Let Men Their Songs Employ: a Holiday Timeline

[spanishspy]

Nicholas tried in vain to get the elves to start flying again. They simply accosted him with the invective that socialists used on capitalists.

"Vulture! Vampire!" and other such terms.

"This is for humanity! For basic decency!"

"It was humans who kicked us out of our ancestral homeland! What do we owe them? We work for months on end, and that was the agreement. And now you want us to do more, for people that have done nothing for us?"

Another elf stepped out to the picket line and yelled "what gives you the right to decide this?"

"The Elven council!"

"Which you have appointed to enshrine your own advisers!"

As this was happening, a runner came up to Cornelius Candycane, who up until this point was standing loyally at Nicholas' right, with a concealed pistol.

"Sir," said Cornelius, "even the reindeer are striking. We won't be able to get any sleighs off the ground."

That seemed to be it. There could be no aid if it could not be delivered.

"To hell with it," remarked Nicholas, dejectedly.

[spanishspy]

One Year Later ...

Once more Nicholas went to the hellscape of northern France. Once more he carried supplies for the battered soldiers. This time, however, the elves he took with him were all known to be loyal. One of them was Cornelius Candycane.

They tried to find a place to land. As Claus ordered the reindeer to descend, he begin to think about something or other, some miserable thing in the context of this war (but what wasn't miserable in this war? In any war?), that made him lose concentration for one moment.

The reindeer panicked as they swerved away from a biplane.

Modernity was rearing its ugly head today.

Nicholas adjusted himself back into his seat as the sleigh realigned itself. He once again began swooping down, seeing a clearing beyond these British soldiers.

As he descended, there were orders being given, increased by the minute by more and more sergeants making the order, although what it was was unclear to Nicholas. He was within a minute or so of touchdown when he glanced down at the British faces and saw one he recognized.

Tommy Waldrop.

The two made eye contact for the briefest moments. Tommy's face contained the utmost of scorn for the man in the sleigh, and he began to say something.

But Tommy, in that moment of angry catharsis, did not realize that his squadmates were putting on their gas masks.

The air was filled with gas, and Tommy began to itch himself frantically.

Once more, Nicholas had no answer. He flew away, for he knew he would die there if he stayed.

[spanishspy]

Thus ends my 2019 holiday special. I tried for something more limited and smaller scale this time around, because I knew I didn't have the energy to do a big adventure story like I usually do. I wish I wasn't in this state, but I am, and I have to put up with it. Good news is that I have a temporary job starting the day after Christmas.

This timeline owes a lot to the short story Ninieslando by Howard Waldrop in the Warriors anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. The whole character of Tommy Waldrop was intended as an homage to that story; Howard Waldrop did it better than I ever could. As I researched for this timeline, I also read the short story Christmas Truce by Harry Turtledove and watched the film Joyeux Noel, both of which must have influenced this story in ways I don't immediately know.

I apologize profusely for not coming up with something better; however I am pleased to say that I have a big project planned for sometime in the next few months. After saying that Christmas timeline after Christmas timeline was intended as a triumphant return to the AH writing scene, that new project should really be that.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

[stevep]

Dec 25, 2019 8:27:33 GMT spanishspy said:

Thus ends my 2019 holiday special. I tried for something more limited and smaller scale this time around, because I knew I didn't have the energy to do a big adventure story like I usually do. I wish I wasn't in this state, but I am, and I have to put up with it. Good news is that I have a temporary job starting the day after Christmas.

This timeline owes a lot to the short story Ninieslando by Howard Waldrop in the Warriors anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. The whole character of Tommy Waldrop was intended as an homage to that story; Howard Waldrop did it better than I ever could. As I researched for this timeline, I also read the short story Christmas Truce by Harry Turtledove and watched the film Joyeux Noel, both of which must have influenced this story in ways I don't immediately know.

I apologize profusely for not coming up with something better; however I am pleased to say that I have a big project planned for sometime in the next few months. After saying that Christmas timeline after Christmas timeline was intended as a triumphant return to the AH writing scene, that new project should really be that.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

  spanishspy,

  Sorry to hear how down your feeling.  I know your mentioned family problems before but hopefully it will get better and the job, albeit temporary, will help.  Anyway have as best a Xmas as you can.  Best wishes for the year ahead and looking forward to seeing your next work.

  Steve

[archangel]

Dec 25, 2019 9:14:20 GMT stevep said:

Dec 25, 2019 8:27:33 GMT spanishspy said:

Thus ends my 2019 holiday special. I tried for something more limited and smaller scale this time around, because I knew I didn't have the energy to do a big adventure story like I usually do. I wish I wasn't in this state, but I am, and I have to put up with it. Good news is that I have a temporary job starting the day after Christmas.

This timeline owes a lot to the short story Ninieslando by Howard Waldrop in the Warriors anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. The whole character of Tommy Waldrop was intended as an homage to that story; Howard Waldrop did it better than I ever could. As I researched for this timeline, I also read the short story Christmas Truce by Harry Turtledove and watched the film Joyeux Noel, both of which must have influenced this story in ways I don't immediately know.

I apologize profusely for not coming up with something better; however I am pleased to say that I have a big project planned for sometime in the next few months. After saying that Christmas timeline after Christmas timeline was intended as a triumphant return to the AH writing scene, that new project should really be that.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

  spanishspy ,

  Sorry to hear how down your feeling.  I know your mentioned family problems before but hopefully it will get better and the job, albeit temporary, will help.  Anyway have as best a Xmas as you can.  Best wishes for the year ahead and looking forward to seeing your next work.

  Steve

What Steve said.