Heart of Christmas

A polar wind howled across the barren landscape and blew the snow that lay on the ground into the air like a whirling, white curtain. Winter had arrived early than usual at The Pole this year and the world outside was in the midst of being held in its eternally frozen grip. Inside a small cottage set at the periphery of a compound of other – larger – buildings, a solitary elf sat huddled near a roaring fire. He sat in an overstuffed chair and had a caribou skin blanket pulled tightly around his shoulders for warmth. He looked tired, his eyes burning red beneath the strands of his dangling, blonde hair that hung in front of his face. The crackling of the wood fire was the only sound in the sparsely decorated room.

The elf got to his feet and walked over to the large window at the front of the house. He brushed the dew from the interior of the glass with the palm of his hand and gazed out onto the frozen tundra. Outside, he saw several Bavarian style buildings that were set in a loose circle amidst miles and miles of snow and ice. Multi-colored lights on strings illuminated the way from building to building and acted as a guide during the frequent snowstorms that happened here almost daily. A large barn dominated the compound and was set at its center. Warm light and heat emanated from inside the storybook building. The elf stepped away from the window, letting the drape fall forgotten from his grasp.

“The North Pole. Shit.” He let his head hang despondently. “I’m still only at The North Pole.”

Slowly, he walked back to his spot by the fire. Lack of movement over the last few weeks had made his muscles stiff and his joints feel sore. It was in times such as these that he really felt his ever-increasing age. Simply put, he wasn’t as young of an elf as he once was and if he didn’t keep himself active, he stiffened up. ‘Move lest ye rust,’ was the expression, he remembered his old Aunt Bertie using. Once he was nearer to the hearth, he sat back down in his chair and drew his furry blanket back around his shoulders to help fend off the cold.

He sat looking deep into the fire and contemplating his situation… and his foreseeable future. He’d been cooling his heels in this cottage for weeks now. Waiting. Waiting to be summoned. Waiting for The Fat Man to call for him. Waiting for Santa. Waiting for him to decide to bring him back into the Workshop after all these years to talk about some special project he had up his sleeve. Some kind of mission.

The elf had worked for The Big Guy before, but it was years ago. He’d grown up in Santa’s employ and had toiled in the Workshop ever since he’d been able to hold a hammer. Time passed and he eventually grew to maturity. All too soon though, he found himself falling out of love with the art of making toys. His heart pulled him in other directions, drew him toward different things. Things like papillas and stellate reticulums. Conditions such as Pappillon-Lefevre Syndrome and the ever-present danger of Periodontal Disease and Gingivitus. It had taken him helping a friend on a wild and woolly adventure helped him to decide that he too could question his role in elven society, to go out into The World and live out his dreams. That he too could dare to be happy. And so, the decision was made for him to leave The Workshop and travel across the snow and ice so that he could go to school to study the time-honored discipline of Dentistry.

Thing was… there wasn’t much call out in the world for a three foot dentist.

And so, after many years of him banging on doors and trying to develop a practice, he had little else to do but return to The Workshop to do his best to try to fit back in with the other workers. The other elves though… they never understood. Nor did they forgive him.

‘High and mighty,’ they’d said of him. ‘Being an elf not good enough’ comments were made and their derision stung him. This was supposed to be his family… if they didn’t understand an elf’s desire to follow his dreams, who in the world would? No matter what he said though, no manner of explanation would assuage their contempt.

And so, little by little, the dentist elf was pushed to the side: ostracized and isolated. He had no family, and now, even his friends (even the one he’d once helped) had let their relationships fall into an apathetic stale-mate. But Santa had said he’d find a place for him. And one thing that could be said of the old guy, he never lied. So far though, that promise had equated to The Dentist being given bed and board, but being left to rot in this little room in this little house while the snow blew in blinding flurries outside.

Waiting.

Waiting for Santa’s mission.

After a while, he dozed and his thoughts were filled with dreams of crossing a great sandy desert amidst nomads who spoke to him in a strange, yet musical, tongue.

There was a sudden knock on the door and the sound of it startled him awake. Dragging the animal skin blanket along with him like a ceremonial robe, The Dentist went to the door and opened it a crack. In the hall outside, there stood two elves.

One was short and fat with a bulbous nose and a dark goatee. The other was tall with a long face and wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses. And while their faces were smiling, their demeanor was anything but friendly.

“Hello, Dentist,” said the short elf with a noticeable sneer on the last word.

The Dentist didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked back to where he was sitting before the fire, leaving the door behind him open for the elves. The taller elf with the glasses nudged the heavy, wooden door open with his foot and the two of them both stepped inside.

“You with me?” the shorter elf asked.

“Yeah?” replied The Dentist wearily as he sat back in his chair.

“The Big Man wants to see you.”

The Dentist shook his head. “Finally.”

“Hey, you ok?” the elf with the dark glasses asked.

The blonde elf nodded, but didn’t move.

The tall elf clucked his tongue and nudged his shorter companion. He pointed to the small table near where the dentist was sitting. On it, there was a nearly empty pitcher of thick, creamy Egg Nog. A half-filled glass of the stuff sat nearby.

“Having yourself a bit of a party, eh?” said the elf with the goatee. “We have a minute… Why don’t we get you cleaned up?” He reached out and led The Dentist to the shower by the hand. “C’mon, man… Santa’s waiting.”

