Trouble at the North Pole

By Dusty Henn

Christmas is coming, but not all of Santa's workers are happy. Santa is stressed out by a big bag of letters from Iceland, and doesn't notice what's going on right under his nose!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dusty Henn
• Release date: Dec 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386955634

Dusty Henn

Author of short works featuring animals. E-mail [e-mail]

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Trouble at the North Pole

Chapter I

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

A – Nightclub – The Ice Cube

Oh, no, Christmas is coming again! exclaims Vixen as she and her friend Elaine pass through the entryway to the Cube. Kris is back in Santa mode. She sees that red, green and silver tinsel has been installed throughout the room, and a recording of Santa’s Ho. Ho. Ho. greets each visitor coming through the door. Christmas carols play softly in the background.

It’s supposed to help everyone get into the holiday spirit. He’s a couple of days early, I think, says Elaine.

Vixen and Elaine have been in the habit of visiting the Cube together for a number of years. It’s a relaxing friendly atmosphere, and the place frequently offers high quality entertainment. So when they go out for a drink together, The Cube is their favorite. The appearance of holiday décor, Kris’s recorded voice and the holiday music should be no surprise, since it’s a tradition. It happens every year about mid-November at the Cube; but Vixen has not been paying close attention to the calendar, nor has she been eagerly looking forward to the holiday season. Quite the opposite.

When they are seated, Vixen orders a bearberry cocktail, and Elaine a sparkling cranberry drink.

I know the Christmas season is more stressful for you, says Elaine. But where would we be without it? It’s the reason Santa’s Village exists. Anyhow, it makes no difference for me; my work during the Christmas season isn’t that different than any other time. Oh, quantity-wise I suppose it’s greater since there are so many more things to be moved from the warehouse to shipping; and sometimes the elves get stressed out. Their problem, not mine.

They talk about work. Elaine talks about things she hauls for the elves, from warehouse to workshop to shipping department and loading area. Wood, metal, rubber, and in recent decades, even plastic.

She’s not sure plastic is such a good idea. She’s conservative. Such materials they use these days!

I always preferred wooden toys, but metal is OK, so long as it isn’t lead, she opines.

They talk about working conditions, too. Well, for me it’s always ‘hurry up and wait’, says Elaine.

Do you think you’ll ever be replaced by a robot? It seems like the boring, mindless jobs ought to be performed by a machine, freeing you to do more high-level tasks, says Vixen.

Such as? responds Elaine. All the other jobs are taken. I’ll be unemployed and unemployable if the robots move in.

True, agrees Vixen. We members of the Christmas Eve Team have an advantage. Everyone knows us and wants to see us on Christmas Eve. If we were to fail to show up, we’d be missed, and Kris would be in hot water with the children of the world. Maybe you could be an understudy, though; just in case one of the team has a problem sometime and can’t make the trip. It couldn’t hurt to ask Kris about the possibilities.

I’ll do that. responds Elaine. Do you think I should go through the chain of command, or approach Kris directly with the idea? I don’t want to go over Wintergreen’s head; but I’m afraid he’d be upset by the thought of having to find a substitute, and tell me ‘no’.

Well, it’s your career, Says Vixen. You probably don’t want to just stand around and wait for the robots to be brought in to do the mindless tasks. You could die of boredom. Wintergreen won’t be repaying your loyalty, either. He’ll be looking out for his own job.

True, true. I think maybe I’d better talk directly to Kris about this. Confidentially, so Wintergreen doesn’t get uneasy.

Good thinking. Kris is a jolly old elf, and he won’t want you to suffer. See what he thinks of your suggestion, or what else you and he come up with, and he can talk to your supervisor.

That’s just what I’ll do. Tomorrow, maybe, or whenever there’s a break in the routine that gives me time to set up a meeting. So how is work going for you, Vixen?

Not bad, really. After all, it’s just one big trip each year. But the months of physical conditioning are exhausting. They make us log our hours every day. I do get tired of it.

I can imagine, says Elaine.

And I can almost smell December. At the beginning of the month they’ll make us all show up for assembly every morning, practice getting in harness, practice running, flying and landing. And there’s the timing; they want perfect co-ordination. We’ll have a dry run sometime before Christmas Eve, pulling a practice sleigh, just to make sure we’ve got everything covered.

Dreadful, Elaine nods. It makes my hauling job seem like a piece of cake.

The worst of it for me are the bed checks; they make sure everyone gets the required number of hours of sleep. And they start restricting our hours for going out. You and I may not even be able to meet during the final two weeks before the 24th. They keep us on a short leash!

Not literally, I hope! exclaims Elaine. You aren’t really on leashes, are you?

It feels like it. We’re watched all the time; weighed, measured, complete physicals, everything to make sure we’re ready. No detail is too small to be checked, not even teeth and hoof conditions. And we get eye exams to make sure we still have our ultraviolet vision; and to determine whether our eyes have turned the proper shade of blue for maximum visual acuity. Landing on rooftops is a tricky business, you know; especially at night.

Now that you describe the job, I’m not so sure I want to be your understudy, says Elaine. It sounds like a real pain in you-know-what.

Well, some of the time, it is. But remember the job security; and after the big trip on the 24th each year, we get several weeks of vacation, and special TLC as we recuperate. That’s not bad duty, and it makes up for a lot. But I’ve been at this for more than 195 years now; probably more like 200...and the routine is getting a little old, you know...Oh, my, who is that handsome deer that just walked through the door?

Vixen nervously touches the fur between her ears, and asks Elaine, Do I look OK?

"Just fine, honey. But that’s only Blitzen; the same old guy you’ve been running with for the past couple