he shouted. "They're invisible!"
"Kriss? Sit down, please," Bryan hissed.
Kringle sat. "Mr. Collins is completely mistaken!" he said to Bryan. "My workshops don't exist in the physical world. They're in the dream world. I thought this was understood."
" Let me be the lawyer ," Bryan insisted.
The courtroom doors swung open. In walked a man leading a reindeer.
A huge gasp went up from the gallery.
Judge Harper's jaw dropped. "Mr. Collins, what is the meaning of this?"
"This is a reindeer, Your Honor," Collins said. "I'd like the court to see if Mr. Kringle can make it fly."
"He's baiting you," Bryan whispered to Kringle. "He wants you to lose your temper. He wants you to act crazy. Remember that!"
Kriss Kringle stood up. He smiled calmly. "I'd love to oblige you, Mr. Collins, but I can't make the reindeer fly."
"I didn't think so," Collins said.
Bryan sighed with relief.
"They only fly on Christmas Eve," Kringle declared.
Laughter resounded in the gallery. Bryan cringed.
Collins's eyes lit up. "Of course." He turned triumphantly to the judge. "Your Honor, the state of New York does not want to destroy a colorful myth. But this hearing isn't about mythology. It's about the mental competency of a man who believes himself to be a myth. Every sensible person in this courtroom would have to conclude that Mr. Kringle is, regrettably, insane."
Kringle's face was turning red with anger. Collins glanced at him, then continued: "As a sworn guardian of the law, as a citizen, and as a father, I maintain that this man, who masquerades as a figure of warmth and generosity for profit—"
Kringle bolted up from his seat. " That's not true! "
"Kriss! Sit down, please!" Bryan urged.
Judge Harper banged his gavel. "Mr. Kringle will refrain from comment, or he will be removed from the courtroom!" he commanded. "Continue, Mr. Collins."
"It is my wish that Mr. Kringle come under the supervision of the state, so that the children of New York are not put at risk." He turned and looked directly at Kringle. "No one wants to wait until Mr. Kringle injures a child before we act."
Kriss Kringle started to rise. Bryan held him back, but Kringle slapped his hand out of the way.
Collins grinned with anticipation, waiting for Kringle to seal his own doom.
" HEY, YOU BIG JERK! "
The entire courtroom turned toward a high-pitched voice in the back of the gallery.
Susan Walker was standing up in her seat. " MR. KRINGLE'S THE NICEST MAN IN THE WORLD! " she yelled out. " HE'D NEVER HURT ANYBODY! "
Dorey pulled her daughter down into her seat. The gallery sounded like a hockey game now. People whooped and hollered.
Whack! Whack! Whack! "Order! Order!" Judge Harper shouted.
Kriss was looking over his shoulder at Susan. His eyes were bright with pride and thanks.
Collins walked up to the bench. "The state rests, Your Honor."
As Collins went cockily back to his table, Bryan winked at him and whispered, "Thanks."
Collins looked quizzically at him.
"I had nothing," Bryan said. "My only defense was your offense." He rose to his feet, ignoring Collins's befuddled face. "Your Honor, I have no further witnesses. I rest my case."
Now it was Judge Harper's turn to look befuddled.
Bryan knew it looked unusual—a defense attorney, just giving up . But he had to stick with his strategy.
"I shall render my opinion on this matter at noon tomorrow," Judge Harper announced. "Until
that time, this court is in recess!"
WHACK!
The hearing was over.
December 24, 11:45 A.M.
1 Day To Christmas
DESTROYING SANTA CLAUS:
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!
SANTA CASE: TOO MANY NUTS
IN THE JUDICIAL FRUITCAKE?
IS SANTA SUNK?
AT NOON TODAY SANTA CLAUS NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The headlines lay across Judge Harper's desk. He had had a day to think about it. Now it was almost time for his decision.
Harper looked glumly out his window. He was not alone. Behind him, Prosecutor Collins sat at the edge of a desk. On a sofa were Jack Duff and Alberta Leonard.
