"Mole? Somebody get me a dermatologist!"
by Belle Book
Chapter Two
Scene One -- Nevers, France
Abby (voice-over): Previously on Teen Mole -- Daria arouses suspicions in Keith first by wanting to leave the game before it began (we see Tom bribe Daria into staying,) then by refusing to bungee-jump at Topenga Canyon. (We see Keith accuse Daria of being the Mole.) The contestants got onto a flight to Paris, where they had the opportunity to do some sightseeing. (We see the contestants going through the Paris Opera House.) The next day, the contestants go to Nevers, where nine of them take part in a racing challenge (we see Raul in a go-kart), while Daria has to go shopping for gingko. (We see Daria go into the local pharmacy.) And Peter has the dubious honor of being the Mole's first victim. (Peter's execution is shown.)
The James-Bond music returns as Abby continues:
Abby: Ten contestants. One winner. Each one attempting to win a jackpot up to 1 million dollars. However, one of the contestants has been hired by the producers to sabotage the games. That someone is the Mole. Each round, the contestants have to take a quiz about the Mole's identity. Whoever knows the least about the Mole will be executed and must leave the game immediately. Who is the Mole?
We then get clips of the remaining nine contestants. Fern is the first to be shown, followed by Raul, Ann, Daria, Tom, Keith, Heather, Violet, and Mark. As Peter is already gone, there is no clip of him. We then see Abby on a street in Nevers as the credits run.
Abby: Already we have had to say good-bye to Peter. However, thanks in part to him, there was 60,000 dollars in the jackpot. And then there were nine contestants. One of these nine is the Mole. Which one? Stay and find out.
It's Day 4, and the scene changes to early morning in the Hotel Diane. Abby, Ann, Daria, Fern, Heather, Mark, Raul, Tom, and Violet have just sat down to eat breakfast.
Ann: Where's Keith?
Tom: I don't know. Maybe he isn't feeling well.
Daria: I wish.
Abby (voice-over): What only the Mole knows is that Keith has just made a discovery that will remind us all that the Mole is still around, with the potential to cause an extreme crisis that would severely affect group morale.
We then see Keith rush in, his fair face flushed with barely-controlled fury, and his grey eyes reflecting that fury. In his hand he clutched a note.
Keith (very angry): Daria!
Daria (coolly getting up): Yes, Keith? What's gotten your nose out of joint?
Keith: Would you mind telling us all what the meaning of this is?
He thrusts a piece of paper in her face. Daria takes it and reads it out loud.
Daria (reading): "Peter's the first to go. Who's next? If I were you, I'd look real hard at those you least suspect, oTherwise yOu May be next. The MOLE." And why did you give this note to me?
Keith: So I can have the pleasure of seeing you announce your diabolical plan to everyone without their even knowing it -- if it wasn't for me!
Daria: Keith, if I were the Mole, do you think I'd be dumb enough to write this note and alert your already overactive paranoia?
Tom: Good point, Daria. Maybe you should give her a break, Keith. More likely someone else did it, possibly to make others suspect that person of being the Mole. Or, maybe the Mole did it, knowing you'd suspect Daria and throw suspicion off the real Mole.
Keith (not at all convinced): Oh yeah? And why should we believe you just because you probably boinked her while you were dating her? (Tom looked really angry now, while Daria's eyes were shooting daggers at Keith.)
Tom (with barely controlled fury): That was * way * below the belt, Keith. You're pushing things. Are you looking for trouble? You're going to find it if you keep this up.
Mark (stepping in): Calm down, you three. Calm down! I suggest you apologize for your words, Keith. After all, you have to be open to all possibilities -- including the one that the Mole's playing on your paranoia where Daria's concerned, knowing that your accusation will cause friction within the team. If the Mole can cause friction within the team, it's all the better for his purposes. And you don't want to play the Mole's game, do you, Keith?
Keith stared at Mark for a moment, then stomped to the breakfast table. Daria sighed.
Daria: This is going to be a * long * trip.
Abby (voice-over): Though the storm blew over without any harm done, its after-effects still lingered as the contestants ate their breakfast.
We now see several people doing their confessions.
Ann: Everyone's eating and conversing -- well, most of them are conversing. Keith rarely speaks. Instead, he seems content to let his eyes shoot daggers at Daria, and at Tom a couple of times. I almost feel sorry for Daria. While her attitude can really irritate people (I will admit that it slightly rubs me the wrong way), it isn't really proof that she's the Mole.
Heather: Everybody's nervous and tense over this near blow-up that occurred. If the Mole was trying to cause friction, he or she sure succeeded.
Violet: I don't think Daria put that note up. If she's the Mole, I doubt she'd be foolish enough to put a note up on the door of the very person who most suspects her. Which means either the Mole's really someone else, or that a genuine contestant did it in an attempt to throw suspicion on himself or herself -- an attempt that backfired.
Mark: Is Keith the Mole, trying to throw suspicion onto Daria? Perhaps. But if so, he's almost trying too hard.
The contestants get into two vans, and drove away from the Hotel Diane. We then see them going southwest on the map toward Lyon. Abby speaks as we see some of the sights of Lyon.