The tall elf shook his head in disgusted amusement as he walked back to close the door.

“Misfit.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus were just sitting down to their dinner when the two elves arrived and escorted The Dentist into the room. Cooks had just brought in a repast of sliced beef, shrimp, and peas when they ushered the young elf in. It broke Santa’s heart to see the condition he was in. Gone was the bright-eyed youth he’d once known. This was an elf that had clearly lost his Spirit, abandoned his very purpose. It wasn’t that he looked sick, but more that he had the look of a plant that had been too long out of the sun. Withered. Withered and completely out of sorts.

They sat him at the far end of the table. The elf with the glasses stood guard by the door so that they might not be disturbed. The short one with the dark goatee joined them at their meal. It took a minute for everyone to settle in, but once they did, all eyes seemed to gravitate to The Dentist.

“I hope you’ve been satisfied with your lodgings,” Santa said as he unwrapped his serviette. Setting his utensils aside, he tucked his napkin under his wide chin, the majority of the linen being hidden beneath his long, white beard.

The Dentist smiled. “It’s been a bit dull.”

Santa smiled as he stabbed a slab of the beef with his fork and brought it, still dribbling juice, to his plate. The action was taken as a signal by Mrs. Claus and the others to begin grabbing bowls and dishing out their portions. The Dentist sat unmoving, ignoring the food and staring intensely at Santa.

“Yes, well,” Santa said with a hearty chuckle. “We do what we can with what we’re given, eh?” He thought silently for a moment as he cut his piece of meat into bite-sized pieces. He watched his knife intently as it slid effortlessly through the tender flesh. Lifting the morsel into his mouth, he nodded to the goateed elf, who then got up and went over to a nearby desk.

The elf picked up a file from the stacks of papers and manila folders that lay strewn across the desk. He brought the folder back to the table, tabs of multi-colored paper sticking out like dried leaves being pressed in a book. Opening the folder, the short elf sat back down. He retrieved a stapled-together group of documents from it and handed them across the table to The Dentist.

The Dentist looked the papers over and it was pretty clear what that it was a collection of transcripts from various recorded conversations and meetings; reconnaissance mostly, anecdotal reportage concerning a series of abductions and disappearances that were happening on and around The Island of Misfit Toys.  The Dentist knew the area well. He’d been there before.

Even met the king once upon a long time ago.

“This all sounds messy,” The Dentist said. “But I don’t see how any of it concerns me.”

Santa looked over at Mrs. Claus. She smiled at him and nodded slightly, silently begging him for his patience. Santa wiped his mouth with his napkin and gave their guest his full attention.

“Hermey, do you remember Moonracer?”

Of course The Dentist immediately remembered the winged lion monarch. They’d met him back when he and his friends once ventured to his island. He remembered the king as having helped them, after they’d found their way to his realm. In return, they’d talked Santa into finding homes for all of the island’s lost residents.

“Yes,” The Dentist replied. “The Manticore King. I remember him.”

Mrs. Claus took an audible sip of her tea. “For years, Moonracer was considered a kind and benevolent leader,” she said, taking over the narrative. “His subjects – the toys – loved him. His hand rested lightly on the rudder of his kingdom. And as a result, his realm flourished. Then, one day, his bride bore him a child, a son, and Moonracer loved that child more than he loved Life itself. It was just prior to this that, I believe, you met him.”

The Dentist sat quietly in his chair and waited patiently for the rest of the story. He looked at the piles of food in the bowls in front of him and never felt less hungry.

“A few years passed,” Santa continued. “The boy grew, but… he was frail and peaked. One day, he fell suddenly ill and was taken by a great fever.” Santa looked into the depths of his dinner plate and his eyes became fixed. Absentmindedly, he batted his peas around his plate with his fork like he was playing hockey. He finally set his fork down with a sense of finality. “The boy died soon after.”

“Moonracer turned cruel after that,” interjected the bearded elf. “Many were abruptly enslaved and thrown into his dark dungeons without as much as a trial.”

The Dentist noticed Santa staring at him intently.

“It cannot continue,” Santa said, removing his napkin from under his chin. He wiped his mouth with one corner. He stood, unceremoniously dropping the table linen onto his plate. The linen soaked up the meat’s liquid like a sponge. The fat man ambled over to the window and looked out over his domain. Snow continued blowing over his village in a whirling, chaotic flurry.

The Dentist allowed his gaze wander around the table. “Again…” he asked. “What does any of this have to do with me?”

Santa looked back from the window and a dark shadow passed over his face.

“Simply put…” Mrs. Claus said quietly. “We want you to go up Silver Mountain.” She stared straight ahead, her lips moving slowly. “Travel by sleigh to Moonracer’s castle and convince The King to abdicate his reign.”

“Abdicate?” The Dentist asked.

“To give up his throne,” said the bearded elf.

The Dentist looked around the room incredulously. He knew what the word meant. It meant that, should the king not do as he was asked, The Dentist was to assassinate the winged monarch… with extreme prejudice, if necessary.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing; especially being spoken out loud, but then again… it wouldn’t be the first time the fat man got his hands dirty. “And if he refuses?”

