~Chapter 19~
Black Jack Tilly and the Great Hall
Louis slowly dragged the wooden skid with the great bearskin down a side road into town. As he turned the last bend in the road, and started up towards Algar and his wife Elvina's home, two tall thin men dressed in dark clothes spotted Louis on the road, they yelled out something insensible to Louis.
They pointed at Louis in a very excited fashion. Then they swiftly turned about and started running towards Louis as fast as they could. Louis suddenly lost the grip on the skid holding Growlar's fur. He began to hightail it, just as fast as he could towards Algar's front door, which was now coming into sight.
Louis could see through the small round windows of Algar home as he was rapidly approaching that Chug, Molly, and a few other elves who were sitting around the wooden table in the center of the room were all singing and drinking ale. With sweat dripping down his face, and burning his eyes, Louis continued to run, faster and faster, but the two men dressed in black, with long flowing capes on, were gaining on him, quickly closing the distance between them.
Louis started to call out at the top of his voice.
"Molly, open the door."
"Chug I'm here, it's your Louis."
"Help me! Help me!"
Louis looked backwards as he was pounding on the doors, seeing that the two strangers were now only about twenty yards away from him, and closing on him fast. Louis lunged at the door again and began banging on it with his two clenched fists as hard as he could, all the while screaming, out wildly over and over again!
"Let me in! Let me in!"
At last, the strangers were on him. One of the capped men suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder. Louis was spun around while the other strange reached for his neck. Louis stumbled; he fell backwards to the ground. He looked upwards at the strangers, simply horrified.
"Vampires...!"
"Vampires...!
"Get me a wooden stake!" screamed out Louis.
"Wake up Louis." Wake up, you're having a bad dream" said Molly as she started to violently shake Louis.
"Louis it's a nightmare. Wake up Louis..."
Louis was lost, deep in his nightmare, and thrashing about the bed when finally Chug reached for a jug of cold water sitting on the kitchen table. He doused it all over Louis's face. Louis came to, immediately. He sat up in bed with the wildest look on his face and said, "Why did you wake me up? I was just about to beat them about their pointy ears."
"Louis you were screaming like a baby, who had just lost his pacifier" said Chug.
"Oh, man that must have been a bad dream, wow."
"Well, if vampires do come, then I'm calling it quits. Wild bears, hungry wolves and crazy eyeballs, what is next? Ghouls and Zombies?" proclaimed Chug.
"Well Louis you have been asleep for about two hours now. You got in about six o'clock this evening and you were just beat. Don't you remember you came in through the front doors, and headed right for, the bed? You ate two bites of food, then, you were out like a baby piglet, with a belly full of milk. Anyway, glad to have you back, all safe. It's about midnight now. Don't you know what time it is?" asked Molly.
"No, I guess I have been lost in an awful nightmare. Well anyway, thanks Molly for caring, and man do I have a story for you. There was this giant orange abominable snowman. Then I think I fainted and afterward, let me see what happened next... Oh, I skinned the bear, and spent the night alone on the mountain. Man there is just so much to tell..."
"Well, take a bath, get a little food in you, change your clothes, and you can tell us all about it" said Elvina as she started to warm some bathwater by the fireplace in a large over-sized black pot.
"By the way Louis have you looked at yourself, in the mirror lately?" asked Chug trying to not break out in laughter.
"Well, no I haven't, and what are you giggling about anyway Chug. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately either, you're no Greek Adonis, you know. You're just old Chug."
Louis upon Chugs chiding walked over, and stood in front of a mirror hanging on a nearby wall to see what all the fuss was.
His jaw dropped to the floor.
"Is this a trick mirror, elf magic, or a prank being pulled on me by Algar? Who...ah...who is that in the mirror? That can't be me...er..."
"Yes, it is you Louis. You look a lot like Santa Claus must have looked like when he was a little kid. Just look at that white hair on your head, look at the small age lines around your face, look at that Louis you even have a few white whiskers growing on your chin. Louis, you're only eleven years old, but you look like your thirty or forty. What happened up on the mountain?" asked Molly with a look of astonishment on her face.
"Oh, man my mom is going to kill me Molly. I am starting to look like a young Mr. Beamer. No your absolutely right Molly...I look like Santa Claus, and if you were to put a red cotton suit on me, and hand me a leather whip, I would be the spitting image of Ole' Kris Kringle. Hattie May is just going to kill me."
"Well, Louis there is not much you can do about it now, so let's just not mention it again until this is all over. Wait until we get back to Centerville, and we'll think of something to tell your mom then" said Chug who was just about to burst out laughing again.
