“You were right” Snegurochka said in alarm “there was another bridge over which they have crossed. Now they are after us”.
“We must fix this wheel” there was a panic in Mrs. Santa’s voice as well.
“I think that might not be possible” Snegurockka said “the carriage is too heavy for us to lift the tilting edge and fix the wheel simultaneously. Besides, we don’t have enough time”.
By now, the chasers were within sight.
“Oh my god!” Mrs. Santa exclaimed.
“We must abandon the carriage” Snegurochka said. She untied two horses quickly, and said, “let’s ride away on these two horses”.
Mrs. Santa stood silently.
“What happened?” Snegurochka burst out “We don’t have a moment to lose”.
Mrs. Santa hesitated, shook her head and gave an imploring look. Finally let out her dark secret “I can’t ride a horse”.
“Give me your hand” Snegurochka said and almost pulled her up and placed her on the horseback. Then she carried Mrs. Santa like a young prince carrying off his princess bride.
They galloped forward. The chasers were at their heels.
Snegurochka looked behind. There were at least two-dozen of them.
In front of them, there was a deep forest.
“Stop! Or we shall fire” one of them shouted at Snegurochka, aiming his musket.
“We mustn’t surrender” Mrs. Santa said.
“I’ll never surrender” Snegurochka replied back to Mrs. Santa “he must be bluffing”. She headed straight towards the forest.
Bang! Bang!!
Two shots reverberated with ear blowing loudness, but missed the target.
“Guys get them!” the commander of the chasers shouted at his men “I’ll hang all of you if you miss them. I want them alive”.
Snegurochka was whipping her horse frantically.
They entered the deep forest, with the Devil’s henchmen in close pursuit.
Snegurochka dodged to the left to deceive them and disappeared in the thick woods.
All of a sudden, the chasers lost sight of them. The leader ordered his men to split into three groups and hunt them down. One headed straight ahead, the second towards right, and the third one continued to follow them.
“They’ll hear the sound of our horse hooves” Mrs. Santa said.
“Sorry, but we can’t avoid that” Snegurochka said, “It will be foolhardy and downright foolishness to stop here”.
They galloped away. The third group of chasers heard them and continued their chase.
Suddenly the horse lurched to one side. Both Snegurochka and Mrs. Santa were thrown off.
The horse galloped away.
“Oh, my foot” Mrs. Santa yelled “I have sprained my ankle”.
“Come on. Let’s run!” Snegurochka said.
“I can’t even move” Mrs. Santa moaned, “My ankle might have fractured”.
“Then, let’s move to that huge fallen tree” Snegurochka said and dragged along Mrs. Santa.
Somehow, they managed to cover thirty yards and reach the fallen oak tree. They hid among the branches.
The chasers had almost reached them. They were rapidly closing in on them.
* * *
Mrs. Santa held her fist tightly over Snegurochka’s mouth “Remain absolutely still, my child”. They watched the horse riders passing barely a few metres away.
The chasers started encircling the very spot where both of them were lying.
There was no escape.
Snegurochka lifted a stone and hurled it. It struck the trunk of a distant pine tree, with a loud noise.
“There they are! Get them!” They charged at the pine tree
“Now let’s run!” Snegurochka said and dragged along Mrs. Santa.
They ran as fast as they could. Mrs. Santa was limping and her face was twitching with extreme pain.
Hardly had they ran two hundred yards, they reached a hill. They hadn’t seen it earlier due to the dense forest.
The chasers were returning back. This time they were both trapped.
They ran along the foot of the cliff. “We can’t compete with their fast horses” Snegurochka said “They will catch us within moments. Let’s climb the cliff”.
They climbed, panting and gasping. Mrs. Santa was limping painfully and Snegurochka was pulling her hands with all her might.
The pursuers saw them climbing.
They abandoned their horses and started climbing too. They followed both of them to the top of the cliff. On the other side, the cliff face was vertical, dropping down hundreds of feet. There was a raging torrential river flowing beneath.
There was absolutely no escape. They were hopelessly trapped.
The pursuer had almost reached them.
