In which Rolfin learns once again that there are always enough naughty children to ensure he will never get a night off in December
Dolf, Kringle’s chief adviser, entered the Tanked Toymaker followed by his his capering human servant Frederick. Dolf wore a traditional stocking cap trimmed in white fur, but he looked about as merry as an accountant at tax time. Dolf envied Rolfin’s sharp and angular good looks because although elves highly value appearances Dolf remained pudgy and bulbous.
Frederick, the human servant, had been picked to make Dolf feel younger and more attractive, but in recent centuries Frederick had grown into an adolescent and now the awkward boy was past his prime. Frederick looked almost 14 as humans would guess age. Worried that the strange but familiar existence he had known in the Changeling Network’s service may be threatened by adulthood unless he grew into a handsome young man, and doubting his ability to charm lady elves, he stooped and tried to shrink himself as he hid in Dolf’s shadow.
Dolf turned to address Rolfin. “I heard you were back. What did you find?”
Rolfin sighed and pulled a small red snow globe out of his pocket. “Would you like to see the highlights or will you feed it to The List and watch it later?” The globe shimmered as a hologram of a child began to form inside the crystal ball.
“No time now” The Dolf answered in his most official voice. “You have a rush call.”
“I just got back!” Rolfin protested.
“No one else is in, and this is a legacy family. Just look.”
Dolf snapped his fingers and the human hastily brought out a big golden snow globe which was placed on the floor in front of Rolfin. The globe grew to be about the size of the fireplace, and the mists shifted inside until a hologram of a small human girl formed.
The girl appeared to be 6 or 7. Her red hair hung in loose curls around her face. She wore jeans and a red sweater. Her skin seemed like it would have been pale, but at the moment it too was red. Her expression was teary outrage, and she appeared to be in the midst of a tantrum. The center of the globe soon emitted the high-pitched wailing of a child crying.
“What do you mean having a new little brother is a gift? It is not! He is ruining Christmas!” There was a pause as the girl appeared to listen, but whatever was being said did not make her happy. The girl rolled her eyes, “Yes, you gave me Maximo. I love the kitten, you know that, but that wasn’t a Christmas gift… A little brother is not the same….But, but I want a Wii!”
The girl collapsed on the floor, kicking and screaming for some time. It appeared her audience had abandoned her, so after a few minuted she stopped and sat sniffling on the floor. “Stupid brother.” the red faced girl grumbled. “I don’t want a baby. I want a Wii.”
The elves watching from the tavern exchanged glances and leaned forward. Rolfin set his mug aside and prepared for a direct summoning. At least he would not have to trek through snow to find this one.
“What am I going to do with a baby brother?” The girl asked a small black kitten who walked over when the girl stopped wailing. “I would trade him for a Wii in a heartbeat. I wish I knew someone who wanted a baby.”
Rolfin sighed and nodded goodbye to Gretty. The magic pulled him bit by bit into the girl’s chimney where he formed himself in the smoke and stepped out before he solidified and burned. “It’s a good thing this is an old house.” he thought, “You don’t see many bedrooms with chimneys nowadays, and I hate going through all those air vents.”
Just as his head was clearing, he had to duck to avoid some sort of pointy metal object, which whooshed in the air in the general area of where his head would have been. He held up his hands in a mute appeal to the small girl holding the poker. He stepped back and she regarded him warily,
“It’s Okay!” Rolfin assured her.”I’m an Elf. I’ve come from the North Pole to make your Christmas wish come true.”
