It's Time For Christmas Wishes, Charlie Boone! - 4. Chapter 4

Part Four -

 

Charlie parted the curtains just enough to look out. "Jeez, we have a full house. Look at the crowd."

"The whole town is here, Mayor Snorkum told me," Uncle Bob said. "Except for the two newborns, and their parents. That's why there's two empty seats over there in the corner."

Kippy laughed. "Leave it to these folks to set up an exact number of chairs."

"It's magic," Charlie whispered, giving his boyfriend a nudge.

Because the town hall meeting room also served as a theater at times, the windows were equipped with blackout curtains. These had been drawn, and no hint of the daylight beyond could sneak within. When the house lights went down, the large room would be dark.

Charlie gave a last look at the seated elves. A human crowd of such proportions would have been a lot noisier, Charlie felt. The two-hundred-odd residents of Twombly sitting before the stage conversed mostly in quiet voices, waiting patiently for the show to start.

Uncle Bob glanced at his watch. "Just a couple of minutes now." He adjusted the tiny microphone, nearly invisible, which extended along his cheek to his mouth on an equally invisible boom. There were large speakers set to either side of the stage, and a full 100-watt amplifier to drive them. No one in the audience would miss even a whisper. The boys all had mics, too, for when their participation called for a speaking part.

Uncle Bob was dressed in classic magician, a black and white suit, yet with a nicely modern look to the tailoring. He cut a fine figure, and looked the part well, Charlie thought.

The rest of them were dressed in black tee-shirts and black slacks. Charlie had to admit that they all looked pretty good, too.

Kippy offered a little pout. "I wanted to see Ricky in make-up."

Uncle Bob grinned. "Oh, that's the rabbit act. We'll get to that."

Kippy looked interested. "Rick said he used to do that with you when he was young. He said he had a picture he wanted to show us of him in make-up, but I guess he forgot."

"Oh, I have that one," Uncle Bob said, reaching behind himself and pulling out his wallet. He opened it, and looked among the things inside.

Kippy grinned delightedly at Charlie, who could only smile.

"Here it is." Uncle Bob produced a small photo, and handed it over. "I guess he was about ten in that one."

Kippy took the photo, and Charlie moved over next to him so that he could see it, too. Kippy suddenly grinned. "Aw!"

In the photo, a young Ricky was visible from the waist up. He was clad in a brown fur top, which covered his torso, and his arms to his wrists. A hood-like affair - part of the top - covered his head and circled his face tightly around the edges. The hood was also covered with soft-looking brown fur. Atop the hood stood two long, velvety-looking rabbit ears, about as close to looking like the real thing as Charlie could imagine. The left one was gently bent outward about two-thirds of the way up, in a way that reminded Charlie of Bugs Bunny.

Ricky's face was covered with brown make up, except for white circles around his eyes, which served to make them look larger. His own nose was covered with a black, gently-protruding rabbit nose, from which sprang several delicate, white whiskers on each side. The boy in the photo wore a gigantic smile, and looked just about as happy as he could be.

"Aw," Kippy repeated softly. "That...is..so..cute!"

Charlie grinned. It definitely was that.

Uncle Bob looked past them, to where his nephew was standing by the cords that opened the curtains, talking to Adrian. "Hmm. I wonder now if he didn't show you that for a reason. Uh...don't say anything to him about it just yet, okay, guys?"

Kippy nodded, handing the photo back to Uncle Bob. "Okay."

The man hastily stuffed the photo back into his wallet, and then returned the wallet to his rear pocket. "Great. Almost time. Charlie, careful with the cues on the console, okay?"

"Oh...yeah. I got it." Charlie and Kippy hustled over to the little console that ran the electronic part of the show, including the lights they had hung from the iron grid work above the stage. As they passed Ricky and Adrian, Kippy paused, smiled at Ricky, and then gave him a big hug. Ricky smiled, and returned the hug, but looked a little puzzled as his eyes met Charlie's over Kip's shoulder.

Kippy finished the hug, sighed, and walked away.

"What was that for?" Ricky whispered.

Charlie just grinned. "Luck, I guess."

Adrian looked doubtful, and frowned a moment after Kip; but then he just shrugged, grinned, and nodded. "Good luck to us all."

"Places," Uncle Bob called softly.

Charlie stood over the little console, and put his finger on the button that would activate the lone spot above Uncle Bob's head. There was also a line of switches for the sound effects and the music that went with the show. The entire set up was wireless and computer controlled, and Uncle Bob had everything set. All Charlie had to do was push the right button at the right time. A list was taped to the right side of the panel, listing each button or sets of buttons to be activated for each act, and a cue as to when to do it. A tiny LED illuminated the console, the list, and the switches.

Uncle Bob raised a hand, and then pointed at Kippy, who was over by the bank of light switches on the wall that controlled the house lights. He began to flick them down, one at a time, in order. Just as he hit the last switch and the lights behind the curtains died, Ricky slowly opened the curtains, and Charlie hit the switch for the spot. The programmed, highly-focused LED spot came up slowly, forming first a soft glow, and then sharpening to a circle of light, in which stood Uncle Bob. He wore his top hat now, one much like the one that Mayor Snorkum had been wearing, and had his head leaned downward. As the light sharply set him off in the darkness all about, he raised his head, and smiled at the audience.

There was the softest of applause, and then a rapt silence.

"Greetings, all." Uncle Bob let his gaze move out into the crowd, even though only the front few rows were scarcely visible. "Come to see some magic, have you?"

More soft applause, and an almost uncharacteristic, excited purr of voices from the crowd...and then silence.

Uncle Bob nodded, and let his gaze move side to side. "There's magic here tonight," he said softly. "I feel it." He smiled again. "Magic has a life of its own, a will. You cannot capture it, you cannot force it. It comes as needed, or as it wants, and touches lives as it passes. Magic is capricious, and those of us that handle magic do so with the same caution as those who charm snakes manipulate and enthrall their serpents. It is a dangerous task, not for the uninitiated. So I ask all of you to just sit back, and I will be your guide to the forces that lurk all about us, just out of sight, just at the edge of our awareness."

At the word 'awareness', Charlie moved a finger to special effects button number one, and hovered it just above.

Uncle Bob raised his hands and spread them, and looked upwards into the darkened hall. When he spoke again, his voice seemed deep and mysterious. "Come, magic. Show yourself!"

Charlie dropped his finger on the button. There was an ominous note from the speakers, and then disconcerting, ghostly chirping sounds; and then a halo of strange light appeared briefly around Uncle Bob. It caressed his outline for just a moment, and then danced away from him, splitting into a crowd of tiny sparkles in the air, which wafted upwards and circled the man like a swarm of slightly demented fireflies. The audience gave a unified gasp, and Charlie smiled.

The little laser light show projectors, hidden backstage, followed their program to the letter. The swarm of lights circled Uncle Bob, who waved his hands gently at them. "Come! Come to me!"

