CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

 

Santa Command—Loading Bay

December 25th

0430 hours

 

All of the remaining presents had been loaded into bags and placed on the platform. Phil stepped back and examined the pile skeptically. It was an awful lot of presents to deliver in an hour, and there was no way it would fit in one sleigh. At least, it wouldn't fit in one of their current sleighs. He'd never seen Chris' sleigh in person. In all of the pictures, it looked like a rickety little thing that would blow apart in a good stiff wind. But who was he to question magic? All he knew was that Mary believed this would work.

Phil signaled to an Inkling who climbed to the top of the pile. Once there, the little creature grabbed a fistful of dust from one of her pouches and threw it up over her head. The Inkling and the pile were gone before the dust settled.