21"But I'm afraid her condition has worsened. You wouldn't even recognize her now," she had said. It was half-true, he said to himself. But the questions she asked and the answers she gave…well…it didn't take much to make the connection.
So – Mary Lou Dobbins was the Krampus. Matthew was unfamiliar with myths and legends, but he was still surprised that he hadn't known that one. He spent a good portion of the twenty-seventh of December searching the internet and learning as much as he could about the legend and comparing it to the reality. She certainly hadn't seemed evil, much less a demon, but would that possibly change as time wore on? The appearance was more or less correct; though while many representations showed the Krampus with monstrous human face, the creature he saw was completely inhuman: a strange combination of goat, bear, and wolf, with a furry nose like a sheep or goat yet still somewhat human. He shuddered at the thought of what she must have gone through in the few months since he had last seen her.
Matt never met Mary Lou's parents, but he was curious about how they were dealing with it, or even if they knew what had happened. They must have, he thought. He felt a pang of sympathy for them in addition what he felt for Mary Lou, and also an urge to do something to help them…
The address was easy enough to find, he just hoped it was the right one…but as there was only one other "Dobbins" in town, it narrowed things down considerably. The Dobbins home was a perfectly ordinary two-story white house with a two-car garage. Since it was a Thursday afternoon, he expected that maybe just Mary Lou's mother was in, but then again, it was the holiday season.
Mr. Dobbins opened the door. He looked at the young man curiously.
"May I help you," he asked finally.
"I…don't know," answered Matt. Now that the moment had arrived, he felt out of his element. "Um, I met Mary Lou at summer school this…summer," wincing upon hearing his eloquence.
"Mary Lou isn't here today, I'm afraid. She was here briefly, but she went back up north to continue treatment."
"Yes, Mr. Dobbins. I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. My name is Matthew Warner, and I am fully aware of her 'condition.' She apparently brought my little brother back the day after Christmas."
Mr. Dobbins smirked, tilting his head at the teenager. "Brought him back from where, and why? And how do you know it was her? Describe her."
Well, now she looks something like a mishmash of goat, demon, werewolf, and bear thought Matt, but he wasn't going to say that to her father. It might be offensive. "You have a beautiful daughter, Mr. Dobbins, but I know she was concerned about her appearance when the summer session dismissed. I have to assume that her 'condition' had worsened."
Mr. Dobbins nodded impatiently. "When did you notice your brother was missing in the first place?"
Again, this brought Matthew up short. Except for what the Krampus had told him, he never would have guessed that Greg had been gone. Perhaps the boy had seemed a little quiet over the past few weeks, but maybe he was imagining it. He flushed with embarrassment. "Um, I just saw something, um…sorry. Please tell Mary Lou I said 'hi' and I hope she is better soon."
"I will, thanks, have a good day." Mr. Dobbins shook his head as the boy departed. When he drove off, he retired to his study and turned on the computer.
Mary Lou,
I just had the 'pleasure' of meeting Matt Warner. I'm a bit concerned. He said he saw you "returning his brother," and that you had met during summer school. I didn't tell him anything and he got pretty flustered when I politely questioned him. Is this something we need to worry about?
Love you, sweetheart!
Dad
Mary Lou read the official-looking notice two or three more times before handing it wordlessly to Kevin. He perused it critically. "Krampus, what did you do last night? I don't think you had any drop-offs to make two years ago, did you?"
"No," she growled quietly. "I just wanted to remind myself of how I used to be."
"Did the consequences of what would happen if your younger self woke up ever cross your mind," asked Abby in a stern voice.
Mary Lou nodded her agreement. "I did, but I am not and was not a person who wakes up in the middle of the night for no reason."
Kevin chuckled at this. "Yeah, well, a massive horned creature over two meters tall looming overhead could very easily tip off the survival instincts of a sleeping human. I'd say you were awfully lucky you didn't wake yourself up!" He loudly flicked the notice with his forefinger. "Otherwise the wording here would be a lot harsher – if half the council didn't show up here in person. Torches and pitchforks, know what I mean?"
"But, I'm not really in trouble now?" Mary Lou asked hopefully.
Kevin shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so; it depends on what they think you did last night as well. If it's serious, then yes, there could be a problem."
Mary Lou excused herself. "I'm going to go downstairs and check on the tenants." They would not actually commence classes till the first Monday after New Years Day – January the eighth – but she decided that it was time to reveal her gentler side, such as it was. "Abby, would you please make a light snack for each of them? Nothing sweet, but make it nutritious and small."
