Twelfth Night of Christmas
By Sharan McQuack, Launchpad's wife.
One day, after school, the Trins and Webby did NOT feel like going straight home.
"Mrs. Beakly will make us do our homework." Huey groused.
"Even if all the homework we have is a book report. That's not due to next month,!" Dewey agreed.
"She'll STILL make us get started on it right away!" Louie complained.
"Despite the fact we already read the book in study hall!" Webby concurred. " I feel like procrastinating for a little while, too. "
"Let's head to the airport. Launchpad is there. Something always happens when HE's around." Huey suggested.
The kids walked to the airport and got there just in time to see Launchpad chasing after a crook who was trying to steal some metal barrels from Launchpad's cargo hold.
I had spotted the crook and warned Launchpad. Launchpad chased after the crook, while I grabbed a video camera and filmed the crook running away from Launchpad.
Launchpad had almost caught up to the crook when the crook saw the four kids watching. Crook aimed the barrels at the kids and rolled them towards the kids.
Launchpad had to catch the barrels before they could hurt the kids. Naturally, by THEN, crook had escaped.
"You guys OK? Webby?" asked Launchpad.
"We're fine. But the crook got away." Huey replied.
"WITHOUT the barrels he was trying to steal!" Launchpad said.
"And I got the crook on film." I said. "So we can show people what he looks like." I said.
"What was in those barrels, anyway? Oil?" asked Dewey.
"That the weird thing! They're full of fancy fish! It's expensive- but not the sort of thing crooks normally steal!" Launchpad answered.
"Do you think these crooks had struck before?" asked Louie, noticing how many planes were at the airport.
"Good idea! I'll ask!" Launchpad said.
So Launchpad asked around and found out several pilots had had the same experience: somebody had tried to steal stuff from them. But not money, gems or "normal" goods criminals "normally" steal.
I showed them the film and they agreed it was the same guy.
Fancy linen, candlesticks, silverware, fancy food, wine...that's the sort of thing this crook had at least tried to steal. But the would-be crook was oblivious an amateur and been spotted creeping around or trying to escape with the goods. The crook had gotten away, but had to drop the almost-stolen goods to make good his escape.
"All the stuff the crook tried to steal is stuff for a fancy party!" Launchpad noticed.
I posted the video of the thief on youtube and we soon heard from his fiance, Violet Woods.
"Herbert thinks I want a big, fancy wedding. He thinks ALL women want big, fancy weddings. I've told him I can't afford a fancy wedding and I understand he can't either." Violet explained.
"Herbert won't listen. I love him, but once he gets an idea into his head, he won't let it go." Violet lamented.
"I think he's trying to steal the stuff we'd need for a big, fancy wedding. Please help me stop him before he ends up in jail." Violet pleaded.
"Well, at least now we know WHY he keeps trying to steal stuff for a big, fancy party." Launchpad said. "Anybody got an idea on how we stop him?"
MEANWHILE... the Beagles had been stealing stuff from airports. They hadn't bothered with planes, too many people around and often stuff that isn't worth much. The Beagles had been stealing stuff from the seizure warehouse. From where they put smuggled and other seized items for holding. Lots of valuable items end up there. Ivory. Smuggled gems. Illegal drugs. Guns. Bombs. You get the idea.
Somehow, the Beagles were suspected to have attempted to have stolen the party goods. The Beagles found this highly insulting.
"People think we're small time enough not only to steal such petty items but to FAIL in stealing such petty things?" Big Time asked.
"What difference does it make? " Bicep asked. "Maybe the cops will catch the real thief of the party goods and think HE stole from the warehouse. He'll get the blame!
"For once Bicep, you got a good idea there. We stole some stuff from the warehouse that we can't sell. Mostly the packing cases but also a few mistakes..." Big Time began;
"Like that crate marked "Ivory" that turned out to contain Ivory Soap?" Bicep commented, rubbing it in.
"The point is, why don't we find this clown, plant the stuff on him and let him take the blame for robbing the warehouse?" Big Time asked.
Now Herbert was still trying to rob his way to a big fancy wedding. Herbert was prowling around, looking for an opportunity to swipe something. The Beagles spotted him and followed him.
Launchpad, who was on alert because of Violet, spotted the Beagles and followed them.
The Beagles saw Herbert double back to a van.
"That must be his getaway vehicle." Big Time muttered. "We can plant the junk there and sic the cops on him."
Launchpad was lying in wait, hoping to catch the Beagles. Instead of catching the Beagles, Launchpad caught Herbert.
