Polterheist(45)

But I knew with sinking dread what I had to do. So I called Twinkle and left him a message. He was probably on the floor right now, but I hoped he'd check his phone regularly and get this soon: "Twinkle, it's Dreidel. I'm fine. We're all fine. But I need you to do something very important for me. Tell Princess Crystal she's been fired-too many smoking violations. Tell her Miles wants her off the floor right now. Then get her costume-I don't care how-and meet me in the employee stairwell. I'll be there in three hours, so get this done by then."

Then I phoned Whoopsy, who picked up my call, and said I hadn't seen Satsy for two days, but I thought I'd be seeing him tonight, and I'd tell him to check in.

No reason to worry Whoopsy with the details. Hopefully this would all work out. And if not . . . well, why make him grieve sooner than he had to?

After that, I called Max. I was glad he answered the phone, since he didn't always.

"Max," I said, "they are related-the mystical phenomena and the heists! She's using employees to do the hijackings. She just used Freddie as a cruel joke on the family-or maybe because she hates him. Anyway, I don't understand how, but that's why Solsticeland employees keep disappearing with their costumes! We thought they were quitting without giving notice. No, they're being waylaid when they get off work! That's how she's recruiting her robbery crews. She's culling temporary staff in Solsticeland, where people hardly know each other and don't ask questions if someone stops turning up for work."

"I think I know her ultimate plan, Esther," he said. "I did some research last night-before I fell asleep on top of my books. Tell me again what that enchanted tree said to you when it tried to kill you."

"The same thing Mrs. Claus said: ‘I want flesh! And blood!'"

"Yes, that's it! She has promised sacrifices to this demon. She's going to make sure it's powerful enough to hold back the light and wreak terrible destruction," Max said. "And she's going to do it tonight!"

"Tonight, yes, I thought so! Two magic words," I said. "Lunar eclipse."
                       
       
           



       
18





I sat hiding in Solstice Castle, dressed as Princess Crystal, for several hours. A big advantage of this role was that Crystal spent most of her time up on the ramparts or in the tower, where it wasn't easy to see her face. Another big advantage was that her costume had a hood. The actress who usually played Crystal didn't use it often, but I'd kept it up ever since confiscating the costume, via Twinkle's subterfuge, and entering Solsticeland in this guise.

It was handy that my build and coloring were similar to the original Crystal's. And it was very handy that, unlike Dreidel, Crystal actually still had a job here.

Solsticeland was the last place on earth I wanted to be this evening . . . but since I didn't want this to be my friend Satsy's last evening on earth (nor mine, nor anyone else's), this was where I had to be, since someone needed to let Max, Nelli, and Lucky into Fenster's after closing time, which was surely when Elspeth planned to make her blood sacrifices and raise her demon in Solsticeland.

To my dismay, Twinkle insisted on helping us. I really didn't want to get the elf killed. But it is everyone's right to choose whether or not they're ready to confront Evil; and since he clearly felt his fantasy role-playing games had prepared him for tonight, who was I to deny him this chance to make a cosmic difference?

My stomach was roiling so much that I was afraid a few times that I'd toss my cookies on Crystal's bulky gown as I sat in the castle tower, waiting for the closing gong to sound. Fenster's was shutting down at eight o'clock this evening, Christmas Eve. (Nothing like waiting until the last possible minute to buy that special someone a gift from the heart.)

A lunar eclipse on Christmas Eve.

Of course Elspeth couldn't resist that symbolism when plotting the destruction of her family and, incidentally, a substantial portion of New York City. I didn't know what had led her into dark magic and demon summoning, which is not exactly an inevitable destination for those who start out as goth girls and/or vampire groupies. But there was a big, dark hole inside that girl, and I could see that she had repeatedly tried to fill it with more darkness.

So how could she possibly resist making this her night for summoning ultimate spiritual darkness? In the deepest part of winter, this night which was holy to the gentiles-of which she was one-would become the darkest Christmas Eve in over four hundred years.

It almost seemed as if tonight and Elspeth were meant for each other.

I stifled a shiver and hoped there was also something in this oppressively dark night that was meant-in a good way-for a nice Jewish elf from Wisconsin who was dressed as a princess and just trying to do her part to confront Evil, keep the city from being consumed in a demon's fiery belly, and pay the rent on time.

