7 Crash!

CHAPTER 7 CRASH! We throw ourselves to the floor and pretend to be asleep. Just in time! I can hear reindeer snorting, sleigh bells ringing and Santa HO-HO-HO-ing.

'Whoa, Rudolph!' calls Santa. 'Slow down, Donner, Blitzen, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher and Prancer. Prepare for a landing in the treehouse down there—in that room where Andy and Terry are sleeping.' 'Santa Claus is going to land right here!' whispers Terry. 'I know,' I say. 'But I'm not sure it's the best place for a landing given there's an enormous puddle in the middle of the floor! I think we should warn him.' 'No!' says Terry. 'If we warn him, he'll know we're not asleep and he might not land at all. And if he doesn't land, we won't get any presents.' 'But if we don't warn him, he might crash,' I say. 'Are you trying to tell me that Santa doesn't know how

to land his sleigh safely?' says Terry. 'Because I think he does—he's had a lot of practice.' 'Sure,' I say, 'but—' 'What just happened?' whispers Terry. 'I'm not sure,' I say. 'But judging by that CRASH, CRACK, TINKLE, BINGLE, TIMPLE, BASH, PLONK, KABOOM, FLOOP, BOING, KALUMP, SMASH, TWANG, FLONK, SNAP, PLOP, FLAP, DING, KLUNK, BARK, SPROING and BANG, I'd say Santa just crashed his sleigh.' 'Do you think we can open our eyes now?' says Terry.

'Yes,' I say. We open our eyes and look around. 'Santa's not here,' says Terry. 'And neither are our presents,' I say. 'Our stockings are empty!' 'No, you're wrong, Andy,' says Terry, peering over the edge of the level. 'Look, there's a pony down there! Santa Claus brought me an electric pony!'

'That's not an electric pony!' I say. 'That's one of Santa's reindeer! Santa must have hit the puddle when he was landing and skidded over the edge.' 'I think you might be right,' says Terry. 'And it's not the only reindeer down there in the branches. There's lots of them!'

'But where's Santa?' I say. 'Look,' says Terry, pointing. 'He's landed on a branch just above the cloning machine level.' 'Oh no,' I say. 'That's quite a thin branch.' 'Yes,' says Terry. 'And Santa's quite a large man.' 'Yes,' I say. 'And quite heavy.' 'Do you think the branch will break?' says Terry. 'I hope not,' I say. 'But I'm pretty sure it will.'