Abby (voice-over): Lyon is the third largest city in France. Only Paris and Marseille are more populous. In 43 B.C., Romans founded a colony on the site of what is now Lyon. Today, Lyon is a city which houses both the old and the new. Some of the sights of the city include the Fine Arts Museum, Town Hall, the Gallo-Roman sites of Fourviere ,the Amphitheater of the Three Gauls, and Saint-Romain-en-Gal, an opera house, and the Saint-Jean Cathedral, among other fine sights. But our next stop is the Villa Florentine.
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Scene 2: Villa Florentine, Lyon
Abby: We will be staying here a couple of days while we do our next three challenges. The first two challenges will take place today.
Ann: What are the challenges?
Abby: For the first challenge, I need two contestants who are strong runners. Any volunteers? (Heather raises her hand at once. After a moment, Raul raises his hand as well.) Okay, I'll tell you two about your challenge as soon as I'm finished with the others. Is that okay with you two?
Heather: That's fine with me.
Raul: Me too.
As Heather and Raul step aside, Abby continues.
Abby: The rest of you have the following challenge. We will be going to the Sangliers course at the Lyon Golf Club, where one of you must learn how to play golf. Which one is willing to volunteer?
Keith (not very softly): Not Daria.
Fern: I will do that. I'm an excellent miniature golfer.
Abby: You must practice golfing for one hour. After that -- that's where the rest of your compadres come into play. Come on, let's go to the Lyon Golf Club so you can begin practicing.
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Scene 3: The Lyon Golf Club
Abby takes Fern aside to tell her something. Fern nods, then begins practicing golf while Abby gathers the other contestants together.
Abby: Once Fern is done practicing golf, the rest of you must each answer a question. There are six questions, one on each of the following subjects: American politics, biology, literature, musicals, mythology, and sports. You must decide who gets which question, and who gets to go in which order. Each question you get right means she gets a shot to hit the golf ball. If she succeeds in landing the golf ball on the green, she then can putt the ball in the hole. For each putt she makes, you earn 5,000 dollars for the jackpot. Choose among yourselves.
The six gather into a huddle and begin conversing amongst themselves.
Tom: Who wants to choose first?
Ann: I will! I'm choosing the musicals question. My parents exposed me to Broadway musicals at an early age, and I've seen a lot of them on stage and on film.
Keith: I'm taking American politics.
Mark: And I'm taking biology.
Violet: Well, that leaves Daria, Tom, and myself. Which one should choose next?
Tom: You or Daria go. I'll go last, since ladies should go first. (Daria looks like she wants to go last.)
Violet: I'll go then. I'll choose mythology -- and just hope the question's about Native American mythology. Daria?
Daria (sighing, since she wanted to go last): Literature.
Tom: Looks like I'm taking the sports question. I'm in trouble already.
Mark: Well, since that's decided, let's decide who's going in which order. If it's okay with everyone else, I'll go first. (Nobody looks like they want to go first, least of all Daria.) Okay, then I'll go first.
Violet: I'll go next. At least I can get the uncertanity out of the way.
Keith: I'll go next. Unless * Daria * wants to go next.
Daria: You go next, Keith. I'm going last.
Keith: All the better for you to sabotage things.
Mark (nevously): Tom said you were pushing things, Keith.
Ann: I'll go fourth, then!
Tom: It looks like I'm going fifth.
Abby (voice-over): As Fern continued practicing her golf swing, I returned to Heather and Raul to tell them their assignment. First, I took them to the Tete d'Or Park, for that was where their challenge was to commence.
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Scene 4: At the Tete d'Or Park
Abby: Here's your assignment. You two must complete a race against two high-school track stars from Lyon. If you beat them, I will add at least $5,000 to the pot. And here are your competitors.
Heather and Raul look and see a young man and a young woman arrive.
Abby: You will be competing against Emilia Virenque and Alfredo Dupuis.
Raul (confessional): As soon as I learned that I was going to be competing against a high-school track star, I knew I was in trouble. While I'm not a bad runner, I'm no track star. I was certain Heather would have no trouble. While we were waiting for Tom and Daria to return from getting the tickets on the Mole flight in LAX, we talked about ourselves, and Heather told us about her hope to get into a top track and field college. She's certainly a track star.
Abby: The race will be a relay race. The first two will take a baton and leave the park. They will race to their partner, hand off the baton to them, and their partner will race to the finish line. Whoever goes first, if you beat your competitor to your partner, you will earn $5,000 to the pot. And if the second person beats their competitor to the finish line, you will earn another $5,000 to the pot. Here's a twist, however: all of you will have to move on by answering clues ... (she then takes out a red envelope with a green thumbprint on it) found in sealed envelopes like this one.
Heather (confessional): This is going to be quite interesting. I can probably handle the running department quite nicely, but answering clues found in sealed envelopes will probably favor Emilia and Alfredo, since they probably know Lyon better than I do. However, I do have a guidebook, and I'll give it to Raul when it's his turn to do the race.