After a long bath, a change of clothes and a great home cooked meal Louis strolled over to the soft, fluffy couch at one end of the room. He pulled a comforter over himself then, went about telling everyone in the room about his adventures alone on the mountain for the last two days, but mostly he talked about meeting Nebuka the Terrible Orange Yeti.
"Yeah we ended up becoming friends. He carried me down the mountain on his shoulders. I gave him a piece of your apple pie Elvina. He just loved it, and said he would come visit you someday to thank you in person."
"Well that was the most incredible story I have ever heard. Now were there vampires up there or not?" asked Molly who was still in amazement at what she had just heard.
"No vampires...but...there were large jumping rats everywhere" said Louis as he made a rat-like face just to scare Molly.
"Louis I told you to stop doing that, or I will give you The Look again, and you certainly don't want that."
"Oh...you're right Molly, I am sorry," said Louis as he made one last rat face to the delight of Chug.
"Well, I am feeling better now after that good meal and bath. Did you get the bear skeleton frame built for me? Is it finished?"
"Yes all done. We tested it, and everything works just fine, just like you wanted. Chug and Molly know how to operate the arms and legs and I, Alfeo and Elfrida practiced pushing it around on the rollers in the wood shop. We think we will be able to get it down Kris Kringle Boulevard just fine," said Algar.
"Well we can get over to the shop in the morning, to mount the bear fur and bear head, and see what it looks like on the wooden frame. However, for the rest of the night can we just relax a bit, have a cup of tea, and maybe get a little more sleep. We're going to have a long day tomorrow, fixing and mounting that skin and getting it ready. Of course, it will be Christmas Eve tomorrow night at the stroke of midnight, so everything has to be just right. I guess we're going to find out if all this work was worth it won't we?" asked Louis.
"Yep, your right Louis, it will all be over with, at the next stroke of midnight, be it good or bad, we will know soon enough" said Algar with a little bit of a worried look on his face.
A few slow, soft sentimental songs and a few Christmas songs were song by Molly to Algar, and Elvina, throughout the last of the night, to their utter delight. Then Algar feeling a little spry went over and stood in the middle of the room. He recited an old limerick, and a few new poems that he had especially written for the occasion.
They were just wonderful and very cleverly written; which Louis especially appreciated. Chug just mostly ate the left ov
er apple pie, and drank some pale ale. As the night came to a quite close, everyone fell fast asleep, trying not to think too much about Black Jack Tilly, Big Belly Bill, Rags Martin, and all the other crooks or about Charlie being sick.
Christmas Eve was now only...a day...away.
As the next day broke, a quick breakfast was served by Elvina consisting of hot oatmeal, and baked apple slices, freshly baked cherry strudel pastries and cinnamon tea. Then out the door towards the elf's workshop with Algar leading the way. They pulled the skid that Louis had left behind the home last evening, down a back alley to the workshop. The doors were wide open. Inside already working, were about ten workingmen putting the final touches, on the giant wood skeleton of Growler the Cave Bear.
"It looks great and built right to my specifications. The proportions look correct and it looks like it should share the great weight of the fur just right," said Louis.
"Well we had over forty workingmen, and twenty elf shop-workers, building it at any one time, the other day. We followed your directions, and drawings exactly the way you wanted them. See look, the arms, and legs can be operated from the center of the wooden base inside of the skeleton just like you asked," said Elfrida the Second-Lead Elf.
Louis climbed up into the heart of the frame and gave it a good shaking. It was strong and sturdy.
"This is just perfect. Let's get the skin and head mounted, then see if it works." said Louis with a big smile on his face. It had been so long since Louis was really, happy Molly instantly picked up on his good mood.
"We need to all cheer up a bit. The trip has been so very long but it's all almost over now. Everything will work out fine, so let's have a good time while we finish with the building of this contraption. I will start things out Louis. Now Louis when we get back home, I'm going to take you dancing at the town square again. You can sing as you did the last time, with the band on stage. Chug you can dance with Tessie. And this time give her a kiss on the cheek. Heck why don't you even give her that pin that Captain Legrande gave you, then ask her to be your girl?"
"Well, maybe your right Molly, I have been missing her, a whole bunch since we've been gone. I know I have not been talking a lot about her since we left but she sure has been on my mind...the last few months. You know Molly I'm going to do it, just like you said. I will pin her, and ask her to be my girl. After watching you and Louis become such good friends on this trip, it looks like fun having a girlfriend. You know it's not too bad...having a girl around all the time."
