THE ICE KING

Chapter 10

The Hustling Hunter

         "Is everybody OK?" Justin asked.

         "OK, here," Jason replied.

         "WOW! Can we do that again, Papa?" Gus asked.

         "I'll take that as a yes," Justin said drily. "And no, we most certainly cannot!"

         "Oh pooh!" Gus said; but it was in fun. He didn't really expect to do it again. The snowblomile was blown into little tiny bits anyway.

         Justin sat on the snowy tundra, resting, letting his breathing slowly return to normal. He watched the line of fire burn on the snow, which of course drew his eyes to the bigger fireball that was the snowmobile. Unbidden, tears sprang to his eyes. Damn it! It just wasn't fair! After all they'd gone through! After all, he'd risked and done and on top of that he'd led them out in the middle of a frozen tundra to die like dogs! Like dogs!

         Jason sat there a bit with Gus still clutched in his arms around the waist. At last, he put him down, and came over to Justin and put a hand on his shoulder. He tried to squelch the intense pleasure that came from that simple contact and almost succeeded.

         "Justin...It's OK. It's just a thing. We're all OK. Gus is OK. That's all that matters!"

         "Jason thought back and heaved a sigh of relief. They almost hadn't been OK. That child proof lock on Gus' seatbelt had almost proved to be their undoing, but at the last minute it had snapped open and Jason had grabbed Gus and hurled himself off the snowmobile, arching himself slightly and tucking Gus into the hollow, shielding him, as the rolled across the ice and snow, over and over, for what seemed like forever.

         As soon as Justin had seen them go, he had hurled himself off too, just in the nick of time. A second later, the fire had caught up to them and...well, goodbye snowmobile.

         "It's not OK! Oh God, what have I done! Don't you see! We're lost! My stupid obsession with Brian has taken us out here and now we're lost and there's no way back, and no way forward and...and...and I don't know what to do!"

         Jason began rubbing Justin's back for a bit but after a bit he regretfully stopped. It just felt too sinfully good comforting this heroic man.

         "Your...quest for Brian is NOT stupid! We'll figure something out! Something will happen. It always does. The first thing to do is go back and get our stuff."

         They looked back the way they had come. Even though, they had disengaged the panniers what seemed like minutes before they had jumped, the snowmobile had raced far on. The panniers were far in the distance. It was going to be a long walk back.

         They started back. The snow here was deep but packed as hard as stone. If not for their helmets, they would have been in big trouble.

         They were about halfway back when they heard a voice yell out: "Hold it right there! Reach for the sky!"

         They looked over and saw a handsome man in his 30's with brown hair and a clean-shaven face. He wore deerskin pants and a thicker leather jacket with a fur lined hood. He wore supple, deerskin leather gloves and held a rifle that was pointed at them.

         Justin looked at him sadly for a moment. Brown hair. Clean face. Brown eyes. He just reminded him of Brian. He blinked back tears and kept going, taking Gus with him, holding onto his hand.

         "Didn't you hear me? I said hold it! You're my prisoners!"

         Justin looked at him morosely again. "Go ahead and shoot," he said. And kept going.

         "Have it your way," the man said. He cocked the trigger.

         "STOP!" yelled Jason, jumping in front of the gun. "What's wrong with you? Can't you see he has a child? And besides, look where we are! He indicated the big expanse of nothing around them. "So we're you're prisoners! We're not going anywhere! So just cool it!"
         "You're my prisoners! You and everything you have now belong to me!" the man said stubbornly...and repetitively.

         "Everything we have...is over there," Jason said, pointing to the blue blobs that were getting closer and closer as they trekked toward them. "So is you want it, you'll let us go get it. As for being your prisoners...well, where are we gonna go? You got us! Now put the gun down for Chissakes! There's a child involved!"

         The nutbar finally lowered the gun. "I guess that makes sense. You're pretty smart."

         "True. But it only seems that way to you because you're acting so STUPID! I assume it was you that blew up our ride?"

         "Yup. I hunted you and caught you."

         "And you couldn't have done it in a less drastic way? Didn't you see there was a child involved?"

         "No. Sorry. But anyway I had to capture you."

