How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"What's important is that I have found out your plan."
"Is that so?" Count Olaf said, his one eyebrow raising. "And what is my plan, you little runt?"
Klaus ignored the insult and opened the book to where one of the scraps of paper was marking his place. "' The laws of marriage in this community are very simple,'" he read out loud. "' The requirements are as follows: the presence of a judge, a statement of "I do" by both the bride and the groom, and the signing of an explanatory document in the bride's own hand.'" Klaus put down the book and pointed at Count Olaf. "If my sister says 'I do' and signs a piece of paper, while Justice Strauss is in the room, then she is legally married. This play you're putting on shouldn't be called The Marvelous Marriage. It should be called The Menacing Marriage. You're not going to marry Violet figuratively—you're going to marry her literally! This play won't be pretend; it will be real and legally binding."
Count Olaf laughed a rough, hoarse laugh. "Your sister isn't old enough to get married."
"She can get married if she has the permission of her legal guardian, acting in loco parentis," Klaus said. "I read that, too. You can't fool me."
"Why in the world would I want to actually marry your sister?" Count Olaf asked. "It is true she is very pretty, but a man like myself can acquire any number of beautiful women."
Klaus turned to a different section of Nuptial Law. "A legal husband," he read out loud, "has the right to control any money in the possession of his legal wife." Klaus gazed at Count Olaf in triumph. "You're going to marry my sister to gain control of the Baudelaire fortune! Or at least, that's what you planned to do. But when I show this information to Mr. Poe, your play will not be performed, and you will go to jail!"
Count Olaf's eyes grew very shiny, but he continued to smirk at Klaus. This was surprising. (8.11-18)
It's actually pretty ingenious of Klaus to figure all this out. What's not so ingenious? Telling Count Olaf the whole scheme. We get the feeling even this dastardly villain couldn't have figured out all these details without a little help from Klaus.
Quote #5
"You're not looking in the right place," Count Olaf said. "For children who read so much, you two are remarkably unintelligent." (9.5)
Oh man—Count Olaf just loves gloating and insulting children. Clearly he's underestimated these kids. They're some seriously smart cookies.
Quote #6
Violet stared at him. She had an odd feeling in her stomach, as if she were the one being thrown from a great height. The really frightening thing about Olaf, she realized, was that he was very smart after all. He wasn't merely an unsavory drunken brute, but an unsavory, clever drunken brute. (9.13)
If you've ever run into someone who's both horrible and clever, you know that these are probably the most dangerous people in the world. A dummy can be defeated, but a villain with brains can stay one step ahead of you. Boo.