"Are you sure you want to do that Chug. What if...she starts wearing Crimson Passion lipstick?" asked Louis as he smacked his lips.
"Louis you wait...one day...just one day" said Molly as she smiled at Louis and his white head of hair.
"You know Louis I really miss my mom, Rosalind. I always knew I loved her, but I did not really know how much, until we left on our trip. She would always come up to my room and tuck me in at night...and I really miss that Louis..."
"Yeah, I miss that too Molly. I've been thinking about my mom and dad a lot as well. I can't wait to get back home," said Chug as his face started looking sadder and sadder.
"Yeah, I miss my mom too guys. We have been gone so long. Those weeds in the vegetable garden must be higher than that Ole' jackrabbit that lives out in Mr. Beamer's vegetable garden...you know...Mr. Digger the Rabbit...and the fields have not been plowed this year as they should have been. The picket fence needs fixing in the front yard, and I still got to pick those tomatoes. I just ran off and left my chores un-done...!" cried out Louis.
"Well thanks for cheering us Molly. Keep up the good work" said Chug.
"Oh, you guys stop it now. You'll all, be back home in no time, and everybody in Centerville will most likely throw you a big party when you get there. All of your mom's and dad's will be there and there will be kisses all around, dancing, singing, good food to be eaten, and of course Chug, you can ask Tessie to be your girl, but please can we all just get back to work now? We only have a little over seven more hours and then its show time," said Algar who was way up on the top of the wooden frame trying to place Growlar's head in place with a few other elves.
Louis heard all that Algar said especially the part about Chug and Molly's dad missing them. This just broke Louis's heart. He was trying to do so much good in the world, and he was being so noble, and fine, in trying to save Christmas and Charlie.
His friends all loved him and he could make new friends easily. He was well liked, by all of the town's folk back home. He always tried the best he could, to get all his chores done and do his homework on time. Somehow, Louis always thought that it was his fault that his dad went off, and was never seen by anyone again.
What if he went off to war to leave his mom?
Or worse!
What if he went away because of...Louis?
Maybe Louis had broke up his mom and dad up?
Oh poor Louis, his vivid imagination was just running wild again. Then in a moment of weakness, Louis thought the worst. You know, sometimes it's not so fun having an imagination after all. Maybe Black Jack Tilly was right, about kids not needing their dreams and imaginations. After Louis sat for a moment to rethink what he just said, a moment of good sense came back to him. Man, Louis you can never think like that again. You have to be strong for everyone else, and especially for yourself.
Maybe it was because he missed his mom so very much or that he had such a big task ahead still with Black Jack Tilly? Nevertheless, whatever it was, he missed his dad now more than ever. It would take him almost three more months to get back to Centerville to see his mom again. It was all so much that it just hit Louis right in his stomach, and sort of knocked the wind out of him.
Louis hung his head for a few more minutes, then walked to the back of the shop to be alone just to think about everything that was before him, just a little bit more.
Elvina saw Louis stray off. She went over to try to comfort little Louis the best she could.
"You know Louis you are the bravest little kid I ever met in my whole life. You're very kind, and of course very talented. Why the way you sing, dance and play that flute well you're going to make a fine husband someday, and you will especially make a good father."
Elvina looked down at Louis, and then took a small handkerchief out of her skirt pocket. She wiped away the tears that were now running down Louis's wrinkled face and across a few of his white whiskers.
"Do you really think I will make a good father? Really, do you Elvina?"
"Why absolutely you will Louis, and you know what else? I think that your father is going to come back home to you soon. Matter of fact, did you know Louis that since you have been on the road for the last few months, that the war overseas is finally over. Some of the soldiers have even been coming home already. Therefore, you just keep that in the back of your mind when you're dancing with Molly, or your Hattie May back on that dance floor, when you get home. Who knows maybe you will even see your dad."
"Well thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you like my singing, you know most girls do. I have a gift you know...," said Louis with a wink in his eye.
"Yeah you do have a gift Louis. You have the special gift of being the sweetest boy in the whole world, even though you look about fifty years old. Now why don't you go over and give Molly a big hug, then get back to work? It's almost five now and it will be dark in an hour, so the bewitching hour will soon be at hand."
"OK, thanks again Elvina. Thanks for cheering me up, and especially thanks for telling me about all the fathers starting to come home from the war. I can still dream you know."
As Louis walked back into the center of the woodshop, Algar yelled out.
