The Santa Society (27 page)

I gape at him. Of all the many times I’ve felt lost for words, none have been as profound as now. Goosebumps spread over my entire body as if an electrical current has passed through me.

He grabs my hands in his own and moves closer to me. “Erin, daughter of Adelaide.” He pauses to bite his lower lip. “You are a wise woman.” He brings my hands to his lips and kisses my fingers one by one, sending shivers up my arms. “Thank you for reminding me.” He presses my hand to his face and closes his eyes.

I melt in beside him and gaze at the Christmas tree with the paper star he made for the top. A spontaneous smile moves over my face, and I close my eyes, praying I’ll always be wise when he needs me. Fortunately, that probably won’t be needed very often.

I’m not sure how much time has passed that we’ve sat together like this, but a knock at the door breaks us from our reverie. The only house guest I ever have is Reason.

I scramble to my feet and go to the door. When I open it, I immediately look down. My little red headed friend stands here alone, her face tearstained and eyes swollen from crying.

“Callie, come in, sweetie. What’s wrong?”

She trudges in wearing her purple coat, her hair unbraided. It hangs around her face in wild crimps and waves.

“Come, sit down.” Reason is already on his feet, motioning her to the chair.

Both of us kneel on the floor in front of her.

She sniffles and rubs her eyes as she begins. “Did you know there isn’t such a thing as Santa Claus? Did you ever know that?”

I glance at Reason, figuring he should speak in his own defense.

“Why would you think that?” His voice is soothing.

“Holly said so. I never believe what Holly says, so I asked my daddy. And he said it’s true, and I might as well know now ’cause he can’t afford the presents this year.” She sobs. “I believed in my Daddy too. But he lied. Now I don’t know what to believe.”

I give Reason a confused look, knowing I’m certainly no wise woman now.

He seems to have a handle on it. “A lot of people say Santa Claus isn't real, because people never see him. He keeps pretty secret.”

“I never saw him, and I tried.” She sniffles.

“The real Santa doesn’t always give lots of toys and presents. Sometimes he gives stuff we need, and we don’t even realize it came from Santa Claus. When your parents buy you gifts from Santa, they’re being his helpers.”

He pauses to let her consider this. Then he continues. “If they can't give you a gift, Santa helps them. They just don’t know it came from Santa. He especially likes to make sure you have what you need. Like this awesome purple coat.”

She blinks up at me and rubs her eyes. “Erin, do you think Santa’s real?”

“You know, I didn’t think so until I met him. Now I know he’s real.”

Her eyes fly open in surprise, and then she narrows them. “Are you just trying to make me feel better?”

“I
am
trying to make you feel better, but I’m also telling the truth. It’s just that all the stories about Santa are true. Santa is real, he’s just not exactly like everybody thinks, and what he does isn’t exactly what the stories describe.”

Reason confirms. “He’s definitely not what people think he looks like, that’s for sure.” He laughs and winks at me.

Callie studies him. “You’re Santa Claus aren’t you?”

Reason’s head snaps back to look at her. I stifle a laugh. “I—” He looks at me for help.

Callie squeals and clasps her hand to her mouth. “I knew it. I told Holly so, but she said you can’t be him ’cause you’re not old ’nuff and ’cause you shave your head. But, when I saw you in the parade, you looked like Santa to me.” She giggles, and I see her pink tongue in the spot where her front teeth should be.

Reason shrugs at me. “I guess I need some practice with the explanation thing.”

I shake my head, laughing. “No, she’s just a really smart kid.”

He turns back to Callie. “Anybody ever call you ‘little bit’?”

“My daddy calls me ‘smart Alex’ sometimes. Holly calls me ‘information overlord’.”

“Well, my daddy used to call me ‘little bit’. So that’s what I’m going to call you. You’re cute and you’re little. Deal?” He holds out his hand for her to shake.

“Deal.” Her hand completely disappears in his.

“Okay, little bit, here’s what you need to know about me. I’m real, I have reindeer, and you don’t need to worry about a thing.”

“Can I tell Holly?”

“I have to stay a secret. For safety reasons.” He wears a solemn expression.