         Jason pulled off his helmet and shook his hair out. Not that it helped much. He had permanent helmet hair. "But why, for goodness sakes?"

         "I'm a hunter. I hunt and capture anything I come across. Although, this is the first time I've been able to hunt man. You'll be a welcome addition to my collection. Especially you. Wowza!"

         "What are you talking about?" asked Jason irritably.

         "Brains and beauty," replied the hunter.

         "What are you -? Oh for the love of..." Jason stomped off, attaching himself to Justin's side, distancing himself a little from the hunter. He recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same one in Rickert's. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire!" he muttered.

         They finished the rest of the trip in silence. When they finally retrieved the panniers, he directed them back the way they had come and to the west.

         They continued on in this way for about 10 minutes. The wind started to pick up. "Where are you taking us?" asked Justin.

         "To my hideout," replied the hunter, "We're almost there. Hurry up!"

         Justin, Jason and Gus looked at the white, flat plain all around them. It stretched out as far as the eye could see in all directions.

         "What are you talking about?" Jason asked. "There's nothing there!"

         "Quiet from the prisoners! Keep moving!" He poked him in the small of the back with the rifle.
         "What's a pisner?" asked Gus.

         "It means we have to go where we're told and do whatever we're told by the man with the gun," explained Justin.

         "Oh. Like with the bad man," said Gus soberly.

         "Yes. Exactly like the bad man," replied Justin pointedly.

         "SIIIIIII--ILENCE!!" yelled the hunter.

         "But there's nothing there..." said Jason in confusion.

         "I said quiet!" the hunter yelled again, jabbing him viciously with the rifle, And hurry up! The wind's picking up! There'll soon be a blizzard. Hurry up! Hurry up!"

         "All right! All right! Quit poking me, will you!" yelled Jason casting a furious look backwards.

         They continued on for about 5 more minutes when something extremely strange happened.

         Justin and Gus were a few paces ahead of Jason. The wind was starting to get stronger and biting. Suddenly, Gus and Justin just...disappeared. Gus and Justin gave a short cry and sort of dropped away as if they'd fallen through a trapdoor.

         Jason whirled. "What happened to them? What did you do?"

         "You'll soon find out. Move!"

         "What did you do!?"

         "I said MOVE! NOW!"

         "Damn you!" Jason whispered, tears trickling down his cheeks. They froze while they were only halfway down. He turned and walked on and...

         And a whole new vista opened before and downwards before him. A vast sort of...crater was before him and before he could stop himself there was no more ground and he was falling...falling....falling...

         "YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Jason screamed, his voice snatched away and made impotent by the wind and otherwise just empty space.

         Down, down, down, he fell until gradually he felt his bottom touch down on smooth surface that curved so gradually that he made the transition from falling to sliding before he could even tell the difference. And then he was sliding down and across and up again. Then down again, and below he saw Justin and Gus in his lap, sliding up the opposite side. And down again. And Jason was heading back toward them. With a swish!...they passed each other and they were sliding up opposite sides of the crater again a little less each time. Jason tried to dig in his heels but there was nothing but smooth ice and packed snow. There was nothing to halt his progress. Down he went again.

         Oh, it was a terrifying, nauseating amusement park ride that seemed to go on and on. But at last the three of them managed to slide slowly enough for them to halt their progress.

         Meanwhile, the hunter had walked around to a certain area where a concealed slope curved around and down around the side of the crater. As he walked around, he watched them in amusement as they were trapped by their own inertia.

         "Heh! Heh! Heh!" he laughed unkindly, as he approached them where they were huddled together, looking and feeling liked trapped mice in a trap. "I love that! Gets ‘em every time!"

         "You're a monster!" spat out Jason.

         The hunter shrugged.

         "Never mind that! Come on! Get up! Time to get you tucked away in your new quarters!"

         Justin, Jason and Gus stood up and looked around, taking a good look around at their surroundings for the first time.

         They were in a great white bowl of what seemed to be a natural crater. A great, white bowl dropping vertically, then sloping, then flat at the bottom. It was perfectly round and huge; the flat center of the bowl was at least 50 feet diameter. And the walls were at least twice that.