“Let’s jump off the cliff” Snegurochka cried in desperation.
“Oh my God! That will be suicide” Mrs. Santa almost burst in tears “I don’t want to die”.
“Jump!” Snegurochka shouted.
“No!” Mrs. Santa pleaded, “I can’t swim”.
Mrs. Santa looked down and shivered. She held her head tightly with both her hands “I am feeling dizzy. I am extremely afraid of heights since my childhood”. She looked pale and on the verge of fainting with fear.
Mrs. Santa gave out a faint moan and started collapsing.
“No!” Snegurochka shouted after her. “Take a big leap forward. If you just drop down, you may hit some rock and break your head” Snegurochka bent forward, within a split second and extended her hand. She was just able to catch the tip of Mrs. Santa’s fingers. They were moist and slippery. They slipped from Snegurochka’s hand, and down she fell like a ripe fruit.
A few moments later she fell on the river with a splashing sound.
“Oh my God! She will drown!” Snegurochka exclaimed in horror.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to the utmost capacity, raised her hands, brought the palms together, and posing like a diver; she leapt forward, off the cliff’s edge.
Moments later, she was struggling in the raging muddy water, swimming towards Mrs. Santa. She saw drowning Mrs. Santa’s head and hands popping out of water occasionally, as she was being swept away by the powerful current.
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Chapter 43
The ransom letter
Ded Moroz and Mr.Santa Claus were in a state of deep shock. They pledged to join hand in the search and rescue.
Next day, the search party found Snegurochka’s scarf and Mrs Santa’s handkerchief. It became clear that both of them have been kidnapped. But the search party found no further clues.
Two days passed.
Moroz’s friends Gwaizdor and Telapo had arrived to offer him consolations and hearten him up. Santa Claus and his cousin Sinterklaas were also present in the same hall.
There was an air of depression and gloom in the room. Both Santa and Ded Moroz appeared heart-broken with sorrow and anxiety.
The atmosphere changed abruptly when they received a ransom letter, written in blood.
The letter was addressed to Mr. Santa Claus. Apart from an astronomical ransom demand for the release of Mrs. Santa, a postscript was also added:
[P.S. Tell your friend Moroz that her granddaughter Snegurochka is alive and safe. But she is too stunningly beautiful to be released on ransom.]
There was no signature on the letter.
“A poison pen letter!” Santa exclaimed.
“What’s written on that letter?” Ded Moroz demanded anxiously.
Without saying anything, Mr. Santa Claus handed him the letter.
Ded Moroz read it and blurted angrily “Now everything is clear to me. It is all a stage managed affair”.
“What do you mean?” Mr. Santa asked.
“What have you taken me for-a fool? Just tell me why only Mrs. Santa’s release is mentioned. Why there is no mention of release of Snegurochka?”
“Of course they have mentioned about Snegurochka”
Santa said “They are refusing to release her”.
“All evidences and logic are pointing at you” Moroz said “When I was scolding Snegurochka for insisting to join the hunting, it was you who interfered. You insisted that she should have some adventure!”
“What do you want to say?” Santa Claus asked warily.
“The kidnappers were your men” Ded Moroz bellowed.
“You are accusing me of kidnap of Snegurochka?” Santa Claus said.
“Yes!!” Ded Moroz thundered.
“But then why should I kidnap my own wife?” Santa asked.
“Just to act innocent!” Moroz hissed in anger “It’s all a stage affair”.
“Oh my God!” Santa said.
Both Telapo and Gwaizdor stood up in Moroz’s support. “Ded Moroz is right” they said “You’ll be paying fake ransom to your own men. Thus your wife will roam free, but Snegurochka will be in your secret custody”.
“What do you intend to do with my granddaughter?” Ded Moroz burst out in anger.
Next moment, his voice changed abruptly to a pleading tone “Please release her without any harm. I shall pay you heavy ransom. She is the dearest to my heart”.
“But how can I release her?” Mr. Santa tried to explain. But before he could say anything, Ded Moroz raised his silver staff “If you don’t release her immediately, I’ll freeze you stone-hard. And then no magician or enchantment can ever thaw you again”.