“Oh.” Her eyes widen. “Okay. I keep good secrets.”

There is a sharp knock at the door. Reason gives Callie a kiss on the cheek, then climbs to his feet and heads for the door.

When he opens it, I see Callie’s father standing there with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his coat. He looks taken aback as he blinks up at Reason. “Hi, I’m John, from next door. I’m looking for my little girl. She’s about this tall.” He holds his hand at his waist. “Red hair. She likes Erin a lot. I just thought maybe she might be over here.” He runs his fingers through his hair as he shifts his weight from foot to foot.

Reason, steps back so he can see Callie. “Absolutely. She’s right here. We were just about to walk her home.”

“Thank God.” John sighs with obvious relief. He sticks his head in and motions to Callie. “Come on home, Callie.”

She jumps to her feet and hurries over to her father. As he ushers her out the door, she looks back and winks at Reason.

Reason winks back. A sudden seriousness washes over him, and he clears his throat. “Um, sir, do you have a second?”

John looks back in surprise. “Sure.”

“I hear you’re a school teacher.”

“Yeah, well I was.”

“There’s a private school that opened up this year on the other side of town. They just lost a science teacher. You don’t know anyone who’s qualified do you?”

John gasps. “I’m a science teacher.”

“Really? Well, if you’re interested—”

He nods maniacally. “Yes, I’m most definitely interested.”

Reason reaches in his pocket and pulls out the silver case. He selects a business card and hands it to John. “Just give that number a call, and ask to speak to Hannah. She’ll get you in for an interview with the Principal.”

John looks like he’s been visited by the burning bush. “Thanks. Man, you have no idea what good news this is.” He extends his hand.

“No problem.” Reason gives it a shake.

John thanks him several more times before he finally says goodbye. Reason closes the door and turns to face me. “Wow, you should’ve warned me. That’s definitely one sharp little girl.”

“Yes, she most definitely is.” I nod and laugh.

Chapter 30

KLAUS LOWERS HIMSELF to the floor, pushing the edge of the bed down so far I’d probably roll off if I moved any closer. It springs back in one quick upward bounce as his weight leaves. I’ve spent tonight in my own bed. I needed to know I could do it, without nightmares and sweats. And so far I have—on my own.

But now uneasiness begins to nudge at my thoughts. His nails click across the floor as he passes out of my bedroom and up the hallway. I glance at the clock: 4:00 a.m. I strain to listen for sounds in the house, keeping my head still so my hair doesn't make noise on the pillow beneath my ear. Silence presses in all around me.

My thoughts begin to wander over the terrain of Christmas week so far—the last days. I think we’ve all begun to hope for a miracle, one that will relieve the test of faith and fortitude. The men have started to question Reason’s thinking. They want to know how he’ll travel the city unseen if not by the tunnels. How he’ll reach farther than Christmasville, much less the entire world.

If the questions wrack
my
nerves, I can only imagine how Reason feels. He never lets on though. I’ve listened to these conversations with a neutral ear, never showing doubts or allowing emotions to pass through my face. But inside, I’m a growing mess of nerves. If Pigs the cat could test my vibrations, he’d surely run to the nearest ledge and jump off.

In the darkness, I stare at the gray shades of shadow on my closet door, still listening. I think I hear the slightest tinkle of Klaus’ tag drifting through the house. But I don't hear his steps. Something feels off—something about the weight of the darkness or the buzzing absence of noise. The tag clinks again, followed by silence. Finally, Klaus makes a sharp sniffing sound.

Something strikes the loose plank in the porch floor outside. I sit bolt upright in bed. My heart beats wildly as a low growl begins to rumble. It grows and builds as I clamber from the bed, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. As I move into the hall, I wonder why I’m going toward the sound. Why am I not climbing through the back window or crawling into a closet?

And yet, a reasonable person would move through degrees of escalation before flipping on all the mental alarm signals. Because of course, Klaus may have only heard a cat creeping around on the porch. But I know he’s not an ordinary dog. He knows the difference between a meaningless bump in the night, and the presence of someone who shouldn't be here.