Santa picked up his pipe from a small table near the window and loaded it with a practice hand. He then walked over to the fireplace and stared into the fire for a moment, watching the flames dance and the smoke spiral up the chimney. Plucking a length of straw from a broom that had been set in the corner, he lit its end by holding it to the fire. Once it was alight, he held the flaming twig to the mouth of his pipe. He puffed heartily and smoke circled his head like a halo. When the tobacco was burning brightly, he blew the impromptu match out with a plume of smoke. He then returned his attention to The Dentist.

“I want you to convince him otherwise.”

“Convince him?”

Santa sat down in his broad leather chair and took another long pull on his pipe. He let the smoke out slowly before finally responding. “Yes… Convince him.”

The Dentist stepped out of Santa’s house and pulled his jacket tighter against the biting cold. The wind had kicked up and there was a palpable chill in the air. Cold… even for The North Pole. Immense drifts of alabaster fluff stretched across the horizon for as far as the eye could see. Snow was piled high on the roofs and ice frosted the windows of all the buildings. 

The Workshop dominated the compound, brooding over the village like a protective hen. The largest of the structures was shaped like an old barn. The building was like a hearth around which all the other buildings were gathered. To its left were the elves’ quarters: small, squat bunkhouses set in regimental rows. And at the far side of the compound lay the stable for the reindeer and the sleighs.

The bearded elf followed him out of the house and stepped up alongside him.

“Cold today,” he said, trying to sound conversational.

When The Dentist failed to respond, the elf silently led the way across the snow toward the stables. They crossed the open center of the compound, going around the huge, decorated pine tree that was perpetually in the square without any further conversation, trudging their way through the deep drifts.

The smell of hay grew stronger with every step they took, followed by the musky smell of the reindeer. As they approached, The Dentist saw a familiar face in the small group of elves and reindeer gathered around one of Santa’s sleighs. With that glowing, red nose, he was kind of hard to miss.

“Hello, Rudy,” The Dentist said once he got close enough to be heard over the howling wind.

“No way,” the reindeer said, his nose pulsing brighter in the dim light. “I heard Santa had brought you were here, but…” He pawed at the ground with his hoof. “Well, heck, man… how are you?”

The Dentist grinned and shrugged resignedly. “Meh… I’m here.”

Rudy walked over and rubbed his head against The Dentist’s upper arm.

“Well, it’ll be good to travel with you again, man.”

The Dentist nodded, but looking a little surprised.

“Are you leading this sleigh?”

Rudy smiled and his nose burned a bright crimson.

“Are you kidding? When I heard it was for you, I insisted on being a part of your team.”

The Dentist scratched the back of the reindeer’s head, just behind the ear, where he knew he liked it.

“Have they briefed you on the mission?” the elf asked.

Rudy shook his head and the bells on his harness jingled brightly.

“Not yet,” he said and shook his antlers. Minute flakes of white fell like dandelion florets. “They said you’d fill us all in.”

Before The Dentist could say anything in response, the goateed elf approached and pulled Rudy aside to discuss some of the last minute details. As they talked, The Dentist looked around the stables. It made him a little sad when he failed to recognize anyone.

“Sleigh’s fully loaded,” the goateed elf informed him once he was done talking to Rudy. “We’ve put water, some of Mrs. Claus’ biscuits, and there’s hot cocoa in two thermoses under the seat. It should be enough to last you for the trip up the mountain.”

“The mountain?” Rudy asked innocently.

The Dentist nodded as he climbed up the runner and got into the sleigh. He made himself comfortable beneath the furs while they harnessed Rudy to the front of the team. “We’ve business on Silver Mountain.”

Rudy nodded and was already beginning to calculate their route in his head. “We’ll head up Hollyberry Ridge and over The Great Gingerbread Plateau,” Rudy called back over his shoulder. “Once we’re through The Candylands, we’ll use the ice like last time to cross the water to the island. Then, it’s straight up the mountain and on to Moonracer’s castle.”

The Dentist nodded as he burrowed deeper into his seat beneath the caribou blankets. He pulled the furs about him and gazed up into the slate-gray sky. He imagined Rudy’s route in his head; like a lifeline that lead like a river straight to the king. He drew the furs even tighter, drawing his arms and legs into their warmth. He knew it would be cold out, especially now with the sun was starting to go down, but the chill in the air felt like it somehow cut deeper. Like the cold he was feeling on the outside was being matched by the iciness he felt in his soul.

He took a quick look back at Santa’s compound. There, in one of wide windows, he saw a fat silhouette watching them as they headed off into the cold, white wilderness.

Soon, even The Pole was out of sight.

Hours passed and The Dentist was left to his own thoughts as the miles of blinding white tundra slid by. He dozed for a bit, but sleep proved erratic and elusive. While fumbling about in the sleigh, he discovered a leather satchel mixed in amongst the furs and foodstuffs. Inside, there was a dossier and photographs all focused around King Leonid Moonracer. He read the dossier over while Rudy led the way, his nose shining like a beacon in the diminishing light ahead of them.

From what he could see in the file, Moonracer had lived a pretty privileged life. Born into royalty, his youth had been spent being molded for the throne by his parent’s most trusted inner circle. Educated and pampered, he was driven to be a good and righteous king. The Dentist remembered when they’d met him while they had been on their adventure. He found Moonracer to be a noble and honorable king in their brief interactions.  He couldn’t imagine what might have driven him to start enslaving the very folks he’d been so dedicated to protecting, but, The Dentist supposed, grief could oftentimes do terrible things to people.