"Yes ma'am," agreed Abby with a smile.
"Thanks. And Kevin, if you would, please see about finding them some reading material for them. Any language is fine."
Mary Lou went down to the dungeons to meet her prisoners and explain the current situation. Her hoof and hind paw echoed on the stone floors as she roamed the halls. Her mind raced; considering briefly and then dropping from consideration ideas of what the notice would mean. Would she be dismissed? It would be more an award than anything else, she reasoned, even living out the rest of her natural days in this form would be preferable to bearing it for five centuries. She shook her head vigorously, snapping herself out of it. One day at a time, she thought, one day at a time. Do your job!
The inmates were now awake and by now and to her surprise – to say nothing of theirs – she was able to recall and greet them by name. How reassuring it was to know that a fearsome chimera/demon remembered your name was unclear to her, but she decided to now play the part of a stern teacher rather than that of prison warden or dungeon master. They were, obviously, no threat to her. She had them all assemble – all but one – in the dungeon courtyard, a chamber exposed to the open sky, but fully inaccessible to freedom. The children huddled together tightly as frigid winds spiraled down on them and allowed the voice of the Krampus to carry while making her appearance even more wild-looking.
"As most of you know," she announced, "some of your fellow inmates are no longer with us. It was determined that their deeds were not severe enough for them to remain here longer than a few weeks. The same is not true of you, as you must now surely realize. You will remain here until I decide you are ready, and part of getting ready involves strengthening your minds and bodies."
This announcement was greeted with low moans, but she continued. "You will spend your time here learning and working. My companions and I will hone your minds, and after lessons, you will work with the elves, Abby and Kevin, to earn your keep. Practical skills that you will take from this place that you can put to good use if you are ever deemed fit to leave my employ!"
More groans and a few sobs emanated from the assembly.
"ENOUGH!" she roared to silence them. "You wish to live in my beautiful home, you live by my rules! You learn well, you work well, you will be treated well!" She sniffed the cold air – it may as well have been St. Croix for all the effect it had on her. "You do not want to be left out of doors here at this time of year!"
She detected a rather snide comment from one of the older boys, a lad named Seth from Leicester.
"Rura Penthe!?" she snarled. "I'll 'Rura Penthe' you, Adams!" She chuckled despite herself as she saluted – a tight fist to her chest. "QAPLA'!"
"But think of it," she continued sincerely, "for at least eleven months you'll have the opportunity to share time – with no language barrier – with children from every corner of the globe. Those of you familiar with the internet will find that it doesn't compare with real face-to-face companionship!" She spread her arms. "This punishment can also be a tremendous opportunity. Make the most of it!" She looked over the boys and girls. "Are there any questions?"
"Krampus, who are you?" The question was asked by an eight-year-old girl from Zaire.
The voice of the Krampus became airy and hollow…"I am the Shadow of Saint Nicholas. I am the coal to the candy cane. I am the Christmas Demon. I am the dark side of the Spirit of Christmas…"
Esinan was not in the least bit impressed. "Yes, yes, but what I mean is…who are you?"
Mary Lou was brought up short at that. No, best not to reveal that bit of information at this time. "I understand your question, Esinan," she said gently, "but that is something that you are not to know and that I am not to tell. I wish I could tell you, it's a fascinating tale, but telling you would benefit none of us. I think that is enough questions. Return to your cells."
When the courtyard had emptied, she followed them do the dungeons and eventually came to the cell of Danik. He was kept in isolation from the others, and only the Krampus was to deal with him, he was her "special project." It was here that Mary Lou Dobbins felt her heart grow hard. The boy was suffering and his suffering pleased her – not out of a sense of cruelty but rather from a sense of seeing justice carried out on a deserving criminal. Even so, she felt obligated to check his condition as it deteriorated. A quick flick of the branches and the door opened before her.
The air inside was foul, and Danik huddled upright on his cot. He gasped as he saw the Krampus approach, the water in his saturated body made breathing difficult.
"Help…me," he gasped."
Mary Lou growled. "You're now feeling the river water flooding your lungs. It's nothing more or less than what she would have felt."
"A rock…I…killed her with a rock."
"No, you assaulted her with a rock. You knocked her unconscious – but she drowned in the river."
"…mercy!"
