Yue-chan stood in a small room with Saloma, helping the smaller woman into the white dress that was her costume. The dress had had to undergo a few last minute alterations, but Yue-chan was quick with a needle and thread. A crown of holly berries finished off the costume, and when it was done Saloma looked quite lovely indeed.

"You seem to put a lot of work into these things," Saloma observed.

Yue-chan shrugged. "I have the time for it, so why not. Now then, lets get back to the play, shall we?"

Coming out of the room, Yue-chan found everyone waiting. Wiley was still tied to the chair, as Neko had left him. She was kind enough to untie him for the time, reminding him of the black mail she still held against him. Thus ensuring his cooperation for the time, she signalled for Twinling to start filming once again. Tohru (who is now the narrator, good idea, Neko) began to read.

Tohru: Now the clock struck one, and Scrooge prepared himself for the arrival of the second spirit. But when one minute had passed, and then five, and then ten, Scrooge began to worry. It was then that he noticed a light under the door, and went to investigate it. Opening the door, he came upon his own room, and in it was the second Spirit.

Saloma: "I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Never have you seen the likes of me."

Wiley: "No, never. Spirit, take me where you will. I have learned a lesson that the first spirit wished for me to learn, and if there is a lesson you wish to teach me, let me profit by it."

Saloma: "Then take my hand, Scrooge."

Wiley took a hold of Saloma's hand, and it took great control for neither one to make a face, though Saloma looked a bit grey. As quickly as the scene would allow, she dropped his hand. The scenery in the background had changed to that of a dingy house, small, with a table, a few chairs and a fireplace. Meiru pretended to be setting the table, while Yaito and Iceman, in the guise of the two younger children, sat by the fireplace. Roll walked in a moment later, and the scene began.

Yaito: "Mother, here is Martha!"

Meiru: "Bless my heart, dear, but you are late!"

Roll: "Forgive me, Mother, but we were late to finish up work last night, and had to clear away this morning."

Meiru: "Well, never mind. Come, sit by the fire and warm yourself."

Iceman:: "No, no! Here comes Father! Hide, Martha!"

And so Roll hid behind the scenery. Netto walked in, carrying Chisao on his back. Chisao had a big grin on his face, proud that he had a part in this play. Unlike some of the other cast, he didn't mind at all. Netto walked up to the others, then set Chisao down. From the looks of it, the little kid, even though small, still weighed a bit.

Netto: "Where is Martha?"

Meiru: "Not coming."

Netto: "Not coming? On Christmas day!"

Roll came out of hiding then, a smile on her face.

Roll: "Here I am, twas only a joke," she said.

Meiru: "And how did little Tim behave today?"

Netto: "Good as gold, and better. He told me on the way home that he hoped the people in church saw him, and would remember today of he who made lame beggars walk and blind men see."

Meiru nodded and looked at the little boy.

Meiru: "Best get ready for supper."

..after the supper scene (hey, I'm on a tight schedule right now!)

Wiley: (being prodded by a cane, complements of Mik-chan) "Spirit, tell me, will Tiny Tim live?"

Saloma: "I see an emty seat by the fireplace, and a crutch without an owner. If these shadows remain unaltered, the child will die."

Wiley: "Say it is not so, Spirit! Say that he will be spared."

Saloma: "If these shadows remain unaltered, none of my race shall find him here. But, if he is to die, he had best do it quickly, and decrease the surplus population, no?"

Tohru: "Scrooge hung his head in shame, thoroughly rebuked by the spirit."

Saloma: "Come, our time is short. We have not yet finished."

The scene quickly changed, and Netto and the others vanished from the stage. Now it was a brightly lit, well decorated room, and Enzan, Kero (Ribbita) and a few others were gathered.

Enzan: "..and he told me that Christmas is a humbug! He believed it too."

Kero: "More shame to him, Fred!"

Enzan: He's a comical old fellow, that's the truth: and not so pleasant as he might be. However, his offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him.''

Kero: "I am sure he is rich. Or at least you always tell me so."

Enzan: "What of that! His wealth is of no use to him. He don't do any good with it. He don't make himself comfortable with it. He hasn't the satisfaction of thinking that he is ever going to benefit us with it.''

Kero: "I have no patience with him."

Enzan: "Oh, I have. I am sorry for him; I couldn't be angry with him if I tried. Who suffers by his ill whims? Himself. Here, he takes it into his head to dislike us, and he won't come and dine with us. What's the consequence? He don't lose much of a dinner.''

Kero: "Indeed, I think I loses a very good dinner. Please, continue, Fred."

Enzan: "I was going to say that the consequence of his taking a dislike to us, and not making merry with us, is, as I think, that he loses some pleasant moments, which could do him no harm. I am sure he loses pleasanter companions than he can find in his own thoughts, either in his mouldy old office, or his dusty chambers. I mean to give him the same chance every year, whether he likes it or not, for I pity him. He may rail at Christmas till he dies, but he can't help thinking better of it -- I defy him -- if he finds me going there, in good temper, year after year, and saying Uncle Scrooge, how are you? If it only puts him in the vein to leave his poor clerk fifty pounds, that's something; and I think I shook him yesterday.''

Everyone else on the stage laughed, save for Wiley. No one really cared. The next few scenes were of some games, and then the time came for the scenes to end. Saloma turned to Wiley, looking grim. Considering who she faced, it wasn't a hard expression to pull off.

Saloma: "Come, my time is short. We must be leaving now."

Wiley: "Forgive me if I am not justified in what I ask, but I see something strange, and not belonging to yourself, protruding from your skirts. Is it a foot or a claw!''

Saloma: "It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it. Look here.''

Tohru: "From the foldings of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment."

Saloma: "Oh, Man! look here. Look, look, down here!''

Tohru: "They were a boy and girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread."

Wiley: "Spirit! are they yours?''

Saloma: "They are Man's! And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it! Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And bide the end!''

Wiley: "Have they no refuge?"

Saloma: "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?''

Tohru: "The bell struck twelve. Scrooge looked about him for the Ghost, and saw it not. As the last stroke ceased to vibrate, he remembered the prediction of old Jacob Marley, and lifting up his eyes, beheld a solemn Phantom, draped and hooded, coming, like a mist along the ground, towards him..."