He continued to leaf through the documents as the sun started slipping behind the mountains.

He soon grew frustrated with trying to read in the waning light, so he moved on to the photographs. The majority of them were of Moonracer through the years. Some were from his youth, his tail held high and proud. Others were more recent. In all of them though, his long mane swirled about his head majestically and a righteous certainty burned in his eyes. A few of them featured Moonracer and a woman; the queen, presumably. They sat on their high thrones amidst an adoring public. Toward the back of the pile was a photo of Moonracer and the woman holding a small child. Their faces beamed with the pride and joy of new parenthood.

He turned to the next image.

It was alarming how similar it was to the last photo, but the image was clearly different. While it was the same Moonracer and his Queen, there was an overwhelming sadness to the image. Clearly, something had happened that affected them profoundly. Then, The Dentist noticed the absence of the child.

From then on, that same sense of loss pervaded every photo. You could almost see the couple’s hearts breaking as the photos progressed. Then, that loss slowly began to sour into anger. The Dentist shook his head as he gathered the papers and put them back where he’d gotten them. What he’d seen had disturbed him. The loss. The sadness. It was too much. He stuffed the satchel back beneath the furs where he found it and stared into the gathering darkness.

None of it made sense. Not the sudden change in the King’s demeanor. Not the subjugation of an already persecuted population. How were they to blame for the things that he’d lost? And what was up with Santa hard-lining it like that? He knew what they’d meant when they’d said ‘convince him.’ That was the fat man’s way of sanctioning the rough stuff; of going in heavy.

Of saying, comply… or else.

And as the gray sky gave way to the fullness of night, he never even noticed when he slipped off to sleep within the warm embrace of Santa’s sleigh.

The Dentist roused several hours later when the sleigh bumped over a small log as it raced across the unbroken landscape of The Great Gingerbread Plateau. He stretched his back and looked out over the sleigh’s rail at a terrain of all-encompassing white. The sound of the reindeer’s bells on the air was crisp and the bright tones seemed to echo for miles. Looking forward, he saw Rudy’s incandescent light as it continued to lead the way.

The Dentist called forward for Rudy to stop the sleigh. Nature was calling and he wanted to stretch his legs after having spent far too many hours cooped up in the carriage. Rudy picked a spot near the low-lying foothills that led around Candy Cane Flats. He slowed the team and the sleigh finally came to a stop.

The bitterly cold wind bit into his cheeks as The Dentist walked a short distance away from the sleigh to do his business. After some initial ‘stage fright,’ he stood urinating into the snow, one hand on his hip, and staring out over the desolate, white landscape. As he was finishing up and redressing himself, he spied a small clump of foliage just ahead of him poking its head out of the snow. On closer examination, he saw that they had bright green leaves with small purple berries tucked underneath.

He smiled.

Jollyberries.

He looked over his shoulder at the sleigh and saw the reindeer team quietly nibbling snow and resting in their harnesses. He looked back at the plant just ahead and he licked his lips in anticipation of their rich, sweet taste.

He loved the small purple berries. His mother had made Jollyberry Pie when he was a kid and the memory was a find one. He remembered smelling her pies and tarts as they sat cooling on the windowsill of the house where he’d grown up.  He glanced back and saw that the reindeer were still occupied with their drinking. On a whim, he decided that he had a bit of time. Time enough, anyway.

He trudged over to the plant through the snow and plucked a few of its small, round fruits. He rolled the tiny orbs around in his hand and purple juice stained the skin of his palm a deep purple. He threw the handful into his mouth and their skins burst with rich flavor. A nostalgic wave washed over him as the fruity juice splashed over his tongue. Looking ahead, he saw another, larger plant with a lot more berries and quickly walked over to it.

When he got close, he looked back toward the sleigh and saw that he was now several hundred yards away from it. He looked out over the polar landscape and saw nothing but a lone grove of trees a short distance away. The trees grew like stubble along the horizon. He couldn’t imagine that him being so far away from the sleigh would ever be a problem, so he returned his attentions to the Jollyberry bush.

He bent over and looked more closely at the plant. There were a lot more of the berries on this one. Rather than spend a lot of time plucking them off one by one, he drew a small knife from his belt and cut through the plant’s thick stalk just above the ground. The bush came away in his hand like a bouquet.

As he turned to go back, a great roar erupted from the grove of trees and the sound of it echoed across the valley. He looked up and saw the tops of the tree line suddenly shake, snow falling from the boughs in heavy clumps. Suddenly, the trees crashed apart and he saw a gigantic ape-like creature coming through the curtain of trees.

The Dentist was running before he realized it. His feet sank into the snow and it seemed like a dream, like no matter how hard he ran, it would never be fast enough. He pushed himself harder, and finally, he started gaining ground. As he came sliding in, he slammed into the side of the sleigh, rocking it on its skids. Quickly scrambling to his feet, he climbed inside.

“Never get out of the sleigh, man,” he whispered to himself as he fought for breath. “Never get out of the sleigh.”

He raised his head to call to Rudy to go – and to go fast – but his voice was cut off by the sound of someone shouting in the distance.

“Ya-hoooo!”