“Be sensible Moroz” Sinterklaas interrupted instantly “For heaven’s sake, calm down. My cousin is innocent. He is a victim himself like you”.
“What my cousin says is true” Mr. Santa said, “Please believe me”.
“Believe you?” Ded Moroz yelled, “Why should I believe you? You are playing dirty tricks and asking me to believe in your innocence!”
“Oh my God!” Santa blurted again “I don’t know how to convince you”.
“If you really have no hand, then prove it,” Ded Moroz said with a determined tone.
“What proof do you want?” Mr. Santa asked.
“Promise me that you will not try to release your wife alone, but attempt to release my granddaughter as well” Ded Moroz said.
Mr. Santa Claus hesitated and remained silent.
“Will you ditch me and pay the ransom for releasing your wife alone?” Ded Moroz said “And, what about my granddaughter? I trusted your friendship and accepted your invitation for this hunting party. Now it is an acid test of friendship”.
Mr. Santa stood silently, gazing at the floor.
All of a sudden he stood confidently, as if he had strongly made up his mind.
“To prove my innocence….” Santa declared to everybody present “…I will not pay any ransom for releasing my wife; whatever may be the consequences, but join hands with Ded Moroz in the rescue and release of both my wife and Snegurochka”.
On hearing this, Ded Moroz embraced Mr. Santa tightly and kissed his cheek and beard. Thus crisis brought them together as friends, and they swore to trust each other.
* * *
Both of them decided to pool together all their resources and apply their maximum capacity in the rescue efforts.
Mr. Santa asked his ‘helper’, Director Belsnickel, for help.
“Sorry!” Belsnickel said.
Belsnickel even suggested Santa “Pay the ransom to release your wife. Why to take headache on behalf of rascal Ded Moroz?”
“Look, I’m not asking your advice” Mr. Santa replied angrily “I have been heavily funding your ‘Children’s International Association’ for years. You must repay accordingly”.
“My organization has already repaid you more than your money’s worth by offering valuable services…” Belsnickel said “…and besides, I am not your servant. As I always said: I am your helper. I am trying to help to you by suggesting to pay the ransom. That’s the easiest and sweetest solution”.
Ded Moroz asked Koschei, the head of his secret unit, for help.
“We must grasp at the straws to rescue them” Ded Moroz said to convince Koschei.
“I won’t even move a straw without consulting Jack first. Or else he might break the egg” Koschei said, but offered no further explanation. This reply stunned Ded Moroz.
“What egg are you talking about?” Moroz asked with deep irritation. Koschei kept his mouth tight shut.
Another day passed. They received yet another letter written in blood:
Dear Santa and Moroz
Both Snegurochka and Mrs. Santa are in my safe custody. I have decided to double the ransom amount for release of Mrs. Santa. But Snegurochka is too stunningly beautiful to be released on ransom for any amount.
Sincerely,
Lord D
[P.S. Do anything foolhardy and you will never see them again.]
“Oh my god!” Mr. Santa exclaimed, “It’s the Devil himself. He is demanding double ransom!”
Ded Moroz was also thunderstruck. “We are facing an extremely difficult situation” he explained unnecessarily “Rescuing them will be much tougher than we expected”.
Both Moroz and Santa approached the fast emerging leader of Elf-land ‘Makarios Ameer’ for help. ‘Makarios’ politely but firmly refused to get involved in their personal affair and risk direct enmity with powerful Devil. “Devil has partially ditched his ogre, troll and gnome allies after their defeat” Makarios Ameer justified his decision “but getting involved in this will invite trouble for elf-land”.
Disappointment gripped Santa and Moroz. They were facing the worst dilemma in their life.
Finally, Mr. Santa and Ded Moroz agreed on one point. “Jack, the spiritual leader of the dark Halloween world is the only person we are aware of, who has risen enough in power curve to dare to challenge the Devil” Ded Moroz said. “Yes, he is our last hope” Mr. Santa said “we must go to Jack on our knees, whatever may be the consequences”.
