Christmas Jack-o'-Lantern

by Subhajit Waugh

  Jack took out the broken piece of the scepter and said “Please keep this with you for one week. This is a magical piece-it might choose its own master”

  Martini stared at the inscription on the scepter, and his eyes grew wider. “Hey, Jack! I know this. I had seen this in my childhood”. Martini frowned and looked suspiciously at Jack “this is the ancient scepter of Elf-land, isn’t it? Why is it broken? Where is the other part?” Martini’s voice became louder and more serious with each question.

  “Please, for our friendship’s sake, don’t ask questions” Jack pleaded “I am doing this for the sake of Elf-land”

  “Friendship?” Martini frowned, but didn’t ask any further question. However the questioning look persisted in his eyes.

  “I deeply trust you Martini” Jack said slowly “But magical objects can sometimes corrupt the owner or make him blind of greed. This makes the task of parting with it difficult. Therefore you must sign this paper as an obligation to return it in one week if nothing good comes out of it or if things go worse”.

  Martini gazed at Jack for several minutes. Then he smiled, signed the paper and received the scepter.

  “Remember Jack, I am doing you a favor only for the sake of Elf-land” Martini said. His stress fell on the words ‘doing you a favor’.

  * * *

  Jack walked down the street of Elf-land. He hadn’t seen any improvement in last three days. Rather, things have gone worse. Racial hatred had given rise to nocturnal, terrorist activities.

  Groups of elves wearing robes, masks and conical hats of either black or white colors, depending on their own skin-colors, and waving burning oil torches, lynched innocent elf populations at night, purely on racial basis.

  Jack was approaching the street corner, when two elves suddenly appeared from the corner, and approached Jack. Their faces were almost covered.

  Jack increased his walking pace.

  After a few minutes, he turned behind.

  They were still following him and were fast approaching him.

  Jack started running.

  They sprinted at Jack, and within minutes they grasped his hands.

  Jack struggled to break free, but they grasped him more tightly.

  They removed their covering and revealed their faces. Their faces were bruised and ruptured, with black marks and swellings around their eyes. One of them had his nose almost broken, and had black clots of blood above his lips. Jack recognized them at once-they belonged to spy unit three of the rebel Elves.

  “Oh my God!” Jack uttered, “Did you become victim of the riots or lynching?”

  “No. Devil’s soldiers and Gryla’s ogres raided our hideouts”.

  They pulled Jack’s sleeves and led him away quickly from the street to one hiding corner. They watched around cautiously and said, “They were after us-they came for revenge, for our blood. They haven’t accepted their defeat lightly. They were just waiting for this opportunity”.

  They peeped out cautiously as they spoke “Three of us were killed on the spot, fighting bravely. Two Elves have been captured in deeply wounded condition; rest of us barely managed to flee”.

  “Then what happened?” Jack asked anxiously.

  “Our group-leader has disbanded our unit” the other Elf replied.

  “Disbanded unit three?” Jack asked in disbelief.

  “Yes. He feared that the captured elves would have no options left but to confess and divulge many secrets. You know how brutal torture they apply. It can break down the toughest”.

  Jack closed his eyes for a short prayer. He shuddered even to think of the horrible torture. Jack wished the two captured Elves were dead.

  * * *

  Belsnickel reported to Jack.

  “Sir, the riots in Elf-land has spread to Santa’s factories as well” Belsnickel said “The worker Elves are going on mass strikes. Martini’s opposition to employing worker Elves in Christmas toy factories abroad is deeply affecting production, and will consequently affect my budget. As the head of Mr. Santa’s espionage and strike unit, I must do something”.

  “Look Belsnickel” Jack said, “The political situation of Elf-land is very fragile. It would be best not to interfere and meddle any further”.

  “You haven’t gauged the seriousness of the problem yet” Belsnickel said “Isn’t it better to rip off the tumor before it spreads to other parts of the body?” There was a wicked smile on his face and his tone was malicious.

  “What do you mean?” Jack whispered, looking alarmed.