All around the edges of the crater were large curving snow walls as if someone had thrown giant snowballs at the walls and then hollowed them out. Inside each wall was either a cage or else a kind of gypsy caravan. The doors to the cages and caravans had no locks; instead the latches and hasps had all had water poured over them and were encased in a thick layer of ice and therefore frozen shut.  And inside each one was a different kind animal. There was a polar bear, a snow leopard, a snow hare, a reindeer, and many others. There was a very large wall with the largest of all the caravans. It was the only one without a frozen lock and therefore, Justin and Jason surmised, the hunter's quarters.

         Above, the snow had started and the blizzard began to blow in earnest. Strangely enough it seemed to just blow over them, saving them from the worst of the elements. They were below everything. That was why they could not see anything until they were upon it and it was too late. It was perfectly hidden below a perfectly flat plain. Of course, a bit of snow still fell and there was a bit of wind but that is why the hunter had built the snow walls. Everything seemed very well sheltered along the edges. The only way out seemed to be the slope the hunter had come down by.

         The hunter marched them over to a caravan beside the cage with the reindeer in it. He opened the door and marched them inside. Jason hung back at the sight of the small space and dragged his feet.

         "Come on! Come on!" the hunter said impatiently.

         "NO! Please! Please don't put me in there with him!"

         "What? He treated you bad?" the hunter asked.

         "No, no, it's nothing like that!"

         "Then what?"

         "Look, he's been locked up for three weeks straight," said Justin, "I expect he's feeling a bit claustrophobic. Isn't there some - "

         "Oh, you expect that eh? You know best eh? You a mind reader? You a witch? You a magical man, is that it?" the hunter said nastily.

         "No, of course n -"

         "Then SHADDAP!!! The young man has a mouth. He'll use it!" He turned his attention back to Jason, "Go on Angel," he said kindly with a radical change in personality.

         "He hasn't mistreated me. It's complicated. It's just not a good idea to put me in a confined space with him right now. Put me anywhere else. Put me with an animal. Put me in solitary. Anything. I'll - I'll - stay with you. You like me, right? Brains and beauty, you said, right?"

         Justin was getting really confused at Jason's downright panicked and urgent tone. But he dared not say anything else.

         "Mmmm. You're right about that. OK. A thousand American bucks and you can stay the night with me."

         "WHAT!!!??" they two other men screamed.

         "Hey, this ain't free, you know," the hunter said. "You wanna play, you gotta pay!"

         Justin and Jason were dumbfounded. "So...you're a hunter...that hustles?" asked Justin.

         "That's right. Hey, I'm not up in the north all the time. Just because I haven't hunted men up till now doesn't mean I haven't met them. And when I'm not hunting, I gotta make a living somehow."

         "Well, we wouldn't have to..."play" as you put it," Jason hated the needy, wheedling tone that came into his voice, but this was important to him. "Just...don't put me in there."

         "Ohhhh, one of those visits. OK, those are 500."

         "Wow, you're really high end, aren't you?" Jason asked sadly.

         "High and tight," bragged the hustling hunter. "But you'll never know! BWA HA! HA!"

         And, laughing cruelly at them, he shoved Jason forwards and slammed the caravan door. He locked it with a padlock and yelled: "You`ll need extra care so I`m not going to freeze the lock...for now. Don`t make me change my mind. The windows have shutters so close them if the wind gets bothersome. Otherwise...enjoy your new home!"

         They heard him crunching across the snow and into the large caravan. They heard the door slam. They were alone.

         There were windows on either side of the caravan but only the window in the door was open. They rooted around a bit and found an old kerosene lantern. There was still a little in it. They dug through their things until they found the matches and lit it. Sadly, Jason shut the shutter.

         Well, it was cold, but cozy. And they wouldn't be in the dark until a little while anyway.

         There was a period of sad and miserable silence. Things looked hopeless.

         "Finally, Justin could stand the curiosity no longer. "Jason, why did you resist being put in here with us so violently?"

         Jason was hunched against the door. He seemed to be scrunching himself as far as he could away from them.

         "Oh, Justin!" his young voice was pure misery. "Do not ask me that!"

         He was hunching as far away as he could! "Jason, what is it? Are you in pain?"

