It's Time For Christmas Wishes, Charlie Boone! - 1. Chapter 1

Part One -

 

"Christmas comes but once a year," Kippy said brightly, smiling.

Charlie Boone sighed softly, knowing his boyfriend well enough by now to know that this was just the opening volley in a much bigger battle to come."I have heard that, I think. What's your point?"

Kippy gave a little pout, but then smiled again. "Oh, Charlie, it's such a special time for us." He snuggled a little closer, and ran his hand slowly over the warm flesh of Charlie's belly. "I want it to be incredible this year, just like it was last year."

Charlie laughed, but drew his arm just a little tighter about his boyfriend. "We spent last Christmas walking around the inside of Santa's dream world. I don't know what we can do that will improve on that."

They were in Charlie's bed, in his bedroom, just another Friday evening with a weekend coming on. It would have been like many other Friday nights, now that both Charlie's and Kippy's parents had gotten used to the two of them being together all the time, but for one thing: the following Tuesday was Christmas, just four days away. And this year, despite their best efforts, they had yet to find anything wonderfully Christmasy to do for the holiday.

Max was busy with his pre-Christmas labors at the shop, and Frit and Pip were apprentices in-training this year. All three elves had apologized for their lack of attention this season; but the boys understood completely, and were not pressing them. Kippy had dragged Charlie to just about every store at the mall, and they had carefully selected gifts for both Ricky and Adrian, and their elf friends. Charlie had already purchased gifts for his parents online and had them shipped; but Kippy curled his lip at such ventures, and insisted on shopping in person.

"What does some warehouse on the other coast know about our friends?" he asked, shaking his head. "We have to pick out gifts in person, Charlie. See them. Touch them. That's what makes them special."

At Charlie's patient look, Kippy had just sighed. "Honestly, Charlie, if it wasn't for me, all tradition would just be out the window."

Charlie had smiled then, and kissed his boyfriend, and let it go at that. Arguing with Kippy was often as pointless as arguing with the wind.

So now here they were, just relaxing, a Friday evening with nothing to do. It was cold outside, there was the possibility of snow in the forecast, and Christmas was coming whether they did something special or not. Charlie had to admit that it didn't quite feel like Christmas yet; but he also knew that that feeling tended to lessen - just a tiny bit - each year, as he got older. It was starting to look like Christmas was a holiday for little kids and parents, and when you were in the middle years of that, there seemed a lot less to look forward to.

Even Ricky and Adrian had begged off their usual Friday night sleepover, which lessened even more the feeling that special days were at hand. Ricky's Uncle Bob had been visiting, and was leaving in the morning. Ricky didn't want to miss spending this last evening with him; and of course, wherever Ricky was, Adrian was, too.

Other than his family, Charlie's greatest joy in life were his friends. His boyfriend, Kippy, first, with Ricky and Adrian close behind. The four of them shared a bond unlike any other, forged in the fires of their many experiences together, and the knowledge that each could trust the others with his very life. Best friends were like that, Charlie figured. Family, in everything but name.

"I have a feeling," Kippy suddenly said, pulling back and staring at Charlie.

Charlie couldn't help but to smile at the serious look on his boyfriend's face. "A feeling, like a cramp in your leg? Or a skwishy feeling, like something good is going to happen?"

Kippy rolled his eyes, but gave Charlie a fond squeeze. "Oh, you. A good feeling, of course." He suddenly blinked. "Oh...get your phone."

Charlie looked over at his cell on the nightstand, just as it rang and the screen lit. He laughed, but reached for it and examined the caller ID displayed there. "Hey, it's Ricky."

He tapped the answer icon, and drew the phone to his ear. "Charlie here. What's up, Rick?""

"Hi, Charlie. Adrian and I are just sitting here with my Uncle Bob."

Charlie smiled. "Hi, Adrian! Hi, Uncle Bob!" Charlie put his cell on speakerphone so that Kip could hear.

They heard Ricky's voice, a little distantly now, as he pulled back from the phone. "Charlie says hi. I'll put the speakerphone on, so everyone can hear."

"So, what're you guys doing?," Charlie continued. "Having a good visit?"

"Oh, definitely. My Uncle Bob's a riot. He's the one I told you about that does magic. I used to help him when I was a kid."

Kippy sat up suddenly, grinning. "He's the one that taught you how to do make-up? And made you up as something you never did tell us about?"

They heard Adrian's distinctive laugh in the background, and then Ricky's sigh. "Oh, hi, Kip. Yeah. He's the one that made me up when I helped him do his shows."

Kippy nodded. "You were going to show us a picture of you made up, too."

"Was I? Must have forgotten. Anyway, I called to ask you if you guys would like to go to Twombly with us tomorrow morning?"

"What's a 'Twombly'?" Kippy asked.

"It's not a 'what', Kippy. It's a 'where'."

Kippy grinned, and Charlie gave his head a little shake. Kippy's eyes were bright, as if he had been expecting this very answer. "Ohhh...Twombly," he said, playing along now. "Of course. Isn't that right down the road from Possumfart Falls?"

Charlie laughed silently, and squeezed Kippy's wrist. They could hear Ricky and Adrian laughing, too.

"No, Kippy," Ricky continued. "Twombly's a little town in Vermont, just across the border. My uncle is doing a benefit magic show there on Sunday, and he's invited Adrian and me to go along. Naturally, I asked if you guys could go, too."

Kippy took in a short breath, and gasped it back out. Then he nodded his head emphatically.

Charlie frowned, but nodded. "Kip's on board already. But I have to ask you this: your uncle will be able to bring us back by Monday afternoon, right? That's Christmas Eve, in case you've forgotten."

"Duh. No, I haven't forgotten. It's about a two-hour drive to get there, but my uncle's coming back here to spend Christmas with us, so we'll definitely be back in time. You guys wanna go? You'll get to see a pretty good magic show, in addition to having a great road trip. Twombly's in the mountains, and it's just amazing there."

Again, Kippy nodded, his eyes widening a little and focusing squarely on Charlie's, to emphasize that he did want to go.

Charlie nodded, as much to Kip as to the phone. "Sure, Rick. Thanks for asking us. We have to talk to our parents; but I don't see them not letting us go."

Ricky gave a soft laugh over the phone. "Now that we're all seventeen, they're starting to treat us like we have some sense."

Kippy rolled his eyes and grinned. "That's because they don't know we've been out roaming around the universe, and all those magic dimensions, with our alien friends and elf buddies."

Ricky laughed, but it sounded strained. "Oh, that's funny, Kip. My Uncle Bob is looking at me like you're nuts."

Kippy made a face, and briefly covered his mouth with a hand, and then dropped it and grinned. "Oops," he mouthed at Charlie.