"Danik, mercy is what you have been granted. The suffering you have caused warrants a much more severe punishment than what you are experiencing – more severe than what I or any earthly government can possibly impose on you."
"She died…quickly…not suffer."
"It is said, Danik, that drowning can be a very pleasant or a rather agonizing way to die. It doesn't matter though. The suffering you caused did not end when Julija entered Heaven. Did you ever think of Julija's family?"
Danik remained silent.
"Did you consider the lives that she might have saved or improved had she lived?"
Danik slowly shook his head.
"Because of your cruel and shortsighted act, a great many lives will be diminished – yours included. The mercy offered, Danik, is the opportunity to understand this, learn from this…and make amends for this. And amends you will make, I assure you, boy." With this, she stood and left the cell, the heavy iron door clanging shut and locking behind her.
She returned to her own chamber to take her mind off things. She turned on the computer and her eyes narrowed as she read her father's email.
"Oh no…no way!" A sharp pang shot through her body. "This will not go well!" What had Matt been thinking, what did he expect to accomplish by doing such a thing? Make her look bad before the Council, as if he would even know about it.
The hearing was held in a small, nondescript and otherwise unused storage room within a stone's throw of Santa's workshop. Though it was described as a hearing, not a trial, she realized there was more to it than that since she was greeted by the whole council with Mother Nature and Father Time presiding.
"This hearing will come to order," declared Mother Nature, rapping her gavel. "The first and only order of business is to clarify exactly what happened on the nights of December 26th of 2017 and 2015 in the locales of Manheim and Elizabethtown Pennsylvania in the United States of America. If sufficient evidence is found, this board will reconvene for a disciplinary hearing." Mother Nature turned towards the Krampus. "Miss Dobbins, you are free to make any statements if you wish at any time, you may also remain silent. No inference, favorable or unfavorable, will be drawn if you remain silent, but you are expected to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if you do speak, and you may be cross-examined afterwards. Is that understood?"
"I understand, yes."
"Very well. Father Time, please continue."
Father Time read from a piece of parchment: "This is what we know beyond a shadow of a doubt. On or about the night of December 26th, morning of December 27th of this year, the current officeholder of the Krampus, Mary Lou Dobbins, was returning a short-term prisoner of hers, Gregory Warner, to his home of record according to her duties. Unfortunately, she was discovered by the boy's older brother – an older brother with whom Mary Lou Dobbins had a brief relationship earlier this year prior to coming to the Eisenhochburg on a permanent basis. Words were exchanged, but the Krampus was able to return to her duties. Two days later, the older brother, Matthew Warner, paid a brief visit to the former home of Miss Dobbins. Her parents, to their credit and our relief, have denied any and all knowledge about the existence of the Krampus and this Council – though in doing so; they have by way of description expanded the national borders of Canada considerably. What we are left with here is a rather frustrated Matthew Warner.
"Let's consider the incidents one at a time," interrupted Mother Nature. "Does Mr. Warner pose a threat to our secret?"
Father Time shrugged his shoulders. "There could be a danger, but only a slight one. It's not something we should be concerned with unless he is taken much more seriously than what would normally be the case in such a situation." He spoke to the Council as a whole. "As you may know, the guests of the Krampus are left with the lessons they have learned in custody, but the actual details of their internment are forgotten within hours if not minutes upon release. Matthew cannot even expect to have his words corroborated by his little brother."
"What would be the effects if he was taken seriously?"
Father Time pursed his lips at this, and looked harshly at Mary Lou. "To put it bluntly…devastating."
"I see." Mother Nature turned towards Krampus. "Miss Dobbins, would you mind telling us, to the best of your ability, what you and Matthew said to each other?"
"I simply explained to Matt what he was seeing. He was pointing a shotgun at me at the time."
"Did you make any statement to the effect that you are Mary Lou Dobbins?"
"I did not."
"But he was, nevertheless, able to identify you, wasn't he?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"…I do not know."
"Did you mention your real name?"
"I did…after he did. This was in order to get him to lower the gun."
Santa Claus interrupted, "But you didn't tell him your name, did you?"
"No Santa Claus, I didn't identify myself by that name. He only indicated that he knew my actual name after the situation had cooled down and I was on my way out – and I said nothing to him as I left."
"All right, I think we've heard enough," said Mother Nature. "Father Time, please continue with what happened on December 26th, 2015."
