"Oh no it is hundreds of miles to the next supply cache," said Santa. "What will we do now?"
"My cell phone won't pick up a signal out here. If I had a way I could contact friends who could help us." Glacier said
"I have a satellite phone here that will each anyplace on earth. Use it if that will help," Santa said handing her the phone.
Glacier took the phone and said, "I know just who to call the Captain and crew of the Catavenger!"
"They are on their way," Glacier said as she hung up the phone and handed it back to Santa.
"Thank goodness I know those cat's they have helped me before. Fortunately most of the toys have been delivered
and hidden by parents through out the year. I only have a few more runs to make."
Captain Toronto and crew were lounging on the deck of the Catavenger when the call came through.
They had so much loot they had semiretired.
"Oh I am so comfortable I just don't want to get up" Montreal said.
"I know what you mean but if our friends need help it is our duty to do our best."
Captain Toronto said. " You realize I will have to use the flying mechanism in the ship. I don't have the experience that
Captain Topcat had so if anyone wants to drop out say the word."
None of the crew wanted to stay they all wanted to go. They got the Catavenger ship shape and sailed off.
Once they hit the coast of Canada they had to engage the flying mechanism they were soon buffeted by high blizzard winds."
Hang on, the Captain said.
Navigator lieutenant Vancouver reported that since they were so close to the north pole the
compass wasn't working and the storm was interfering with the GPS. In other words they were lost.
They hadn't gotten very far when a violent downdraft pushed them into the trees. "We seem to be stuck"
Commander Calgary said stating the obvious.
First mate Montreal brought it to the Captain's attention that there were figures moving below the trees.
"Hey those are snow leopards." Ensign Saskatoon called out.
Sure enough there were snow leopards below. One of the leopards yelled, "hey you must be the famous corsair cats and that must be the Catavenger
you have stuck in the tree. Maybe we can help you get unstuck."
With the help of the snow leopards the brigantine was unstuck from the trees.
Leonardo the snow leopard joined the crew to navigate them out of Asia.
When the ship had flown out of Asia it was decided that they should land it on the sea surface and proceed in the manner of
a normal ship. They hadn't gotten very far however when the ship started to take on water.
It had apparently been damaged when it had crashed into the trees.
Engineer Spott reported that the bilge pumps couldn't handle the flow of
water and that if nothing was done soon the ship would surely sink.
"Perhaps I can kelp...er... help, "a little voice from the sea said.
It was their old friend the Sardine. He told them that they were near Japan and told them of an excellent shipwright who
had a shop there.
They agreed that since the repair would take awhile that they would sail the ship back in time to get it repaired then from
there they would go and help Santa Claus.
Once the Catavenger was once more ship shape they were able to sail then fly on to help Santa Claus. Along the way they
stopped at one of Santa's caches in the north pacific ocean
and picked up a crate of the nose-bulbs for Rudolph.
Through their time traveling ability the Catavenger was able to land by Santa's western Canada cache. Santa wasn't surprised
but the cats ability to do this or that they had found another of his caches. After all they are full
of all manner of arcane knowledge.
As Captain Toronto looked at the drunken elf passed out on the floor his nose started to twitch. He got down and sniffed
around the broken bulbs
"These were filled with explosives" Toronto said. "They would have detonated if electricity had gone through them. I think
some one has sabotaged you."
the captain sniffed around the boxes of bulbs they had recovered from Santa's north pacific cache. "I can tell even though
the bulbs are intact that at least some are filled with explosives," he said. "I think it's to dangerous to mess with these
I am sure that our engineer Mr. Spott can hook up something to enable you to be able to see without
"Looks like we save Christmas once again, " Mr. Spott said to Captain Toronto.
"Hardly," said one of the little creatures posing on elves on Santa's sled. He
pulled out a weapon and held it on Santa. While his partner held another pointed at Toronto.
"You may have stopped our plan to ruin Christmas by disabling Rudolph however we are under orders from our masters the Nomed
to ruin it however we may."
Captain Toronto said, "if you think you will 'ruin' Christmas by stopping Santa you are indeed foolish.
As bad as humans may be at times there is still much to admire about them.
There is more to Christmas than the presents. There is the love and joy shared between family and friends.
Cats and dogs helping each other and so much more such as ..."
BAM!
"Such as even humble humans like I Shel the cat's butler getting the best of you!"
Shel said looking at
the knocked out android elves. He had snuck up behind them and grabbed their weapons and smacked them over their mechanical heads with them.
Christmas is indeed a time of miracles when even a goofy human can get the best of alien androids.
"Well done Shel, thank you, the corsair cats and Glacier and her dogs for helping me," Santa said.
What he left unsaid was that he already had the majority of the gifts hidden and had others helping him deliver them.
"I must now really be off and to you all I wish a Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Feliz Navidad!
Click the ship to go back to the start page:
Thank you Glacier