Charlie just shook his head. "Tell your Uncle Bob that Kip's a clown, and will fit right in with a magic show. He won't even need any make up!"

Kippy feigned an indignant look, but Charlie could see that he was having fun. They heard an unfamiliar voice speaking in the background, and Ricky sounded relieved when he returned. "My uncle says he knows his share of cut-ups, too."

Charlie blinked at the unfamiliar expression, but inferred its meaning immediately. "That's our Kip, always cutting things up."

"So ask your folks, and call me back, okay?"

"Okay, Rick. Might take half an hour or so to find them all. When are you guys leaving?"

"About seven o'clock tomorrow morning. We'll drop by to pick you two up."

"I'd need to go home now and ask, then," Kippy whispered. "And pack a few things to take along."

Charlie looked over at the clock on his nightstand. It wasn't yet nine, so they still had time to tend to things.

"Okay, Rick. We'll see our folks, and I'll call you back as a soon as I can and let you know."

"Great. Talk to you then."

Charlie shut off his phone and laid it back on the nightstand. Then he pulled Kippy closer and kissed him. "You and your skwish. I'm assuming that's why you were suddenly all fired up to take this trip?"

"Uh huh. I felt like it was important that we go with them."

"Then we will." Charlie rubbed his face against Kippy's, and kissed him again.

Kippy grinned beneath the kiss, and squeezed Charlie closer. "I should get dressed and go and ask my parents if I can go."

Charlie nodded. "Think they'll let you?"

"Yes. I'm a big boy now. They've accepted who I am, Charlie, and we get along fine these days. And they like you. They think that if I'm with you, you'll curb my outrageous tendencies."

Charlie laughed at that. "They do, do they? They don't know you very well, then."

Kippy tsked, gave him a gentle slap on the arm, and tossed back the covers. "I'd better go."

Charlie sighed, and got up, too. "I'll go with you. We can ask my folks if I can go on the way out. I'm sure they'll be okay with it, just as long as they know I'll be home for Christmas."

He circled the bed and walked right up to his boyfriend, and took him into his arms. Kippy smiled at him, but didn't pull away. "I thought we were going."

"We are. I was just ready to love you a little before Rick called, and now we have to get out of this nice warm bed and go outside in the cold and the dark. I want one more good, warm hug, and a kiss, to keep me going until we get back."

Kippy smiled, and pushed his face against Charlie's, and kissed him. "Oh, Charlie. You say the nicest things."

Charlie nodded, and kissed his boyfriend another time. "You make it easy, Kip. You really, really do."

 

* * * * * * *

 

Charlie was still sleepy when he and Kippy filed into the kitchen the next morning and took seats at the table. Charlie's mom and dad got up early during the work week, and while his dad liked to sleep an extra hour or so on his days off, Mrs. Boone was an early riser always, and had offered to make them some breakfast before they hit the road. Charlie, never one to trade his own limited cooking skills for his mom's, had agreed.

"Thanks, mom, for helping to get us going. If I had to cook for Kip, he'd be grumpy all the way to Twombly."

Kippy grunted, still not fully awake himself. "You're the only guy I know that can burn water."

Charlie's mom laughed, and broke another egg in the frying pan. "I don't mind. I'd rather see you guys get a good start, anyway." She eyed Kippy pointedly then. "And you know that Charlie has learned his cooking skills from me, and I have never burned water even once."

Kippy smiled then, and cast a fond glance Charlie's way. "I know. I was just kidding. You're both much better with a stove than I am."

Charlie got up and got them plates, silverware, and juice glasses, and poured some orange juice into each glass.

Mrs. Boone went to the toaster and dropped English muffin halves into the slots. "Charlie, I looked up this little town online you're going to, and it really is in the middle of nowhere. I hope that Rick's uncle will keep an eye on the weather, because if you get snowed in there, you'll be stuck." She made a little sad face. "It wouldn't feel like Christmas without you here."

Charlie had meant to look up the place himself the night before; but after walking with Kippy and his travel bag back to Charlie's, they had been chilled, and had gotten back into bed, and well, one thing had led to another. He smiled at the memory. "Uh, rural, huh? I had an idea that it was, just because I'd never heard of the place, and Vermont is not exactly far away."

His mom laughed. "Charlie, there were pictures, and it's barely a town. There's a gas station and a couple of stores, a town hall, a library, and about two hundred people living in homes scattered in the woods around them. Their biggest enterprise is a little motel and lodge at the edge of town. I think the only reason there is even a listing for Twombly at all is that it's considered a 'best kept secret' for good skiing. The seem to have some very good slopes around the town.

Kippy laughed. "Ooh. A ski resort, huh?"

Mrs. Boone made a surprised noise. "Well...it's a ski resort of the most minimal kind, if you want to call it that. You can ski there, but you'd better bring your own skis, and already know how to use them."

Charlie grimaced at that. "Sounds kind of out of the way. I wonder how Rick's uncle got a job doing a benefit there?"

His mom shrugged. "Well, he has to perform somewhere, I guess. I'll bet he's just glad to accept whatever is offered. I mean, he only does this in his spare time, for fun, you said."

That was true. Ricky claimed that his uncle was a pretty good magician; but because he was just an amateur, the opportunities to perform were probably very limited.

They had their fried eggs with cheese and Canadian bacon on muffins, and juice, and Mrs. Boone sat with them and they talked. Charlie's mom was a reader like Charlie, and always fun to talk with. Kippy read as well, but Charlie almost never saw him at it, and was often left wondering how his boyfriend knew some of the things he knew.

"Did you happen to see where this town is located, Mrs. Boone?" Kippy asked, shooting Charlie a smile.

"Um...I think I read that it was in the Green Mountains. It's pretty much a straight shot east, about ninety or a hundred miles from here."

Kippy nodded. "I've been to that area. It's gorgeous."

Charlie just sighed. Much of Vermont looked like the northern part of their own state, which was also very beautiful. There were far worse places to take a trip to.

He looked up at the clock on the wall, and then reached over and tapped Kippy's hand. "They'll be here to pick us up in about ten minutes. Just time to brush our teeth."

The boys stood and grabbed their plates and glasses and took them to the sink.

"Leave them, guys," Mrs. Boone said. "I'll get them."

Charlie grinned, went to his mom, and gave her a big hug. "Thanks, mom. Say bye to dad for me?" He kissed her cheek, felt her return the hug.

"Have a good time, Charlie. Kippy, you keep him out of trouble, okay?"

Charlie tried not to laugh at that, and Kippy just grinned. "I'll do my best."

Mrs. Boone nodded, and released Charlie. "I'll see you Christmas Eve, you hear?"

Charlie nodded. "Like the man said: 'I'll be back'."

His mom rolled her eyes. "Leave Sylvester Stallone out of this."