         "Not physically. But yes, for a few days, I have been...I...I have been very sad. Oh Justin, just let it go! Please, just let it go! I cannot say!"

         "Jas'n? Don't you like us anymore?"

         "Oh Gus! Come here, my big boy!"

         Jason held out his arms and Gus crawled into them.

         "I don't like it in here! It's scary!"

         "I know Gus. But it'll be OK. Now listen very carefully. I love you. Nothing will change that. Nothing. There are just some things I can't talk about but it has nothing to do with you. OK?"

         "I don't understand," said Gus.

         "Neither do I," said Justin pointedly.

         "It's just better if I keep my distance." Jason gave a shuddering sigh. "Oh God, Why did he have to shut us up in here? Why did he kidnap us? What does he want!? Why did he do this?! Why?" He got up and started banging on the door. He ripped open the shutter. "What do you want! Let us out of here! Out! I need out! I need air! Hellllp!!!"

         "Jason! Jason! What's wrong? Stop! Calm down! Everything's going to be OK! There's plenty of air. Just breathe! Just breathe!" Justin came up and tried to rub his shoulder but Jason jerked away as if he were burned.

         "Don't touch me!" he choked out in a tortured voice.

         "Jason, what on earth...?" Justin reached out again but Jason shoved him roughly away. "I said don't touch me! Justin don't you get it!?"

         "Get WHAT!? What's wrong?"

         "I can't be near you! I can't let you touch me anymore. I can't touch you anymore! It- it just hurts too much!"

         "Jason! What are you talking about!?"

         "Justin, don't you understand? Can't you just leave - don't you - Justin, I love you!"

         He clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide, as if he'd just confessed to high treason or eating a baby. Justin finally slowly backed away and then slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "Oh," he said.

         "Oh!? Oh!? That's all?"

         "Justin looked at him with sad eyes. "What more did you want?"

         "I don't - I don't know! Something! Anything!" Jason sadly slid the shutter closed at last and slid to the floor as well. He buried his face in his arms and shook with silent sobs. He had never felt so bereft, so completely alone in his life, not even in his stint in Stockwell's tower.

         Finally he heard Justin's soft voice ask, "How long?"

         "Not long...Sometime within the last three days. I don't really know exactly when. We left town and I was fine. And then sometime over the trip, I watched you with Gus and admired you more and more. I sat behind you all day and we all needed to scrunch together at night and I just came to love it more and more. Now I love it so much, I can barely stand it. But all through the trip it was Brian this and Brian that and I knew it could never be. You never even noticed me. I've been about as much of a piece of baggage as one of the panniers! Do you have any idea how much that hurts!? Do you!? First I was alone, and then finally, finally, I wasn't! And now, God forgive me! I wish I was alone and back in Stockwell's tower again! At least then, I knew where I stood. Now, I have everything! Now...I have nothing!"

         Jason wept.

         Justin so much wanted to comfort him but he knew any touch from him would be too painful and seem patronizing. He wanted to deny Jason's accusations but then he stopped. If he was honest, hadn't he been indeed eating his meals in furtive, hasty spurts, treating sleep as if it were an annoying time waster, and then hurrying them both onto the snowmobile again and driving north, north, ever northwards? If he was honest, hadn't he been pushing the snowmobile across the ice and snow faster and faster and faster? And hadn't it felt the faster he went, the more he seemed to stay in place. Oh God! What was wrong with him?

         For the first time, in a long time Justin looked at his two companions, really looked. He was shocked. Gus was confused and unhappy and nuzzled his head into Jason's lap and tried to comfort him. ("Don't worry Jas'n, I love you! I love you this much!" He stretched out his chubby arms as far as they could go.) But wait. He wasn't chubby. He was pale and thin and only his ski jacket arms poofed out. He was not the happy, chubby toddler he had left the loft with. If he thought about it, he wasn't getting enough to eat or exercise since being strapped onto the snowmobile all day every day. Oh God, this could not go on!

         And Jason was miserable and in the throes of unrequited love and he hadn't even noticed! He had been dragging him around like a big slab of meat!

         "Oh, Jason! You're right! I have been taking you for granted. I didn't realize! I'm so -"

         But at that moment he heard something faintly from outside the caravan. He shushed everyone and listened hard. And then it came again.

