Lacey stood with her nose pressed against the window of Cynthie’s room in the Healing Hall, gaping at the carriages as the Polar Express puffed by. The view became hazy, and she gave the window a quick wipe with her sleeve. It was just in time to see the carriages change into wagons, the last few carts pulling into the open white landscape and coming to a complete stop.

  ‘It is a wonderful sight, isn’t it?’ Cynthie said from beside her, having gotten up from the bed. Then she spoiled the sentiment by adding, ‘For someone who’s never seen a train before.’

  ‘I guess,’ Lacey said. ‘Do you know whether it stopped here last Starday, when Jinxy disappeared?’

  ‘You think she got on?’ Cynthie said, raising her eyebrows. ‘Why would she’ve done that?’

  A slight annoyance tingled in Lacey’s chest, making her answer a bit harsher than she intended. ‘I don’t know, Cynthie. Why does she do anything? What was she doing when she disappeared for five days to go find the Christmas orchids?’

  ‘Good point,’ Cynthie conceded. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t remember whether it was here last Starday. It was certainly supposed to be, but I know it missed the Sleighday stop because the workshop didn’t get our order of doll’s eyes. That’s why the focus has been on mechanical toys over the last few days.’

  Lacey paused, as she replayed the previous workshop days in her mind. Yes, she hadn’t seen any dolls or teddybears; it had all been trains, blocks, and jack-in-the-boxes. It was just another reminder of how easily she could miss things, not sharing the same background as the other elves. Like a whole freakin’ train – how did that pass me by?

  ‘We could ask Mr. Nezer about Jinxy,’ Cynthie suggested. ‘He’s the Polar Express’s conductor in these parts.’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ Lacey said. ‘But aren’t you supposed to be in bed?’

  ‘I’ve had enough of lying around.’ Cynthie started pulling clothes on over the nightdress she’d been wearing. ‘I want to know about Jinxy.’

  She paused, looking shiftily from side to side. ‘Maybe, let’s not tell Mathilda about it, though.’

  ‘Yes, let’s not,’ Lacey agreed. She had a feeling about who Mathilda would blame if she caught Cynthie out of bed.

  ??

  Stepping out of the Healing Hall, Cynthie’s gaze almost immediately swept up to the sky. Lacey shook her head, her ears feeling unexpectedly full. Giving a big yawn, it stabilised with a little pop. The streaky clouds had been multiplying while they were inside, and were now brushed over the sky like a thin veil.

  ‘Hmm, snow’s coming,’ Cynthie said. ‘We’d better get going.’

  Lacey looked back up at the sky. It wasn’t what she thought snow clouds looked like, but Cynthie seemed sure and Peter had also mentioned something about it the previous night. She looked back with a little shrug, only to find Cynthie already five paces ahead and briskly striding forward. She hurriedly began walking too.

  True to form, Cynthie didn’t speak much. Although the train wagons were relatively close to the Healing Hall, standing between it and the magical snow-harvesting field, the locomotive and first passenger carts were quite far ahead. Lacey noticed with bemusement that the train ended at a little building standing slightly apart from the village in the snowfield. A bit further away, off to its right, the magical pear tree’s branches reached up to the sky.

  ‘Is that the train station?’ she asked. ‘I assumed it was snow-harvesting storage.’

  This earned her another trademarked-Cynthie look. ‘It’s both,’ she replied. ‘What better place for a train station than right where the snow needs to be loaded up for sphere-distribution? And, it’s still close enough to the village not to inconvenience passengers.’

  At that moment, Peter emerged from the cottages up ahead, also heading to the train. A sense of relief washed over Lacey. She was getting used to Cynthie, but there was still some awkwardness left behind.

  ‘Hey Peter!’ she called, only to realise that Cynthie had called the exact same words at the same time, their combined voices adding an echo to the sound.

  Peter stopped, an odd look crossing his face as he turned towards them. It glided away so quickly, that Lacey almost wondered whether she’d seen it at all. What was that about? Oh right, Lacey remembered. He’d said that Cynthie had a crush on him. And now the two women vying for his attention were both fast approaching. Hopefully, he only wanted one. And, hopefully, that one is me, Lacey silently added. She wanted to giggle at how they’d surprised him, but kept her face straight as they approached.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  ‘Ho there, you... two,’ he said, pausing ever so slightly as he figured out how to phrase his reply. ‘How are you doing, Cynthie?’

  ‘Much better, thanks,’ she said with a smile, her cheeks lightly glowing.

  ‘We’re heading out to talk to Mr Nezer. Did you know the train might’ve been here last Starday?’ She gave him a meaningful look, his eyes widening as he realised what that meant.

  ‘Oh my gosh,’ he responded. ‘That’s right! It completely slipped my mind. I’m so used to it coming and going that I didn’t even think of Jinxy. But, why would she’ve gotten on the train?’

  ‘Why does Jinxy do anything?’ Cynthie smoothly responded, repeating Lacey’s earlier answer. ‘She is the one who disappeared for five days to find Christmas orchids, after all.’

