they were talking to a minute ago shows up, she says ‘You must be Ernest’.
Unfortunately Sunny adds ‘Or Frank’ which allows the man to say ‘Yes’ without
clarifying which one he is. Way to mess up, Sunny!
This guy is a little more helpful, which I’m not sure if it’s a
sign of being good or bad. He takes them to the concierge desk (number ‘175’)
and points out the view of the sea. Once again, the children aren’t sure if he’s
speaking in some sort of code or how they should respond. This is going to be
tricky, isn’t it?
The helpful manager does have the time to explain how the hotel is
organised. Unfortunately a bellgirl shows up with a stack of The Daily
Punctilio with a new report from Geraldine Julienne. The headline is
‘BAUDELAIRES RUMOURED TO RETURN TO THE CITY’:
According to information recently discovered by this
reporter when opening a cookie, Veronica, Klyde and Susie Baudelaire, the
notorious murderers of renowned actor Count Omar, are returning to the city,
perhaps to commit more vicious murders or to continue their recent hobby of
arson. Citizens are advised to watch for their three bloodthirsty children, and
to report them to the authorities if they are spotted. If they are not spotted,
citizens are advised to do nothing.
Sound advice.
Ernest/Frank asks the children what they think of this and Violet
gives a safe response (‘That’s an interesting question’) which doesn’t lead to
anything except Ernest/Frank telling the bellgirl that he’ll show her to Room
168 where the newsstand is. The Baudelaires are still in the dark about how the
hotel is organised and they still don’t know which man is Frank and which is
Ernest.
Violet thinks that was Ernest but Klaus thinks it was Frank. They
children wonder if perhaps he just didn’t recognise them, after all, they’re
getting older. Klaus points out that Kit told them they weren’t children any
more. Sunny’s response to this is pretty much what I was thinking ‘Nidiculous’
which isn’t a Harry Potter spell but instead means ‘I think I’m still a
child’. I think they’re all still children!
While they’re discussing this Frank/Ernest comes back and they ask
to be told how the hotel is organised. And it’s simple, just like finding a book
in a library, because the hotel is organised just like a library; according to
the Dewey Decimal System. Klaus is probably most familiar with libraries and
asks where the catalogue can be found but Frank/Ernest says there isn’t one.
Instead he’s told that the first floor is for the 100 section (dedicated to
philosophy and psychology), the next floor is the 200 section (for religion,
featuring ‘a church, a cathedral, a chapel, a synagogue, a mosque, a temple, a
shrine, a shuffleboard court, and Room 296, which is currently occupied by a
somewhat cranky rabbi’.), third floor is for social sciences, the fourth is for
language (and the play where foreigners stay), the fifth floor for mathematics
and science, sixth floor for technology, and the seventh floor for the arts.
Frank/Ernest even tests the children on what they might expect to
find in certain rooms, based on the floor and the room number. The children are
also told that they don’t have a bed or anything like that. They’re expected to
nap behind the desk and the bell can be their alarm clock. That sounds like an
Olaf-y thing to say so I can’t help but suspect that they’re dealing with Ernest
right now.
Apart from the fact that he goes on to say:
“Your positions as concierges,” he said in his unfathomable
tone, “are excellent opportunities for your to quietly observe your
surroundings. People tend to treat the hotel staff as if they are invisible, so
you will have the chance to see and hear quite a lot of interesting things.
However, you should remember that you will also have many opportunities to be
observed. Do I make myself clear?”
Which screams Frank.
And then they’re taken to the desk, the back of which is covered
with tiny bells next to numbers. When the bell rings it means that the number of
the room it is beside wants their attention. There’s also an unmarked bell which
is linked up to the ‘rooftop bathing salon’.
As there are currently three bells ringing the Baudelaires are
going to have to split up, which is never a good thing. Frank/Ernest then
dismisses them quite rudely, which has me back to thinking he’s Ernest after
all. Though perhaps he’s a good guy who just happens to be kind of rude, though
that doesn’t seem like the sort of quality the volunteers usually look for in
people. I’m so confused!
Violet organises who will go where and Klaus points out that at
least by separating they’ll be able to see three times as much stuff going on in
the hotel. All the same, Sunny says ‘Unsafe’ which means ‘I’d rather not find
the imposter if I’m all by myself.’ Klaus tries to reassure his sister by
pointing out that they’re really just in a large library, though Violet says
those fatal words ‘And what’s the worst thing that can happen in a library?’
Well, just going by their own experience, people can get poisoned, the place can
burn down, dangerous plots can be hatched. Libraries aren’t always safe places,
kids!
As the children go their separate ways they remember some of the
other places that they have been and about all the bad things that happened
there, usually involving Olaf in some way. In this new place, a library (of
sorts) they realise that there is a very bad thing that can happen when they see
a little sign on the wall which reads ‘IN CASE OF FIRE’. I’ve got a funny
feeling they might be needing that later.
And just like that they become three children, alone, instead of a
trio.
Bad things will happen.
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