"We're all done. I think that will do it boys. All let out a joyous shout in unison while looking at their handy-work. Louis stood there looking up with the others, in just in complete a
w.
Growlar had come back to life!
He was back, bigger and scarier than ever before.
Growlar's bearskin and head fit over the frame and skeleton perfectly. Louis and his friends had done it, yet again.
"Well, look at that Louis, what bear did you slay? He looks alive and well to me," said Alfeo.
"Climb in and try the arms, legs and mouth out, to see if they work. Come on Molly, Chug get inside," said Louis.
Chug climbed in first. He took his place behind the pulley's and levers, where the legs and arms were to be operated from, and then quickly grabbed at the main handle in the center of the console. Chug pulled down on a large handle, and when he did a few large wheels, quickly started to spin which sent Growlar's paws high up in the air.
Chug let out a high scream of joy.
"Man, look at me I'm a hungry bear. Watch out for my claws!"
Chug bent down and talked into a large wooden megaphone attached to a voice box, which made his voice sound deeper and more menacing. Chug growled like a bear, which made Louis laugh right along with Molly and Algar.
"Man did that sound like a wild bear or what?" said Chug as he growled into the megaphone time after time.
Molly was next. She jumped up on a small wooden platform right above where Chug was sitting. She in turn grabbed one of the wooden levers. This one operated the head and mouth. Molly opened up Growlar's mouth as Chug let out a few more, low guttural growling sounds into the megaphone.
Louis again laughed and started to clap his hands in exuberance. As he did this all the other elves and workingmen in the woodshop, started to laugh and clap right along with him.
"Now it's time for the Really Big Show. Watch this Louis," said Molly as she pulled as hard as she could on another large wooden handle planted right in front of her. And as she did this Growlar's jaws dropped open one more time. A full stream of orange and blue flames came pouring out, from deep within his throat, to about fifteen feet out in front of him.
"How about that Louis?" screamed out Molly with a wild look on her face "I had the elves add this feature all on my own, adds to the effects, don't you think?"
"Molly I love it. If this doesn't work the way we planned, then we may as well just give up and go back home. I will go back to daydreaming, Chug you go back to playing third base for the Giants, and Molly you can go back to being Hot Tamale Molly again."
"Well this is going to work, and I still might go back to being Hot Tamale Molly just for fun."
All smiled at this last quip by Molly, which added to the feeling that their plans were going to work out after all. They were all so happy that all of their latest hard work seemed to have come off without a hitch and that all was set for the Big Show tonight down at the hall of the Great Wrapping-Machine.
"We must all go home for now, to rest a little, and get a bite to eat because it's been a very long day. All are to meet back here tonight at seven," said Algar.
Louis, Molly, and Chug agreed.
Chug with Molly climbed down out of Growlar's insides, grabbed their coats along with Louis, then off they went back to Algar's home, to make their final plans and get a little rest.
After arriving back at Algar's home, and eating a delicious meal cooked by Elvina all the children laid down on their beds for about hour to sleep. Algar and Elvina sat at the kitchen table in the center of the room to talk things over.
"Algar do you think this is this a good idea, having the children so involved, like this? Do you think this will work?"
"Well, Elvina we were unable to stop Black Jack and his friends from their evil plan to high-jack Christmas. It has been almost five months now, with no answers, or solutions by anyone around here. Louis and his friends seemed to have thwarted so many obstacles in their way, to get here, and Louis's plan to get the Magic Jingle Bells back, appears to be a good one. Therefore, I think we should have confidence in them, and just follow the plan that is now set in place. Let's just see what happens. After all maybe there is more to these three children than we know."
"OK Algar, you're almost always right, but I want you to be by their side tonight, if this plan doesn't work, then I want you to get the kids out of there, right away.
"I will Elvina, I promise you."
"I love you Elvina."
"I love you too Algar."
Algar ate the last of the evening's meal then took about a thirty-minute nap in his bed, when the kids woke up, and began to prepare for the night's event.
"Louis, you're going to be out front right and doing all the talking. I with Molly will work the levers. Algar and his elves will push Growlar towards the great hall, right?"
"That's right Chug. Now when I raise my staff in my left hand, you rise up the paws and start growling into the megaphone. Molly when I raise my other hand with the bear teeth in them, you pull that lever down as you did before, and make him breathe that fire. Once we got Black Jack Tilly, Rags, Cool Joe and those two crazy kids of his Sleaze Ball Tom and Big Belly Bill running scared, then Chug you crawl up from inside up on that ladder there, grab the Magic Jingle Bells and out you go, back towards Charlie's stall. And you remember where I told you his stall is, right?"