Perched
"Kriss? Sit down, please," Bryan hissed.
Kringle sat. "Mr. Collins is completely mistaken!" he said to Bryan. "My workshops don't exist in the physical world. They're in the dream world. I thought this was understood."
" Let me be the lawyer ," Bryan insisted.
The courtroom doors swung open. In walked a man leading a reindeer.
A huge gasp went up from the gallery.
Judge Harper's jaw dropped. "Mr. Collins, what is the meaning of this?"
"This is a reindeer, Your Honor," Collins said. "I'd like the court to see if Mr. Kringle can make it fly."
"He's baiting you," Bryan whispered to Kringle. "He wants you to lose your temper. He wants you to act crazy. Remember that!"
Kriss Kringle stood up. He smiled calmly. "I'd love to oblige you, Mr. Collins, but I can't make the reindeer fly."
"I didn't think so," Collins said.
Bryan sighed with relief.
"They only fly on Christmas Eve," Kringle declared.
Laughter resounded in the gallery. Bryan cringed.
Collins's eyes lit up. "Of course." He turned triumphantly to the judge. "Your Honor, the state of New York does not want to destroy a colorful myth. But this hearing isn't about mythology. It's about the mental competency of a man who believes himself to be a myth. Every sensible person in this courtroom would have to conclude that Mr. Kringle is, regrettably, insane."
Kringle's face was turning red with anger. Collins glanced at him, then continued: "As a sworn guardian of the law, as a citizen, and as a father, I maintain that this man, who masquerades as a figure of warmth and generosity for profit—"
Kringle bolted up from his seat. " That's not true! "
"Kriss! Sit down, please!" Bryan urged.
Judge Harper banged his gavel. "Mr. Kringle will refrain from comment, or he will be removed from the courtroom!" he commanded. "Continue, Mr. Collins."
"It is my wish that Mr. Kringle come under the supervision of the state, so that the children of New York are not put at risk." He turned and looked directly at Kringle. "No one wants to wait until Mr. Kringle injures a child before we act."
Kriss Kringle started to rise. Bryan held him back, but Kringle slapped his hand out of the way.
Collins grinned with anticipation, waiting for Kringle to seal his own doom.
" HEY, YOU BIG JERK! "
The entire courtroom turned toward a high-pitched voice in the back of the gallery.
Susan Walker was standing up in her seat. " MR. KRINGLE'S THE NICEST MAN IN THE WORLD! " she yelled out. " HE'D NEVER HURT ANYBODY! "
Dorey pulled her daughter down into her seat. The gallery sounded like a hockey game now. People whooped and hollered.
Whack! Whack! Whack! "Order! Order!" Judge Harper shouted.
Kriss was looking over his shoulder at Susan. His eyes were bright with pride and thanks.
Collins walked up to the bench. "The state rests, Your Honor."
As Collins went cockily back to his table, Bryan winked at him and whispered, "Thanks."
Collins looked quizzically at him.
"I had nothing," Bryan said. "My only defense was your offense." He rose to his feet, ignoring Collins's befuddled face. "Your Honor, I have no further witnesses. I rest my case."
Now it was Judge Harper's turn to look befuddled.
Bryan knew it looked unusual—a defense attorney, just giving up . But he had to stick with his strategy.
"I shall render my opinion on this matter at noon tomorrow," Judge Harper announced. "Until
that time, this court is in recess!"
WHACK!
The hearing was over.
December 24, 11:45 A.M.
1 Day To Christmas
DESTROYING SANTA CLAUS:
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!
SANTA CASE: TOO MANY NUTS
IN THE JUDICIAL FRUITCAKE?
IS SANTA SUNK?
AT NOON TODAY SANTA CLAUS NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The headlines lay across Judge Harper's desk. He had had a day to think about it. Now it was almost time for his decision.
Harper looked glumly out his window. He was not alone. Behind him, Prosecutor Collins sat at the edge of a desk. On a sofa were Jack Duff and Alberta Leonard.
Perched
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