  “Martini not only has a dark skin, but a dark heart as well,” Belsnickel said with a Devilish smile on his face “besides, he is too loud in rallying cries. Won’t it be better to silence his voice?”

  “Never!” Jack shouted, almost jumping to his feet “I order you not to carry out any attempt on Martini’s life. Promise me, you won’t proceed with your sinister plans”.

  Belsnickel gave a piercing look and said “Of course, not. After all, you are my boss. I must obey without questions”. He stretched himself lazily, raised his eyebrows, tweaked his gray moustache and said with an emotionless face “your wish is my command”. Then he got up, walked to the washbasin and washed off his hands.

  * * *

  Two days later, Martini was found murdered in his private room.

  The incident sparked another round of riots between the Dark and light Elves. The top leaders of the dark Elves raised fingers of accusation at the opposite camp.

  ‘Kandi’, the leader of the light elves, vehemently denied having any hand in this affair. Some of Kandi’s men even termed it as ‘unfortunate suicide’.

  When Jack arrived, the place of murder was swarming with reporter elves, investigation squads, security personnel, some forensic experts and party members of Martini. The corpse had been covered with a white sheet, a chalk boundary drawn around it followed by a second boundary of red ribbons. Every object in the neighborhood of the scene was being closely scrutinized.

  It took Jack almost half a day to clear the broken scepter from the possession of security elves, even after producing Martini’s signature. They interrogated Jack like a possible suspect with a motive of obtaining Martini’s scepter with a fake signature. And incredibly, Jack had a difficult time convincing them that as per the agreement, nothing good has come out from Martini’s possession of the scepter!

  * * *

  When Jack reached the light elf leader Kandy’s party office, there was an air of suppressed jubilation. Occasionally, one or the other of the gathered light Elves shook their heads and expressed remorse with clichéd expressions like “Martini was such a great leader” and “it is an unbearable loss”. But Jack could make out from the tone that they really didn’t mean it. He had an uncanny feeling, that inside their heart, they were celebrating Martini’s death and the emergence of Kandy as the most influential leader of Elf-land.

  Twenty minutes past the appointment time, Kandy’s personal secretary said to Jack “You may now go in”.

  As Jack got up and walked towards the door, he suddenly had a strong feeling that Martini’s death was due to the cursed scepter. He shook off such thoughts from his head and knocked Kandy’s door.

  After repeating the brief formalities, Jack handed over the scepter.

  Jack was feeling happy that Kandy didn’t ask any questions about the origin of the broken scepter etc. Kandy happily agreed to keep it in his possession for one week to observe any ‘magical effect’. It seemed to Jack that Kandy didn’t believe a word about ‘magical effects’ either, and considered it to be a worthless gift of a magic-believing fan and supporter.

  “I must reward you properly” Kandy said and offered Jack a packet of candy.

  A packet of candy in return for the scepter of Elf-land! Jack’s face grew red at this insult what a curse my adolescent look is! People think it their right to treat me like a child Jack thought angrily. Even though Jack loved his self-started prankish tradition of ‘trick-or-treat’, it was ca
ndies in return for a threat. That’s entirely different and gave him pleasure. But candies in return of scepter! Jack tried hard to digest the bitter insult of Kandy’s candies.

  Kandy tucked the scepter inside his cloth, and was about to wind up his office works and leave in a hurry. He locked his cabinets, wished Jack ‘good evening’, got up and walked towards the door. He turned the door handle and stopped abruptly. He turned around and asked Jack “Would you like to come with me?”

  “Where?” Jack asked.

  “To the theatre. I am going to the evening theatre” Kandy replied in a friendly tone.

  “But I don’t have a ticket”

  “Forget about it” Kandy said haughtily “You are coming with me. My carriage waits outside”.

  * * *

  The royal theatre hall was large and dimly lit. Satin curtains adorned all three sides. The floor was laid with velvety red carpet. The theatre hall was half filled with high-ranking light elves, and Elf ladies of royal families. Jack didn’t find any dark elves in the entire hall.

  Jack occupied one of the reserved seats just next to Kandy.