The voice, clearly human, echoed across the valley.

“Go!” The Dentist shouted to Rudy. “Go, go now!”

The team took up the slack in their harnesses and the sleigh leapt forward, slamming him into his seat. The ape creature kept coming in their direction, bent over and loping across the fields very quickly. The Dentist was finally able to get a good look at the creature now that it was closer and it seemed vaguely familiar. Like he’d seen it before… or had caught a glimpse of it once in a dream.

The beast was covered in long, white hair with long arms and short, squat legs. It had a wide mouth, but, oddly, no visible teeth. The creature raised its head as it ran and roared mightily, its call echoing across the glade.

As the creature came even closer, The Dentist saw that a man wearing a parka and a knit cap was perched on the back of the thing’s neck, riding the creature like a rodeo cowboy.

“Ya-ha-hoooey!” the man cried again.

Suddenly, The Dentist felt the sleigh slow and finally begin to stop. He frantically looked around, yelling out to question why they weren’t still racing to escape. He looked back desperately and finally got a good, clear look at the rider’s bearded face. Bit by bit, he started to put it together, to remember… remember who these two were and from where he knew them.

He remembered back to their trip so long ago, when they traveled across some of these very same stretches of ice. This was very near to where he and Rudy had been. It was that experience that had helped him to finally decide to buckle down and actually become a dentist. Slowly, the memory of their boisterous companion on that trip and of how he’d once saved the day played across the screen of his memory.

The Dentist saw the man grab hold of Bumble’s ears and pull them back like reins. The beast slowed to a stop and knelt down onto one knee to let him off. The man climbed down from his back gingerly and, once he was back on solid ground, he approached the sleigh with a swagger.

“Hellooo!” he shouted and his voice rolled melodically across the silent ice.

“You,” Rudy called out even as he struggled against the restraints of the sleigh harness. “Hey, I remember you. You… you’re…” His nose lit up brightly as the name suddenly came to him.

The man pulled a woolen scarf away from his face and laughed heartily.

“You got that right, Sonny Jim. I am! I am indeed!” he cackled and his voice was deep and resonant. He nodded toward the giant ape. “Me and my bumblin’ friend here are still out here scouring these mountains for years now, looking to sell or trade all manner of commodities: furs, blubber, even precious metals like gold and silver…” He slapped his thigh and laughed excitedly. “Silver and gold!”

The man deftly pulled an ice ax from his belt and threw it high into the air. The ax spun and glittered brightly in the early morning’s light. It struck the ice in front of them, the tip of its blade sinking deep into the downy fluff. The man pulled it out of the snow by its handle and licked the crystals of ice that were left clinging to the metal. He tasted the substance and appraised its content.

“Hmmm…” he said, sounding disappointed. “Nuttin’”

An frigid wind came up and blew across the icy plain, the cold itself interrupting them.

“Storm’s brewin’,” The Prospector said, looking up into the rapidly darkening sky.

The Dentist climbed out of the sleigh and did his best to recover his dignity.

“We’re on our way up Silver Mountain,” he tried to explain. “I know you know these parts,” he said hopefully. “We could use a guide...”

The Prospector laughed uproariously.

“But, of course! I do indeed know these lands. And I know them well!” he chuckled. “I’ve worked throughout these parts the whole of my life.” He held up a finger. “One moment…”

Without another word, he stepped away from the group and walked over to where the large ape stood waiting patiently. The thing stood nearly as tall as the trees and had a ferocious – albeit toothless – countenance, but it stood by and waited on the man passively. By its look and attentiveness, it clearly held a deep loyalty toward the man. The animal’s demeanor was more like that of a large dog than the ravaging beast it appeared to be. The creature bent down and listened intently as The Prospector spoke softly into its immense ear. When he was done talking to it, the beast nodded its understanding and turned its back to them, running off and disappearing into the snowy hills.

“I sent him back to my basecamp. He’s too big for where we’re goin’,” The Prospector explained as he walked back to the sleigh.

He looked down and noticed that there were small clumps of snow sticking to his pants leg and boots. After kicking the powdery white stuff off of his boots on the runners, he climbed in to the sleigh next to The Dentist and they gave Rudy the ‘all’s clear.’ The sleigh lurched forward and both occupants were pushed back into the furs on the seat. Once underway, they both settled in for the long ride ahead.

The group soon came to the edge of a large, frozen plate of ice which had spread over the majority of the surface of the sea. The frozen glacier extended out well passed the shore and the group soon found themselves with no choice but to take the sleigh across the large sheet of ice. Rudy carefully led the team onto the frozen sea.

The Prospector got out and walked a good distance back toward the shore. Taking out his ice ax, he started chopping ferociously at the ground. The piece of ice on which they were sitting suddenly broke away and the ocean’s current began gently carrying them away.

“This current should take us across the ocean to The Island,” The Prospector shouted so that all could hear. “Once we make land, we can follow the path up Silver Mountain to the castle. I’m assuming that’s who you want to see… Moonracer?” he asked and a sly look passed over his face.

The Dentist nodded, but revealed nothing. He didn’t particularly feel the need to explain anymore of his mission to him or anyone else. From here on, that information was simply beyond anyone’s ‘need to know.’