Abby (voice-over): Heather and Raul decided that Heather would go first. Emilia would compete against her in the first part of the relay leg. Raul and Alfredo would be taken to another part of Lyon, where they would wait for their partners. However, before Heather was ready to begin, I took her aside.
Abby: Before you begin, I have an offer to make to you. The offer's of an exemption. If you get this exemption, you're guaranteed to make it into the next round. However, the only way you can earn this exemption is if you allow Emilia to beat you to the location where your partners are waiting for you. You have to decide before you begin if you want to take the exemption or not.
Heather is shown thinking it over as we go into commercial.
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Commercial break: We see Mark answering a question, then see Fern step to the golf ball and tee off. Then we see Heather running down the streets of Lyon.
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Scene 4 (con.)
Abby (voice-over): Heather has just been informed that she can get an exemption, but only if she allows Emilia to beat her to their partners.
Heather: Oh boy. This is a tough decision. I want to get into the next round, but I'm an athlete, and athletes are competitive. (Thinks for a moment, then seems to come to a decision.) I'm going to try to beat Emilia.
Abby: Okay then. You can go to the starting line.
Heather (confessional): It was a tough decision. Ultimately, I decided that since I'm a fine runner and a track star in high school, I had a chance to beat Emilia, so I should skip the exemption.
We now see Heather and Emilia at the starting line, ripping open sealed envelopes.
Emilia (reading): "Your first stop will be a real cultural experience."
Heather (reading): "So find the place shown in this picture, and look for a table with handphones." (She takes a look at a picture as Abby continues).
Abby (voice-over): Emilia and Heather have to figure out that their next stop will be the Museum of Contemporary Art. Once there, they have to find an exhibit of Laura Anderson's entitled "Handphone Table". Once there, they will receive their next clue.
Starter: Ready ... get set ... go!
Heather and Emilia rush off. Heather reaches the entrance to the park first, and there was an information booth.
Heather (in what little French she knows): Excuse me, do you speak English?
Woman at Booth: Yes, I do. How can I help you?
Heather: I need to find the place marked in this photo. (She showed the photo to the woman.)
Woman at Booth: Ah, yes. That's the Museum of Contemporary Art. It's in the Cite Internacional. Here's a map, if you would like one.
Heather: Thank you very much. (At this moment, Emilia passes by Heather. Heather grabs the map and runs off.)
We see glimpses of Heather and Emilia rushing through the streets of the Cite Internacional. Finally, the camera follows someone rushing up the stairs, into the museum, and eventually to the "Handphone Table" exhibit, where a clue box is located. We then see Heather rush up, grab a sealed envelope, and open it.
Heather (reading): "Your next stop is to find the pencil of Lyon. Your clue is inside it." What in the world is the pencil of Lyon?
Abby (voice-over): From this spot, our runners must head on over to the "pencil of Lyon", which is really the Credit Lyonnais Tower. Once there, they must get inside the lobby, where they will find their next clue box, and their next clue.
Heather was about to go find someone and ask, when Emilia rushed up, opened the other sealed envelope, and read it. Emilia smiled and rushed off.
Heather: I'd probably be best to follow her. She obviously knows where she's going.
The two rushed out of the museum and back into the streets of Lyon. Emilia quickly realized that Heather was following her, but decided against trying to lose her. Perhaps she was afraid the time she spent trying to lose Heather would only help the contestant beat her to the tower anyway, or maybe she felt she could beat Heather to the clue box. However, Heather soon realized what Emilia was heading towards by checking her guidebook --
Heather: Of course! The Credit Lyonnais Tower! It's called "the pencil"! I should've known!
Soon, Heather and Emilia saw the tower and both rushed towards it. Heather beat Emilia inside the tower and saw the clue box in the lobby. She grabbed a sealed envelope and opened it, followed closely by Emilia.
Heather (reading): "Now it's time to take a train trip to the eastern side of Lyon. That's when it's time to hand off your batons."
Abby (voice-over): Heather and Emilia will now be heading on over to the TVG train station, where they will buy tickets to the sataion of Lyon-Perrache, on the other side of Lyon. Once they arrive there, they will race out of the train station and to their partners, who will take the baton and finish the challenge.
Meanwhile, in the Lyon-Perrache train station, Abby is getting ready to return to the golf course. But before she does --
Abby: Raul, I have an offer to make to you. The offer is an exemption. If you take it, you'll be guaranteed a chance to make it into the next round. However, to earn this exemption, you must allow Alfredo to beat you to the finish line. You have to decide before Heather and Emilia arrive if you will take the exemption or not.
Raul (confessional): I really would like to have an exemption, especially since I'm not certain I'm going to beat Alfredo anyway. Heather's a superb runner, but I'm not.
As Raul thinks it over, we see Heather and Emilia getting tickets at the TVG train station in Parte-Dieu and boarding the train.
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Scene 5: The Lyon Golf Club, some time later
Fern has finished practicing with the golfing clubs, and Abby has approached the other six contestants.
Abby: Are you all ready? (All the contestants nod). Okay, Fern, stand by. Mark, here's your question. It's a True or False question. Cetaecans live only in the sea. True or False.
