Mr. Benedict and Number Two are missing.
KATE: "Take the shortcut".
REYNIE: What's the shortcut?
STICKY: It's the fastest ship in the world.
I demand our immediate release.
Release? From what?
JACKSON: Our community has been thoughtfully curated.
Positivity is an absolute requirement.
-Hello, friends. -JACKSON: Hello, Sebastian.
He's one of the earliest adopters of Dr. Curtain's philosophy.
CAPTAIN NOLAND: Prepare to dock in Lisbon in a spectacular 48 hours.
We need to lay low. Blend in.
Wish we had matching tracksuits like the cricket squad over there.
REYNIE: Their warm-ups say, "water polo, actually."
CANNONBALL: Based on my life jacket count,
there are four extra passengers on board the Shortcut.
We need to find those stowaways.
RHONDA: This is good.
We're scheduled to arrive in Lisbon a good 25 hours before the kids.
You're creating an artificial state of happiness.
People seem to enjoy it.
BENEDICT: It is a complete disconnection from true emotion.
REYNIE: Mr. Benedict thought we'd be in that stateroom.
So the clue has to be there.
I bet we use that key at the train station.
(suspenseful music)
Good evening, children.
There.
(ominous music)
They are on this boat. Find them before we reach land.
(theme music)
STICKY: We were hanging 120 feet above the ocean.
Our hands could've slipped, the rope could've snapped.
Do you know what the survival rates are for a fall like that?
Not high. Not high at all.
It's okay. We made it down.
I'm kicking myself, guys.
I should have known they weren't real water polo players.
Trail hand. Come on.
They must be undercover. Working for Curtain.
-Curtain? Why? What does he want with us? -Think about it.
He has everyone in the world believing he solved the Emergency.
But we know the truth. We know he's lying.
Like Mr. Benedict and Number Two.
So he kidnapped them, and now he's coming after us.
Solid move. I'd kidnap us, too.
All his talk about happiness, that book of his, all a ruse.
A trick.
We need to just stick with the plan.
Follow the clues Mr. Benedict left for us
until we get close enough to find him and Number Two.
And then we take care of Curtain.
-Somehow. -Confidence-inspiring.
For now, we lie low and stay down here until we get to Lisbon.
-Where do we sleep? -How about over there?
REYNIE: No one will be able to see us.
On the metal?
Metal is a luxury. Toughen up, George.
Hmm.
Oh, he is inducing happiness by using a direct synaptic access.
Oh, it's not just disturbing, it's dangerous.
Oh, it's very disturbing.
-And yet, remarkable. -What?
Someone even called it a scientific breakthrough.
-Who would call it that? -Most neuroscientists.
It's manipulation, a simulation of happiness.
-It's not real. -The world doesn't see it that way.
Well, that's what makes it so extraordinarily dangerous.
People are becoming dependent on this artificial state of mind!
And yet another way my brother can exert his control.
Number Two, please put the garbage back in the bin. What is this?
(sighs) This garbage is our way out of here.
My instincts are taking me towards tunneling,
-which I figured you'd reject? -Correct.
Hm. So I thought we'd try something different. Mold.
-Mold? -Yes.
We have all the materials and conditions to grow a mold infestation
in every building in this compound.
-"Infestation?" -(sighs)
Tactical fungal infection.
Break them down from the inside. Literally.
I fear that violates a number of international treaties.
I didn't sign anything.
-It's clever. Troubling, but clever. -Thank you.
However, I believe our unfortunate kidnapping
presents a more fortuitous opportunity
to infect my brother with love.
Genuine love. Love for his fellow man.
-What? -And maybe some real happiness.
-Love for his fellow man? -Yes.
-He kidnapped us. -Because he wants me here.
When we were young, Nathaniel was an ace in algebra.
An ace, but he always wanted me to check his work,
not because he needed me to, but to show how brilliant he was.
-So? -He craves my approval.
If I could just have more time with him and not be so judgmental,
I really believe I could get him to listen to me.
-I think you're being naive. -(sighs deeply)
Do you remember what happened the last time you two squared off?
-Well, that was on his turf. -So is this.
You're wasting your time. We need to devise an escape plan.
We need to get out of here and alert the authorities.
Expose him.
And I would love to find a phone.
Rhonda and Milligan must be sick with worry.
Yes, a phone.
I will go search for one.
And, um, take heart.
At least Rhonda and Milligan are at home, away from danger.
(thunder rumbles)
ANNOUNCER: It seems we've hit some stubborn headwinds.
So in addition to the light chop,
there might be a slight delay to our arrival.
We can't afford a delay.
We need to get to Lisbon before the children.
ANNOUNCER: We're looking at five to six additional flight hours.
Eight tops. Definitely under 12.
I'm afraid it's beyond our control.
-MAN 1: Oh, god! -WOMAN 1: Oh, no!