Such thoughts trickle through my mind as I rush forward on my tip toes down the hall, clutching the phone in my fist. Who do I call? The police? Reason? They can’t get here fast enough. Klaus is my hope. He’s already here, and I have to trust him. He growls again, a deep rumble of warning just as I reach the end of the hall. His dark outline stands at the front door. He pushes his nose down into the bottom of the threshold, sniffing the air beneath it.

Adrenaline pumps through my blood. I rack my brain for Reason’s commands. I can't remember any of them. I don’t even know what I should tell him to do. I need a plan.
If he starts barking, I’ll definitely dial 911.
And I’ll get a butcher knife from the kitchen.
Klaus stands like a statue looking at the bottom of the door. He lifts his head toward the handle and back down to the floor. He whimpers once and then turns away, moving past me through the living room, toward the back wall. It dawns on me where he’s going: the dog door.

I turn. He noses the flap for a moment before he shoves his head through. When he lifts his paw to take a step, I wonder if I’m dreaming, if I’ve never gotten out of bed at all. I’m still in there, tucked under my covers, where I only dream I stand here watching Klaus-the-house shove himself through a dog door only one third his actual size.

At first, I can’t understand what I’m seeing or if I’m even seeing it at all. Right before my eyes, the outer rim of the door and surrounding wall turns fluid, rippling like water around him. His belly glides through effortlessly, then his back legs. Soon his tail disappears and the flap drops back in place with a soft clack. I stare after him.

Did he just shape-shift? No, it’s impossible. I can’t believe I’m giving any credence to such folklore. But then again, if there really is a tiger in the Wildlands and a real life Santa Claus, then why not shape-shifting dogs?

A noise from the porch snatches me back to the moment. I go to the front window and peak out, just in time to see Klaus’ back end disappear down the porch stairs. A few seconds later, I hear him slide back through the door and trot over to where I stand by the window.

I don’t turn around. “All clear?” My voice sounds rattled and I’m half wondering if he’ll say “yes.”

He doesn’t. He just nudges my hip and lets my hand slide over his jowls. My fingers graze across something stiff protruding from the side of his mouth. It crackles like paper when I touch it.

I drop to my knees. He releases it from his teeth, letting it fall into my palm. In the silvery glow of streetlights through the window, I see a rolled up paper dampened by dog slobber and sealed with a glob of wax. I lift it up to the light. The wax has a stamped insignia depressed into the center: SS.

A chill passes over me as I open the seal, prying one side of it away from the paper with my thumbnail. Immediately, the scroll loosens. As soon as I unroll it, I see the letterhead at the top: Santa Society.

Erin Sinclair

1918 Garland St.

Christmasville, ID 77911

Dear Ms. Sinclair,

Please accept my apology for the delay in processing your membership evaluation. The Council has found you eligible for membership by right of ancestry. I must also inform you that your current membership status proposes certain issues in the recent Motion to Invoke Amendment 16 against Defendant, Father Reason MacCloud. The Council upholds that the commencement of a romantic relationship with Father MacCloud preceded the date of change in your membership status. Since membership is not retro-active, Amendment 16 is still relevant to this case. However, the Council moves to dismiss this finding if the following conditions are met prior to the Eve of Christmas.

1. A period of no contact will commence immediately concluding not one minute before 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

1.  The parties must, of their own volition and without duress, submit themselves at the appointed time to the bonds of Matrimony.

2.  The wedding must occur publicly in Town Square, beneath the clock in the City Center of Christmasville.

3.  Both parties shall arrive separately and without any prior third party communication.

4.  A covenant will be made, immediately following the wedding ceremony, guaranteeing the preservation of the Santa Society. The Covenant will serve as an alliance between the carrier of the Gift and the Society to ensure a continued relationship between the two.

Father MacCloud has received a copy of this notice. It is my hope that these terms will meet with your approval. The Society recognizes that the Gift does not submit itself to the laws of men. As an organization, we must change to reflect truth when truth stands in opposition to our goals, otherwise we risk passing away into the pages of history. The time has come to honor the Gift as belonging only to itself. Please indulge our desire to follow current Society Law in handling this matter, until such laws can be reviewed and revised in the upcoming New Year.