Mark: False. While I believe whales live only in the sea, some dolphins live in rivers as well.
Abby: That's correct. Fern, take your first shot.
Fern (confessional): I was really nervous about taking that shot. I'm great with miniature golf, but this isn't miniature golf, and I only had about an hour to practice with the golf clubs.
Tom (confessional): Interesting that Mark knew that some dolphins lived in rivers as well as the seas. That's not something a lot of people know about. It might be grounds for suspicion that Mark's the Mole.
Fern takes her shot. However, her first shot winds up nowhere near the green.
Abby: Okay, the first shot failed. Violet, you're next. Name the Hindu goddess of destruction who was honored when her worshippers murdered and robbed people.
Violet: Dammit! I know next to nothing about Hindu mythology. (Thinks for a moment). I give up.
Abby: Her name is Kali Ma. Keith, you're next. What two political parties were America's first political parties?
Keith: The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, and they were formed in the 1790's.
Abby: That's right! Fern, you're up!
Ann (confessional): Both Mark and Keith knew their questions very well. Perhaps almost too well.
Fern had three shots, and her final shot landed just short of the green.
Fern: Damn! So close!
Abby: Ann! Your job is to name the famous off-Broadway musical which originated as a B-movie that gave Jack Nicholson one of his earliest roles.
Ann: That's easy! The Little Shop of Horrors!
Abby: That's right!
This time, Fern was able to get her shot on the green, and then putt it into the hole. 5,000 dollars was added to the jackpot.
Mark (confessional): Ann really knows a lot about theater, and it shows.
Abby: Tom, here's your question. Name the American female figure skater who won the bronze medal at the 1972 Olympic Games.
Tom: Damn! I know next to nothing on figure skating. (Seems to think for a very long moment, then shrugs.) I give up.
Abby: The answer is Janet Lynn. Daria, here's your question. Which Renaissance author once said that a prince should imitate the lion and the fox out of all the animals? He also said that the ideal prince should not imitate the lion alone but should imitate both the fox or the fox alone.
Daria: Machiavelli.
Tom (smirking): One of your favorite authors. I remember the time I once came across you reading his book The Prince. (1)
Abby: Daria's right! (Fern gets six shots, and succeeds in getting the ball in the hole. We see the jackpot grow to $75,000. Abby continues in voice-over.) So despite Tom and Violet's mistakes, and Fern's initial troubles in hitting the golf ball, we were able to add 10,000 dollars to the jackpot. But Tom and Violet's failures, plus Fern's initial difficulties, did arouse some comment.
Mark (in interview mode): Violet's desire for a Native American mythology question was rather obvious. Did she fear she'd screw up if she got a question about another culture's mythology? Was she trying to make people think she was the Mole? Or is she really the Mole?
Daria (in interview mode): After Keith, Mark, and Ann chose, Violet, Tom, and I were left. Tom said that the ladies should go first. Was he just being a gentleman? Or was he maneuvering himself into being the last to choose so he could get the question he knew he'd never answer correctly? If so, is he the Mole? There's little things that keep coming up that make me wonder about him.
Violet (in interview mode): Were Fern's initial difficulties just the result of inexperience with actual golfing? Was she trying to cast suspicion onto herself? Or was this the work of the Mole?
Keith (in interview mode): What I'm surprised about is that Daria answered the question about literature correctly. Is she trying to fool everybody into thinking she's not the Mole? If so, she sure can't fool me!
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Scene 6: In the Lyon-Perrache train station --
Alfredo and Raul wait patiently by the clue box. Suddenly, Heather rushes out of the train station, followed closely by Emilia. Heather hands off her baton, her guidebook, and a map to Raul, who rushes over to the clue box. As he rips open the sealed envelope, we see that the jackpot has now grown to $80,000.
Raul (reading): "Find the beautiful court." The beautiful court? I wonder what that means?
Abby (voice-over): What Raul does not realize is that the phrase "Beautiful court" is the English translation of Bellecour. Raul and Alfredo must now go to Place Bellecour, one of the largest squares in Europe and a central site of the Presqui'le Pennisula.
As Raul ponders what the phrase means, he sees Alfredo arrive at the clue box, open the envelope, and read the clue. He smiled and ran off. Raul hesitated for an instant, then went to ask a young woman leaving the train station for directions.
Raul: Excuse me, but do you speak English?
Young woman: Yes, I do.
Raul: Could you please tell me what the French phrase for "beautiful court" means? I need to find a place that might correspond to that phrase
Young woman: Ah, that's "Bellecour". You'd need to go to the Place Bellecour. It's not far from here.
Raul: Thank you. (As she left, Raul ran, looking at the map as he ran.)
Some time later, at the Place Bellecour, we see someone rushing up to a cluebox. It is Alfredo. He rips open a sealed envelope, and reads it.
Alfredo (reading in French with English subtitles): "Time to head to the working hill and the surprisingly modern stairway at the Voraces building." All right!
Abby (voice-over): The contestants now have to go to the Voraces building in the "working hill", also known as the Croix Rousse district, the home of the Canuts or silk workers in the 19th century.