In actuality, Uncle Bob was counting silently in his head, and called for the lights to come at just the proper moment in the laser show program. The swarm above him suddenly dived, as if intent on attacking the man, and what the audience saw was the swarm of lights funneling downwards behind Uncle Bob's top hat, as if into the man's head. From where Charlie stood, he could see the lasers playing across the rear of Uncle Bob's hat, head, and coat; but the audience could not see the back of the man, and to them it looked as if the lights dived straight into his body.

The program ended, the lasers went dark, and the spot above Uncle Bob dimmed, and then slowly brightened again.

Uncle Bob smiled at the audience. "Ah! Fully charged now!"

The audience gave forth a quiet laugh, and then Uncle Bob smiled at them, and waved a hand. "Let the show begin!"

Charlie hit another button, and several spots illuminated, revealing a large chest behind Uncle Bob, who looked amazed by its appearance. "Oh ho! What is this? I think I need some assistance!" The magician opened his jacket, and made a show of looking inside of it, first one side, and then the other, while all eyes were upon him.

Ricky stepped quickly to his mark, and Charlie lit the spot above him. To the audience, it was almost as if he had magically appeared onstage. Uncle Bob feigned surprise, and took a step back. "Ah. There you are!"

The audience laughed again as Ricky turned to them and gave a little bow, before turning back to face the magician. "What is your wish?"

"This large box," Uncle Bob said. "I want you to lock me inside it."

Ricky raised his hands to his face and looked horrified. "But you'll be trapped!" The audience laughed, following along.

Uncle Bob shook his head. "Oh, ye of little faith. Will you help me?"

Ricky nodded. "Okay. That's what you pay me for."

Uncle Bob feigned shock. "I'm paying you?"

Again the audience laughed. Charlie leaned forward and stole a peek at the front row. The faces there were turned upward, smiling, rapt. It was amazing how much the audience put into the show - there could be no magic without them, certainly.

Uncle Bob approached the large chest, which was closed and locked with an enormous padlock. The man patted his pockets, and then looked back at Ricky. "Do you have it?"

Ricky patted his own pockets, looked surprised, and dove a hand into one and drew forth a large skeleton key. "Well, I'll be!"

Uncle Bob took the key and opened the lock, and then pulled up the lid of the chest. Charlie touched another button, and quiet music began to issue from the speakers. It was so low that it was not immediately apparent to the audience; but it provided a dramatic background to what would come next.

Ricky felt in his back pocket and produced a small hammer. He used it to gently tap the front, and then the sides, of the chest, and then reached behind and tapped the back, just beneath the hinges. "Feels solid to me."

Uncle Bob nodded, and reached down into the chest. He pulled up a large cloth bag, which was tied by a drawstring at the top, and undid the knot. "Help me here, lad."

Ricky took the bag and lowered it a little, holding the top open, and Uncle Bob swung a leg over the side of the chest and into the bag. He stepped up and in, and put his other leg into the bag. Ricky drew it up around him. Uncle Bob grinned at the audience, and lowered himself into the bag. Ricky pulled it up, drew the drawstring, and then tied the rope around it in a knot. He helped Uncle Bob to get down inside the chest, and then he closed the lid.

Ricky closed the hasp...and then froze. "Uh...where's the lock?"

A muffled voice came from within the chest, and the audience laughed. Ricky clapped himself on the side of the head. "Uh oh. He has the lock!"

More indefinable sounds came from within the chest, and then the muffled voice again. Ricky leaned his head down and put an ear to the wood. "Do what? Hold out my hand?"

The boy shook his head, and held out his hand. There was a small pop, and the lock dropped into Ricky's hand, as if from thin air!

The audience gasped, and clapped again as Ricky put the padlock through the hasp and locked it. Then he looked at the audience. "I hope I remember how to do this. I'm just the assistant!"

Charlie grinned. Ricky was having a blast, and Charlie could see it in every nuance of his friend's movements. Kippy, standing beside Charlie, leaned in and put his lips to Charlie's ear. "What a ham!" he whispered, gleefully. Charlie nodded, but knew there was no spite in his boyfriend's words. Kippy was enjoying Ricky's performance just as much as Charlie was.

Rick stopped then, and scratched his head. "Uh..what do I do next?"

Adrian stepped quickly to his mark, and Charlie cut in the spot above him. Ricky jumped as it looked like Adrian appeared out of air beside him. Their black clothing made them nearly invisible in the dark, and the highly concentrated LED spots shed no light to speak of outside of their target circles. "You forgot this," Adrian said, and held up a long, thick shaft.

"Oh yeah. Thanks!"

Adrian nodded, Charlie cut the spot, and Adrian stepped back behind the curtain. The audience oohed, and Charlie smiled. This illusion stuff was fun!

Ricky stepped up onto the top of the chest, and held the rod crossways in front of him at waist height. He began to turn it in his hands, and a shiny golden curtain of material unrolled from the rod and dropped to the floor. Ricky continued to unroll the material until it was all out, after which he was left holding a black steel rod, out of sight behind the last turn of material. He looked down at the unrolled material, and frowned. "Uh...sir? What do I do next?"

The muffled voice came from within the chest again, and the audience laughed. Ricky bent down again, as if to hear better. "I can't quite understand you."

The voice came again, louder, and somehow managing to sound frustrated now. The audience laughed, and Charlie leaned forward again and smiled at the grins on their faces.

Ricky looked flustered, and leaned down a little further. "What did you say?"

For just a second - two at the most - he went out of sight behind the curtain. It dropped to the floor then, and Uncle Bob stood atop the chest. "I said not to worry, that I have it in hand!"

For second the audience was totally silent. And then a small roar came forth, and the most intense round of applause yet. Uncle Bob hopped down off the chest, and gave them a little bow.

Then he bent to the padlock on the front of the chest, and then straightened and shook his head. He gave the chest a light rap. "You don't happen to have the key in there do you?"

A muffled voice came from within, and then a banging sound. Uncle Bob rolled his eyes, and held out his hand. "Well, hand it over."

The key was just suddenly there, in Uncle Bob's hand. He bent, opened the lock, and pulled up the lid of the chest. The bag inside immediately stood up, and squirmed most alarmingly.

"Hold still!" Uncle Bob commanded, and then he set to untying the knotted drawstring. It came loose, and the bag was opened, and there was Ricky inside!

He gave a theatrical sigh of relief, and drew his hand across his brow.

The audience laughed, and clapped some more.

It was a very simple trick, really. Even though Ricky had tapped all four sides of the chest with the hammer, only the front and sides were actually complete. The back was completely open from several inches beneath the hinges down to the floor. The audience could only see the top six inches or so of the interior of the back, and just assumed it was all there. The bag was actually tied shut as it appeared, but the bottom of the bag had a large zipper in it. The moment the lid had closed, Uncle Bob had unzipped the zipper and let himself out of the bag, and then out of the chest through the open back.