-MAN 2: Oh, no! -WOMAN 2: Somebody grab it.
No.
-(waiter pants) -(thunder rumbles)
You can do this. Professionalism. Say it.
Professionalism.
RHONDA: Yes!
Easy does it. Easy, easy, easy.
The crate of sugar was empty, and there were tiny handprints inside.
Children's handprints.
So, not just stowaways.
They're responsible for undermining our culinary excellence.
Their infractions continue to multiply. With respect...
Why haven't you found them?
Some of them are quite small.
But there are only a few places left they could be hiding.
I'm confident we'll have them soon.
More urgently... (sighs)
...the first engineer confirms our speed is indeed trending slower than usual.
He's doing everything he can to rectify the situation,
but at this rate, we'll arrive two hours late.
Three on the outside.
This will shatter our reputation!
Captain, are you all right?
Aside from a slight case of low blood sugar, my faltering marriage,
and the liens on my house and my vehicle, I am top drawer.
-Redline the engines! -MAN: That is remarkably unwise, Captain.
-Do as I say. -MAN: Yes, Captain.
(indistinct chatter in distance)
(snoring)
Constance?
Where is she going?
(people cheering)
Constance wants a taste.
A taste? I want a full course meal.
No. We came down here to stay out of sight.
If we go in there and gamble, we'd be completely exposed.
We're going to need more money in Lisbon to get to the train station.
The inflation rate in Portugal is alarming.
Listen to him. This could solve all our problems.
We could lose all of it, and then we have nothing.
-No risk, no reward. -And the risk is infinitesimal.
-It's actually quite large. -Potayto, potahto.
Let's go get rich.
What? Our money's no good here?
This really isn't a place for kids. Your parents know you're down here?
They sent me to clean house.
(upbeat music)
Lookin' or playing?
I'm playing.
What's the maximum bet?
I'd like to play some poker.
We'd love you to play some poker.
(all cheer)
WOMAN 1: Winner.
Dealer busts.
WOMAN 2: Blackjack.
Seven again?
-It's just too easy. -Yeah!
(upbeat music)
-Double it. -On 17?
Dumb luck.
(upbeat music)
Call.
Invest in some sunglasses, kid.
(all cheer)
Get yourself something nice.
(indistinct chatter)
MAN: We'll set up now.
L.D. CURTAIN: Okay. Good.
Now go.
WOMAN: And 30 seconds. Audience members can go and take your seats, please.
-Mr. Benedict. We've been expecting you. -WOMAN: Camera 1, check!
-Right this way. -WOMAN: Camera 2, check!
Yeah.
WOMAN: Five, four, three.
(applause)
L.D. CURTAIN: Thank you.
Friends, my name is L.D. Curtain.
Many of you know me as the man who solved The Emergency,
but that's not what I'm here to talk to you about.
Today, I am so pleased
to share with my growing family all over the world
about something quite simple and yet quite profound.
I'd like to talk to you about happiness.
(thunder rumbles)
You've been staring at that same page for over an hour.
Just making sure that I'm fully absorbing the material.
It's an advertisement for cough drops.
A nuanced advertisement.
(thunder rumbles)
It's okay to be scared.
I am not scared.
This is a marvel of engineering.
Is a gold bar scared in Fort Knox?
I am worried, though. Painfully so about them.
It's hard not to be.
To be a parent is to live in a constant state of worry.
But I'm learning that worrying is not a form of preparation.
It doesn't make anything less likely to happen
nor armor you if it does.
We're going to find them.
ANNOUNCER: Good evening. Apologies for the bumps, folks.
We are attempting to maneuver around the worst of it,
but these headwinds have limited our progress to negative five knots.
In the meantime, sit back, relax, and please secure anything
that could become a projectile.
Look at this. We nearly tripled our stack.
Whoa.
Could have been more.
First rule of dice play, quit while you're ahead.
Or have more courage.
Hey, are you guys hearing that? Thing's popcorning like crazy.
Sounds like a fuel issue.
Are you thinking in the tank or are we talking corrupted lines?
Be easy enough to tell with a quick snake assay.
I'm sure the Captain would love to hear your critiques.
CONSTANCE: We'll wait here for you.
Sorry for boring you. Are you interested in money?
Only for what it can buy.
Way to go, Sticky!
-That's incredible. -How?
-I used the Hi-Opt card counting system. -Hi-Opt?
STICKY: Every card's assigned the value of either one, zero, or minus one.
I tracked each card on the table, then added the card's values as I play,
keeping a count for the aces
and a running count for all the other cards.
With that info, I determined my betting odds
were sufficiently high to justify my wager.
-Double it. -On 17?
Wait. You cheated?
I didn't cheat.
I used math to gain a slight statistical advantage.
I learned it in the math club at Boatwright.
I knew that school was good for something.
-Sticky... -STICKY: What?