"It's Schwarzenegger, mom. Before he was a governor and all that."

"Whatever." She waved her hands at him. "Go. Have a good time."

They beat it back upstairs, brushed their teeth and donned their coats, and Charlie tucked a few last things into his overnight bag. Kippy grabbed his bag from the floor, and they were on their way back down the steps when the doorbell rang.

Charlie snatched the door open, and there was Ricky on the front stoop. The boy's eyes took in their coats and bags, and he grinned. "What, you're not ready?"

Kippy leaned forward and gave the other boy a peck on the cheek, and smiled gloriously at him. "I'm always ready for you, tiger."

Charlie laughed at the red stain that rose quickly up Ricky's neck to his face and spread across his cheeks. But Ricky was a good sport, and simply nodded. "I asked for that, I guess." He grinned. "Ready to hit the road?"

Ricky stepped back as Charlie and Kippy emerged onto the stoop. Charlie closed the door behind them, and looked to the driveway, where a big, brown Ford Expedition SUV stood behind his mom's car. There was a black box-trailer attached to a hitch on the rear, which had a sprinkle of holographic stars on the side of it, but no lettering. Adrian was in the front passenger seat of the SUV, and waved to them.

"Come and meet my Uncle Bob," Ricky said, grinning. "He's heard a lot about you guys, and is looking forward to meeting you." He winked. "Even you, Kip."

"Sticks and stones," Kippy said, hefting his bag. He started off towards the SUV. "Come on, Charlie. Bring your dog, too."

Charlie and Ricky grinned at each other; but then Charlie gave his head a brief shake. "I hope you're not going to antagonize Kip the whole trip."

Ricky made a small, almost hurt face. "Aw, you know how much I love Kippy, Charlie. We're just playing, like we always do."

"Okay. But, just so you know, Kippy had a skwish feeling about us going with you. That might mean something interesting is in the wind."

Ricky looked surprised, and then stared after Charlie's boyfriend. "Huh? It's just a couple of days in Vermont. My uncle will do his show on Sunday, and then we'll come back." He turned back to Charlie. "What could be special about that?"

"I don't know. But you know Kip and skwish."

Ricky frowned. "Do I." But then he sighed. "Man. I don't want any weird magic shit happening in front of my Uncle Bob. I hope whatever Kip is feeling, it's just that it means we'll all have a good time."

"Let's hope so," Charlie said, smiling.

They started toward the SUV together. "So...what's this benefit that the show is for?" Charlie asked.

"Oh, it's for something called The Eustace T. Phernackertiban Fund."

Charlie stopped in his tracks. "The what?"

Ricky laughed, and pulled Charlie back into motion. "You know, I reacted the same way when I heard it from Uncle Bob?"

"But what is it? It's a new one on me."

Ricky shrugged. "Even Uncle Bob isn't sure. Mayor Snorkum of Twombly simply offered the job to him, said they'd pay his travel expenses and lodging, but that the show itself was for charity. Uncle Bob feels like it's good exposure - more or less."

Charlie raised his eyebrow at that one. "I thought this place was kind of out-of-the-way."

Ricky leaned closer. "I had to look twice to find it on the map. It's tiny, Charlie." He straightened. "But my uncle loves to perform, and he doesn't get nearly enough opportunities to do that these days. So...here we go."

Kippy had reached the SUV, and Adrian climbed out and offered him a hug. Both boys turned towards them then, and Charlie picked up the pace. He set is bag down in front of Adrian, and gave him a hug. "Fancy meeting you here," Charlie said, grinning.

Adrian's smile went deeply into his eyes. "Oh, you know me. Wherever Rick goes, someone has to go along to clean up the mess."

Ricky snorted, but smiled, and threw an arm around his boyfriend. "We won't say what kind of mess he likes to clean up," he whispered.

Adrian gave a little gasp, and landed a gentle slap on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Mind your manners in front of your uncle," he whispered back.

Ricky just shrugged. "He knows about us. He's grown up."

Still, Ricky's face reddened slightly once again, and he turned back to indicate the SUV with a wave of his hand. "This is a big truck, so Ad and I were both up front. But if you guys want to see better, we'll switch with you."

Kippy immediately shook his head. "No, that's okay. Charlie and I don't mind taking a back seat to you two."

Charlie grinned. "Okay by me."

They crowded inside, and Charlie and Kippy thrust their bags over the back seat into the cargo area beyond. Several other small bags were already stowed there.

The man in the driver's seat was on his cell phone. He smiled at them in the rear view mirror, and waved a hand. "Be right with you, guys."

Charlie examined what he could see of him, without obviously staring. He seemed to be tall and a little rugged-looking, and his face in profile had a distinct likeness to Ricky's. As Charlie recalled, Uncle Bob was Ricky's father's brother, and so some resemblance could be expected. There was a pleasant sparkle in the man's eyes, and he smiled as he talked on the phone. Charlie smiled, too. He's handsome, just like Rick.

"Well, we're leaving now, so expect us in about two hours," Uncle Bob said into his cell. "Yes, I am bringing that act, as promised." He looked up, smiled at his nephew and his nephew's boyfriend, and then allowed his eyes to turn briefly over the back of the seat. "Oh, I have plenty of help, so you needn't worry about that. You were expecting two guys, but you're getting a troupe of five instead. So relax."

Charlie felt surprise at that, as Ricky had made no mention of the fact that they might be assisting with the act.

Ricky turned around in his seat and grinned at them. "Oh, yeah. I forgot to say that everyone gets to be in the act."

Kippy laughed, and gently dug an elbow into Charlie's side. "Do we get to be made up?"

Ricky scratched his temple, trying not to laugh. "Maybe."

Kippy nodded. 'Do we get to see you made up?"

"Um...maybe."

Kippy sighed. "I'm having fun already."

Uncle Bob finished on the phone with a pleasant, "See you soon," and slid the cell into a shirt pocket. "Hi, guys. I'm Bob Travers. Great to have you along." He grinned. "Ricky here has told me all sorts of things about you."

"Should we be embarrassed?" Kippy asked.

Uncle Bob laughed. "No. Ricky speaks highly of you both."

Kippy's right eyebrow raised, and he looked pointedly at Ricky. "There's a new experience."

Uncle Bob laughed again. "You have to be the cut up. Kippy, right?" He stuck a hand across the back of the seat.

Kippy smiled. "That's me. A laugh a minute, never serious about anything." He took the offered hand, and shook it warmly.

"And you must be Charlie." Kippy released Uncle Bob's hand, and it was then offered to Charlie.

Charlie nodded. "Hi. As you might have guessed, I'm the peacekeeper around here." He shook the man's hand, felt the strength in it. Uncle Bob was as strong as he looked, no doubt there. It was obvious now from which side of the family Ricky had inherited is physique.