         "Sons of Adam! Sons of Adam! Children of men! Answer me! Answer me!"

         "I hear you! I hear you! Who are you? Where are you?" yelled Justin.

         But the voice did not hear them. "Sons of Adam! Sons of Adam! Can you hear me!  Can you hear me! Open your window if you hear me! Children of men, if you have ears, for the love of Santa hear me!"

         So Justin opened the shutter facing the back of the caravan and yelled, "We hear you! We hear you! Who are you!?"

         "Oh, by Santa's beard! Thank goodness! I am the reindeer next door! The time has come to escape! I will help you, if you promise to free me!"

         "How is it you are able to talk?" asked Justin.

         "I am no ordinary reindeer," the reindeer boasted. "I am one of the Elite! One of the original Eight! I am Comet!"

         "Comet!! Like Santa's reindeer!!" screamed Gus.

         "Yes, little one! Just like that! That fool..." (this word was thrown out like an epithet)..."captured me about a week ago and I dared not reveal my true nature. But I must escape and return to Santa before the 24th. I am growing desperate! I have been calling for the help of men for three days now! And now you have come! You must help me!"

         "You called us? I don't understand!"

         "There's no time to explain. Once we're away, I'll try but for now we must make haste!"

         "Why haven't you escaped before, by yourself!?

         "All the rest around me are just dumb animals. Plus you have one thing that no one else here does!"

         "What's that!?"

         "Thumbs!" Comet said ruefully.

         They all smiled at that. Then Justin's eyes widened and everything came to him in a flash.

         "Wait! If you're one of Santa's reindeer then you must know where the Ice King lives!"

         "Well, of course! His castle overlooks the village!"

         "If we help you, will you take us there!?"

         "Well I can take you to the gates! It is said no one enters into the Ice King's palace and lives to tell the tale!"

         "That's fine! We'd gladly help you! But we're locked in!"

         Comet laughed a laugh that was as rich as dark chocolate.

         "That's easy enough! The fool stole these caravans from a band of gypsies who, among other things, were magicians for a living! Search around the floor, there should be a trapdoor in the floor."

         So they searched around, and sure enough Justin found a ring and he pulled and just like that, a good-sized trapdoor opened up and one, two, three, they were free!

         They all carefully ran around to Comet's cage but there a new obstacle awaited them. The latch to the cage was encased deep in a thick layer of ice.

         "What are we to do now?" asked Jason.

         Justin's eyes widened. "The lamp!" he cried and sprinted back.

         "We'll be right back, Comet!" Gus said, He stroked his snout lovingly, "You're so pretty!" Comet snorted in pleasure.

         The other two ran back after Justin and then watched him as he popped back up through the trapdoor. Quickly, he blew out the lamp. With a few hard kicks born of desperation, he kicked out a floorboard. It turned out to be rather easy as the wood was half rotten. He grabbed Gus's pack and dug deep and grabbed a small shirt and wrapped it around the end of the plank. Then he opened the lamp and poured out the last of the kerosene onto the cloth. There wasn't much but it would have to do. He grabbed the matches and dropped back out and ran back to Comet. The others were mystified as to what he was doing.

         Justin gathered them together and lit a match in the lee of the wind. But it was too strong and the match blew out. He tried again with the same result.

         "Dammit!" Justin swore in frustration.

         "Papa! Bad word!" cried Gus.

         "Sorry, Gus! I'll put two quarters in the swear jar when we get home but for now, this is an emergency!" He looked down. "There's only one thing for it! We've got to light them all!"

         "But then we won't have any way to make fire at all!" cried Jason.

         "If this works we won't need them anymore! Ok, come on! Everyone as close together as possible!"

         They hunched together in a circle and Justin lit the match and shielded it with his hand. It fluttered wildly but held enough for him to drop in into the box. With a WHOOSH! The entire box it up as all the matches caught on fire. This lit the box on fire and for a moment there was a small fire on the ice.

         Justin hurriedly dipped the kerosene soaked shirt into the fire and it caught with a WHOMP! He held the makeshift torch to the ice lock.

         "My, my! The things you Sons of Adam do with those thumbs!" Comet said admiringly...and a little enviously.