"Yeah, I got it Louis. We have been over this three times already."
"OK Chug, just making sure. Algar you and the elves hide behind the rear of the platform. Every time I tap my staff on the ground, you all push Growlar a few feet ahead. Now everyone knows the plan, we're all on the same page right?"
All answered back in agreement.
"And if we hit a snag then I will just have to ad-lib it as I go. So try, and follow my lead the best you can and one last thing. To be able to pull this off without a hitch, remember we are all a team. But most of all remember, "There is no "I in team", but there is a I in Win" so if this doesn't work then I'm sorry, I will just have to get this done on my own, because that is how much my Charlie means to me" said Louis with a look of sheer determination appearing on his face again.
The chime of the clock struck seven o'clock on the wall of Algar's home.
All headed down to the elf's wood-shop off of, Santa Claus Boulevard at the far end of town. Upon reaching the front doors and entering, they found Elgar and all the other elf's right where they should be and ready for the night to begin.
Chug and Molly climbed into the belly of Growlar, pulled the bear skin around them and secured it in place from the rear. They then tightly grasped the wooden levers and held on tightly. Algar, Elgar, Alfeo, and a few other elves: put on some dark clothes matching the color of Growlar's fur, placed themselves right behind Growlar's large behind, gripped the handles on the wooden platform, and were all ready to start, the big push down through Santa's village towards the great hall.
Louis put his over-sized bearskin coat and fur hat on, strung the Bear's teeth around his neck, he then placed his trusted walking stick into his left hand. He turned around to look at all the workingmen and elves in the hall, looked up at Growlar, smiled broadly, and yelled out.
"Black Jack Tilly your demise is at hand!"
Everyone yelled out in excitement at the tops of their lungs as Louis took his position at the front of the parade; some of the lower ranking workingmen flung the two tall front doors of the wood-shop open, when Louis called out one more time at the top of his lungs.
"On to the...Great Hall!"
Sleaze Ball Tom and Big Belly Bill were right where they were supposed to be, standing guard in the center of the room right below where the Magic Jingle Bells were hanging. The great wrapping-machine was up and running full bore, wrapping all of the bad gifts for the children of the world this year, just as Black Jack had planned.
The elves and workingmen at work in the Great Hall, all had sad and sullen looks on their faces, as they worked under Black Jack's ruthless rule. All
the time knowing that the gifts they had made, and were being wrapped this year, were being used for bad purposes, to ruin all the kid's (around the world) imaginations.
Cool Joe Biggs was barking out orders while standing on the main-control platform in front of The Great Wrapping-Machine all the while laughing, smiling, and enjoying his dirty work to no end.
"This will be just great. We're going to be able to control these kids' minds and the entire toy market, at the same time. Were gonna be rolling in dough, I tell ya. And I just love ice, just love it. But the only thing I like better than gnawing on ice is...stealing money" said Cool Joe.
Cool Joe then lit up that terrible smile of his, looking towards the workingmen and elves, which just scared the heck out of everyone in the hall.
"Oh those teeth!" said Uloff (a low rung working elf) to one of the workingmen.
"I can't stand to look at em. That is the worst smile and teeth, I have ever seen. They are just horrible."
"Just keep your head down and keep working. Someone has to do something about this. You just watch someday, Charlie will be back and he'll take care of these guys."
It was early Christmas Eve around seven thirty. Black Jack Tilly was standing over at one side of the wrapping-machine, keeping track of the toys coming down the conveyor belt, and making sure that no imaginative or good toys accidentally had been wrapped, or shipped off. There were thousands upon thousands of wrapped toys, stacked up at one side of The Great Hall, that were being loaded on horse-carts, to be pulled down to all the towns and cities; starting tonight, and well into the next few weeks. The toys would be late to most of the kids this year so that would make all the bad toys they made this year seem, all that much better. The children should be happy they're getting any toys at all, thought Black Jack as he kept a watchful eye over all the workers.
Rags Martin was barking out orders at the loading docks, towards the rear of The Great Hall. He was deep into his work.
"Send those broken sling-shots, girl's dolls with no eyes, stuffed animals with no hair over to those carts, over there. Be sure those are the first shipments of the night. Take the snow sleds with no sleds on the bottom, the flat playground balls, and the red wagons, without any handles over to that shipping container over there. Good broken and bad toys going out...this is going to be great," said Rags as he constantly blew his nose into his wet, dirty, old handkerchief.