Some time after Alfredo leaves, Raul comes up. He opens the envelope, frowns at the phrase "working hill," then goes up to a young man in the Place Bellecour.
Some minutes after this, Alfredo comes up to the Voraces building, and reaches the base of the stairway, where there is a clue box. He opens it and rips open the sealed envelope.
Alfredo (reading in French with English subtitles): "Detour: Theater or Market."
Abby (voice-over): A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, Alfredo and Raul have to choose between Theater or Market. In Theater, the contestant has to go to the Amphitheater of the Three Gauls and take part in a reenactment of a gladiator contest put on just for their benefit. They will win when they beat the gladiator assigned to them. It's an exciting contest, but depending on their skill, beating the gladiator might take awhile. In Market, they have to go to the open-air market and buy a roll of silk from a local vendor. It's not as scary, but getting to the market then finding the right stall could definitely take awhile.
Alfredo (in French with English subtitles): Theater all the way! (He rushes off to the amphitheater, where we see him getting suited up for the challenge. Meanwhile, Raul arrives at the staircase and reads the Detour.)
Raul: I think Theater's my best bet! I learned how to defend myself on the streets of Brooklyn, after all.
At the amphitheater, Alfredo takes on a gladiator. Unfortunately, Alfredo's not exactly the best fighter in the world and it takes awhile for him to finally beat the gladiator. But he finally does, and he gets his clue just as Raul rushes into the amphitheater on his way to getting into costume.
Alfredo (reading in French with English subtitles): "Your trip through Lyon is now done. Head straight to the finish line at the Fourviere Basilica!" All right!
Abby (voice-over): The contestants must now run to the Basilica in the Fourviere district, which is where the start/finish line is.
We now cross-cut between shots of Alfredo running to the Basilica, and Raul taking on the gladiator. He quickly triumphs (or so it's edited), and gets his envelope. Raul then takes off.
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Commercial break: We see Abby telling eight of the nine contestants about their next challenge, then we see Keith running through a maze, and finally we see a clip of Daria and Keith arguing (like they've done much of anything else).
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Scene 7: At the finish line --
All the other contestants and Emilia have arrived by this point. Suddenly, we see a young man appear at the top of the Basilica. It is Alfredo. He rushes down the steps and crosses the finish line first. Emilia hugs him. Forty-five minutes later, Raul appears and crosses the finish line.
Abby: Well, I have some good news for the group, and some bad news. Because Heather beat Emilia to their partners, $5,000 has been added to the pot. (Everyone cheers.) However, Alfredo beat Raul to the finish line, so no money has been added to the pot. Moreover, I should inform you that both Heather and Raul had been offered an exemption if they allowed either Emilia or Alfredo to beat them. Heather chose to add money to the pot. Raul, what did you decide?
Raul: I decided to go for the exemption. I allowed Alfredo to beat me. However, even if I didn't decide to go for it, I think Alfredo would've beaten me to the finish line anyway.
Mark (confessional): Interesting. So not only did Tom and Violet fail to win money for the jackpot, but Raul went for an exemption. Could he be the Mole?
Ann (confessional): I'm not too surprised Heather didn't go for the exemption. She's a track star, and I'm pretty certain she felt she had a shot against Emilia. But there's still the possibility that she didn't go for the exemption because she's the Mole.
Abby (voice-over): So Day 4 ends, but Day 5 will bring one of our biggest challenges yet.
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Scene 8: Villa Florentine, Lyon
It's Day 5 and the various contestants are sitting at the breakfast table eating breakfast. Keith seems calmer -- obviously nothing unpleasant has happened to him that he can blame Daria about, but he is still staying as far away from Daria as possible. Daria also is staying as far away from Keith as possible.
Abby: Well, today I'd like Heather and Raul to take six of the other seven contestants out and show them the sights of Lyon, while the one remaining contestant stays behind. That one contestant is going to play an important role in the next challenge. Who wants to volunteer? (Ann immediately raises her hand; Keith is a second behind her.) And why do you want to volunteer, Keith?
Keith: Anything to get away from the Mole.
Abby: I'm sorry, Keith, but if Daria's the Mole, the best thing you can do is observe her in action. I'll take Ann. The rest of you join Heather and Raul.
Daria: Dammit! I was hoping Abby'd fulfill my biggest dream.
We see a montage of the eight contestants (minus Ann) driving through the streets of Lyon, with Heather pointing out such sites as the Saint-Martin d'Ainay Abbey and the Celestins Theater in the second district, and the Part-Dieu Library in the third district, where we see Daria lead the other contestants inside because the library interested her. Among the other sights they see are the Historical Museum of Lyon and the Saint Jean Primatial Church in the fifth district, the Guimet Museum in the sixth district (along with a revisit of the Tete d'Or Park), several universities in the seventh district, the Lumiere Institute in the eighth district, and the Youth Theatre in the ninth district.
At 12:30, the contestants realize that it's time to have lunch. So, they head back to the Ville Florentine, where Abby's waiting for them with a very serious expression on her face.
Heather: What's up?
Abby: Bad news. While you were gone, some masked men entered into the hotel and kidnapped Ann. (As she speaks, we see a flashback of the masked men taking Ann away.) However, they did leave a message behind. It's in French.