         Justin smiled a little and held the torch to the ice steadily. It slicked over and began to drip.

         They all hunched over the torch desperately trying to keep it out of the wind. The ice block began to drip steadily, then faster and faster.

         "Come on! Come on!" Justin muttered desperately.

         Overhead, the storm continued to rage. The wind continued filter down. They blocked as best they could and slowly, so slowly, the ice lock melted, melted, melted away.

         The fire flickered. The accelerant was wearing out.

         "NO! Come on! Hold on!" Justin urged.

         "Hold on! Just a little more!" they all urged over and over.

         More time passed. Everyone was tense and hopeful and anxious all at the same time. The lock was halfway gone.

         The fire flickered, sputtered and died completely. The lock was only half gone. The ice that was there refroze completely.

         The torch clattered on the ground.

         "No!" Justin whispered, "No, no, no!" he dropped to his knees is despair.

         Jason hugged Gus a little ways away. Even Comet bowed his head and all of them grieved a little in their own way.

         "Good work, Son of Adam! I think I should be able to care of it now," Comet lifted his head where he had simply been examining the lock.

         "What?" Justin lifted his head. Tears had frozen to his cheeks like diamonds. "What did you say?"

         "Do not mourn, Son of Adam," said Comet, "Your efforts shall not be in vain. But you should stand back."

         After Justin had moved back, Comet, turned around, aimed carefully and kicked the ice lock with his powerful back legs. Two more kicks and it shattered and the door flew open.

         Comet backed out and stretched. "Ahhhh!! That's better! And now let us be off! Oh! But I can only carry two of you. And you must leave everything behind. Carry only some things you can carry on your person.

         "Two! But there are three of us! We're a family! A team! We all need to get out of here!"

         "No Justin," Jason said softly, "We're not."

         Justin turned in confusion. "What did you say?"

         "We're not," Jason repeated, "We're not family. You and Brian and Gus are the family. And you're job right now is to go get Brian and make that complete. I'm just some kid you picked up along the way. It won't -"

         Justin strode over and grabbed him by the shoulders roughly. Well, as roughly as a little blond twink could grab roughly, at any rate. "Jason, stop that! You are not just some kid! You're important to me! You're important to Gus! And we're not leaving you alone here!"

         "Yah! You're comin, Jas'n!" cried Gus, launching himself somewhere at Jason's leg.

         "Gus! Is there anything you'd like to bring to show Daddy? If there is, this would be the time to go get it," said Justin gently.

         "OK, Papa! I need to get somethin'! I'll be right back though! Don't leave without me!" He ran off.

         We won't little Son of Man! But hurry!" Comet said.

         "We're not leaving you here!" repeated Justin stubbornly.

         "You have to! Don't you see? It wouldn't make any difference if I went. Brian wouldn't know who I was; it wouldn't help anything. You need to go and help him, break this spell or curse or whatever it is over him. And Gus can't be left behind! You have to go and you have to leave me behind!"

         Justin looked deep into those too blue eyes that reminded him so much of himself. He saw fear but a firm resolution.

         He crushed him to himself in a consuming bear hug. "Oh Jason! I'm so sorry if I made you feel like baggage or just some kid! You are so much more than that! If life has taught me anything there are many different kinds of families and like it or not, you are part of mine, now and forever! And when we get back to Pittsburgh, you'll find that you will be part of an even bigger, more loving, sometime all smothering, family than you can ever imagine and it will make up for your years of loneliness, I promise!"

         Jason looked sadly up at Justin and shook his head. He did what he had been longing to do for the last two days and brushed a few fingers through his sunshine gold hair and moved lower and cupped his cheek into his small hand. "No. I shall never see Pittsburgh. I must stay here. You must leave me. Don't worry. It won't be so bad. He likes me. Sort of. I think. Well, more than he likes you, anyway."

         And instead of pulling away, Justin leaned into his hand and smiled like an angel. He hugged Jason closer and the sheer beauty of his smile and the feel of him, and the fact that he was not rejectedsplintered Jason's heart like shards of glass.

         "What? You don't think I'm leaving you with that asshole do you? I don't know how we're getting back, but however we do, we're coming back for you! I promise!"