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Chapter 44
Crisis Hours
Jack met his adopted sister Snegurochka in the damp and bleak underground dungeon of Pandemonium.
Snegurochka narrated her story.
“…And then we were both saved from drowning in the torrential stream by those chasers. We were taken to Krampus in the interior of Black forest-“
“Krampus?! Are you sure?” Jack asked in disbelief.
“Yes!” Snegurochka replied with tears in her eyes “Krampus had assured me that I am being kidnapped only for ransom. I shall be returned as soon as the amount is paid. But now, Devil has changed his mind”.
“What do you mean?” Jack asked.
“Devil has set a deadline for me to marry him, or else…” Snegurochka broke in a sob.
“Or else what?” Jack asked.
Snegurochka didn’t say anything, but silently wiped her tears. She pointed at a small model of a guillotine lying on the prison table. “Devil kept it there himself as a reminder for me. That’s what my fate holds if I refuse…”
“Oh that son-of-a-bitch!” Jack burst out with rage “How shameful of him even to dream of marrying an underage girl! He has no respect for a lady’s refusal!”
At that very moment, one of the dungeon guards approached them and said “Sorry, the time is up!” Jack recognized instantly that he was one of those who had tortured him and whipped him to the point of death in the torture chamber of that same dungeon. The tortures were so extreme, that at one point, Jack had even considered suicide.
Jack held Snegurochka’s hand and said, “I am afraid I must leave now. I was allowed a very brief meeting….” He pressed Snegurochka’s hand and said in an assuring tone “Don’t worry, my sister. I’ll try my best to release you at the earliest. Have faith in me. And please…for heaven’s sake…don’t do anything rash”.
* * *
Jack met Devil and boldly demanded immediate release of Snegurochka, reminding Devil that she was kidnapped only for ransom.
“I understand that this kidnap was carried out only to forcefully reco
ver Moroz’s debt” Jack said.
“What makes you think so?” Devil asked playfully, cleaning his fingernails.
“Since the ransom amount you had demanded was equal to the amount Moroz owes you with interest. I assure you that Moroz will be able to borrow that amount from Santa and Sinterklaas and pay you ransom”.
“You are absolutely confused my friend” Devil said, “I had demanded that ransom for the release of Mrs. Santa. I never demanded a single penny for Snegurochka”.
“You can get the same ransom amount for Snegurochka as well” Jack said.
“Snegurochka is too stunningly beautiful to be released on ransom. She deserves the hand of the most suitable suitor; she’s mine. Besides, my conscience simply won’t allow me to release her: it has become a prestige issue to me” Devil replied. “And regarding the ransom amount you are suggesting” Devil continued “I shall get it anyway. I have doubled the ransom amount for Mrs. Santa! Instead of lending to Moroz to pay me, Santa can directly pay me”.
“Where is Mrs. Santa?” Jack asked in an outrageous tone “I didn’t see her in the dungeon”.
“Why do you need to know that?” Devil asked in a humorous tone “Do you want to have an affair with her?” Devil broke into peals of laughter at his own silly joke. His henchmen surrounding him also broke into guffaws of laughter.
When their laughter ceased, Devil said, “For your kind information, she is in the basement, safely locked. I suppose she will find it as comfortable as her home, baking cookies there”.
Again there was an outburst of laughter.
“You must respect a young lady’s wish” Jack protested “You can’t marry Snegurochka against her will”.
“Don’t show your temper to me!” Devil became furious “Are you going to teach me what I can and what I can’t do?”
“Snegurochka is absolutely innocent” Jack said “You must release her immediately”.
“What if I don’t?” Devil said. He pulled out a rolled parchment from his overcoat “And regarding you…do you know what will happen to you if I throw this parchment in the eternal flames of embers?”
Devil tucked the parchment back and said “I have always thought of doing that, and rather have an uncontrollable impulse of throwing that in the burning embers”. He turned his face and shouted “Guards!! Remove away Jack instantly from my sight”.
Beelzebub approached Devil, and whispered in his ears “Why don’t you throw the parchment in burning embers right now?”
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