More time passed and the group drifted along on the ice with the sky moving slowly overhead. The Dentist and The Prospector talked for a while, reminiscing and catching up, but they soon all fell into a relaxed silence and just waited. After a while, everyone but the dentist dozed.

Standing watch, The Dentist retrieved the leather satchel from under the seat where he’d set it. Opening it, he picked up Moonracer’s story where he’d left off. Toward the back of the file, he found a separate envelope with an official-looking letter inside. The note had come from Santa and was written on his personal stationary. Accompanying the letter was a report of Santa having sent someone else – someone before The Dentist – to try and talk to Moonracer. Perhaps it was for the same reasons. Perhaps not. There was really no way to be sure since the report didn’t say.

The Dentist looked at a photo that was paper-clipped to the main piece of paper. The picture was that of a reindeer who was standing in front of The Workshop with Santa. His expression was friendly, but concern still haunted his features.

“Blitzen,” The Prospector interrupted, having roused and looked over.

The Dentist looked up and saw his companion looking at the photo in his hand.

“What’d you say?” he asked.

The Prospector reached over and tapped the photo with his index finger.

“That’s Blitzen. One of Santa’s team. One of the best. Word is… he disappeared into these very mountains a while ago. Word has it that he vanished into the ice and has never been heard from again.”

The Dentist looked back at the photograph and scowled. He didn’t like the sound of it. Not any of it. Santa not telling him that he’d sent a previous messenger was problematic. It spoke to what else he didn’t think he needed to know. Worried now, he slipped the letter back into the satchel and closed it.

Why would Santa send him on this mission and not mention having already sent someone? Further, why would he not say anything about him ‘disappearing’ into these very mountains?

He pushed his thoughts aside as he returned the papers and photos to the case where they belonged. He slid the valise back where it had been under the seat. Silence returned to the confines of the sleigh, both of them returning to their own private considerations as they floated on the frigid sea.

It was several hours later when they felt their ice sheet raft run aground on the shore of Moonracer’s island. It took a bit of doing on all of their parts to get the sleigh back onto solid ground, but once they had, they were soon loaded up and back on their merry way.

Rudy carefully led the sleigh and its team up the mountain. The spires of Moonracer’s castle loomed forebodingly in the distance. A few more hours went by and they soon found themselves passing through the gates of King Moonracer’s castle just as the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. Their progress slowed to a crawl as they cautiously made their way along the narrow streets and into the interior of the palace’s courtyard. High on the walkways overhead, a rag doll and a teddy bear with wings looked down at them suspiciously; their fingers moving nervously along the shafts of their spears. They passed a cowboy riding an ostrich who stared at them balefully while a water gun stood nearby nervously dripping jelly.

Rudy finally brought the sleigh to a stop in the middle of the castle’s central courtyard. The stones were wet with morning dew and they shimmered in the low light of the day. Christmas wreaths, now long past their prime, hung rotting to dust in nearby windows. In a place where Christmas was touted to be celebrated every day, it was pretty clear that the holiday hadn’t been celebrated here in a long time.

The Dentist stepped down from the sleigh and was quickly followed by The Prospector. They walked up the line and began helping to unstrap the reindeer from the harnesses.  Once free of their restraints, Rudy instructed his team to stow the reins and stay near the sleigh so that they could guard it.

A loud, wooden clomping sound suddenly broke the quiet. It sounded like a gate was being slammed shut again and again by the blowing of the wind. From out of a shop’s doorway hopped a clown whose head was on a spring which came out of the top of a wooden box.

“Hello! Hello! Welcome!” the clown called, cordially. He gazed up into the castle’s ramparts, calling, “It’s ok. It’s ok…. All is well.” He returned his attention to the castle’s visitors. “Come along! Come along!”

The Dentist squinted at him.

“I remember you…” he said. “You’re…”

“The Jack in the Box!” shouted The Prospector.

The clown scowled. “Charlie,” he said under his breath. “My name… is Charlie.”

The Prospector clapped his hands and laughed uproariously.

“That’s right… Charlie,” he laughed and clapped The Dentist on that back.

The clown shook his irritation off like it was rainwater.

“We’re here to see The King,” The Dentist proclaimed.

The clown looked surprised. “The King?” he said. “Really?”

The Dentist nodded and his expression remained stern. “Santa sent me… to come see him about a very important matter.” He nodded toward the castle’s highest parapet as he spoke.

The clown bowed his head at the old man’s name. “S-s-santa sent you?”

The Dentist nodded again. “I’ve been instructed to discuss a few things with the King,” he eyed the clown suspiciously. “Some things that have come to his attention and the must be explained.”

A deeply concerned look passed over the clown’s face. “Yes… very good. Very good. But, of course. Well… seeing as it was Santa that sent you… I guess it’s ok. Yes… yes. Absolutely!” He turned and hopped away. “Follow me, please,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll take you to see the King.”

The Dentist and The Prospector left Rudy and the reindeer to watch over the sleigh while they went to see Moonracer. They followed Charlie into the castle, taking the grand staircase to the upper floors where the throne room lay.

Along the way, they saw more small toys gathered in groups along the length of the hallways. The Dentist noticed a train with square wheels on its caboose, a plane that couldn’t fly, as well as a scooter with two wheels in front and one in back.