Is it frowned upon in a casino? Yes.
Is it legal in many countries? Absolutely.
Well, we definitely cheated. No gray area there.
-What? -I shaved the dice.
Never touch a bet once it's placed. An infant knows that.
(all cheer)
-You cheated. -The goal was to win money.
Money that we need if we're going to find Mr. Benedict and Number Two.
So, I won that money. I don't see what the problem is.
Machiavellian. Respect.
I saw a problem and found a mechanical solution.
You call it cheating. I call it ingenuity.
Whatever it is, it's no different than stealing.
We should give back our winnings. All of them.
-It's only right. -We need that money.
We do, but not like this.
Mr. Benedict asked us to cheat. Last year, remember?
On a test. This is different.
Those people whose money we took have nothing to do with this.
They're innocent victims.
I do admire the beauty of the math,
but I shouldn't have used it with other people's money.
None of us should have.
Fine. Don't expect me to be happy about it.
How will your moral victory taste when Benedict's in the ground?
We'll find another way to get the money.
You're telling me I've been swindled by children?
And it was wrong, very wrong, which is why we, all of us...
unanimously decided to return our winnings.
It's all there.
Twenty-five, fifty, seventy-five...
Six. Five.
He's really slamming those around.
No telling what a man so humiliated will do.
Great idea, Reynie.
We're not just gonna be broke, we're gonna be dead.
Five, six, seven...
Have a good rest of your trip, and we wish you bonne chance.
Stop.
Come here.
You hand over a stack like that and expect to just walk on out of here?
Yes, sir. That was the expectation?
In all my years, I've seen my fair share of charlatans,
-bandits, thieves, rascals... -We...
...hoodwinks, trust breakers, oath scoffers, dream crushers.
The lowest of the low.
But you know what I've never seen?
Anyone come clean.
That's an honor that's hard to find anywhere,
much less on the lawless, free-for-all called the sea.
It deserves to be rewarded.
Oh. Oh!
See? Honesty does pay.
-You're truly magical, Reynie. -Thank you, Constance.
You turned a large stack of money into a small stack of money
with the wave of your morals.
Do not move.
You're an insult to real water polo players everywhere.
Selling bad tactics, suboptimal muscle density.
-And why would we care about that? -I have so many reasons.
You're coming with us.
Never going to happen.
(breathes deeply)
There's an old German saying, popular among the Alsatians.
Alles hat ein ende, nur die wurst hat zwei.
"Everything has an end, only a sausage has two."
Which applies to us how?
This game is over.
This ship is finite, there is nowhere to hide.
-Surren... -CANNONBALL: Surrender!
-Surrender! -KATE: Sir, you have to stop them.
-They're trying to kidnap us. -Enough.
(panting)
-I know what you are. -Yes. Okay. We're gamblers.
-And things got out of control. -But we're reformed.
Ready to go on an anti-gambling mission.
No. You're stowaways.
(pensive music)
-GIANNI: Worried you'd be late today. -Gianni. You wound me.
You see me every day, same time, never late.
That's true, you're never late.
MAN: You are going to love what I brought you.
While I may not know you personally, you have to understand,
I care about each and every one of you deeply.
My purpose is simple,
to open your eyes to something which has been lost for so many of us.
Happiness.
Which is so fundamental, we fail to see it.
And I ask nothing in return.
I'm duly informing you that the four of you,
having secreted yourselves aboard this vessel,
are being held for gross violation of international maritime law,
section 32.8, section C.
You know, we just heard the seas referred to as "lawless,"
which I thought was an eye-opening--
Whoever said that is a madman or a fool.
You have no idea who my parents are, do you?
Well, I know they're not on this vessel. As such, walk.
Surely you know Alice Potrykus and Yevgeni Potrykus IV?
I've... rarely heard those names spoken above a whisper.
A spy trawler was no place for a baby.
They had to give me away.
They left me to be raised by a pack of Yukon wolves.
It was the wolves who taught me the meaning of being human.
Hm. Ironic.
That's absurd.
And thus, true to life.
Let's go. You're coming with me.
ANNOUNCER: Good news from the cockpit.
Looks like we're finally past the worst of the inclement weather.
Hopefully, like me,
you can appreciate the raw, terrifying beauty of nature's power.
Why does it feel like we're descending?
ANNOUNCER: Which has unfortunately left its mark.
We're experiencing a very slight deflation issue.
So we'll be rerouting for an emergency landing
in the Northern Iberian Plains.
(all murmuring)
For proper ballast configuration,
we will need to jettison luggage from the cargo hold.
We'll have you on the ground soon.
And thank you for flying with Atalanta Aeronautique.
(horn honks)
CAPTAIN NOLAND: Well, I must say, I was expecting
a more rough and tumble bunch.
But the sea teaches us, expectation is a sister to folly.
They were hiding out in the engine room, sir.