"Herbert? " Launchpad asked, recognizing him from my video. "Your fiance, Violet asked me to stop you from stealing before you end up in jail."
"I wasn't stealing anything! I was just heading to my van!" Herbert said. "Hey! Somebody messing with my van!'
But, by the time they got to Herbert's van, the Beagles had planted the evidence and left.
"Huh? What's this junk in my van? Who breaks into a van to put something in?" Herbert asked.
"Those were Beagles. Big crooks. Let's get into your van, follow them, and find out what they are up to." Launchpad suggested.
"Fine! I heard somebody robbed the seizure warehouse and this stuff is packing crates and worthless junk from that warehouse." Herbert said.
Herbert had been green with jealousy, reading about that robbing on the net.
The Beagles had already called the cops on Herbert. The cops were not amused to find no van where the Beagles had reported it parked. Then they spotted Herbert driving the van. The cops gave chase. Herbert panicked. He sped up, driving like a nut, but still followed the Beagles. The cops still chased them.
The Beagles naturally thought the cops were chasing them. They're sort of used to THAT. The Beagles tried to lose the cops, but couldn't. So the Beagles headed for their hideout, intending to grab as much of their loot as possible and scram.
However, Launchpad had contacted me via cell phone. I flew my plane towards the Beagles. The Beagles lost control of their car and crashed into their hideout. Launchpad grabbed Herbert's steering wheel.
"Open all the doors! And hang on tight! We're both buckled in, but the stuff the Beagles planted ain't!" Launchpad yelled.
Herbert opened the doors. The planted evidence went flying out of Herbert's van, and into the Beagles hideout, an old abandoned hanger, and fell among the stolen items.
The cops arrived. They took us all in for questioning. Given the Beagles reputation, the cops soon jumped to the conclusion that the Beagles had not only robbed the seizure warehouse but attempted to rob the planes, too.
Launchpad managed to convince the cops that Herbert was the hero of the day.
"Herb here saw the Beagles getting away and he followed them in his van." Launchpad said, truthfully enough.
The Beagles steamed, but somehow nobody believed a word they said in protest. The Beagles ended up fessing up to stealing the items from the warehouse, but refused to say they tried to rob the planes. Which struck the cops as weird, the Beagles confessing to a more serious crime, but the cops didn't really care.
Shortly thereafter, Launchpad received a call from Mr. McDuck. There had been a fire at one of Mr. McDuck's warehouses, It was empty at the time, but now Mr. McDuck had no place to store the Christmas stuff he had bought cheap on Dec 26th.
"Normally, I'd store till next year and sell it at a nice profit! Now, I'll have to sell it at a loss or give it away!" Mr. McDuck groused. "I don't have any place else available to store this stuff and I can't leave it out for the day or two it'll take to clean up this mess! It'll get stolen or rained on!"
"Could of been worse. The stuff could have been in the warehouse when it burned." Launchpad pointed out.
"Then I'd have the insurance money." Mr. McDuck muttered.
Launchpad as per instructions moved the a lot of stuff, especially stuff that did NOT say "Christmas" on it to stores in neighborhoods where people celebrate the fest of the Magi or 12th night or charities whose patrons do likewise. But there was still a lot of stuff left over. Launchpad made a call to Violet.
"Yes, both me and my fiance celebrate fest of Magi. Why?" she asked.
Launchpad explained his idea.
Soon, Launchpad bought a lot of the leftover stuff for Violet, with her money. Fancy china and silverware decorated with holly or mistletoe or evergreen. They did not match, but they fit in. There were different plates and silverware for everybody. Everybody got there own unique setting.
Launchpad traded some of the leftover goods for food, the sort of food you eat at Christmas. Ham,turkey, stuffing, potatoes, yams...you get the idea. Now that Christmas was over, the price of them went down a little.
Next day, Violet and Herbert had a big fancy wedding with a fest of Magi theme. At Mr. McDuck's warehouse! Herbert, Violet, Launchpad, the kids (the Trins, Webby and the rest of the Jr. Woodchucks) and me had all worked in cleaning up the mess the fire left.
A lot of the warehouse was made of steel, so most of the damage had been to the doors and the stuff stored in the "empty" warehouse: crates, paper, cellophane, chairs and other office equipment, etc. We cleared out the warehouse and cleaned it up in exchange for Violet and Herbert being able to hold their wedding there. Mr. McDuck even loaned them folding chairs and tables (this way he didn't have to pay to store them)for the wedding.
Violet even made a wedding dress out of a lace tablecloth that had a small rip in it. Violet had to cut off that part of the tablecloth to turn it into a dress, anyway.
The End.