Further along, another teddy bear was riding a bike while a small, Russian nesting doll was involved in a heated debate with itself. From what he could hear, their argument was over the validity of someone named ‘von Clausewitz.’ The Dentist wasn’t sure who that was, but the debaters were ardently arguing their chosen sides. A small mechanical mouse stood next to them. He eyed the duo with an exasperated acceptance; like this was an argument that had been going on for a long time.

Presently, the three of them arrived at a large door where two Nutcracker guards stood watch. To the left of one of them, The Dentist saw a reindeer that lay drowsing on the floor, near a low, stone table. The Dentist didn’t recognize him, so, he didn’t let his gaze linger. But as the clown knocked on the door with his forehead, The Dentist glanced back at the dozing buck. Realization washed over him like a cold rain as he slowly recognized the face from the photos he’d just been looking at earlier.

“Blitzen?”

The reindeer looked lazily up at him and meeting his gaze was like staring into an empty well. His eyes were uninhabited windows that no one had looked out of for a very long time. The door in front of them suddenly opened and a large, spotted elephant poked its trunk out.

“Hallooooo!” the pachyderm called, his voice sounding congested. “Who ith it that dareth to bother The King?”

The Dentist stepped forward. “I do,” he said. He paused, and then he looked into the elephant’s eyes defiantly, “Santa sent me.”

The elephant stared back, darkly. “Santa, eh?” He squinted at him and gave him an assessing up-and-down. “Well…”

The Dentist put his hand on the door and pushed it open.

“Stand aside, Nelly… I’m here on official business.”

The elephant stumbled back, cursing. He walked off toward the gallery, grumbling under his breath. “Well, that’th all you had to thay…” then, under his breath, “didn’t have to puth me like that.”

The Dentist and The Prospector strode to the center of the immense throne room. More cathedral than ballroom, the place opened into a massive, cavernous space.  Slate grey, rock walls rose into space, arching high overhead like a basilica. At the head of the room, a tall, golden chair sat upon a raised dais.

Suddenly, a winged lion flew into the room through a high, overhead window. He was large even for a lion with wide, feathered wings that cupped the air that held him aloft. He circled the room and landed lightly on the dais at a trot. He circled the chair several times, eyeing the intruders suspiciously, before finally settling onto the throne’s seat.

“And, what do we have here, eh?” the lion said and his voice dripped with an open contempt. “Messengers? Sent by the Fat Man, I presume?”

The Dentist stepped forward, frowning. He may not have much liked Claus, but… at the end of the day, he was Santa and that deserved a certain amount of respect.

“I beg Your Majesty’s indulgence,” he began, speaking slowly, “Yes, I have been sent by Sa…”

“Yes,” Moonracer interrupted. “Santa, that corpulent megalomaniac. Sent to assess my stability, I understand… and to judge my ability to Rule.”

The Dentist looked at him blankly. He thought it best not to lie. “Yes.”

The lion roared with laughter as he shook his mane.

“As if he… as if you… could ever possess the moral authority to judge me. Him on his candy-striped throne. And you… with your failed dental aspirations.”

The Dentist took another step closer. He now stood at the foot of the carpeted stairs that led up to the throne. He stared unwaveringly at the monarch, ignoring the personal jab, as he quietly assessed the king’s mental state. Since he’d gotten closer, he could see that there were dark circles under Moonracer’s eyes and his mane looked matted and unkempt. There was a kind of desperation to his countenance, like someone barely managing to maintain control of his emotions. His grief had clearly broken him, crushed any sense of right and wrong and sent him down a dark path of hate and retribution. But it was clear, even after a cursory examination such as this… he was unfit to rule.

“My instructions were to come here and implore you to lighten the weight of your royal hand on the residents of this island. They look to you for leadership, to shepherd them toward a better life. Like a parent mi…”

“Hold your tongue, Dentist!” the lion roared and his tone soured with derision on the last word. “You come into my home and speak to me of parenthood, of my being unable to rule my people adequately.”

The Dentist looked around with an expression that bordered on disgust.

“Well, you must admit… Your kingdom is not what it once was, Sire.”

Moonracer smiled and, very much against his will, a chill ran down The Dentist’s spine.

“Please inform Santa that I will take his words… under consideration.”

The Dentist bowed, knowing that the king’s words were all a lie. “Thank you, Sire. I will inform Santa that an understanding has been reached.”

The lion scowled derisively and got up from his seat. He stalked across the platform slowly.

“But please…” he glared down from his throne at the small group gathered at the foot of the stairs. “Stay the night. You are no doubt tired from your journey. You are welcome to enjoy the hospitality of my humble home.” He looked up toward the open window he’d flown through. “A storm is brewing, but it should pass quickly. You will be able to get back down the mountain in the morning.”

The Dentist bowed lower and thanked him once again. He knew he’d need to consider his next actions carefully.  His mission had been specific. ‘Convince him,’ Santa had said and they both knew what he meant.

With all he had seen, The Dentist quietly decided in that moment that the king had to die.

Night fell and The Prospector, Rudy, and the rest of the team were all gathered around the sleigh drinking toddies with some of the toys they’d met around the castle since arriving. As the others partook in their revelry, The Dentist excused himself and, excused himself to use the lavatory. Silently, he made his way through the shadows to the back of the sleigh.  Once he was sure that the coast was clear, he carefully removed The Prospector’s ice axe from where he’d left it on the floor of the sleigh. He hid the tool beneath his coat and quickly (and quietly) made his way back through the castle to Moonracer’s throne room.