  The tarpaulin curtain was about to rise from the stage in a few minutes. A soft, background music was emanating from behind the curtain. The soothing music was making more nervous, as if his instincts were whispering to him “something is wrong”. What have I done? How could I offer the cursed scepter to Kandi even after seeing the previous result? Jack tried to relax his body on the soft cushion, but his apprehension grew into a suppressed fear.

  One of Kandy’s colleagues approached them and whispered near Kandy’s ear “Santa Claus has expressed his desire for another round of friendly talks next week. Belsnickel will accompany him here”.

  “Good” Kandi replied and looked pleased. His colleague left.

  The musical chord changed, and the lights of the hall became dimmer. Jack observed a slight disturbance among the satin curtains to his right, as if hit by a draught of wind. Jack was feeling deep uneasiness as if through his sixth sense-a sense he had gained through his long association with the paranormal. The trivial disturbance of the curtain made Jack nervous.

  Next moment, Kandy gave out a scream, jumped from his seat, threw his limbs madly and then collapsed on the floor, struggling against an invisible enemy and moaning in pain.

  Jack bent forward and held ‘Kandi’ in his hand for support. A dart-shaped arrow had struck Kandi on the right side of his neck.

  Jack pulled out the arrow and shouted, “Put on the lights!”

  A wave of alarm had already spread among the audience, and the gathered elves ran hither and thither in panic. Lady Elves screamed with horror. Baby elves in their arms amplified the noises. The two exit doors were locked and desperate crowd cram-blocked the only emergency exit.

  Jack rushed to the spot where he had observed the movement of the curtain. He removed the curtain with a jerk, but found no one hiding between the curtain and the wall.

  He rushed back to attend Kandy. The wound was not deep but Kandy was bleeding profusely. Jack took out a handkerchief and pressed hard on the wound.

  The scepter! A thought flashed in Jack’s mind Soon security personnel will crowd here, making it impossible to recover it this time.

  Jack put his hand inside Kandi’s cloth and pulled out the scepter. He whispered ‘I am sorry for this’. Then ran towards the elevated back seats, and quickly hid it beneath one foldable seat cushion.

  Jack came back quickly to attend Kandy.

  Jack watched to his horror that Kandy’s hairs have started falling off from his head. His bluish eyes were turning dark and his white skin had started yellowing. His muscles had started stiffening, and ‘Kandy’ was barely able to move his limbs.

  Jack was scarcely able to believe his own eyes. Within minutes, Kandy had turned bald headed, and his eyes had sunken into deep hollow. His sportsman like figure had shrunken into that of a withered old man.

  A few moments later, Kandi breathed his last and was dead as a coffin nail.

  “Russian poison” Jack murmured. Jack was aware that Koschei, the head of the espionage & strike unit of Ded Moroz, possessed such terrible poison. He picked up the blood tipped arrow, and removed the feather fletching from the back of the arrow. He scratched underneath the softwood. A blue inscription of the letter K appeared: the code signature of Koschei’s gang.

  Back to top

  Chapter 28

  The trial

  Spy of Santa Claus captured red-handed in spying and burglary activities by Ded Moroz’s agents. He may face long imprisonment. Grand trial is to be held the day after tomorrow.

  Jack grasped the newspaper, as he read this headline news. In his excitement, he forgot to take his seat.

  Jack read further:

  …Initially Santa Claus denied having any role in the incident. Then he asserted that it must be one of his helpers, distributing off-season gifts and landing accidentally in Moroz’s Russian territory…etc.

  Jack was present in Russia for meeting his mentor-witch ‘Baba Yaga’, when he read this news. At first he thought it was an elaborate hoax or a cheap Russian joke. But soon he realized from the angry public reactions that it wasn’t.

  Jack decided to attend the trial to find out more.

  * * *

  The trial was being held in Ded Moroz’s special ‘criminal court’ in Veliky Ustyug.

  It had been decided, that the trial would be held in English (and translated in Russian for court officials), so that the whole world may witness the generosity and magnanimity of Moroz’s justice.