The trick with Ricky getting the lock sent to him by magical means from inside the chest was also simple. There was a dark 'mark' on the lid of the chest, over which Ricky was to hold his hand when Uncle Bob was supposed to send him the lock. The little pop was a special effects sound, used to cover up the tiny sound of the relay that opened when Charlie pushed a button that shut off the powerful electromagnet on the grid above, to which a second lock was attached. The lock, also black, simply dropped straight downward once the magnetic field went off, and the lock did not become visible until it entered the cone of focused light from the spot, making it appear to have come from thin air. As long as Ricky had his hand properly above the mark, catching it was easy.

The hardest part of the act was the switch. Charlie had been just amazed at how quickly Ricky and his uncle performed it. That had come from years of practice, and the considerable body strength each of them possessed. As Ricky hunched ever lower, calling to his uncle supposedly inside the chest, Uncle Bob was coming up behind the curtain. There was not enough room for both of them to squat atop the chest at the came time, so Uncle Bob had to remain low and extend a hand to take the rod holding the curtain from Ricky, and Ricky had to slide off the chest the moment he went out of sight behind the curtain, while Uncle Bob stepped up onto the chest to take his place.

The moment when Uncle Bob stood up, Ricky was getting himself into the bag through the zippered opening. The whole thing with the missing key was to ensure that Ricky had enough time to get both into the bag and then back into the chest. Obtaining the key was simple sleight of hand, which Uncle Bob was so good at that it appeared as if the key simply appeared within his hand.

By the time he opened the chest. Ricky simply had to be inside the bag. He didn't even need to close the zipper at the bottom, as the audience could not see the bottom of the bag down inside the chest. Ricky stood up when the lid was lifted, and Uncle Bob untied the drawstring and let him out of the bag.

It was a very simple act, but the audience loved it. They clapped and talked excitedly while Ricky took a bow and walked back offstage. Uncle Bob resumed talking to the audience, but Charlie knew there would be few minutes of that before the next act, and so took a moment to step away from the console and clap Rick on the back like the others were doing.

"You were great!" he whispered.

Ricky grinned ear-to ear. "Is this fun, or what?"

Charlie went back to the console, listening to Uncle Bob's words now. Adrian and Ricky were also listening, and when Uncle Bob stepped to the front of the stage and began to talk about the roots of magic, Charlie dropped a lone spot on him and killed the ones behind him. Adrian and Ricky went quietly onstage in the dark background, found the chest used in the last act, quietly released the brakes on it, and rolled it offstage. They had covered the stage with large rubber mats while setting up, and the whisper-quiet casters under every piece of equipment made no sound at all as they were moved about in the darkness.

Kippy had gone to the back of the stage. All the acts for the performance had been parked there, in the order in which they would be used. They were invisible in the dark, and when one act was completed and removed, they simply went to the next in line and rolled it forward and centered its position marker over the faintly glowing luminescent tape mark on the stage floor.

While Ricky and Adrian removed the chest, Kippy rolled the Man-in-half act forward. Ricky then went back to make sure it was on the mark, and then both boys stepped back out of sight.

Moments later, Uncle Bob began to back up, and Charlie faded in the spot behind the man, and then killed the forward one after he had left it. The effect on the audience was that Uncle Bob stayed illuminated as he moved around, while no real spotlight was detectable. It was a very eerie effect, only possible with the highly focused LED spots, and perfect for a magic show.

Uncle Bob stepped back even further, and Charlie faded in three spots behind him, and again killed the one out front. This time, the next act appeared just behind Uncle Bob: a tall black box with a door on the front that was in three equal sections. This was the act Kippy had rehearsed, where he stood with his back to the left inner wall of the box while keeping his face in an oval hole in the top section of the door. Uncle Bob would then take two metal plates and slide them into the slots in the front door, apparently dividing the box into three sections with Kippy still inside. Then the center section was pulled out to the left. The specially designed rim around the front of the box made it look smaller than it really was, and Kippy simply bent at the waist, which allowed him to stay in all three sections. As a final touch, he reached a hand behind himself and stuck a hand out through a hold and waved it. With his head obviously in the top section of the box, and his hand waving out the extended section, the illusion was that he had been cut into three sections. It was a good illusion, Charlie had to admit.

The audience loved it. The applause was generous, and Kippy bowed twice and then Charlie vanished him by fading out his spot.

Kippy rushed backstage, and right into Charlie's arms. "It was so exciting!" he whispered.

"You were great," Charlie whispered back. "I'm proud of you, Kip." They exchanged a quick kiss, and then Charlie moved back to the console.

The show progressed. Adrian was made to levitate in front of the audience, while Uncle Bob passed an apparently solid metal ring back and forth over him. This was also a simple illusion, involving a wonderfully compact lift that remained behind Uncle Bob while extending a boom underneath his arm. Adrian was actually laying on a steel panel that extended from his shoulders to his knees, and the giant rings were actually on the boom, and could be waved end to end of Adrian and around his head and feet without actually coming off the boom arm.

The audience stood at the end of that one, and clapped again. Charlie was a little bit amazed at the response, as if the population of Twombly had never seen a decent magic act of any kind before. These were cool tricks, but Charlie had been seeing their like for most of his life, and what magic they had originally held for him as a boy had faded. But the elves in the audience acted as if every one of them was sparkling new.

Even Uncle Bob seemed delighted at the response. Charlie could tell by the smile on the man's face that this kind of reaction was rare, even for an act with his kind of polish. He was used to wowing kids and retirement home types, but the reaction he was getting from Twombly was beyond that. It was almost as if those watching this particular show believed.

Several more acts followed, and then came the rabbit trick. Charlie had noticed Ricky hunched before a dimly-lit mirror in one corner of the backstage area, and knew that he was getting ready for this particular act. In their dry run practice he had not bothered with make up, but now it was needed. When he finally came to stand next to Charlie, it was all that Charlie could do not to burst out laughing.

Ricky was made up exactly as he had been in the picture that Uncle Bob had showed them. Adrian stood behind him, grinning like mad, and Ricky simply nodded his head at Charlie and rolled his cute rabbit eyes. "Go ahead and get the laughing over with."

Charlie couldn't stop smiling, but shook his head at his friend and leaned closer. "You are adorable," he whispered. "I could just kiss you, Rick."

"Don't smear my make up," Ricky replied. "It's not set yet." But he was trying hard not to smile himself now, and turned and nodded at Adrian. "Come help me get into the hat."

The 'hat' was actually a very clever balloon-like device in the shape of a top hat standing open-end-up on a small platform. An advanced air bladder that would inflate uniformly and perfectly maintain its shape, the hat was an ingenious invention of Uncle Bob's. He had had it custom made to order for his act when Ricky was young, and no one knew its workings better than Ricky. He had performed in it many times, and even as a grown young man he was still able to fold himself into an impossibly small space. As it was now it, the hat was barely large enough to contain Ricky folded up as small as he could make himself, and certainly looked too small to hide a human being.

Ricky stepped into it and dropped to his knees, and pushed his legs into a pocket in the back that would be out of sight of the audience. This allowed him to scrunch down inside, just over a small hatch that led into a compartment in the base below, and so was out of sight of the audience when the hat was placed onstage. Kippy and Adrian did that, removing the previous act under cover of darkness and then sliding the new one with the hat and Ricky inside into place on the mark and setting the brake.