She gives the letter to Daria, who translates it into English.
Daria: "You can rescue Ann, but you have to go to the Maison des Canuts to get her back. You must split up into four teams, with one person running through the maison to reach Ann, while the other one directs the runner through the maison. To make matters more difficult, there will be several hunters who're assigned to capture the runner. 10,000 dollars will be added to the jackpot for each runner that can succeed in getting through the maze. However, if the runner is captured, he or she has to leave the maison." Also, a detailed map of the location has been provided. (She shows the map to all the contestants.) So, how're we going to split up into four groups?
Abby: That's easy enough. I have been assigned to split the eight of you up into four groups. Then you must decide amongst yourselves which one wants to be the runner and which one wants to be the guide, and the order in which each team will go. And without further ado, here are the pairings: Daria, you will be paired with Keith.
Keith: * I'm * to be paired with the Mole?
Daria: I'm to be paired with * him *?
Tom (smirking): Why do I have the feeling this will be a disaster?
Abby (continuing): Fern, you will be paired with Mark. (Fern and Mark both nod.) Heather, you will be paired with Tom. (They also nod.) And Violet, you will be paired with Raul. Now, you decide the order that each team will go in, and who will be the runner or the director.
The four groups huddle, and Abby continues:
Violet (voice-over): There was some spirited debate as to the order the contestants wanted to go in. Daria wanted to go last, but Keith wanted to go first, as he was still convinced Daria was the Mole. However, with a little help from Tom and from Mark, they eventually compromised and agreed to go third. Fern and Mark would go first, Raul and I would go second, while Heather and Tom would go last. As for the selections of who would be the runner and who would be the guide, with three cases there was little debate. Mark agreed to run, while Fern would guide him; I would guide Raul through the maison; and Tom would lead Heather through the maison. But to no one's surprise, the decision was not so easy for Daria and Keith.
Keith: What do you mean, you want to guide me through the Maison des Canuts? That's tantamount to sabotaging the run from the beginning!
Daria: But I'm not good at running. You're probably a much better runner than I am. You should go through the maison. If I'm the Mole, I have as much reason to try to help you through the maze as I do to sabotage it.
Raul (voice-over): But finally Keith agreed to let Daria guide him through the maison. So, it was time for Fern and Mark to make their move.
We see Fern at a computer screen with a microphone near her. Mark is at the entrance to the Maison des Canuts, complete with headgear which will allow him to hear Fern.
Mark: Ready!
Abby: On your mark, get set, go!
Mark rushes through the entrance and immediately plunges into a maze of passages and stairways. Fern begins to guide him, while the screen shows her Mark's current location, which way he must go if he's to reach Ann, and where the hunters are. Early on, Mark stands at a crossroads.
Fern: Turn left! (But then she sees that that wasn't the right path for Mark to take.) No, that's the wrong way! Go back to where you started, then turn right!
Mark does so, while the hunters begin to move toward Mark. Fern manages to guide Mark successfully for awhile, but then she sees a hunter coming towards Mark from the left position.
Fern: Hunter approaching you! Turn left! (As Mark runs in the direction she suggested, she realizes her mistake) No! Go back the way you came, then turn right! The hunter's coming to you from the left!
Mark runs back, then turns right. He continues on for a few moments, but after Fern manages to help him evade another hunter, she tells him to turn left and open a door which will lead him to a stairway, apparently forgetting in her excitement that there's a hunter behind the doorway. Mark gets captured and is led to the entrance of the maison.
Fern: I'm sorry. I got so excited that my sense of direction got confused and I misled you three times.
Mark (in interview mode): That's what she told me, but I wonder. She could've misled me on purpose, either because she's the Mole, or because she wants others to think she's the Mole.
Now it is Raul's turn, and Violet is in the seat where Fern once was.
Abby: On your mark, get set, go!
Raul enters the maison while Violet directs him through the maze. She is clearly better at it than Fern was, and with her help, Raul manages to evade two hunters quite well. However, then Violet gives him instructions on how to avoid another hunter -- only to hear:
Raul: What? Could you repeat that again?
Violet: There's a hunter several passageways to the left of you, heading your way. To avoid him, you must go to the right, where you will reach a door which leads to a stairwell. Go down the stairs.
Raul: What? Go left?
Violet: No, go right!
Raul (yelling now): I can't hear you!
Violet (looking nervous): Uh-oh. I don't like the sound of that. (Much louder,) GO RIGHT!
Raul: All right! (He begins running. Unfortunately, the hunter has been alerted by the sound of Raul's shouting, and is after him. He captures Raul just before Raul can reach the stairwell, and escorts Raul out to where Violet is standing, having left the computer screen.) I'm sorry, Violet. The freaking headgear went out on me while you were guiding me!
Violet (in interview mode): I heard that that's what happened in the first Mole shown in America -- that the contestants who tried that maze all had problems with hearing the instructions. So maybe Raul had the same problem. But was it only problems with the headgear that got him captured?
