business, Santa chattered away. Denby even heard the man talking as he went down a chimney, his voice echoing and fading. The first time this happened Blitzen turned around and grinned at Denby, shaking his head. Denby felt as if Blitzen was including him in some kind of inside joke and he wagged his tail. Though Denby wasn’t sure what the joke was, he loved being included. It made him feel as if he belonged.
When the Los Angeles deliveries were successfully completed, Santa grew quiet for a time. Denby asked Santa about his most difficult delivery. He found he just liked to hear the merry old man talk.
“That would be in the Florida Everglades ten years ago,” Santa said. “Remember that one, Blitzen? Those two gators thought they’d like the taste of reindeer.” Santa laughed. “They were no match for Donner and Blitzen, but I must admit that I was well and truly scared.”
Blitzen smiled and looked very proud. Denby was impressed. He was already impressed by the reindeers’ flying skills. Now he knew that they were able to deal with alligators too.
On they flew. The sleigh didn’t feel like it was moving terribly fast, but every time Denby looked down, the land below looked completely different. They were making quick work of the deliveries.
As the night wore on, Denby could tell that Santa was growing a bit tired. He seemed to get just a little clumsy, the way Denby had been when he’d first woken up to find himself alone in the desert. Santa didn’t fall over or anything, but his balance was a little off.
“Are you alright, sir?” Denby asked cautiously. Santa explained that he had an ear infection.
“I am not feeling my best, but having a friend right here,” Santa said, patting Denby on the back, “sure helps.” Denby wondered if he had an ear infection too. Maybe that was why he had been dizzy earlier.
As they skimmed over the houses in San Jose, Costa Rica, a tin soldier fell out of the big bag and clattered onto a metal roof below, creating a loud clanging noise. Immediately, five Chihuahuas started yapping loudly. With one loud bark, Denby silenced the yappers. “Good work,” Santa said with a smile. “Now I don’t have to worry about getting nipped when I deliver the presents.”
“That normally wouldn’t happen,” said Santa. “We have a Sleigh Shield, which prevents toys, and me, from falling out of the sleigh. It’s a protective barrier and very helpful. Unfortunately, it’s broken. Alton, the Sleigh Elf, didn’t get it fixed in time.” Santa grumbled. “I wonder about him sometimes. He seems to be getting more and more disorganized and forgetful.”
“Sometimes?” Blitzen said sarcastically.
“Don’t be unkind Blitzen,” Santa said, a hard edge to his voice. Blitzen tipped his head down.
“I’m sorry Santa,” he said in a small voice.
“No harm done, dear friend,” Santa replied. Blitzen looked a little relieved and nodded.
Santa turned back to the bag as the sleigh flew across the sky, oceans slipping away beneath them. Santa groaned as he dug into his bag.
“What’s the matter?” Denby asked, worried that Santa’s ear was causing him pain the same way Denby’s head injury gave him a headache.
“Some gifts were not sorted correctly. We’re going to have to fly east before we can head north. We should have delivered these presents early in the trip when we were in Connecticut. What a nuisance!”
Winter was making itself felt all over northeast North America. A mix of rain, snow and wind made travel in Santa’s sleigh very difficult.
This was Santa’s second stop in these parts. If the gifts for the Hartford, Connecticut area had been properly sorted, Santa and his team would have been back at the North Pole by now. He would have been tucked up warm in his bed, his aching ears stuffed with cotton soaked in an elixir Mrs. Claus made to treat all winter ailments. How he wished that he could just turned the sleigh towards home, but Santa had to do the right thing. His heart was warmed every time he read all the names of the good boys and girls of the world. If he did not give a toy to every good child it would be like losing a part of his heart.
“Children are counting on us,” he had said more than once to Denby. Knowing this still didn’t make it easy to work. Santa’s ear infection made it hard for him to keep his balance. Every time he reached back for toys in the never-emptying bag he got dizzy and it felt as if the sleigh was spinning. “I wish Charvat Blair were here to give me a potion for this darn dizziness.”
“Who’s Charvat Blair?” asked Denby.
“Oh, you’ll meet her. She makes spells and potions for us North Pole folk and others. Unfortunately, because of a mistake she made once, her powers only work between Halloween and Christmas Eve,” Santa said, looking at his watch. “So I guess she couldn’t help me right now anyway because it is Christmas morning. Though Mrs. Claus’s elixirs work well, they are nothing compared to what Charvat Blair can make. Charvat is not the most reliable of people, but her magic is pure and powerful, which is not surprising when one considers that she comes from a long line of magic workers. It is said that leprechauns gave her ancestor his magic ability, which might explain why she has a habit of doing things that cause trouble. Leprechauns are such mischievous creatures.”
Dawn was approaching. Santa hurried, racing against the sun.
At long last Santa brought the sleigh to a stop. It hovered high above a large Hartford apartment building. Denby watched as Santa reached into his sack for another load of gifts. The wind swept around them and howled. Denby didn’t like the way the sleigh rocked. The sleigh wobbled as Santa gathered boxes and parcels together. Then, without warning, the sleigh tipped to one side. Santa cried out as he slipped over the edge of the sleigh.
Not taking a moment to think, Denby acted. He rushed forward, his four paws helping him to keep his balance. Grabbing Santa’s jacket with his teeth, Denby pulled with all his might. His claws scrabbled for purchase and his teeth locked tight onto the red velvet and white trim of Santa’s coat. Santa was a solid fellow and he weighed a lot more than Denby did, but somehow Denby found the strength to hold on. He heard the reindeer calling out in alarm, heard the fear in their voices, and he pulled harder. Santa grabbed the edge of the sleigh and with much puffing and panting he, with Denby’s help, managed to get himself back into the sleigh.
“Phew,” Santa said, lying in the bottom of the sleigh. “That was a close one!”
“Too close!” said Blitzen. “Are you all right, Santa? Denby, what about you?” The reindeer’s voice trembled a little.
With difficulty Denby managed to get his teeth to unclench and he let go of Santa’s coat. His teeth felt numb, and his legs were shaking. “I think I am all right,” the dog said, though he really did not know that for a fact. He felt very strange.
“As am I,” said Santa, and he sat up. “Goodness, if you had not been here, Denby, I would have fallen.” The big man reached out and gently pulled Denby to him, giving him a warm hug. “Thank you, Denby.”
Though Denby could not remember his past, he knew that he had never felt this happy in his entire life. He had felt Santa’s gratitude and love. The feeling of happiness was such a strong