Uncle Bob, who was just finishing a brief monologue, suddenly acted as if he had heard something, and turned around to look behind him. Charlie brought up two focused spots, and the hat appeared to the audience, which immediately went silent.

"What's this?" Uncle Bob asked, walking up to the hat. He put his hands on his hips and nodded. "Someone's idea of humor, perhaps? An indicator of my hat size after I complete the show for this wonderful audience?"

The elves laughed and clapped, delighted at the joke. Uncle Bob turned and smiled at them, opened his mouth...and then looked surprised. "Oh, my."

He briefly shook the sleeve of his coat, and a pair of long ears popped out. He took them in hand, and carefully withdrew a small brown rabbit from his sleeve. It kicked its legs and stared at the crowd, which took one look, and erupted into laughter.

"How did that get there?" Uncle Bob asked, grinning. "Well, we can't let it hold up the show. Now, where...ah." He acted like he had just had the thought, and went to the hat and dropped the rabbit inside. "There. That will hold it while we get on with things."

But the hat chose that moment to vibrate, and in tune to a rumbling special effects sound that Charlie set off, suddenly grew perceptibly in size. In reality, Charlie had set off the first of a series of air canisters hidden in the base, each of which would noticeably increase the size of the hat.

The audience laughed, and Uncle Bob looked stunned. He turned and stared at them. "Did you see that?"

That brought more laughter. Uncle Bob scratched his head, and opened his mouth again...and then once again looked surprised. He twitched, and then twitched again; and then he opened his coat and produced another rabbit from within. "What on earth?"

The audience loved it. Uncle Bob played at looking confused, shook his head, and went and placed the rabbit into the hat. Once again it rumbled menacingly, and grew another size in dimension. Charlie was grinning, imagining how the elves were taking all this, just from their laughter.

Uncle Bob then proceeded to twitch, look surprised, and produce more rabbits, shaking them from his pants legs, his sleeves, and finding them all over his clothing. Each time, he would place the rabbit in the hat, the hat would rumble, and then get bigger. Uncle Bob produced a dozen rabbits from within his clothing and beneath his top hat, all of which went into the hat. By the final one, the hat was much larger than it had started out, and the audience was doing its best to quiet itself, but not having much luck.

Inside the hat, Ricky would take each rabbit that was dropped inside, and place it into a cage underneath the trap door beneath him. After the first few, the hat's new size gave him enough room to move around, and things became easier. He was counting rabbits, and knew when the final one was dropped inside.

Uncle Bob shook himself, patted himself, lifted his hat, and then sighed. "I think that's all. My word! I have heard of magicians pulling rabbits out of hats, but I have never put so many into one." He gazed speculatively at the hat, and then grinned at the audience. "I wonder what they're all doing in there?"

He approached the hat again, but stopped when he saw motion there. Above the brim appeared two long shapes - Ricky's ears. The audience went immediately silent and leaned forward in their chairs, watching. The two shapes turned slowly, first this way, and then that; and then they raised up some more, and Ricky's eyes stared over the brim of the hat at the audience.

They erupted into laughter, and stamped their feet on the floor. Charlie laughed along with them, watching Ricky perform. Ricky raised himself a little higher, and his face appeared. He wiggled his nose, and his whiskers vibrated comically. The audience lost all discipline then, and simply went crazy, laughing.

Kippy leaned close and spoke into Charlie's ear. "Do you believe this? These are elves!"

Charlie just grinned. "Elves love to laugh, too!"

Uncle Bob, appearing flustered, went to stand in front of the hat. Ricky peered around him, causing the crowd to get even more out of control. Uncle Bob leaned over to hide Ricky, and Ricky leaned the other way and peered out again. After several rounds of this, Uncle Bob danced back, held up his hands, and waved his fingers at Ricky. "Begone!"

Ricky dropped low, and Charlie let the air out of the hat. It burst into an equalization chamber without a sound, and the hat was just suddenly its original size again.

Uncle Bob shook his head, and turned back to the crowd. He waved a hand over his shoulder, and Charlie cut the spots on the hat, causing it to fade from view.

"Note to self," Uncle Bob said. "Next time, pull rabbits out of hat!"

He gave a small bow, and the audience clapped enthusiastically.

"Thank you," Uncle Bob said, nodding. "Our final act is a big one, and we need a few minutes to get it in order." He came forward on the stage; at the same time, the curtains closed behind him, and the house lights winked on. The crowd was all smiles, and Mayor Snorkum launched himself from his front row seat and came up to the edge of the stage. Uncle Bob smiled, and dropped to a squat before him.

"You people are wonderful!" the mayor said, keeping his voice down. "We have not been so amazed in a long time."

"You guys are a great audience," Uncle Bob returned. "Almost like you've never seen a magic act before."

"We have had several here," Mayor Snorkum countered. "But you are the first in thirty years, I think, so the for the youngers, it is all brand new." He winked. "I must say that the art has progressed considerably since the last show I saw!"

"It has " Uncle Bob agreed. "Today's technology makes all the difference."

The mayor leaned closer. "The last act is the one I asked for?"

"Yes. It's one of my most popular illusions. I hope your people like it."

"They will be amazed, if what I have read is true." The mayor grinned. "This has been a wonderful Christmas gift for the town. Thank you, Bob."

Uncle Bob was touched by the mayor's sincerity. "I think this is one of the best places I've ever performed. If you ever want me again, feel free to call."

He stood, nodded to the audience, and then went backstage through the curtains.

Ricky and the other boys were standing there, waiting.

"Everything's ready," Ricky said. "I just have to get into my rig."

"Okay, let's do it."

The final act was the buzz saw. It consisted of a giant steel blade, three feet across, like the kind you saw in lumber mills in old movies. Except that this one was computer-controlled, with a low-torque drive and a number of sensors which would stop it immediately if it encountered any obstruction at all. As such, it was incredibly safe, while still looking incredibly lethal.

Quite simply, they intended to cut Uncle Bob in half in front of a live audience, and then put him together again. The buzz saw and its table had been placed at the mark, and was ready to go.

Ricky quickly got into his outfit, which consisted of a pair of pants and shoes identical to what Uncle Bob was wearing. The other boys helped him to get up on the saw table, and open his specially designed compartment. Ricky laid back into it, and then brought his legs up, grabbed them, and pulled them as close to his front as he could. The bottom of the compartment lowered until the backs of Ricky's legs came parallel with the top of the table, and then the boys closed the cover, concealing Ricky within.

"Places," Uncle Bob said.

This time, Adrian had the curtain. Kippy got the house lights, and Charlie returned to the control console.

Uncle Bob pointed at Kippy, and he began shutting down the house lights. When he got the last one, Adrian opened the curtains, and Charlie illuminated Uncle Bob in a spot. The audience, which had been talking quietly, went silent.