  Hey, that’s my line! Lacey thought, but let it go. Who said what truly wasn’t that important.

  Instead, she said, ‘I’m just surprised I didn’t notice it. I mean, it’s not exactly a quiet cloud breezing in and out.’

  Peter laughed. ‘Don’t take it too hard. You had just woken up from a head-injury. I think you can be excused for missing something in a strange place.’

  ‘But a train?’ Lacey ruefully shook her head.

  ‘Not important,’ Cynthie said, flicking the issue away with her fingers. ‘Let’s go find out whether she got on. Mr Nezer will know.’

  They reached the front just in time to see eight dishevelled-looking women spilling out with little screams and giggles. Out on the platform, they paused to straighten their blue pinafores and pinning fly-away hairstrands back into place, before heading to the village. Two were carrying four stacked wooden pails each, and the last one skipped down the steps, dropping her white skirts back into place over an unexpectedly stylish boot adorned with red stones.

  ‘See you tomorrow, George,’ she called out to a man in a uniform all askew, winking at him before flouncing off.

  George gave her a distracted wave. Then he lifted his conductor’s cap to wipe a hand through his disordered hair, before putting the cap back on and straightening it with a purposeful twist.

  ‘Everybody off?’ he called back into the empty carriage, his posture relaxing with relief when there was no answer.

  The platform now empty, the three elves approached the conductor. A copper gleam caught Lacey’s eye. It was a brass badge with black lettering on the left side of his uniform. COND. G. E. NEZER, it read.

  ‘Ho there, Mr Nezer,’ Peter greeted him. ‘Everything all right? It looked like you might’ve had some trouble?’

  The man gave him the look of someone who had stared death in the face and survived. ‘Trouble?’ he said.

  ‘Trouble is lost ticket. Trouble is missing cargo shipment. This was not trouble.’ He paused, then whispered dramatically, ‘This was chaos.’ A shudder ran through his frame.

  ‘What happened?’ Peter asked, alarmed.

  ‘What happened?’ Mr. Nezer echoed. ‘You should ask what didn’t happen. Everything. Everything! It happened. It was that Dr Frankenpretzel,’ he added with a disapproving tut.

  ‘He does not read The Rules.’ Mr. Nezer flung his arm out, pointing directly to a brass plate attached to the side of the carriage entrance. THE RULES, it said.

  ‘That’s awful,’ Lacey said, fully sympathetic. Rules really ought to be followed. ‘How did Dr. Frankenpretzel break the rules?’

  Mr. Nezer cast a gaze to the heavens, the indignation leaving him with a sigh.

  ‘He smuggled juvenile kallikantzaros.’

  Peter and Cynthie gasped.

  ‘What’s a kallikantzaros?’ Lacey asked.

  Peter turned to her. ‘It’s something like a furry mischief-type goblin with glowing eyes. They have many different shapes and every single one causes trouble.’

  ‘Yes,’ Mr Nezer confirmed. ‘He had it in pet carrier. I ask him what is in there, and he says cat. Cat!’

  Cynthie shook her head at the blatant lie.

  ‘All was fine, until we hit patch of storm magic outside Alpine ridges, and Express got shook. And that man, he knew demon escaped, and he said nothing!’

  Mr Nezer took a steadying breath. ‘We served lunch, we served afternoon tea, and he stays quiet. I saw him crawl around, but I thought he dropped coin. And then, I went to put away ticket stubs and it jumps out!’

  Lacey inhaled. She had a feeling where this was going.

  Still, Mr Nezer continued. ‘Then it runs, up and down and all around. What a mess! Paper everywhere, bags upside down, clothes torn! Finally we caught it, and we off-load it and Dr. Frankenpretzel at Arctic Cross. He find his own way home. He is banned from Polar Express!’

  ‘That sounds absolutely terrible,’ Peter said. ‘And I’m so sorry to impose on you more, but we need some help.’

  ‘You need help?’ Mr Nezer said, coming back to attention. ‘If I can, I will. What is it?’

  ‘A friend of ours is missing, and we’re wondering whether she might’ve gotten on the Express. This would’ve been last Starday.’

  ‘Last Starday,’ the conductor mused, rubbing his chin. ‘We got here late because migrating reindeer. I don’t remember someone getting on. Normally, I check ticket stubs, but kallikantzaros make torn-up stub nest in cupboard.’ He gave a helpless shrug. ‘So sorry.’

  Peter sighed. ‘We understand. Thank you anyway.’

  ‘Well, time to go,’ Mr Nezer said, climbing back in as the locomotive whistled. ‘Good luck, hope you find her!’

  The train pulled out of the station, slowly at first and then with gathered speed. As the last carts clacked by, the train track magically undid itself, wood and metal pieces flying away into the air. Soon only marks in the snow were left behind, with a few strips of torn ticket stubs floating down from above. The last relics of the runaway kallikantzaros.

  ??????

  Mr Nezer, but one of the milkmaids calls him George, and his badge reads G. E. Nezer…

  Mystery at Santa’s Village, follow the story to hop on board for the next chapter! ???