"Yes, as this involves an unauthorized jump back in time, we have a bit more detail in a short period of time. After completing her duties in 2017, the Krampus skipped back two years to 2015, the arrival location being her former address in Elizabethtown. She entered her home, went to her bedroom and sat watching herself, of course then in fully human form, sleep. This she did for one hundred and forty-six seconds. She also stroked her hair and kissed her."
A collection of "awws" emanated from the audience. Santa and his wife exchanged worried looks.
Mother Nature's eyes narrowed. "And we know this to be the case, there is no question?"
"These are the facts," said Father Time. "I'm sure Krampus will not object to this record."
"This is true," said Mary Lou, her voice rumbling but quiet. She was terrified, heart pounding, stomach churning, but trying hard not to reveal it. "I did exactly what he described, but it didn't seem like I was there for two minutes."
Scott's eyes closed as he heard this.
"Mary Lou," said Santa in a low voice. "I think we can understand why you did what you did. But it still constitutes a serious violation."
"But did what she did cause any damage to the timeline?"
"I'm afraid the concern here is that it could have, Cupid," said Father Time. "With your permission, Mother Nature, I would like to call for an adjournment." He looked at the Krampus with a severe expression. "I'm afraid we shall have to reconvene in one week's time as a disciplinary hearing. Dismissed!"
Mary Lou felt sick as she got up to leave. Her mind was blank as she walked out the door with the intention of heading back to her home where she would most likely bawl her eyes out.
"Mary Lou! Mary Lou! KRAMPUS!"
She never even heard Santa. Abby greeted her on the sleigh, eyes wide, as her boss wordlessly boarded it. She bit her lower lip and snapped the reins to take Mary Lou back to Eisenhochburg.
Mary Lou tried her hardest not to think of what might happen come the fifth of January but in trying to do this, she effectively shut down mentally for the rest of the week. Meals were eaten in silence when she bothered to come down to eat – as opposed to eating in her bedchamber. More often than that, she didn't trouble herself to eat at all.
There was an element of bitterness within her now; was what she had done really all that bad? Could she really be faulted for wanting to remember and see her old self? And what had happened with Matt was simply a fluke, as bad stroke of luck. Her response was nothing more than wanting to defuse a tense situation and avoid a much more dramatic incident. Yet here she was, awaiting punishment. Maybe she should just lock herself in one of the cells next to her…
Ah yes. The one thing that kept her going, kept her motivated to push on was her concern for the kids...
"She's really up against it, isn't she?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it does feel that way. Even I had to call her out on the little stunt she pulled going back in time. I hope she can forgive me for it."
"It sounds to me as though it needed to be said, especially since you are her supervisor. You would have lost credibility with the Council had you remained silent. In any case, my dear friend, I shall be honored to fulfill your request."
"Thank goodness, and thank you my friend!"
A week later, January 5th, 2018, they all assembled in the same room. Abby and Kevin were there with her this time, and there were a number of people, human and elf, that she didn't recognize mixed in with those she did. Mother Nature and Father Time arrived and sat down at the dais up front, their faces grim.
"Let us begin," said Mother Nature. "This disciplinary hearing is to determine the appropriate sanction against the Krampus, Mary Lou Dobbins. Father Time?"
Father Time continued, "While consideration must be given to the youth and inexperience of the guilty party, we must also think of the potential danger her actions have caused." He addressed Mary Lou directly. "Your behavior was completely inappropriate, going back to 2015. I speak with some authority on the matter when I say that, had you in fact woken yourself up, it would have caused a tear in the time-space continuum that would have had grievous consequences, certainly for the world if not the local group in this portion of the universe."
Mary Lou hung her head. Oops, my bad.
"Mary Lou Dobbins, do you have anything to say for yourself before the Council imposes punishment?"
It occurred to her how odd it was how the Council would switch without warning from using a council member's title to their actual, original name – especially when she was the recipient of the switch. Even odder was that she would be thinking of it now. It seemed like it was a lifetime ago that she was actually preparing for a debate, but now was the right time to use that skill if ever there was one. It might be for nothing, her fate might have already been sealed before she even got up this morning, but she was going to go down swinging. She took a deep breath…and was interrupted before she said a word.
"Father Time, perhaps she should have been better instructed about the possible consequences of using the time circuit for non-business activities. Surely part of the blame falls on me?"
The familiar, German-accented voice came from behind. Mary Lou whipped her head around.
"Ernst!" she cried. He was smartly dressed in a custom-tailored casual Italian suit, completely at ease.