Uncle Bob raised his hand. "And now, for our finale, an act so dangerous that many magicians will not perform it. Don't try this at home folks, as it is not safe."

He waved a hand, and Charlie hit three spots behind Uncle Bob, illuminating the buzz saw. The audience took it in, and then gasped as they realized the purpose of the giant blade. The table was turned face-on to the audience, so that they were looking at the side of the blade. It's sharp-looking teeth glinted in the spots, looking very lethal, indeed.

"What I propose to do is cut myself in two, and then rejoin myself after. No more, no less. There is no more explanation needed, so let us get on with it." He waved a hand at nothing in particular. "Some help here, please."

Adrian and Kippy hit their marks, and Charlie illuminated them. They each waved a hand dramatically at the machine, and then to Uncle Bob. "Ready, sir."

Uncle Bob took a deep breath, and nodded.

It was important to keep the machine facing the crowd while they got Uncle Bob aboard. Kippy lifted the clamp, which was supposed to hold the magician down. In reality, there was a complete split between the front part of the saw table and the rear part holding Ricky. The clamp included a black shield, invisible to the audience when the machine faced them, but which would be visible to them when the machine was turned sideways. The black shield was there to create a continuation of Uncle Bob's backside underneath the blade, but it was all an illusion. As Uncle Bob climbed aboard the table and laid down on his belly, he lowered his rear half first, which allowed his head and shoulders to obscure the fact that he had in fact bent double and lowered his folded legs into a concealed compartment.

At the same time, the movable table beneath Ricky raised him, and his doubled-back legs rose above the tabletop, creating the illusion that Uncle Bob was laying full length on the table. None of this could be seen by the audience yet because the table was facing them. The front and rear concealed chambers were artfully hidden from the audience when the table was turned sideways by carefully placed supports underneath, that looked as though they simply supported the tabletop. The front and rear concealed chambers each had a steel back wall, and the saw blade would pass between the two, without actually touching anything. Again, it was all an illusion.

They helped Uncle Bob aboard, and he slid into the compartment and then laid his front half on the table. Ricky's legs came up, and Kippy lowered the clamp and locked it down. Then he and Adrian turned the table side-on to the audience. From the crowd, it looked like Uncle Bob was laid full-length upon the table, his midsection secured firmly in place by the clamp.

Adrian went to stand by a giant lever, and placed his hand upon it. "Ready, sir."

"Proceed."

Adrian threw the lever, and jumped back.

There was a grunt, and a whirr, and then the giant blade begin to spin. It accelerated, becoming a blur, and a fierce hum filled the stage.

In reality, the low-torque motor that drove the blade was quiet, and the blade itself not really turning fast enough to make any sound. The sounds the audience heard came from the speakers, and originated in a digital sound bite stored within the special effects console. Charlie revved it up, making the entire place sound like a sawmill.

The audience gaped, and leaned back in their seats.

And then the blade began to move towards the table. It seemed to touch it, and the terrible shriek intensified as Charlie tuned the sound coming from the speakers. The blade appeared to bit into the table, and sparks flew everywhere. These were produced by a simple spark generator underneath the tabletop, but the effect was utterly convincing.

Uncle Bob reared back, and a grimace of pain covered his face. The audience simply watched, their mouths open, as the blade worked its way through the table and emerged from the other side.

Adrian stepped forward, and pulled the lever back. The blade withdrew slowly, obviously having cut through the entire table and the man upon it, wound down, and then stopped. The boys then each took one end of the table, and slowly pulled the halves a foot apart.

You could have heard a pin drop. For a moment nothing else happened. Uncle Bob did not move, and the boys simply stood silently, their heads down. The tension grew, and Charlie found himself holding his own breath...

"You know," Uncle Bob said, suddenly lifting his head, "that really itches."

Charlie heard the entire audience take a deep breath... and then they were laughing. The relief in the laughter was plain, and Uncle Bob smiled at them. It took a moment for the elves to quiet, and once they had, Uncle Bob shook his head. "My foot itches. Could one of you guys get my ankle, please?" Uncle Bob's legs were waving in the air, obviously quite alive.

Kippy moved forward, and gave Uncle Bob's left ankle a quick rub.

"Oh, not that one." The right foot suddenly waved. "That one."

The audience laughed again as Kippy moved to the other ankle and scratched it.

"Ah. Thank you." Uncle Bob turned his head back to the audience. "As I said, do not try this at home. It may lead to double vision and a split personality."

The audience went off again, and Uncle Bob had them in his hand from then on. He told several jokes, commented on the weather, and then finally stopped.

"Well, this has been fun, but I am starting to feel a cramp in my legs, and I think it's time to get back together with them. Guys?"

Adrian and Kippy pushed the table back together, and turned it back face-on to the audience. Uncle Bob looked out at the crowd, and suddenly frowned. "You know, I never got past this part before? How do you unsaw someone?"

He waited for the laughter to die, and then nodded. "This is where the real magic comes in, folks."

Kippy and Adrian stepped away from the table, and turned their backs to it and covered their eyes.

"Abracadabra simply won't do here," Uncle Bob said. "Nor, Shazam, Hocus Pocus, nor Alakazam. Something stronger is needed." He thought a moment, and then nodded. "I know!" he took a deep breath, and then said, in a portentous voice: "Sim, sim, sala bim!"

There was a flash, and fire burned its way across the tabletop. The audience reared back, and someone let out a cry of amazement. White smoke poured upwards, and then wafted away on some whim of the heating system

And then it was done. The boys stepped forward, opened the clamp, and Uncle Bob launched himself off the table onto his feet, and waved his hands. "Success!"

The crowd stood and clapped, and there were several cheers and whistles. It sounded so human that Charlie laughed. It sounded so happy, so pleased, that tears came to his eyes.

Kippy and Adrian took little bows, and Charlie cut off their spots. The boys hurried over, and stood next to him. Charlie cut the three act spots, and the giant saw faded from view. Only one spot remained on, with Uncle Bob standing in it, his hands raised, his face covered with a smile. He turned, nodded at the boys, and moved to the front of the stage. Adrian closed the curtains, and Kippy turned on the house lights.

Then all three boys ran to the saw table, and opened the rear compartment. Ricky's legs popped up, and he groaned. "Oh, crap, do I hurt!"

They helped him out, and stood him on his feet. He held onto Adrian, rubbing his back. "Hold me up a minute until my circulation comes back."

Adrian laughed, and kissed his boyfriend. "You were wonderful, even if it was just your sexy legs showing."

Ricky laughed. "My sexy legs want to soak in a hot tub for an hour, along with my hips and my back."

Adrian grinned. "Need any help?"

"I just may."

Charlie left the stage lights off, and the four of them moved up behind the curtain. Adrian took the ropes, and they waited for their cue.

"...a wonderful audience," Uncle Bob was saying. "I don't believe I have ever enjoyed a performance more than this one."

The elves were having fun now, hooting and calling and laughing, just as a human audience might do. It took a moment for them to quiet, before Uncle Bob's voice returned.