Was that so much to ask?

Before ending our call earlier today, I had asked Max what to expect if the demon broke through the dimensional barrier tonight. He replied by asking me if I'd ever seen Walt Disney's Fantasia.

"The segment known as ‘Night On Bald Mountain' is an excellent representation of what awaits us if we do not succeed tonight," he said.

I tried not to tremble as I contemplated the night ahead of me. That movie depicted an immense, terrifying, dark demon, shrouded in night, with glowing eyes, fangs, and claws. It took pleasure in torturing and tormenting other creatures.

I had worked myself into quite a state of nerves by the time the closing gong finally sounded at Fenster's and a canned voice on the intercom asked all shoppers to depart, wishing them Happy Holidays. Finally! I wouldn't have to keep hiding from Miles or preventing Prince Midnight from getting a good look at my face when he popped by to propose to Crystal. That part of this ordeal, at least, was over now. Fenster's was closing, and the holiday shopping season was finished at long last.

The plan was that Twinkle would clock out, change into his street clothes, and appear to leave. In reality, he'd let our friends in through the employee stairs, and they'd make their way to Solstice Castle to join me. We would then prepare for Elspeth's arrival with, we suspected, her sacrifices.

Since we had a better idea of what we were facing tonight, Max had ensured that we also came better prepared. I was wearing a protective amulet pinned inside my gown. It would shield me from collateral attacks-the sort of thing we had experienced in recent days, and particularly the other night, when the demon's energy was piercing through the increasingly permeable dimensional barrier, testing its powers in this world the way you might dip your foot into the water from a boat to test the temperature and the current. This was the time of year when barriers crumbled between this world and dark dimensions, and the demon had been looking forward to tonight, unable to wait until now to start toying with its new victims.

What could Elspeth possibly be thinking? Did she understand what horrors she was about to unleash? No matter how awful her family was, did anyone deserve this? And what about those of us who weren't even related to her?

Waiting here alone for Twinkle, Max, Lucky, and Nelli to arrive was unnerving. This store had become a terrifying place to me. My heart was pounding so loudly, I had trouble listening for the reassuring sound of their footsteps in the eternal starlit night of Solsticeland-or what was left of it. Then I heard them coming at last.

"Esther?" Max called.

I tensed, thinking he should lower his voice . . . but then I remembered how light the security staff was expected to be tonight. Christmas Eve. I doubted there were any guards on this floor at all.

"This place gives me the creeps," Lucky said. "I hope to God these amulets work, Doc."

"So do I," said Max, which was not the reassuring answer that I had hoped to hear.

"I'm up here," I called. "I'll come down to you. I've been stuck in this tower all damn evening."

The lunar eclipse was due to occur shortly before midnight. That, too, seemed like symbolism that would have appealed to Elspeth when plotting her revenge on her family.

We didn't know how soon she would arrive. She would no doubt need time to prepare her ritual. I realized we should get ready right away to confront her. She might be here very soon.

I reached the bottom of the tower's spiral stairs, where I could still hear the reassuring sounds of my friends' voices in the dark. Twinkle was lamenting the lunar eclipse he'd programmed but hadn't gotten to display in the Solsticeland sky. Lucky told him to shut up, we had enough eclipses already. Nelli growled suddenly.

"What is it, Nelli?" Max asked.

Beneath my bodice, I touched the amulet I wore, reassured to feel it there. The other night's experience here was not something I wanted to repeat.

"This place is makin' her jumpy, too," said Lucky.

I exited the castle, then gasped and fell back a step when a large figure loomed before me. I turned on the flashlight I'd brought with me today and found myself staring at my purple-lashed friend.

"Satsy?" I said in surprise.

The blow came from behind. I never saw it or knew who delivered it. I dropped my flashlight and staggered forward into Satsy, whose arms caught me in a ruthlessly tight embrace. I tried to call for help, but Satsy squeezed me so hard I couldn't breathe. He gazed down into my face without expression, his eyes unblinking in Solsticeland's dim light. Elsewhere in the building, I heard cries of alarm and the sounds of physical violence. My friends were being ambushed.