When he arrived at the large door of the throne room, he found it locked. He pushed against it with all of his weight, but its locks remained steadfast. At first, he was crestfallen, thinking his mission was compromised at its most critical point. But after searching some of the nearby vestibules, he found an access through one of the vents that fed the throne room’s fireplaces. Sensing no heat, he wriggled his way inside through the flue and angled his body down into the cold hearth.

He crossed the throne room stealthily, keeping himself to the shadows. Far up on the raised platform, he saw Moonracer’s form lounging on his shadow-enshrouded throne. As he crept closer, he saw the lion bent over and writing in a large book with a plumed instrument. His pen moved quickly across the book’s blank pages and he spoke aloud the words he was inscribing.

“I once saw a polar bear… leading an army of penguins. And their eyes… were filled with a bloodlust that burned over their angry grins. And the Fat Man… The Fat Man continues to sit on his throne… his throne of lies.”

The Dentist edged closer. The more he heard him say, the more he was convinced that his decision to kill him was correct. The King had clearly gone mad and he had become a liability. Not just to Santa or his people, but to the world. Clearly, he must be made to give up the throne. The Dentist thought back to what Santa had said back at the compound at that dinner, ‘Convince him.’

He hefted at the ice ax in his hand, as he edged closer. Better to replace him with someone new on the throne, then let his madness spread and infect others.

“He holds those elves imprisoned in his ‘village,’ and then, he has the nerve to call me jailer?” Moonracer continued speaking. “What do you call it when the jailers accuse the jailers anyway?”

Deciding that he’d heard enough, The Dentist stepped up behind the king, raising the ice ax over his head. Without any word or warning, he brought the weapon down with all of his strength.

The blade dug deep into the back of the lion’s neck, just at the base of the skull. The king whirled, roaring out in pain and anger. After tugging the weapon free, The Dentist struck again. The ax sliced deeply into the other side of his thick neck. The King’s legs went stiff and he pitched forward onto his face, landing with a grunt. The Dentist raised the ax once again. Moonracer looked up toward the ceiling, his eyes focusing on the glittering surface of the stone wall of the throne room.

“The tinsel…” he whispered softly. “The tinsel.”

And The Dentist brought the ax down for the final time.

The small crowd gathered out in the courtyard of the castle was slowly starting to disperse. The Prospector, Rudy, a few of the other reindeer, and some of the toys remained, huddled over a small fire. A few of the reindeer dozed at the far side of the fire. Most of the castle’s citizens had returned to their homes and their beds. It was late and the Jollyberry wine had run out a short time ago.

The small group that remained had found their way past most of the small talk and had settled into a quiet reflection. The fire was warm and the company was pleasant, so they were all content to sit back, enjoy the chill of the night and the warmth of the fire, and contribute to any further conversation as the mood struck them.

The Charlie in the Box yawned and looked up toward the castle’s tall spires. It had been a long day for him and sleep beckoned him to bed. The arrival of these strangers had only made an already hectic day all the more tiring.

He suddenly saw something moving up on one of the castle’s lowest balustrades. He gasped and silently pointed up toward the entryway to the castle. He motioned with his hands for the others to look as well. As the group turned to see what he was pointing at, Charlie drew a breath and screamed aloud.

On the stairway that led up to the castle’s front door, The Dentist stood in the moonlight with the blood-covered ice ax in one hand and the severed head of King Moonracer in the other. The Prospector leapt to his feet and rushed forward before anyone else could move.

“Leapin’ Lizards, kid… what have you done?!?”

He might have protested further, but the grave look on The Dentist’s face stopped him in his tracks. The toys all looked up at him horrified and parted as he walked through them.

 Others, who were asleep in their beds, roused upon hearing Charlie’s anguished scream. They all came running out of their houses and gathered excitedly in the streets. The Dentist stood gazing out over the crowd menacingly. He dropped Moonracer’s head and they all morbidly watched as the head bounced like a blood-soaked ball down the stairs.

Charlie hopped to the front of the group, spreading his arms in an attempt to calm the crowd. His eyes met The Dentist’s and he slowly bowed his head, the sound of his spring twanging in the silence was unmistakable.

“Sire….” He turned and raised his hand toward the rapidly amassing crowd. “The King is dead. Long live the King!”

The crowd cheered enthusiastically, even though none were being exactly sure what had transpired.

The Dentist walked down the stair and passed Charlie in the Box.

“No,” he hissed as he walked by. His eyes were hard and without emotion as he stared out over the crowd. “Govern yourselves.”

The Dentist found Rudy and told him that they were leaving. Rudy and The Prospector immediately set to hooking up the team. Charlie chased impotently after them.

“Please… please,” he pled, his face a frightened, twisted thing. “You can’t leave! Who will lead us? What will we do?”

The Dentist said nothing. He only silently packed up the sleigh and got inside. Soon, all around him was in readiness and he gave the signal for them to head out. And in that final moment, The Dentist looked down from the sleigh at Charlie and his encouraging gaze somehow made Charlie feel as if everything was going to be all right. And as the sun rose up over the horizon, the sleigh slid off into the night, Rudy’s bright, red nose leading the way.