"Guten Tag, Mary Lou! Und Mein Gott!" he said as he looked over his young protégé. "The old magic certainly didn't go easy on you. No wonder that you wanted to see your old self again!" He turned to Mother Nature and Father Time. "Before this hearing goes any further, I would like to address the Council."
Mother Nature and Father Time exchanged amused looks. "It's good to see you again, Herr Müller," said Father Time. "I do wish it was under happier circumstances. In any case, please proceed."
"Thank you, I will."
The former Krampus stood behind the newest version, squeezing her shoulders warmly. "This young lady bears the brunt of my own foolishness, a foolishness that I began in the year 522, during the rule of Justinian. I was in my early thirties at the time, still impetuous, still lacking a degree of patience. What really aggravated me was what I saw as a certain insolence of the children of my village…it was part of what eventually became Munich five hundred years later. I had spent the better part of two years imploring the local parents to teach their children better manners, show their elders more respect. My requests were ignored, or if they were not ignored, the parents did a poor job of imparting this desire to their children. In October of that year, I decided to take action."
"But what action was I to take? I could certainly not impose any form of discipline on them myself. I had no authority; I was merely a simple cobbler, a shoemaker. I had already consulted with the local baron…and his young boy was part of the problem, so you can imagine the outcome of that consultation. The town priest made an effort as well, but he was no more effective than the parents. With God's servants ineffective, I decided to appeal to a…lower authority. Acting on a rumor I overheard at the local tavern, I arranged a meeting with a warlock who lived in a thickly-wooded area nearby. This warlock was also a miller who had established a thriving business even when times were harsh. Naturally, whatever eccentricities he had were overlooked by the local wheat farmers, as his success ensured theirs as well.
Upon meeting him, I explained my plight, foolishly expecting him to prescribe the right course of faction out of the kindness of his heart. Holding to this expectation, I accepted the black grimoire he passed onto me – with the instructions to follow in order to summon the demon called Baphomet on page 216. The fact that I was illiterate at the time made me hesitate, but the warlock assured me that my willingness to bring forth an evil being would be sufficient for the purpose. That said; he handed me the tome which he had wrapped in a burlap flour bag.
That night, both to my amazement and my horror, I found I could read and comprehend as easily as a cleric who had spent two decades in a monastery. The languages were in Latin and Akkadian and I realized that I understood them as well as I understood spoken German, probably better. Unfortunately, this newfound literacy only extended to the grimoire itself – perhaps the implicit concern was that full literacy would encourage to read a book that was, as it says, 'useful for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness." Ernst smiled bitterly. "But that part of the tale comes later. My intention then was to get retribution against those impudent jungend I believed had wronged us…or more honestly…wronged me."
Ernst began to pace around the room, now in full professorial mode. "The summoning spell was originally intended for a demon known in ancient Babylon as Pazuzu, but the miller gave me his assurance that Baphomet would be summoned if I simply substituted the names. I'll not repeat the words of the incantation, but the spell was quite simple, requiring, besides the solemn recitation of the words, a few drops of my own blood mixed with that of a stolen goat. My timing to being the search was near perfect, this particular spell was strongest in the days surrounding the Witches Sabbath. After a great deal of stalling, I performed the ceremony as directed and with a great gout of bright orange smoke and flame, I found myself in the presence of Baphomet. There was and is a great deal of similarity of appearance between the demon and the Krampus, except that the demon doesn't spend much time in the polar regions. No offense intended, Mary Lou."
"We shared the same appearance, didn't we, Ernst? No offense taken."
Ernst chuckled and continued. "The demon looked me over, and then spoke in a voice so low that the earthen floor trembled under my feet. 'Greetings, Ernst Müller. I am not pleased with being summoned, nor am I in a patient mood. State your desire and offer payment for my services.'
'My desire is simply to have the authority and the power to punish those children, including those of the nobility, who refuse to honor and submit to their elders as they should.'
"The demon laughed a laugh like the howl of a hurricane. 'Hypocrite! You talk of impudence of the children but you yourself have the cheek to ask a fallen one – a demon – to help you punish these same children for breaking the fourth commandment! But I am open to negotiating. What payment do you offer?'
This brought me up short. I was a decent cobbler, but I hadn't accumulated any significant wealth. I was not about to offer him my soul, though admittedly I had been willing to endanger it. 'A thousand florin,' I offered weakly.
