Arthur Christmas by Justine Fontes

Author:Justine Fontes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Published: 2011-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

AT THIS AMAZING display, Arthur and Bryony burst out laughing. But Grandsanta wailed in misery. His beloved sleigh and his ancient map had both been badly torn by tree branches and savage claws.

“Look what they’ve done to my Evie!” the old man moaned. “And the map!”

“It’s OK. We’ve got this,” Arthur assured him. Then he typed into Bryony’s Hoho, “Look … Mimosa Avenue … Trelew …”

After a few seconds of satellite contact and some quick calculations, Steve’s recorded voice recited robotically over the Hoho, “Proceed to the highlighted route.”

Grandsanta shook his head. “What’s the point? Look at us! And my camera, totally banjaxed. How do I get my picture now?”

“What picture?” Arthur asked.

“The sleigh on the roof, the eight beautiful reindeer, and Santa-me! Getting down the chimbley!” Grandsanta replied. “That’s what I wanted ’em to see! They missed the kid, but I got there! My way!”

Arthur looked at his grandfather, deeply disillusioned. The horrible truth became clear. His heart sank faster than a sleigh without magic dust. “That’s why you came,” Arthur stated. “Not for Gwen.”

Steve’s recorded voice on the Hoho interrupted, “1,368 miles … then slight left.”

Arthur felt too disappointed to speak. What could he say anyway? The important thing was to get Gwen her gift. So the sleigh sped through the night, silent except for the jingling bells of the harness and the whistling wind.

As they neared the coast, Steve’s recorded voice announced, “Descend 1,000 feet.”

They approached a town with a sign that said, “TRELEW.”

Steve’s recorded voice concluded, “You’re at your destination.”

Arthur and Bryony cheered. “Yaaaay!! We did it!” Grandsanta sulked. “Whoop doo.”

Steve’s electronic voice droned on Bryony’s Hoho. “In 100 yards, turn left … straight again … left again … turn right. You are at your client’s dwelling.”

Grandsanta struggled to steady the damaged sleigh. Eve bumped to a rough landing in an alley. A chunk of wood fell off.

Arthur leaped out, hugging the ground in joyous relief. “We made it! I survived!” he gushed, before kissing the ground. “I’ll walk home! I’ll get a boat! But I am never getting back in that crazy flying deathtrap ever again!”

BANG! The bike landed at his feet, kicked off the sleigh by Grandsanta. “Go on. Get it over. I want my bed,” the old man grumbled.

Arthur did not understand. “You’re not coming? You have to deliver the present. You’ve got your special coat on.”

“You’re our Santa,” Bryony added.

But Grandsanta didn’t care. “I said me and Evie could get here and we did. The rest is just elf-work.”

Arthur scratched his head. “It doesn’t matter how we got here. The sleigh on the roof, the jingle bells, the eight reindeer—Gwen would never have seen that.”

He picked up the bike and stalked away. Bryony followed him, leaving Grandsanta alone in his battered sleigh.

After a brief walk, they reached Number 23. Arthur’s heart fluttered with excitement. Inside a child waited for Santa. He whispered, “I wish dad could see this. It would take such a load off his mind.”

Focused on the mission, Bryony asked, “So what are your orders?”

Arthur looked blank.

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