         "But how?"

         I don't know. But we - I will make sure of it! Look, Jason, you're right! We can never be lovers, not in that way. My heart belongs to Bri, in that way, and his to me. There's no one else in the world who wants to, who would rescue him except for me, and I want to because he's a part of me. But just because I'm not in love with you, doesn't mean I don't love you. There are many kinds of love in this world and I do love you and I swear I will be back for you. OK!?"

         And he cupped Jason's cheek in return and bent down and kissed him.

         It was a sweet, tender kiss, extended, closed mouth, but so beautiful it made Jason's entire being ache for more. It was affection and love, and fatherly and brotherly ownership. Jason felt as if he was being branded as his and in a way he was, branded into the Taylor-Kinney family. Jason still didn't understand how Justin could or would come back for him, still didn't really believe it was possible, but in that kiss he knew that wherever he roamed, wherever he ended up, he would always be, as Justin had said, a part of that family, now and forever.

         "Come, Sons of Adam, who are coming! Come! My time is short and I feel the pull strongly now! There is still a long way to go, and not much time!" Comet was fairly dancing with impatience.

         Justin and Jason pulled apart and Justin called, "Yes, we're just waiting on Gus now!" and as if on cue, Gus came running around the corner of the snow shelter that held their dilapidated caravan.

         "I got it! I got it! I'm ready! I'm ready!" Gus called. "Are we all ready to go?"

         "No, Gus. Comet can only carry two passengers so Jason's going to stay with the hunter while we're gone."

         Gus' lip started to wobble, so Justin hurried on, "But as soon as we go get your Daddy, we're going to come back and get him! Right?"

         Gus smiled. "Right! OK! Gimme a kiss goodbye, Jas'n?" He turned and puckered prettily.

         "I wouldn't have it any other way, little man!" Jason knelt on the freezing ice and held out his arms.

         Gus flew into them, and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. Jason didn't understand how it was possible but his heart broke again, all over again as he realized this was the last time he would likely ever hold this little miracle in his arms ever again. But he hid it well. Or so he thought.

         "Are you crying, Jas'n?" asked Gus worriedly. "There's ices on your face."

         "Tears of happiness," Jason lied, "Now you go on! Go get your Daddy!"

         Yayyy! Daddy!" And just like that, Gus' attention was diverted. He ran over to Justin, who helped him onto Comet's back. Then he climbed on behind him.

         "What are you bringing to Daddy?" he asked Gus.

         "Can't tell you. It's a surprise," said Gus soberly. "But I brought something for you, too." He pulled out the flattened rose. It unfurled and straightened again but this time it was not so fresh and looked a little peaked.

         "Oh dear!" said Justin, "We'd better hurry! Let's go, Comet! Go! Jason, we'll be back! Back soon! I promise!"

         "Hang onto me with your knees! Clench as tight as you want! Try to avoid my mane. Little one, you may hold my neck! Not you, though!" he admonished Justin. "For fear you should strangle me! Ready! Here we go then!"

         He leaped away over the ice, once, twice, three times. And then he leaped and...just didn't hit the ground! He leaped again and he was higher. It was as if he were running up a large flight of invisible stairs. He ran faster, higher and higher and made a round of the crater once. Then he homed in and jumped steeply up and away. Everybody waved and Jason waved until they disappeared into the blizzard at the top.

         Suddenly the quiet closed in upon him like a physical being. He felt the cold digging its way into his bones and he realized how alone he was. Utterly, utterly isolated and alone. But then he squared his shoulders and marched back to the caravan. This was for the greater good.

         He went up through the trapdoor, grabbed the panniers, and then went out again, closing the trapdoor behind him. Then he went around and walked over to the hustling hunter's caravan and faced his front door.

         The hunter's caravan was much larger and shinier than any of the others. It was painted a bright yellow with the words THE MAGNIFICENT ROLETTI S in big curving script along the side. There were curtains on the window.

         Hmmm...the Roletti s...They must have been the family of gypsies that this ass had stolen everything off. And here he was, shacked up in the best room with curtains on the window and probably a heater while they froze their tails off in the dark.

         "I don't think so!" thought Jason, "Not anymore!"