'Denied!' he spat with a roar. 'Money is not something I have in short supply. The currency of the realm with which you wish to treat is souls. You surely know of our Enemy. He desires all to come to Him. We wish to deny Him that pleasure.' The demon became thoughtful, murmuring. 'But the soul of a child, yes, that is precious, were he to bring them down before they find light…yes.' Baphomet raised himself to his full height. 'Ernst Müller, I offer you a pact with darkness: You will be granted the ability and authority to hunt and find wicked and disobedient children. They shall be brought to the place known as the Vestibule for evaluation. Shall they pass our muster; they will be compelled to join the Darkness, lost for eternity. If not, they shall be simply scourged by you and released.'
'And where might I find the vestibule?'
'You won't. When the time is right, it will find you and your captives, and you will know where to enter.'
'I see. And what will I owe?'
'You are to gather for us one thousand souls, age of ten summers or less. You will live as long as that obligation remains unfulfilled and your body will be made stronger and able to bear the passage of time. Do we have an accord?'
Ernst shook his head thinking back on his tale. "I was foolish enough to think that not only would I be able to punish naughty children, I also though that I was clever enough to outwit a demon. After all, I would be immortal if I chose to stop at one soul, or one hundred, or nine hundred and ninety-nine.
'Agreed,' I said. 'We have an accord.' I realized, in part, the foolishness of my decision within moments of the agreement and the sharing of blood with the demon to seal it. Miss Dobbins, I don't know the extent that you suffered over the course of an extended transformation, but for me it was ten minutes of agonizing torment. At the end of it, I was wholly broken, subject to the whims of one of the arch-demons of Mephistopheles.
I barely had time to collect any belongings from home; my appearance only allowed me to sneak through the village at night, and it was a close shave at that. I retreated to the woods, but according to the pact, I could not stay there indefinitely, I had to fulfill the obligation of obtaining the thousand. Within a month, I realized the enormity of my plight: I was to collect only suitable souls under the age of ten…but ten year olds who have reached the undefined age of accountability are few and far between, even in the early Dark Ages, though this fact had not yet occurred to me. It became a comical amusement for Baphomet and his lieutenants to reject even the most unruly child and by December, I was no closer to fulfilling my end of the pact than I was two months earlier. Suicide would have seemed a plausible option, had I not been fully aware of both my temporary immortality and my likely eternity if I succeeded."
The former Krampus smiled at Mary Lou. "It often seems that it's when times are most forlorn that tiny, tiny speck of light appears. I am the first Krampus. At my darkest moment, I was approached by the second incarnation of Sinter Klass. Saint Nicholas, I'm sure you know, had passed into glory nearly a century earlier, but he passed the torch onto a Milos Kokovinis. Yes, yes, he was Greek, but spoke my language perfectly. I was awaiting nightfall, and another probably futile attempt to get a qualified soul, and was feeling rather Bohemian and tremendously sorry for myself (which is actually not an entirely unpleasant feeling, you know?) I didn't even see him approach when he spoke to me.
'You have a look of the infernal realms about you,' he said. 'But there is a sense of good about you as well.' I looked up to him, and there was a subtle, shining radiance about him, a childlike innocence and earnestness. I'm sorry to say I felt a sense of both revulsion towards him, and shame at feeling this way. Evil is repulsed by the light, isn't it? I fought down my aversion and asked him to sit, which he did immediately.
'I mean no offense, but this is not your true form, is it?'
'It is not my original form, no; I was a man not too long ago.'
'Good heavens!' he cried. 'What the fuck happened to you?'
After I recovered from a reaction much like the one you had, I told him the same tale I have been telling you.
'Ernst,' he told me 'that was a stupid and wicked pact you made…but I believe we can make some good come out of it! Pledge your allegiance to the One who guides my steps and come with me, and I'll wager we can make ol' Baphomet wish he had never met you!'
Again, I felt a sense of resistance, but realized that there seemed to be no other hope, so I did as he suggested. Alas, I never did regain my original form, not until nearly fifteen hundred years later, but upon that day in December, I could not have cared less. A few hundred years passed before we moved north and settled in Lapland, then finally to the North Pole, but the nature of Santa Claus became established. Mikos died and passed the mantle onto Kriss Krinkel (Finnish name). From there, the dual legend of Santa Claus and Krampus truly began – a servant of Santa, not Satan. The story became legend, but you all know the truth behind the legend, and you can see it before you."
There was a silence, followed by wild applause. Ernst bowed, and then held up his hands for silence.