Uncle Bob started the SUV, and backed it carefully from the driveway, watching the trailer in his mirrors. He was evidently experienced with such maneuvers, and soon they were headed off up the street.

"What time we got, Rick?" Uncle Bob asked.

Ricky checked his cell, and smiled. "Seven oh-five. Right on time."

Uncle Bob's eyes sought out the boys in the back seat via the mirror. "So...Rick says you guys love magic, and want to be part of the act."

Charlie and Kippy grinned at each other. Ricky turned and gave them a big, toothy smile over the back of the seat. "Oh, yeah. These guys and magic go together like milk and breakfast cereal."

"Uh...sure," Charlie agreed. "Kip and I love magic."

Uncle Bob smiled. "Well, you've come to the right place. You guys can be a part of this and have fun in the process. I'm sure there will be at least one act that will intrigue each of you enough to be the victim...I mean, the participant...for the audience."

Down low, out of sight, Kippy's hand found Charlie's, and squeezed it. Is this going to be fun, or what? he seemed to telegraph.

Charlie squeezed his boyfriend's hand in return, and nodded. The truck paused at a stop sign, and then proceeded, and Uncle Bob talked all the while as they headed for the interstate.

Magic is about doing one thing while having the audience seeing something else entirely. It's illusion, and craft. Magic isn't just for kids, it's a serious pursuit. Magic is an art, and you boys are about to learn just how much fun doing magic can be...

Kippy squeezed Charlie's hand another time, and Charlie couldn't help feeling a sweet sense of satisfaction. He could feel Kippy's excitement. Going anywhere and doing anything with Kip was a magic all its own, one that disappearing man chests and knife throws just couldn't compete with. But...they would have to see. Uncle Bob was enthusiastic about his hobby, that was for sure.

Charlie smiled. Skwish never lies. Perhaps something special was in the offing here, after all.

* * * * * * *

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Uncle Bob asked, as the Expedition wound its way up the flanks of the mountain. They had reached a height now where snow covered much of the landscape, though a couple of days of sun and some warmer temperatures had knocked it back a little, and the roads were clear.

The boys nodded, taking in the tall stands of maple, beech, and birch trees dominating the roadsides, yet co-existing peacefully with the white pines, white cedars, and red oaks among them. Forests were natural peacekeepers, Charlie knew, tending to their own no matter the species of tree that lived there, competing only for sunlight and a little space in which to grow and prosper. People could certainly learn from them, he thought.

The forests of Vermont were much like their own back home, just as were the mountains they covered. These were not the Rockies, tall and often austere, their peaks so far removed from the lands below that they often stood naked in the sunlight. The Green Mountains, like those back home, were rounded and gentle by comparison, forested and full of life, places where people could easily go and enjoy themselves. And places where people could live, apparently, and prosper, just as the trees around them did.

"I think this peak tops out around four thousand feet," Uncle Bob continued, adjusting his visor against the morning sun, which was peeking through a gathering skywall of gray clouds. "We'll only be going about three-quarters of the way up, if I read that map right."

"You haven't been to Twombly before, have you?" Adrian asked.

"Well...no." Uncle Bob laughed. "I've been through here many times going east, so I probably drove right by the place more than once, and didn't even know it was there." He nodded. "Lots of small, out-of-the-way places in these mountains."

The center display in the dash showed a GPS map of their route, with their destination highlighted by a red dot. They were close now, if the map could be believed.

"We're looking for a turnoff on the left," Uncle Bob said, slowing the truck and peering at the road ahead. "Although I honestly don't recall there being any along this straightaway stretch."

"Maybe there?" Ricky said, pointing.

They slowed even more, and came abreast of a hole in the forest to the left. Uncle Bob checked the mirrors for traffic - there was none at the moment - and let the Ford roll to a stop. "Is that even a road?"

It didn't really look like one. There was a space in the greenery there, certainly wide enough for a road, yet no road was visible. They could see clearly through the hole, and off into the valley below. Yet...the sun had melted the snow back on each side of the road, and something about the edge there looked off. Charlie squinted at the shoulder again, and, underneath the spray of gravel at the edge, was the unmistakable paved look of a roadhead, even if the road itself was not visible. "It looks paved there," he said.

"Pull over on the shoulder and I'll run across and look," Ricky offered.

Uncle Bob nodded, and pulled the Ford and its trailer onto the gravel at the edge of the highway. Ricky hopped out, went around the nose of the truck, leaned out and looked both ways, and then loped across the two-lane blacktop to the other side. Charlie and the others watched as he entered the hole in the scenery and stopped. He looked back over his shoulder at them and grinned, and then turned and proceeded into the space...and slowly sank out of sight. But in only a moment he reappeared, rising up almost as if out of the ground itself, and ran across the road to the truck.

"It's a road," he said, hopping back in next to Adrian and closing the door. "And there's a sign there that says 'Twombly - 2 miles'. Just be careful when you turn in. The road drops off, and then it goes off to the right along the ridge."

Uncle Bob nodded, and backed them slowly down the shoulder, then turned across the road and into the space in the greenery. "It's no wonder the place is so hard to find. You'd think the sign announcing the town would be out here, where you could see it."

But Charlie wasn't really listening. For a second he just held his breath - it looked like they were about to drive off a cliff. But then the nose of the Ford eased over the dip onto a grade, and the road appeared magically before them, turning off to the right and disappearing among the trees. It was a single paved lane, scarcely wide enough for two vehicles to pass, but smooth and obviously well-kept.

"It's magic!" Uncle Bob said, the delight in his voice apparent. "Talk about a vanishing act."

The Ford reached the bottom of the short grade and the road turned to the right and leveled out. They drove now beneath an overarching canopy of barren branches, though the woods on each side of the road were sprinkled with enough evergreens to remove any sense of winter desolation. They looked hale and hearty against the snow-covered ground, and some even still had snow in the branches on their shaded sides.

"We're surrounded by Christmas trees!" Kippy said, smiling at the distinctive shapes of the firs that stood companionably among the pines. It did look like a forest of Christmas trees, and Charlie had to smile at the idea of it.

"Those are balsams," Uncle Bob said, waving a hand at his side window. "They're a lot bigger than they look from here - they're father away than you think." He laughed. "Does look like Santa Claus would be right at home here, though, doesn't it?"

Charlie and Kippy looked at each other, and Kippy grinned and pointed a finger skyward. "Be careful, or he'll hear you," he said softly.

But Uncle Bob was focused on the GPS map again, and nodding to himself. "Right on the money. We'll be there in a minute or so."

Charlie spotted a mailbox by the road ahead, and a gravel driveway that meandered off into the woods. His eyes followed the drive back from the road, and then he raised a hand and pointed. "There's a house, way back in there."