"A magician is only as good as his support staff, and I had the best for this one. Let me introduce Ricky, Charlie, Adrian, and Kippy."

Adrian opened the curtains, and the four boys stepped out. Uncle Bob waved them forward, then moved behind them and draped his arms over Charlie's and Kippy's shoulders on one side, and Ricky's and Adrian's on the other. "Take a bow, guys. You really deserve it."

The five of them gave a bow, and the audience clapped like mad.

Mayor Snorkum rose from his seat, and waved his hands for silence. It took a moment, but the others quickly calmed down.

"I want to thank our guests for a fine performance of magic." He grinned. "I don't think we will be forgetting this show for some time to come."

There was laughter, and a lot of the crowd nodded their heads.

"Before we go, I thought we would give our guests something in return. Something they might remember, too."

He waved a hand, and the audience began to stand up. In a moment they were all on their feet, and smiling. Mayor Snorkum raised a hand...and then dropped it.

The crowd began to sing. Charlie just stared, surprised, as the volume of the voices soared. Two things became immediately apparent: Charlie could not understand a single word of the song...and that it was utterly beautiful. He closed his eyes, feeling the voices wash over him.

That it was a Christmas carol he was sure of. But he had never heard it before, and knew he would probably never hear it again. The language held no meaning, but the sound was simply full of it. The five humans stood frozen as two hundred elf voices filled the air around them, singing of things that Charlie could only guess at, but which filled his heart with a warmth unlike any he had every felt before.

The song seemed long, but not long enough. It wound down, slowed, and ended. Charlie felt tears on his face, and wiped at them. The others were all doing the same thing.

Uncle Bob shook his head as Mayor Snorkum smiled at him. "That was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Thank you so much."

The Mayor nodded. But then his eyes went past the five humans, and his smile widened again. "Oh, we are not done?"

Charlie turned with the others, and then stepped back as the Man-in-half cabinet rolled forward onto the stage. Uncle Bob's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to say something...and then snapped it shut again as the cabinet began to bounce up and down on its casters. Charlie and the others stepped back even more as the box spun in a full circle, and then stopped again with the door facing the audience. And then the door opened, and a man stepped out.

Charlie gasped, and felt Kippy do the same beside him.

The newcomer was dressed in red, and his face looked like he could be related to any of the Twomblies in the room. His eyes immediately found Charlie's, and he grinned. "Hey, fellas."

Charlie jerked his head around to look at the elves. Their mouths were open, and looks of total surprise were written on every face. Mayor Snorkum also looked shocked...but also...somehow...amazingly...pleased beyond measure.

The first man stepped aside, and another man came out of the cabinet. He was taller, but also dressed in red. He had a young face - a human face - but ageless eyes, and those eyes swept over the room, and came back to rest upon those of Mayor Snorkum. He smiled. "Merry Christmas."

Mayor Snorkum took a breath, and for a moment Charlie thought he might cry. But then the man turned to face the others - turned to face his family - and raised his hands. "Friends, I want to welcome our new visitors. We have waited a long time for this - a very long time for this."

He turned back to the newcomers. "This is Nicholaas, about whom we have heard so much. And this is..." he smiled at the other man, who stepped forward.

"Maximillian Pribilownakowskif." He grinned. "But my friends just call me Max."

* * * * * * *

Charlie was tired. It had been a long day, and it still wasn't over. Some tables had been found, and brought into the town hall meeting room. At one of them, Mayor Snorkum and several other Twomblies sat with Nicholaas and Max, their heads bent forward in discussion. At another, several other Twomblies had brought in an urn of hot coffee, and were handing out steaming Styrofoam cups to all comers. Several trays of sandwiches stood nearby, and more were on the way.

The entire town, save for those going for supplies, was still present, with most of the elves sitting in the same seats in which they had enjoyed the show. There were smiles everywhere it seemed, and quiet conversations aplenty. Everyone had gotten over their initial shock, and Charlie thought the people looked relaxed and hopeful now.

Charlie and the other humans had a table of their own. They sat together, sipping coffee and nibbling on sandwiches, their eyes moving among the many faces. Uncle Bob had said scarcely a word since Nicholaas and Max had arrived, opting instead to simply watch and listen. But he looked far from distraught, his eyes bright, and his expression one of interest. Charlie had a feeling that no worrisome Max-magic would be needed to deal with Uncle Bob. There was a secret here, a stupendous one. But...somehow...Charlie felt that Bob Travers could be trusted with it.

Charlie became aware of someone standing near him - two someones, in fact - and looked up. Kiley and Kiri stood there, looking at them nervously.

Charlie grinned. "Hi."

Kiley gave a little smile. "Hi. Can we talk to you a minute?'

Kippy pushed out two empty chairs. "Sit."

The two elves sat. They looked at each other a moment, and then leaned forward excitedly. "What do you think will happen?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't even know what they're talking about."

"Home," Kiri said. "I mean, our other home."

"They're talking about letting us go back," Kiley added.

"I thought you liked it here," Adrian reminded.

"We do," Kiri said. "We don't mean go back to stay." She leaned closer. "They're talking about letting us use the portal again. And...letting us have our magic back."

"There's no council anymore," Kiley said, wondrously. "Every elf is a council member, more or less. They have the true language now, and everyone can make decisions."

Charlie smiled. "I see no reason for your people to be apart. Whatever Eustace and Marly did, it's long over." He looked over at Max and Nicholaas. "In my experience, these people are not the type to hold a pointless grudge."

"So you think it will happen?" Kiri asked.

"I think something will happen, yes."

They heard chairs being pushed back, and turned to find those at the meeting table getting up. Mayor Snorkum looked elated, and Charlie's heart gave a tiny extra leap of happiness inside his chest. No one looked that way for bad news.

The mayor held up his hands, and all eyes turned towards him. "Friends, Nicholaas would like to speak to you."

Nicholaas nodded, and smiled at his audience. "You have a wonderful town here. Is there any of you that would want to leave it? Raise your hands, please."

Charlie looked around with all the others. Not a single hand went up.

Nicholaas smiled at that. "I thought not. So I want to tell you right off that none of you will be required to leave this place. This is your home, and you are welcome here."

That brought forth smiles, and some relieved looks as well.

"But you also cannot remain exactly as you are," Nicholaas continued. "Not now. Your families in your old world are now aware of where you are. You are going to have visitors, and you need to be ready for them."

"What do we need to do?" a woman two rows back asked. "What will they do when they come?"

"They will not do anything to change what you have, or who you are. They will simply want to see you. To...reconnect. They're excited about it."

"There is no harm in that," said a man in the same row. "We would love to see them."

Nicholaas laughed. "Um...I don't think you really understand how many relatives you actually have now." He turned to Max. "Any numbers yet?"

Max gave a little grunt, and rose to his feet. "Well, we're keeping it to bloodlines at the moment, and letting the census guys tabulate the relations by marriage. But it looks like about sixteen thousand-something so far."

Mouths dropped open everywhere.

