DEAD CHAPTER SIX

Hello!

It's nice up here!

Guess what I can see out my window?

A big monkey's butt.

NOW, ONTO CHAPTER

FOURTEEN. THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO NOBODY BECAUSE WE'RE IN A BIT OF A HURRY

Emil lifted his jacket to reveal two of Francis' bungee cords wrapped around his middle. He started to unroll them.

"Big brother," he said.

"Another brilliant idea from Emil," Matthew put in.

They grabbed a rope and pulled. Emil spun like a spinning top. He went whizzing to the edge of the roof, but Santa caught him just in time.

"Big brother."

"You're welcome," replied Santa. "Now show me your idea."

Emil tied one end of the rubber rope around his waist and gave the other end to Matthew.

"He needs the presents for this house," he said.

Santa took five parcels from the sack and gave them to Emil.

And then he jumped down the chimney.

Santa knew it was a good idea when he saw one. He laughed, very quietly. Matthew was hanging onto the rope. He felt it tighten.

"Here he comes," he said, and a second later, Emil flew feet first out the chimney and landed on Matthew's shoulders. He'd left the parcels down in the house.

Meanwhile, Lukas tied one end of the second rope around his waist and Alfrd held onto the other end. Santa sorted out the parcels and began to feel very happy. Until-

"Oh no," he said worriedly. "I forgot a parcel. Blocks for the baby."

"No problem. Right," Antonio turned to the lizards. "Get down off the sleigh and show the man your stuff."

Ludwig and Feliciano jumped onto the roof.

"It's getting crowded up here," Alfred commented.

Ludwig dropped his tummy to the roof.

"Hot," he said. "I think I'll change my name back to Hans."

And immediately the heat from the slates felt wonderful.

Hans spoke to Santa.

"Do you remember, if they get presents under the tree or at the foot of the bed?"

"Foot of the bed."

"Okay, can you put the parcel on my tongue?"

And suddenly Hans' tongue was right in front of Santa's nose. He held out the parcel and stuck it to the tongue like a stamp to a letter.

Hans jumped to the edge of the chimney. And he fired his tongue down the chimney, down the hall, and into the baby's bedroom. He wriggled his tongue and the parcel fell off, neatly placed at the end of the bed.

When his tongue came back up it was holding a plate of cheese sandwiches. And suddenly, the plate was under Santa's nose.

"For you," said Hans.

And while Santa ate the sandwiches- not the crusts- Antonio brought the children and lizards roof to roof along Abacus Street. The street was done, and all presents delivered before Santa had finished chewing his second sandwich.