Hm. Like rats.
-One could say. -No matter.
They'll soon be in the brig, along with the other pests.
And then, on to maritime court.
I do hope they're more lenient than last time.
Do you remember the last stowaways we found?
I'd rather not. A haunting tale.
Please, if we could just...
Do not listen to them, Captain, he's a liar, they're all liars.
We're not the only ones.
We know you're lying about the speed of the ship.
You should change its name to The Lugubrious.
Well, sometimes, even the best maritime equipment can be a little off.
My point exactly.
We're going slower than you think, and we'll never get to Lisbon on time
with the ship's faulty combustion to oxygenation ratio.
The ship has never had an issue with its COR before.
Well, it does now.
I heard it down in the engine room. But not to worry.
My friend here has diagnosed the issue. Sticky?
It sounds like seawater.
It's leaking into the fuel tank, creating a hotbed of electrolysis,
-causing exothermic reaction. -That's enough.
You're all going to the brig, seawater or not.
What if we told you we could fix the problem?
Are we entering some sort of a negotiation?
They'll say anything to get free.
Not anything, just a solution to your engine issue.
If you let us go.
A late arrival will be the last straw for me.
I'd be a pariah. Release them.
But, sir.
Get us to Lisbon on time and you go free.
That's an excellent starting point,
but we'll also need to get past the immigration checkpoint in Lisbon.
Deal.
Sadness isn't something to be ashamed of.
We've all experienced it. Me, perhaps, more than others.
I learned at a very young age
that abandonment and betrayal can come from anywhere,
even from what seems like sacred ground.
From family.
But my sadness did not last long because I didn't let it.
I simply chose to open the valve deep inside of me
and let my true happiness,
the happiness safe from all intrusions,
that be my North Star.
(applause)
(quirky music)
Where to hide? Where to hide?
Oh.
-Sebastian! -Sebastian!
JILLSON: I'm worried. It's not like Sebastian to miss dinner.
JACKSON: It's not like him at all.
-Sebastian? -Sebastian?
Sebastian, are you okay?
-That's not promising. -No, it is not.
Blink if you hear us, Sebastian.
Seems our time is up.
But our journey is just beginning.
Thank you for joining me.
And remember...
inside of you, inside of all of us...
is the profound power to be happy.
Let us seize the power...
together.
(soft chuckles)
(chuckles)
INFORMATION AGRICULTURE
Captain, we were not expecting you for another two hours.
They call us the Shortcut for good reason.
-He's good. Let him through. -Captain.
(indistinct PA chatter)
Welcome to the city of Seven Hills.
(thuds)
(sighs)
Well, I can't thank you enough.
I only hope that the Shortcut was as kind to you as you were to her.
Boa sorte. Godspeed.
Oh, and, Sticky, is it?
In case you ever decide you want a job in combustion analysis, uh...
call this number.
It's our home office.
Let's go. Those water polo players could be anywhere.
Don't worry. I handled them.
Do you know the ecological damage that even one single tangerine could inflict?
-Take them away. -Wait.
No. Those are not our tangerines.
Those are not our tangerines.
I have a citrus allergy even. Wait, no!
Spare me the lecture, Reynard.
No lecture. Great work.
You're maturing.
STICKY: Look at us. Four kids traveling alone in a foreign country.
I'm not sure how that pencils out.
It may just be me, but it doesn't feel like we're alone.
Every time we find a new clue, I can hear Mr. Benedict's voice.
He's speaking to us.
And saying, "Catch a cab to the Saint Apollo train station
and find the next clue."
-I hope they're okay. -They have to be.
They're both strong, highly intelligent people.
Mr. Benedict is not strong.
He's a glass house held together by desperate optimism.
Hey, 119.
-Hey, Hooves. -That guy? Again?
Must be hard to see.
(indistinct chatter in distance)
Hey, I just put it together.
-You're Reynie Muldoon. -I am.
This guy talks about you all the time.
You're his best friend, right?
Hey, take care, Sticky. Nice meeting you all.
(telephone ringing)
-What is it? -Our Europe-wide dragnet has caught...
-some fish. -What?
I'm with team three at the Port of Lisbon.
As you thought, people are coming for your brother.
-His circle of children... -Society of children.
Right, of course. Society of children has arrived.
-On their own. -Really? Interesting. Just the children?
Wow, they've proven to be my only true adversaries.
I respect them deeply.
Deeply enough to...
-treat them without mercy. -Understood.
-Anyone speaks Portuguese? -Actually, yeah, kinda.
Curtain's gray man.
-STICKY: That's definitely him. -Get in! Get in! Get in!
(engine rumbles)
(in Portuguese) Well, no, please. We would like...
-(in English) Go! Go! Go! -Go! Go! Go!
REYNIE (in Portuguese): Go please now!
(ominous music)
(closing theme music)