         Grasping the panniers by their handles like suitcases, he strode up to the yellow caravan's door. He put one "suitcase" down and banged on the door loudly with one fist.

         There was a shocked silence.

         "Come on! Come on! Open up!" And he banged loudly with the side of his fist, like an irate slumlord and kept banging until he got a response.

         It wasn't long before he got one. The bright yellow door was at last thrown open. The hustling hunter filled the doorway.

         "What're you doing here?" he asked in stupefied astonishment.

         "There's no heat or light in the other caravan and it's dirty enough to give one the plague!" Jason explained firmly as if it was the most logical thing in the world. "So I'm moving in here with you! Let me in!"

         "But - but - How'd you get out? And where are the others?" The hunter craned his neck and looked around as if he expected Gus and Justin to pop out of some hidey-hole at any moment. But of course, there was nothing.
         "They're not here. They escaped with your reindeer. There's only me left and I'm not going back in that dark hovel alone! I'll explain everything when we're both inside! Let me in, you're letting the heat out! You have heat, I assume?"

         "Of course I do! But - "

         "Well then, move over! Let me in!" Jason said aggressively.

         "Hold up! I told you, it's five - "

         "NO! There's only the two of us now and I'm TELLING YOU...If you don`t let me in right now, it`ll be MY foot up YOUR high and mighty ASS!"

         And with that, Jason headbutted the older man right in the solar plexus. Picking up both panniers again, he shoved and shouldered his way inside like an unwelcome mother-in-law.

         The door slammed shut.

JGJGJGJGJGJGJGJG

         Meanwhile...

         When Comet reached the blizzard, visibility went to zero and it grew intensely cold. However, Comet continued to climb aggressively and moved quickly and easily forward as if he knew where he was going.

         "Are you sure this is the way?" yelled Justin, "I can't see a thing! I'm completely lost!"

         "Rudolph is usually in charge of navigation!" called Comet. "I am speed! But don't worry! I feel the call so strongly; it is like I am being pulled with a string! This is the way, never fear!"

         "And now Sons of Adam," he continued, you will see why where I am from, I am called the Elite! You will know why I am called COMET!!"

         And he leaped once more and...BOOM!  took off! The ride smoothed out and the wind they generated moved the ice and wind and snow out of their way and once more, Justin and Gus found themselves whooshing through a white swirling tunnel. However, instead of the North Wind's icy influence, Comet seemed to glow with an internal light and heat that made the ride bearable and even enjoyable.

         The air behind them began to heat up and suddenly...WHOOOOOSSSHHH! A fiery tail lit up the night behind them and indeed, Justin and Gus now knew why it was the reindeer was called Comet!

         The fire tail warmed their backs nicely and Comet flew on, across the plain, over a river, across a forest in a heartbeat. And then there was the black ocean and they were over it, and Comet still went on and on, faster and faster, as fast as a rocket!

         Despite this, it still took them all night to travel over the dark plain of the ocean. The blizzard stopped and they could see everything by the light of the fire and yet there was nothing to see.

         Finally, with the dawn of the next day, the 23rd, there was another BOOM! And Comet slowed out of hyperspeed. Below them was a large village in the round with a large brown castle in the center. The brown castle had many turrets and from every turret waved a friendly red flag.

         Overshadowing the village was a large mountain and on the top of this mountain was another castle, even larger than the brown one. However, this castle was white and was made out of snow and ice. Indeed, many of the turrets of this castle were simply large, overgrown icicles, with cruelly sharp points. The walls were ice blocks, the portcullis leading in was a grid made of icicles and the whole thing was iced over with decorative snow.

         Comet leaped over and landed in front of the open portcullis.

         "Here I must leave you, Sons of Adam! Thank-you for helping me! I will be sure to tell Santa who it was who helped me. But don't worry, little one! I happen to know you were already on the nice list."

         "Thanks for the ride, Comet! I love you!" enthused Gus, giving him a last hug.

         "And I, you, little one! Farewell! And try to come out alive!!" he called, jumping away down the mountain toward his beloved village.

         Justin waved his thanks and farewell as well. Then both he and Gus ran through the portcullis, across the frozen and dead courtyard and through the imposing gates of the castle of the Ice King.

TBC