Now Daria is seated in front of the computer screen, and Keith is ready to run. However, Keith does not look happy at the thought of going in. Of course, he's probably thinking that Daria's going to lead him into a trap right off the bat.
Abby: Ready, set, go!
Keith rushes in, and Daria begins giving him directions. Unfortunately, it becomes very apparent that either Keith's headgear isn't working at all, or that Keith is deliberately ignoring the directions, for he keeps going the wrong way. At one point --
Daria: Keith, there's a hunter heading your way. Turn right and avoid him!
Keith (under his breath): Yeah, right. No doubt there's a hunter to my right. I'll keep going this way!
Sure enough, Keith gets captured. Daria slams her fist onto the desk in disgust.
Daria: Jerk.
Keith is led out of the Maison des Canuts and joins Daria.
Keith: Nice job, Daria.
Daria: Me? * I'm * not the one who deliberately ignored directions!
Keith: I thought that by ignoring your instructions, I could avoid getting captured and reach Ann! Instead, you used my awareness that you were the Mole to lead me into a trap! You used reverse psychology on me!
Daria (sarcastically): Oh yes, Keith, it * was * a big conspiracy. Right up there with my involvement in the JFK assassination.
Keith (furious): Admit it! You conspired against me just to sabotage the game!
Daria: If anyone sabotaged the game, it was you, Keith. No one * forced * you to follow or not follow my directions. Maybe you should consider your own responsibility for this debacle. Not that I think you'll do so, of course.
Keith looks ready to attack Daria, when Tom comes toward him.
Tom: Keith, let's talk. (He drags Keith to one side and begins talking sharply to him, while Daria watches.)
Daria (in interview mode): Every time I believe Keith's reached the depths of his paranoia, something new comes up to show me otherwise. If it wasn't for the fact that he's acting so much like a jerk, I might well suspect him of being the Mole.
We then switch back to the entrance to the Maison des Canuts, where Tom manages to calm Keith down enough to have the young man sullenly apologize to Daria, then Tom takes Daria's place at the computer screen, while Heather stands at the entrance, ready to go.
Abby: On your mark, get set, go!
Heather enters into the Maison des Canuts, and Tom begins expertly guiding her through the maze of corridors and passageways. He manages to keep from making the same mistakes Fern made while helping Heather evade the hunters; Heather manages to avoid deliberately going the wrong way, though she does begin going the wrong way once or twice, ensuring that Tom has to remind her to go the right way; and best of all, the headgear works perfectly this time. Finally, Heather manages to reach the bottom level of the maison.
Tom: Good job, Heather! You've reached the bottom level. To get to Ann you have to go down that corridor until I tell you to turn right. But you'd better hurry, the hunters are hurrying towards you!
Heather runs and manages to avoid the hunters, following Tom's instructions. Finally, she reaches a door. She can hear an indistinct mumbling behind it.
Tom: That's the door! Try to unlock it!
Heather: Okay, let's see -- I see three keys. One appears to be golden, a second appears to be silver, and a third appears to be lead. Which one should I choose?
Tom: I think I know! In the Merchant of Venice, there were three caskets, and Portia's picture was hidden inside the leaden one. Try the leaden key! And hurry!
He's watching the screen and sees a hunter nearing Heather. Heather takes the leaden key, puts it into the keyhole, turns the lock -- and the door opens! Heather rushes inside, and sees Ann tied to a post and gagged! As Heather ungags and unties Ann, we see that 10,000 dollars has been added to the jackpot, bringing the total amount up to 90,000 dollars. We also see Ann hug Heather as soon as the blonde girl is released.
Violet (confessional): Y'know, it's really interesting that Tom and Heather were the only ones to get money for the jackpot. The rest of us failed to reach Ann. I wonder if one of them's the Mole, and decided to try to win the challenge. After all, the Mole can't expect to sabotage all the challenges -- they would be detected quickly.
Ann (confessional): Keith and Daria -- no surprise there. If any team was going to have trouble it was that one. But what about the others? Fern could've deliberately misled Mark, or Mark could've deliberately gone the wrong way. And with Violet and Raul, it would be easy for Violet to "arrange" for the headgear to go out on Raul, or for Raul to pretend that he simply couldn't understand Violet's instructions. Any one of them could be the Mole.
Heather and Ann are escorted out of the maison, safe and sound. All the others express relief that Ann's safe, and congraulate Tom and Heather for making it through the maze. Abby finally interrupts the congraulations.
Abby: It's time for us to return to the Villa Florentine. Tonight, you'll be taking the quiz, and you'll have your next execution.
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Commercial break: We see a clip of Abby explaining the rules again, and see the second red thumbprint appear.
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Scene 9: Villa Florentine, Lyon
The 9 contestants are now having dinner. Three are having veal, three are having frogs' legs, and three are having sausages, a specialty in Lyon. Abby is also with them.
Abby: How are you all doing?
Daria: Well, let's see. I had to spend way too much time with Keith before lunch, then I had to take part in a game that was more of a disaster in the making for me. Other than that, I'm fine. (Keith scowls at that.)
Tom (smirking): Typical Daria.