The truck drew up to the drive and slowed to a crawl. They all peered at the distant house, no one saying anything.

It was a cheerful little structure, reminiscent of a Swiss chalet, built with what certainly looked like logs from where they were, with a heavy, sloping roof and wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house. A broad, covered porch ran across the front of the structure, bounded on three sides by ornate rails of wood, which had little lines of snow on them where the sun could not reach. The panes of the windows beneath the porch roof overhang danced with the lights of candles on the sills within. Small firs at each end of the porch twinkled with multicolored lights, forming a picture good enough to grace the front of any Christmas card.

"Wow," Uncle Bob said, shaking his head. "Can't get much Christmas-ier than that!"

Charlie looked at Kippy, who wore a smile as he stared at the house, and then leaned against his boyfriend and whispered in his ear," Reminds me of some of the houses we saw in Nicholass's dreams last year."

Kippy nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing."

They drove on, and more of the little houses appeared in the woods on both sides of the road, no two alike, yet each sharing the same basic design ethic. There was a feeling of comfort and tranquility to the cluster of homes, almost as if these neighbors shared some same sense of purpose in life. All the homes had little, dancing candle flames in the windows.

The town appeared suddenly before them as they rounded a bend in the road, and Uncle Bob braked them to a halt. They couldn't help staring, even though they should have been prepared for just about anything by the feeling given them by the homes they had already seen. Charlie just let his eyes roam, taking it all in.

This was main street, obviously, with a short line of buildings on each side, all built in the same style as the homes they had seen, though much larger. In front of each was a decorated Christmas tree, taller than a tall man, dressed in colored lights and baubles even during this early part of the day. More strings of lights crisscrossed the road above, strung between the buildings, twinkling in colors of red, blue, green, and amber. Snow had been plowed from the roads, driveways, and parking lots, and stood in cheery little mounds about the edges of the road.

Several buildings wore signs above the covered front porches, announcing Argwan's General Store, Flynnt's Hardware, Ms. Cubely's Clothing Shop, and the US mail. Another building had a small island out front, with two gas pumps, and a roll-up bay door to one side, and a sign above the island that revealed it to be Knirkle's Service Center. A much larger building with a small cupola atop it wore an ornate sign that proclaimed it to be the Twombly Town Hall, and a smaller building nestled up against it called itself the Twombly Public Library. Further down the road, there were several other buildings, the signs on which they could not quite make out from where they were.

Green and red streamers with little bells on them hung down the fronts of most of the buildings. The doors had wreaths and candy canes on them, and the second-floor windows of all the structures also held candle lights, which added their warm glows to the twinkly colors on the lines above the street. The overcast sky made the light show oddly cheery, and the brightly dressed citizens only added to that effect.

People were everywhere - on the front porches of the shops, in the street, and on the small lawn in front of the town hall. Uncle Bob let the Expedition ease forward. The people smiled, and waved, and the boys waved back as Uncle Bob pulled the truck into the small parking lot next to the building and shut off the engine. "Friendly bunch, at least." He grinned. "Always prefer a smiling audience to a grumpy one."

"Where are we going to set up?" Ricky asked, looking every which way at once.

Uncle Bob pointed at the town hall building. "Mayor Snorkum said they have a big meeting room here, and that it's as close as they can get to a theater."

There was a small group of people sitting on the front steps of the town hall, and Charlie felt their eyes as they turned to look at the new arrival. One of the people turned to the others, pointed at the Ford and the trailer, and jumped to his feet and started towards them at a run.

Kippy grinned. "Looks like we're being met."

The fellow raced up to the driver's door, tossed back the hood on his coat, and grinned in at Uncle Bob. "You're the magic people?"

"Sure are." Uncle Bob smiled. "Is this where we're going to set up?"

Charlie found himself staring, and was dimly aware that the other boys were staring, too.

The fellow at the window was young, and looked to be about their own age. He had dark curls and vivid blue eyes, and he was about as cute a guy as Charlie had ever seen. He was so cute, in fact, that he pulled to mind another very cute face, a face that had made Charlie smile and sigh - just a little - more than once in the past, but which he had become used to over time, and now simply accepted as normal.

Normal, that is, for an elf.

The boy at the window could have been brother to Frit, Max's great, great, great grandson. For that matter, he could have been a younger version of Max himself, who was no slouch in the looks department, either, even with the more than six hundred years of age he carried about with him. The boy at the window - to all appearances - was an elf.

Kippy, who still had Charlie's hand in his, squeezed it spasmodically, and Charlie looked over at his boyfriend. Kippy's eyes were wide, and the question there was plain: are you seeing what I'm seeing?

Charlie squeezed his boyfriend's hand back, and gave a small shake of his head, a warning not to say anything yet.

"Charlie..." Ricky began, but stopped when Charlie turned and gave him a small shake of his head as well. Adrian, looking, caught it, too, and closed his mouth before anything could come out of it. The boy at the window and Uncle Bob seemed oblivious to the byplay, and went on with their conversation.

"Yeah. This is the town hall. We have a stage set up for you, and everything." The boy grinned, and Charlie's breath caught. Next to him, Kippy just sighed. "The whole town's looking forward to your show," the boy finished.

Uncle Bob nodded. "I'm Bob Travers, and these fellas here are part of my troupe. We're really glad to be here. I talked to your mayor, Brin Snorkum, and he said the show tomorrow was sold out."

The boy's face lit again in another kilowatt-strength smile. "Oh, that's my dad. I'm Kiley Snorkum. Yeah, we sold every ticket we had. The whole town will be there."

A girl, who had been standing with the group on the town hall steps, detached herself from the crowd and walked over. She, too, had a cute elfin face, and appeared to be young. "Is it them, Kiley?"

"Yeah." The boy nodded at her, then turned back to Uncle Bob. "This is my sister, Kiri."

"Hi, Kiri. I'm Bob Travers. And these are Rick, Adrian, Charlie, and Kippy. We're looking forward to putting on a good show for you."

The girl smiled, just as beautifully as her brother. "It's exciting. I can't wait to see what you have for us." Her eyes lifted then, and she looked beyond the truck. "Oh, there's our dad, now."

A man was striding across the street towards them. He was a little taller than the two at the window, and dressed much the same, in a gray parka with a hood. He tossed the hood back as he came around the truck, and again Charlie was almost struck dumb. The man, even though a little taller, and broader in the shoulders than Kiley, still gave every appearance of being an elf like Max. He looked like Kiley's older brother, not his father. He had the same dark curls, the same bright, intelligent blue eyes. He was smiling, and as he reached the window of the Ford, he extended a hand towards Uncle Bob.

"Hi. You must be Bob Travers. I'm Brin Snorkum, Mayor of Twombly."