  The judge sitting on the raised ‘bench’ struck his wooden gavel on the desk thrice, making everyone alert. The judge was wearing a plain black robe with golden stripes on his pocket and wearing a curly white wig. Behind him, there was the great seal of jurisdiction with the motto ‘justice above all’ inscribed.

  Above all!? Jack sneered, as he looked above the inscription and saw a portrait of ‘Ded Moroz’ in great philanthropic spirit, cheerfully carrying a huge bagful of gifts, bending down by the load on his back.

  Adjacent to the ‘bench’, one court clerk and several court reporters had occupied their seats. The jury box was filled with five jurors.

  “Let the arraignment be read in presence of the defendant” the judge ordered, “Jurists, please pay attention to the criminal complaints”.

  The court clerk rose up and occupied the lectern. “Mr. Alfonso Salfar is charged on two serious counts on two separate occasion” the clerk said in a loud authoritative voice, waving his index finger “First charge against him is being an accomplice in the murder of ‘Martini’ of Iceland, the former leader of the dark elves, and ally of comrade Ded Moroz. He is most likely having a hand in that murder-either directly or indirectly. And as per the Clauses of extradition treaty signed between Ded Moroz and late Martini, this case falls within our jurisdiction.

  Second charge against him is in connection to his recent capturing here in Russia with poison pills, his intact flying reindeer-sledge, jewelry, and inciting pamphlets. He is charged with intended assassination, burglary and spying activities”

  There was a sudden outburst of excitement. The assembled, curious public, in the court gallery, started gossiping loudly. The Bailiff straightened his back and shouted “order! ORDER!”

  “Let printed copies of ‘bill of information’ and other documents be distributed to the defendant and jury members” the judge announced “Let the jury members quickly decide whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed”.

  Two peons distributed thin bunch of paper to the jury members.

  The jury members glanced at the papers and started whispering among themselves. While they were discussing, the judge cleared his throat to draw attention and announced, “Let me remind, this is fast court proceeding. The defendant must enter his pleas on the spot. He must plead guilty or not guilty. ‘Nolo contendere’ is not allowed”.

  Jack was feeling tense at the courtroom
. He turned his face several times from the discussing jurors and that grave looking pig-in-a-wig, and stared repeatedly at the wood paneled walls. He was reminded of the court scene centuries ago, when the court verdict had struck disaster on him. How different the course of events would have been, if the verdict had acknowledged me, as the legal heir of my ancestral lands! Jack wondered.

  He felt embittered to think how his own uncle had manipulated the law to cheat him from his share of ancestral land after his father’s death. His uncle had resorted to forgery and manipulated the law by bribing the lawyers.

  Jack was feeling pity for the defendant as he remembered how the court verdict had been such a deep blow for him. The beginning of his misfortune………henceforth he struggled with gripping poverty to maintain himself and his twin sister.

  Jack pulled out a piece of very old, withered parchment from his pocket. He unfolded it. There was a pencil sketch of a young lady, now almost faded. Jack looked at his dead sister's face and wiped his tears.

  It was then that Jack had first started drinking for the first time and then-

  Jack was startled by the sound of the striking gavel and his thoughts were interrupted.

  The jurists had stopped their discussions. “What is the decision of the jury?” the Judge demanded.

  Four out of five jurors gave thumbs down signal.

  “By overwhelming majority, the defendant is hereby indicted. He is formally accused of the charges brought out against him” the judge declared, “let the prosecution present the case first. All witnesses may be cross examined by opposite sides”.

  Proceedings began.

  "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" the defendant was asked.

  “Yes. I swear” the defendant took the oath, holding up his right hand.

  The prosecutor rose and approached the defendant’s box.

  “You are a half-elf; am I right?” the prosecutor asked.

  “True. My mother was a human and my father was an elf- I mean, a light-elf, to be more specific”.

  “Is it due to this reason that you volunteered your service for the assassination of a high ranking dark-Elf in Iceland?”

  “I beg your pardon!” the defendant said defiantly, turning away his eyes to avoid eye contact.

  “Did you or did you not undertake an assignment for the assassination of the late leader of the dark elves, ‘Martini’? Do you accept or deny?”