"Mother Nature, Father Time, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Cupid, Jack Frost, Sandman, Tooth Fairy, Saint Patrick, Krampus, I stand before you as one who had a full and glorious career on the Council of Legendary Figures, and one that continues as a professor of history and legends at a major university, and that was despite being one who began with the most base of character and through congress with demons. My successor made a mistake, that is true, but a mistake that is infinitesimal in comparison. If my star shines brightly, imagine the glare of hers if she is permitted to continue as justice, true justice demands." He bowed deeply now. "My statement is complete, and I thank the Council."
Following the applause, Mother Nature raised her hands.
"Ernst Müller, this Council thanks you for your revelation, but I have a question: How is it that you remained with Santa Claus through all his incarnations from Mikos to Scott Calvin?"
"It was out of a sense of both penitence and personal obligation, Mother Nature. I was under no compulsion to serve. The demon gave me a form that was perhaps horrifying, but it was also resilient, and I would have felt quite the ingrate not to get as much use out of it as I possibly could."
"…There was no contractual obligation of term?"
"Not for about four centuries, eventually with the evolution of the Council, we decided to make it for fifty years, though I doubt we'll find any official record of it. I don't know where they came up with five centuries, I figured it was something that was decided on behind my back, but since I was on my way out anyway, I didn't think much of it. Five hundred years of compulsory service is a bit much, don't you agree?"
Mother Nature raised her eyebrows. "Hmmmm," she mused. "The Council of Legendary Figures again thanks you for both your testimony and your service, Herr Müller. You may be seated." Ernst did not return to the audience, but grabbed a chair and sat down next to the new Krampus. He gave her arm a warm squeeze.
"Thank you!" she whispered to him with great sincerity.
"You know," he whispered back, "I was able to pick up twenty-seven masters degrees through correspondence during my time on the job. I'm a full professor now. If you want to work on your education, I'll hook you up!" He smiled and winked.
"I've made my decision," said Mother Nature. "Krampus, please rise. …Just Mary Lou Dobbins, Ernst." Ernst blushed slightly and sat back down. Kevin and Abby sat; each holding one of Mary Lou's clawed hands. Mother Nature cleared her throat and continued.
"It is clear to me, Krampus that your intentions were not without honor, and that does mitigate things. Should your exposure to Matt Warner be substantiated, the damage it could cause to the Secret of the Council will be severe and quite likely irremediable. Aggravating this, though it did not in the end do any damage that we can see, you deliberately violated the Code by visiting yourself, something that could have not only put the Council at risk, but the fabric of time itself. Could have, mind you. It did not. So in summary, your purely accidental violation through no fault your own potentially did some severe damage, whilst your deliberate act did no damage at all. So here we are left with a dilemma." Mother Nature paused here, collecting her thoughts.
"Mary Lou Dobbins, I must tell you my original intention was to declare your service unsatisfactory…and since then, I have seen and heard evidence that such a declaration is justified. But that is not all the evidence I have seen and heard. It is therefore my decision that you simply require more experience. I shall therefore increase the term you serve as Krampus by one-fifth. Santa, I believe the original term was for five hundred years, is that right?
"It was."
"Mary Lou, we have all heard reports that you are making an effort to not only discipline but to educate those incarcerated under your care. It would be a great loss to see you removed from office any time soon. Five hundred years…six hundred years doesn't seem enough time for the good you could do."
A wave of nausea washed over Mary Lou, a sick sense of horror. Would it ever end?
"But based on what we have heard from Ernst Müller. I am convinced that the compulsory term for the Krampus is far, far too long. Therefore, Mary Lou Dobbins, I declare the original contract you agreed to be now null and void, and I am now ordering you to serve the new required term for the Krampus. The standard obligation shall now be twenty-five years, and with five years added and one served, you will serve as Krampus for the next twenty-nine years – that is until December 31, 2046. This hearing is concluded."
Being careful not to stub her tail Mary Lou simply sat down and wept, but this time, they were marking unadulterated joy. She embraced Abby, Kevin, and Ernst, then Santa, Carol, and Bernard, who escorted her from the hearing room into another where Santa's elves were preparing a tremendous celebratory meal.
The first Friday of the New Year seemed as good a reason as any to have a feast.
= THE END =
Author's Note: And so concludes my first written work of any real size that I actually finished. It took a while to get started, but the words flowed easily this time around.
There will be, I assure you, an epilogue. (Illustrations are also being considered.)