Uncle Bob stuck his hand up and grasped the mayor's. This time there was a slightly surprised look in Ricky's uncle's eyes, as if he couldn't quite believe that someone that looked so young was actually the mayor here. "Uh...great to meet you. I was just talking to your...kids, here, and they said you were set up for us with a stage. If that's correct, the boys here and I will start carrying some things inside. The more we get done today, the easier it will be on us tomorrow."

"That's fine," Mayor Snorkum agreed. "I can get a few others to help move things, if you need a hand."

Uncle Bob relaxed, and this time his smile had less of an astonished look about it. "I think we can manage. Don't want anyone getting a sneak look at things before the magic starts."

The mayor of Twombly offered a pretty nice smile of his own. "We're looking forward to the show. You have a whole town here full of people that love magic, Bob."

That I can believe, Charlie thought to himself. Looks like they could do some magic on their own, too.

Uncle Bob pushed open his door, and the mayor stepped back as the man climbed out of the truck. Kippy gave Charlie's hand a last squeeze, released it, and slid over to his own door and opened it. That seemed to be the signal for the rest of the boys to follow him. They climbed out and looked around at the town, and the people drawing near. Charlie could not help but to examine the faces of the other townsfolk as they gathered around, and he found himself less than surprised to see that every one of them had the cute, distinctive features that seemed ageless and wonderfully sweet, the hallmark of those who worked in another place, another moment, creating the many special things to be gifted to the people of the world by the symbol of Christmas himself, Santa Claus.

Ricky and Adrian were doing their best not to stare, smiling and waving at the people that were streaming across the street and drawing into a large circle about the Ford and the newcomers. They all wore looks of curiosity and interest, and smiles that made Charlie's heart beam, and his own face to stretch into a broad grin. That these people were unaccountably glad to see them seemed less of note than their obvious desire to make Uncle Bob and the boys welcome.

Charlie and Ricky and Adrian circled the Ford, and went to stand beside Kippy and Uncle Bob. That man was looking about with a little bit of wonder in his eyes, almost as if he could not quite believe the kind of reception they were getting. Charlie certainly understood that. This was quite a greeting for one amateur magician and four mostly unmagical teen boys.

Mayor Snorkum smiled as the circle of happy faces grew, and raised his arms, and let his eyes travel over the crowd. "Friends! These are the people that we have invited to bring a little magic into our Christmas celebrations. I want to introduce you to Mr. Bob Travers, töframaður ótrúlega, who will stun you with his feats of legerdemain. And these are his assistants in the mystical arts, Rick, Adrian, Charlie, and Kippy, whose talents will delight and amaze you."

The crowd laughed and clapped, and everyone looked excited and happy. Charlie could not remove the grin from his face, but nor could he pull his gaze from the sea of charmed and delighted elfin faces. Nobody, none of them, looked any older than Mayor Snorkum. The entire town was made up of sweet, absolutely beautiful faces.

Mayor Snorkum seemed happy to see all the smiles. He turned in a slow circle, his arms still raised, smiling at everyone, looking as happy as he could be.

Uncle Bob just looked stunned now, totally taken by surprise by the warmth of their welcome. He leaned closer to the mayor, and whispered, "What did you tell them I was? A...toofrom...a what?"

The mayor laughed. "A magician extraordinaire. I'm sorry. It's the language of the old country, and I still occasionally use it to reinforce something more strongly. Most of the people here know what I mean, even though many of the youngers have grown lax with the old tongue."

"Ah." Uncle Bob nodded. "Sounded, um, Scandinavian."

"It's Icelandic, actually," the mayor said, grinning even more widely.

"Oh." Uncle Bob looked impressed. "You mean, like...uh, Reykjavik?"

"Um, we're originally from a little north of there, actually."

"I see." Uncle Bob looked around at the crowd, all of whom were still smiling, but were now talking away with each other, excitedly discussing the coming show. "This is a very...very nice looking crowd." He laughed. "I hope we can live up to the word you've put out on us."

The mayor nodded, and briefly gave Uncle Bob's shoulder a squeeze. "You will. I was very careful in choosing someone for the show."

He stepped away then, and raised his hands to the crowd for silence. The response was immediate, and the excited conversations trailed off almost in mid sentence.

"As you all know, the proceeds from the show will go to the Eustace T. Phernackertiban Fund for the betterment of Christmas everywhere. Suggestions are welcome, as they are every year. I want all of you to be considering where your hearts lie this Christmas, and where we can give where it will do the most good."

The crowd immediately started talking again, and the mayor lowered his hands. He gave a little sigh, and allowed his smile to take in all five visitors. "You'd probably like to take a small break after that long drive. We have rooms for you at the ski lodge down the street. I hope you boys don't mind bunking two and two, as we only could get three rooms."

Kippy grinned. "Charlie and I don't mind that at all."

"We're good, too," Ricky said, bumping his shoulder playfully against Adrian's.

"That's a relief." Mayor Snorkum looked pleased. "I know we're all looking forward to the show. Now...what can we do to help?"

Uncle Bob looked startled, and then gave a short laugh. "Oh, believe me, the less your people see before the show, the better. If you can point us at the way into wherever you have the stage set up, I'll just back the trailer up to the door, and the five of us can unload the...magical devices."

"Excellent. Um -" The mayor scratched the side of his head. "I have a few things to do yet before the day is done. Would you mind terribly if my son, Kiley, showed you the way?"

"And me, too," Kiri, said, waving a hand.

"And my daughter," Mayor Snorkum added, almost seamlessly.

Uncle Bob laughed now, and nodded. "That would be fine."

Kiley and Kiri looked at each other, and they each grinned and nodded, as if giving a silent little yes!

The mayor turned, and handed a key on a ring to his son. "Let our guests into the building, help them if they need it, and then give this key to Mr. Travers so that they can come and go."

"Right, dad."

"Go on, dad," Kiri said. "We'll take good care of them."

"Then I'll be off, and get back to you later." The mayor smiled. "Work is never done, it seems, even in a small town like this one." He opened his coat, fished around inside of it as if seeking an inner pocket, and produced a flat, black pancake. This he slapped gently against his arm with a flourish, and the boys all laughed as the pancake gave a little pop and immediately expanded into a tall top hat. The mayor placed it upon his head, arranged it just so, and gave them all a wink. "You will find that we do love magic here, gentlemen. In every way, shape and form. So don't be surprised if others try out a few of their tricks upon you, too!"

Uncle Bob laughed, and shook his head, but nodded as Mayor Snorkum gave a grin, a little wave, and started off into the surrounding crowd, which at first parted, and then closed in around him, and then streamed after him as he crossed the street again.

"What have we gotten ourselves into here?" Ricky's uncle said softly, as he watched them go.