Abby: And the rest of you? You seem like you're bracing yourself for something, Ann.
Ann: Yeah. To be executed tonight. But if I'm going out, I'm going to go for broke while I'm doing it.
Abby: Interesting. What about you, Heather? What's your strategy?
Heather: Well, I'm going to proceed cautiously. I don't really know who the Mole is, so I have to do that.
Abby: Very good idea. Well, as you all know, Raul has an exemption, so he cannot be executed tonight. Unfortunately, the rest of you are eligible, unless the Mole isn't the one who has an exemption. (She grins at that.) So, for one of you, it's so long, and I hope you had a wonderful time. Cheers!
She holds up her glass of champagne. The others hold up their glasses of soda.
Everyone: Cheers! (They clink glasses. The scene then changes.)
Abby (voice-over): The quiz. Ten questions about the Mole. Whoever guesses the most questions incorrect about the Mole will be executed and have to leave the game immediately. Question 1: Is the Mole male or female?
Fern (voice-over): Violet became very suspicious this round. First, she blew the question about Hindu mythology. Then, she failed to guide Raul through the maze to reach Ann.
Abby (voice-over): Question 2: What did the Mole have to drink at breakfast in the Hotel Diane? (The answers vary from orange juice to tomato juice.) Question 3: What did the Mole do during the Golfing Challenge?
Daria (voice-over): Tom's behavior during that challenge seemed a little suspicious. He seemed like a gentleman when allowing Violet and I to go ahead of him, and it enabled him to get the one question he couldn't answer. Perfect Mole strategy -- if he's the Mole.
Abby (voice-over): Question 4: How many exemptions has the Mole earned in the game? Question 5: What was the Mole's first stop in the Race through Lyon Challenge?
Mark (voice-over): Raul went for the exemption rather than trying to beat Alfredo to the finish line. That's really suspicious.
Abby (voice-over): Question 6: In what order did the Mole's team go during the Rescue Maze Challenge?
Violet (voice-over): Fern's behavior in that challenge really stood out. She misled Mark at least three times, and claimed her sense of direction got confused in her excitement. I doubt that. Still she could be telling the truth.
Abby (voice-over): Question 7: What is the number on the Mole's journal? (The answers range from 1 to 10.) Question 8: What did the Mole do during the Rescue Maze Challenge?
Keith (voice-over): Daria's so clever. She played mind games with me, then dared to tell me I was at fault for getting captured! And the worst part is, people actually stand up for her!
Abby (voice-over): Question 9: What color eyes does the Mole have? Question 10: Who is the Mole?
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Scene 10: the courtyard of the Villa Florentine
Everybody's seated in chairs as before. There are five chairs in the back, and four in the front. We see that Ann and Mark are seated closest to the bags, while Tom's seated the farthest, and Daria's right next to him. Abby is seated in front of the computer desk as before.
Abby: Okay, guys, I think you know the rules. But just in case you don't, here they are again: I'll enter a name into the computer. If a green thumbprint appears, you stay in the game. If a red thumbprint appears, you have to leave the game. Now, Raul has an exemption, so he can't be executed. However, the rest of you aren't so lucky. This time, I'll be asking for volunteers. Who wants to go first?
After a moment, Violet raises her hand.
Abby: Violet? (She enters Violet's name.) Violet.
A green thumbprint appears, but Violet shows little emotion. Tom raises his hand next, and he too gets the green thumbprint. Tom smirks slightly. Then Daria raises her hand, reluctantly.
Abby: Daria? (She enters Daria's name.) Daria.
Daria also gets the green thumbprint, but shows no emotion -- as usual. Mark goes next, and he too gets the green thumbprint. He looks a bit surprised at that. Ann then raises her hand, somewhat reluctantly.
Abby: Ann? (She enters Ann's name.) Ann.
Ann gets the red thumbprint. Apparently unsurprised but nonetheless sad, Ann gets up, grabs her bag, and leaves. The other contestants gather to talk about Ann as sad music begins to play.
Heather (in interview mode): Ann was willing to do anything. She may have taken risks, but she had so much fun! I'll miss her. (We see a clip of Ann bungee-jumping off the cliff, then we see a clip of her suggesting they go see the Palais de Challot.)
Fern (in interview mode): I never knew somebody who was more willing to try hard than Ann was. (We see Ann taking part in the go-kart challenge.)
Mark (in interview mode): Ann had such a good time even in the midst of setbacks. The game won't be the same without her. (We see Ann hugging Heather after being rescued in the Maison des Canuts.)
As Ann walks to the van, Abby accompanies her.
Ann: I didn't expect to last very long. The others were really in the game.
Abby: You were still a fine player, Ann.
Ann (smiling): Thanks. This was fun, fun, fun!
She smiles, then gets into the van. As she drives away, we hear Abby speak.
Abby (voice-over): With Ann's departure, the game's really serious contestants and the Mole remain. As does the question: who is the Mole?
To be continued in Chapter 3
1. A reference to the Daria episode "Fire!"
An additional note: the part with the sealed envelopes actually comes from another Reality-TV show, The Amazing Race. I love that show, and thought it would be a nice touch for the story.