"Sixteen thousand blood relatives?" Mayor Snorkum shook his head. "That's --"

"Oh, it's possible," Max said, grinning.

The mayor laughed. "I was going to say that it was incredible, but it's pretty hard to believe, too."

Nicholaas nodded. "Here's the bottom line. The vote has already been taken. You are all going to have all of your rights restored."

"The power?" someone said. "It will return to us?"

"Yes. I know you still have some of the basics, but you're going to wind up with the whole spectrum again. And none of you have been educated in its use. You will need to be very careful until you learn."

"Won't that cause trouble here?" asked someone else. "What if we're discovered? It would ruin everything."

"There's the main problem," NIcholaas agreed. "Magic users in this world will stick out like a sore thumb. You will need to be very careful what you do, and where you do it. You'll always need to be aware of strangers in town."

"Or," said Mayor Snorkum, " you can choose not to use magic at all. Or, at least, no more magic than we currently use now."

"I don't need it," someone in the back of the room called.

Nicholaas smiled. "To not use magic is also your right. The important thing here is that you - all of you - can choose to embrace as little or as much of this as you want. That is what I mean more than anything else by saying that your freedoms are restored. Use anything your people have to offer...or choose to remain exactly as you are. The choice is yours."

"The main thing," Mayor Snorkum said, "is that we are found again. Even if we use no magic, we are once again a part of our people."

"I don't think it will be that hard to regulate the flow of visitors you get," Max said then. "People will wanna see you, but they're patient, too. Once they know your situation, they'll cooperate."

Nicholaas smiled at that. "Probably."

The talk continued, but the Mayor came over and sat down at their table. "I want to thank you all before you go."

Uncle Bob leaned forward then. "You chose me for your magic show for a reason?"

The mayor smiled. "I was simply looking through the booking listings for a magician, and your name, um, stood out for me."

"It jumped off the page," Kiri said. "Kiley and I had to chase it across the kitchen floor."

Uncle Bob laughed. "They're kidding, right?"

Mayor Snorkum grinned. "No."

Uncle Bob blinked at that, but wisely chose not to pursue it. "But it wasn't me you needed? It was" -- he indicated Ricky and the other boys --"these guys?"

"It was all five of you. It would not have worked, otherwise. I didn't even know why it was important that you come here. Only that it was."

Uncle Bob frowned. "This is all incredible."

Mayor Snorkum winced. "We are...a little concerned...about what you will do with this knowledge."

Uncle Bob laughed. "Do with it? Nothing. Even if I wanted to tell someone, who would believe me?"

"Someone might. And it could endanger us all."

Uncle Bob shook his head. "This is not my business to tell. You have nothing to worry about from me. " He leaned forward. "Besides, my nephew is involved, and I won't do anything that might endanger him or his friends."

Mayor Snorkum smiled. "You will always be welcome here."

Uncle Bob smiled. "I may just take you up on that offer someday."

Max and Nicholaas came to the table. "I think you're wanted," Max said to the mayor.

Snorkum jumped to his feet, grinning. "A mayor's work is never done."

Kiri and Kiley followed, each throwing a last smile at the boys.

Nicholaas and Max sat down, and Nicholaas smiled at the boys. "Charlie, Kippy, Ricky, and Adrian. It is so nice to see you again."

Charlie nodded. "Thank you for coming."

"Not at all. You've done us all a great service by restoring these people's rights to them."

"Merry Christmas," Kippy said, smiling.

Nicholaas nodded. "You and skwish are becoming quite close, I see."

"It seems to make good calls for me, so I listen to it."

"As you should."

"You guys did good," Max added, grinning.

Someone came in from the outside with another tray of sandwiches, and Charlie sat up, drawn to something about the man's clothing. It...glistened. "Is it raining outside?" he called.

The man looked over. "Raining? It's snowing like crazy."

Kippy and the other boys sat up straighter, and turned to Uncle Bob. "It's snowing!"

"You guys are gonna get about a foot, I think," Max said.

Charlie jumped to his feet. "We have to get home! We can't get stuck here. We'll miss Christmas!"

Uncle Bob jumped up, too. "We should start loading the trailer."

Nicholaas raised a hand and waved it at them. "Sit down, please."

The words were simply spoken, without any sort of force to them...but Charlie sat down, feeling he had to. Uncle Bob also sat, looking surprised that he had done so.

Nicholaas smiled. "Your things have been loaded into you trailer. Your bags have been retrieved from your rooms and placed within your vehicle. You are ready to go."

Uncle Bob laughed. "Are you serious?"

Ricky gave a little laugh of his own. "You'd better believe it."

Uncle Bob frowned. "Okay. I just hope we can get down off this mountain in one piece."

Max laughed. "Even if you drive like a complete moron, nothing will happen to you." He pointed at Uncle Bob. "You'll get home without any trouble, you got me? Nothing...and I do mean nothing, will stop you."

Nicholaas looked at Charlie, and shook his head at him. "I'm surprised at you, Charlie."

"What did I do?"

"It wasn't anything you did, it was something you said."

"You said you would miss Christmas," Max reminded.

"Oh. I just meant we wouldn't be home with our families for it."

"That's the same as missing it," Adrian said.

"You will never miss Christmas, Charlie. None of you will ever miss it." Nicholaas looked around at them. "You will never miss it because it is with the four of you, always."

Charlie smiled. "That's a nice sentiment. I just want to be home with my folks to share it."

"And you will be." Nicholaas smiled. "I could have Max simply transport all of you and your things home...but I don't think I will."

Kippy looked surprised. "Why not?"

Nicholaas stood up. "Because this looks to be a case of the journey being important, too." He nodded. "Go home. You will arrive safely and without trouble. I promise you."

Max nodded at them, and also got up. "I'll get back to you guys as soon as I can. We still got some things to do here."

Charlie grinned. "Love you, Max."

The elf reddened slightly, but nodded. "Me, too. All you guys. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

Max winked at them, and headed back to the other table.

Nicholaas gave a sigh, and looked over at the Twomblies. "Thank you, boys, once again. This is a wonderful thing for all of these people. I know they love it here, and I fully expect them to stay here. But I also expect them to be enriched by contact with their own kind again. You have given these people a wonderful gift."

"It's Christmas," Kippy said. "And...it was important."

"Yes, it was. These people were still operating under the misapprehension that I was in some way angered at Eustace and Marly. That I was in some way still angry at them." He shook his head in disbelief. "They were afraid of what might happen if I found them here."

Charlie nodded. "We had a feeling they were hiding. We just weren't sure what they were hiding from."

"I feel better about all of this, knowing I have erased their worry of me. Thank you for that, too." Nicholaas leaned towards them. "Remember - the statues I gave to each of you will watch over you. Never fear to use them if you think the cause is just." He smiled. "Or if you feel you can right an injustice, too. Merry Christmas, my friends."

"Merry Christmas," the boys responded, smiling.

Nicholaas gave them a last smile, and a wave, and headed back to the others.

Kippy scooted his chair closer to Charlie, and leaned over and kissed him.