"I think you're gonna have the best audience of your career, Uncle Bob," Ricky said, grinning after the retreating crowd. "That's what."

The man nodded. "I think this is going to be a lot of fun, at the very least." He turned then, as if just remembering that Kiley and Kiri were still standing there with them. "Well...if you two would like to show us where to go, we can start getting set up."

The two teens grinned, and turned as one to point at the town hall. "There's a door at the side there," Kiley said.

"Where you can pull up and unload your truck," Kiri finished.

If Charlie had had any doubts before now about the people that lived in this town, it vanished at that moment. He was used to the way Frit and Pip talked sometimes, as if they were one mind with two mouths, and seeing the same trait in Kiley and Kiri slammed the door on any ideas that he might be having that he could be imagining things here. The people of Twombly were elves, of that he had no doubt.

But...what were they doing here? That they did not expect their visitors to know anything about them seemed plain. As far as most humans visiting Twombly would be able to see, the town was comprised of friendly, enthusiastic, and quite handsome people, that all shared some obvious genetic link in their origins. Charlie had seen nothing that would do more than give the impression that the people here were a little odd - but people everywhere were a little odd. Every neighborhood was its own world, with the next neighborhood yonder a new and different place.

Uncle Bob laughed, and opened the door on the Ford. "If you'll point the way, we'll follow."

Kiley and Kiri immediately laughed, and started off across the lawn of the town hall towards the side of the building. Uncle Bob climbed back into the SUV, and started the engine.

For a moment, Charlie and the others merged into a huddle. "What the hell?" Ricky whispered. "These guys are elves!"

Adrian nodded. "It's like being with Max, and Frit and Pip."

Kippy looked at Charlie. "What do you think is happening?"

"I don't know," Charlie whispered back. "But I think it's important that we don't let on that we know. Not yet, anyway."

"I agree," Kippy returned, flatly. "We need to know more, and my skwish is telling me to be patient."

Charlie grinned, and took his boyfriend's hand and squeezed it. "You and your skwish. It's why we're here in the first place."

Kippy nodded. "Uh huh. You see?" He turned his head and looked after Kiley and Kiri. "We're here for a reason, Charlie."

"Something's going on," Adrian agreed. "Even I feel something."

"That's my hand on your butt," Ricky whispered.

Adrian laughed. "I mean, I feel something besides that."

"I do know one thing," Charlie said. "The mayor introduced the four of us to the crowd by name. But he wasn't standing here when Uncle Bob introduced us to Kiley and Kiri. He was still coming across the street." Charlie nodded. "Either the mayor has the hearing of a cat, or..."

"Or he knew our names some other way," Kippy finished.

Charlie nodded. "Yeah."

Uncle Bob stuck his head out of the window of the truck. "You guys coming? They're waiting for us."

"Let's go," Ricky said quietly. "But everyone keeps their mouth shut on this for now, right?"

"Right," Kippy agreed.

They got into the SUV, and Uncle Bob started it around to the side of the town hall. Kiley and Kiri, standing at the corner of the building, saw them coming now, and literally scampered around to the side of the building and almost jumped up onto a small landing with four steps and wrought iron handrails, that serviced a double-doored entry into the building.

"They're so cute," Kippy sighed, in a whisper.

Charlie laughed softly, and leaned against his boyfriend. "Especially Kiley?"

Kippy closed his eyes and gave a soft groan. "Shut up, Charlie."

Charlie laughed, and gave Kippy a quick kiss on the cheek. Kippy smiled, but didn't open his eyes immediately, so Charlie kissed him again.

"Relax, Charlie," Kippy whispered. He sighed again, opened his eyes, and turned and pointed at them with a finger. "I see them with these." He reached out and took Charlie's hand, and laid Charlie's palm on his breast. "I see you with my heart, Charlie. Nothing will ever change that."

Charlie felt a brief sting come to his eyes, and closed them, and pushed his face against Kippy's cheek. "I love you," he whispered.

He felt a small nod of his boyfriend's head. "I love you, too, Charlie Boone."

The SUV drew up to the double doors, and a little beyond, so that the trailer was even with the steps. Uncle Bob shut off the engine, and opened his door and climbed out.

Charlie gave Kip another quick kiss, and pulled away from him. "Tonight," he whispered.

Kippy smiled at him, his eyes dancing with light. "Oh, no doubt about it."

They got out of the SUV, and followed Uncle Bob around to the trailer, where they found him standing with a hand on the t-handle that opened the trailer's twin doors. The man smiled at the brother and sister, and used his chin to indicate the doors into the town hall. "Are they unlocked?"

In answer, Kiley turned and opened the right hand door, pulled it back to the hand rail, and used a small chain with a hook at the end to latch the door back. He did the same for the left hand door, and then pointed within. "This takes you right to the backstage area behind the curtains we set up for you."

"Great." Uncle Bob smiled at them both. "We can take it from here, okay?"

Brother and sister both looked disappointed. "You don't need our help?" Kiri asked.

Uncle Bob adopted a secretive look, and cast a glance both ways before waving the two town kids to his side. Kiley and Kiri looked at each other a moment, but then moved closer.

"There's magic about," Uncle Bob whispered to them. "And secrets, too. You wouldn't want to spoil the show for yourselves by accidentally seeing any secrets, would you?"

Both teens gave little gasps, and then shook their heads. "No," Kiley agreed, seriously.

"We don't want to spoil the show," Kiri added, a little wide-eyed.

"Good." Uncle Bob smiled. "You can help by making sure that no one comes in while we're setting up, okay? That will keep the magic from slipping away."

"We got it," Kiley said, handing the door key to Uncle Bob. Kiley grabbed his sister's arm and started pulling her towards the exit. "We'll cover the doors, okay?"

"No one will get in," Kiri assured, pulling right back at her brother.

Uncle Bob nodded. "Great. It will only take us about twenty or thirty minutes to move our stuff inside. After that, we just want to make sure that no one comes in and sees any...secrets."

Kiley grinned. "This is gonna be fun!" This time, when he pulled at Kiri, she allowed herself to be hustled towards the door.

Uncle Bob grinned after them, shaking his head. "Sweet kids. I'd hate to see the show be spoiled for them because they saw something they shouldn't." He turned to gaze at the boys. "Set up is often when a magician's secrets get exposed. I've had to set up in places where a dozen people were wandering around backstage. Nothing ruins a performance more than some wiseass who was backstage, sitting in the audience and whispering during the whole act that he saw the trapdoor, or that the rabbits were all in jail."

Charlie blinked at that, and grinned. "The rabbits were all in jail?"

Uncle Bob laughed. "It just means that the rabbits were caged. I'm supposed to produce them out of thin air."

"Oh."