"What was that for?"

Kippy sighed. "Oh, Charlie. Do you really have to ask?"

Uncle Bob stood up. "Time to hit the road, I guess."

"Should we say goodbye?" Ricky asked.

Uncle Bob looked about the meeting room. The conversations had started anew, and Nicholaas and Max were looking pleased with the way things were going. The Twomblies also looked happy, and Mayor Snorkum was grinning ear-to-ear.

"Let's leave them to finish things, huh? The important things have been done."

The five of them slipped out, unnoticed, and headed around to the truck. It was snowing very hard, and there were already several inches on the ground. Uncle Bob unlocked the trailer and looked inside, seemed amazed to find all of his equipment neatly stowed.

"It looks just like I had it loaded to begin with." He grinned. "Man, these guys are good."

They climbed into the truck, and found their bags also loaded. Kippy looked inside his, made certain that the statue of Nicholaas and Kierka was present, and then snuggled up to Charlie in the back seat. "I feel good."

"I do, too," Charlie said. "I think this will all work out for the people of Twombly."

"I want to come back sometime," Adrian said. "Maybe rent a few rooms at the lodge, and just visit a little."

"We will," Ricky said. "I really like this place."

It was dark now, and normally they would have never started down the mountain in this sort of weather. They could have waited until morning, and still made it out. But Max's assurance that they would have no trouble on the road was enough, and there seemed no reason to wait until the snow got even deeper.

Uncle Bob maneuvered the truck out of the parking lot, and shook his head. "Feels like dry road under the tires. I can't feel any slippage at all."

They made it to the end of town, and Uncle Bob stopped the truck and they all looked back. The cheery lights of Twombly gazed back at them, and Kippy smiled. "There are enchanted places, after all."

He sat back against Charlie, and Charlie put an arm around him.

Ricky sighed. "And as we say our fond farewell to lovely Twombly..."

He and Adrian snuggled together, and the truck moved forward.

Uncle Bob watched the lights of the town recede in the rear view mirror, and gave a small sigh when they finally disappeared.

* * * * * * *

Kiri and Kiley stood upon the ledge, watching. "I feel terrible that no one saw them go," Kiley said. "After all they did for us, too."

"They'll be back, someday," Kiri said, watching the far lights of cars moving on the roads below. "I feel sure of that. They liked it here, same as we do."

Kiley smiled. "I hope they like what we have for them."

Kiri nodded. "They will, if we can just get it to them...wait."

She focused on the distant road down in the valley, on one particular set of faraway headlights, and became certain. "There. That one."

She extended her arm to her brother, and they clasped hands.

And then they closed their eyes.

* * * * * * *

Charlie was drowsing, Kippy against him, when he became aware of the new light. He opened his eyes, just as something red zipped past the end of his nose.

"What the hell?" Uncle Bob called from the front seat; and then he was pulling the SUV over onto the shoulder of the road.

Charlie looked up at the roof of the truck, where five little lights buzzed about like houseflies. They formed a knot, and pulsed and vibrated as if in a little huddle, and then separated. The lights were red, blue, green, yellow, and purple, and each color made for a different occupant of the truck, simply dropping slowly towards each of them. Charlie opened his hand, and the red light settled onto his palm. The green one chose Kippy, the blue one Rick, the yellow one dropped towards Adrian, and the purple one came down on Uncle Bob.

Charlie stared at the little light, suddenly feeling all sorts of things inside himself. Strange things. New things. Good things.

Kippy gasped. "Oh, Charlie. They're full of wishes for us!"

The things that Charlie sensed inside of him swirled about, found a place they seemed comfortable, and came to rest. "Wish lights," he said softly. "They're real, after all."

"What do I do with this thing?" Uncle Bob asked. "I can't drive with it in my hand..."

But even as they watched, the lights slowly faded from their palms, and were gone.

But not the things that had been left behind inside their minds. Those things remained, strange, or new, or good, as if waiting for a time when they would need them.

Kippy laughed. " I see Kiri and Kiley in this, I think."

"What is it?" Uncle Bob asked. "What do I feel inside my head?"

"A gift, I think." Charlie said. "From some special new friends."

The man shook his head. "It's...weird." He smiled then. "But it's pretty wild, too."

Uncle Bob started the truck again, and they drove on, talking about what had happened, and what they were now feeling within them.

"This is something we'll find useful at some point ahead," Kippy decided. "And I think we'll know when we need them." He snuggled back against Charlie. "So I'm not going to think about them anymore until that happens."

"If you say so," Uncle Bob agreed. The man began whistling Silver Bells softly to himself, looking quite happy, indeed.

Slightly more than two hours later, the SUV pulled into Charlie's driveway, and let them out. They exchanged hugs with the others, even giving one to Uncle Bob, and told Ricky and Adrian they would call them in the morning.

"It'll be Christmas Eve," Kippy reminded. "We'll do something together."

"Wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't," Adrian said, smiling.

Charlie's parents were delighted to see them.

"We were worried about the snow," his dad said. "It was smart of you to leave early."

Charlie's mom hugged him, seeming especially pleased to see him. "It wouldn't have been Christmas without you, sweetheart."

Charlie and Kippy sat and talked with Charlie's parents until nine, and then said they were tired, and headed upstairs. After a quick shower, they climbed into Charlie's bed, and Charlie felt that marvelous feeling come over him that came with settling beneath the covers of one's own bed. Kippy snuggled against him, and sighed.

"I'm so glad to be home, Charlie."

"Me, too."

"What will we do with these wishes?"

Charlie had not forgotten about the strange-new-good feelings inside his head, but he had grown comfortable with them. They seemed to have found a balance where they were now, and were far less noticeable than before.

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to think about it."

Kippy laughed. "I can always count on you to think for us, Charlie."

Charlie grinned. "Someone has to do it."

Kippy laughed, and squeezed him closer. "Oh, Charlie. I have my best wish already. I'm with you."

Charlie was touched, and offered Kippy a kiss. Kippy offered it back, and smiled. "You know, now it feels like Christmas to me, Charlie."

"Yeah. I feel that way, too." Charlie gave a little sigh. "I sure liked that little town. And those people. I'd like to think there's a little Twombly in everybody. Especially at Christmas."

"If there's not, there should be." Kippy suddenly grinned. "There's a great wish. That everyone could feel a little bit of Twombly for the holiday."

Charlie laughed, and kissed his boyfriend. "I like it."

Kippy sighed. "Merry Christmas, Charlie Boone."

"Merry Christmas, Kip. I love you."

"Oh, Charlie. I love you, too."

They settled together, and talked a moment longer. And then the day caught up with them, and their eyes grew heavy, and slowly, their breathing grew slow and quiet.

Outside, the snow came down, and covered the world.

The heat came on inside Charlie's house, and a tiny breath of air moved across the room from the register. The air curled and twisted, and finally passed over the boys, where a tiny voice, scarcely there at all, spoke out into the stillness of the night:

I wish...

In the bed, Kippy opened one eye, and smiled.