The man turned and looked around them. They were in a wide area, to the right of which were large blue curtains that ran from the floor to the high ceiling, and stretched the entire width of the room. Currently, the middle sections were open, and they could see into a large room beyond, where row after row of folding metal chairs had been set up. There actually was a stage before the curtains, with steps to either side of it that ran down several feet to the floor of the main room.

Above their heads was a grid of iron crossbars, from which several pulleys hung, with ropes that dropped to the floor. The railing that held the curtains, and the ropes that ran up to a small system of pulleys that opened and closed them, all looked recently installed, the bright and shiny heads of new screws peeking out at them from the places where everything was attached to the walls and ceiling.

Uncle Bob looked surprised at what he saw, and then pleased. "Hey, this is great. Real curtains that work, and it looks like we can use these overhead pulleys in a couple of the acts, too. This might actually come off pretty well."

"You didn't think it would?" Ricky asked.

"Well, these small towns can be problematic. I've performed in churches, schools, and rec centers, where there was just no way to screen things well from the audience. For a magician, having everything out in plain sight is tough." He nodded. "But this looks good, like a real stage. We can give these people a really nice show, I think."

Somehow, that made Charlie smile. A really nice show was what he felt these people somehow needed, too.

Uncle Bob nodded again. "I need to check out the electrical connections and see what they have. If you guys wouldn't mind starting to brings things in, I'll be out in a few minutes. Rick knows what goes where." He reached into a pocket and withdrew a small ring of keys, and tossed them to his nephew.

Ricky gave Charlie a fond poke, and pointed at the open doors. "Help a fella carry some stuff in?"

Adrian rolled his eyes, and then looked over at Kippy, feigning indignity. "Is this what being dumped feels like?"

Ricky made light of the question. "Never happen. I just want to ask Charlie a thing or two while we walk."

Adrian immediately looked like he understood. "Oh. Well, lead on. Kip and I are right behind you."

"Where the view is quite nice, I may add," Kippy said, winking at Adrian as they fell in behind Ricky and Charlie.

Uncle Bob smiled after them, and just shook his head. "Kids."

"You wanted to ask me something?" Charlie asked Rick, in a low voice, once they were outside. They paused a moment on the landing at the top of the steps, and Charlie let his eyes go back and forth, but no one was anywhere close to the truck.

"Yeah." Ricky also looked about, and then let his eyes come back to touch Charlie's. "Are we still in our world, or have we somehow gone over to" -- he waved a hand around at the town -- "theirs?"

Charlie considered that, but the answer seemed plain to him. "I think we're still in ours. I think these people are here, in our world. Why? I have no idea."

"So we just wait and see if we can figure this out, huh?"

"I would say so."

"What if the answer doesn't come?"

Charlie had briefly considered that. The possibility existed that they could perform their act and then leave Twombly, and never know the answer to why these people - these elves - were here. Somehow...some way, Charlie felt that something else would happen. He didn't know what, but...what had Kippy said his skwish had told him? That patience was in order? That seemed the best answer.

"Then we go home," Charlie decided then. "And we ask Max about it when we see him again." He shook his head. "If something does not happen while we are here to bring this issue out into the open, then I think we should leave without letting these people know that we know who they are."

Ricky nodded. "Okay." He grinned. "You're usually right about this stuff, Britannica Brain."

Charlie laughed, took Ricky by the arm, and started down the steps.

They arrived back at the trailer, and Ricky took the keys, found a certain one, and unlocked the back doors. Kippy chose that moment to step closer to Charlie and whisper in his ear. "I love to watch you walk. I think I'm in love with your butt cheek."

Charlie laughed. "Only one? Which is that?"

Kippy sighed. "Oh, whichever one happens to be rising at the moment when you walk. I really can't choose, they're both so beautiful."

Adrian laughed, and clapped Kippy fondly on the shoulder, and Ricky turned and grinned at them all, pulling open one of the trailers doors as he did so. "What? What'd I miss?"

Adrian stepped closer to him, and leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Kippy and I were just admiring the way that you and Charlie walk. Like a couple of gunfighters."

Ricky leaned closer. "Wanna see my pistol?"

Kippy laughed...and then frowned. "Hey...is it me, or do we all seem unusually horny just now?"

Charlie also laughed. "Maybe. I think we're just feeling happy."

"And romantic," Adrian added, sighing. He let his gaze wander out among the trees, and to the rounded, snowy peak of the mountain above them. "It's so beautiful here. And mysterious, what with what we've seen and heard. It doesn't feel like Vermont at all. It feels like somewhere...special." He ran his hand gently up Ricky's arm, and leaned against him. "Just the kind of place you want to be at Christmas with someone you love."

Ricky nodded, and for once looked totally serious. "I feel that, too." He leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.

Charlie understood, for he felt the same way. He and Kip smiled at each other, and Kip reached out and took his hand. "We're keeping Uncle Bob waiting."

"Mustn't do that." But Charlie took a moment to trade kisses with Kippy again, and then the four boys turned to the trailer.

Inside there was a variety of things, with closed cardboard boxes at the rear of the trailer, and the larger shapes of magical equipment - parts of the different acts - to the front. Some of them were quite bulky, too.

"Wow," Charlie said, approvingly. "There's a lot of things here."

Ricky beamed. "Oh, my uncle knows his stuff. He'll give these people a good show, no doubt."

Charlie nodded. "I'm a little worried about our part in all this. We haven't had time to rehearse, or anything."

"You don't need to, Charlie. I already know how everything works, and I'll do the tough stuff. The other things, you guys just do what my uncle says, act natural, and it'll all be cool."

Charlie grinned. "Okay. That makes me feel better."

Ricky patted him on the arm. "Just relax and have fun. That's what this is all about."

They started carrying boxes in first, and then larger items, either stored within lightweight cases made to hide them from view, or draped in black velvet wraps, which had the same effect. The trailer was sizable, and there was a lot of stuff inside. It took them more than half an hour to get everything unloaded and moved within the town hall, after which they closed up the trailer, went back into the building, and closed and locked the side doors.

Uncle Bob called them into a semicircle, and smiled at them. "Now, then. We'll start setting up, and I'll explain some things as we go along. It takes about two hours to get everything ready. I checked the electrical here, and there are a dozen outlets along the back wall. I have plenty of extension cords for the stuff that needs juice, okay? So we'll get it all ready, and then close up and go get something to eat, and then look in at the ski lodge and see what the rooms look like."

Charlie and Kippy exchanged glances, and Charlie was starting to feel a trace of the same excitement that he could see in his boyfriend's eyes. That sentiment seemed mirrored on the faces of Rick and Adrian, and that also delighted Charlie, that his friends looked so happy to be a part of the proceedings. Right then, it was beginning to look a lot like they had found that one thing that Kippy had been seeking to make their Christmas special this year. This looked like it was going to be fun!