Christmas Trees & Monkeys (25 page)

“
What the hell...?” The crowd gasped. Hands emerged from drooping sleeves, pressed against unseen ears. The man called David took a half step forward, eyes still cast down.

“
Please, sir. Max, is it? You shouldn’t use such language.”

“
That… old person just spit on my truck.” As he spoke, he saw in his peripheral vision another of the four rise and begin a rapid series of bat-bat-bats with his staff against one of the tires.

David spoke quickly.“Please, Max. Please understand. We mean neither you, nor your vehicle, any harm. We’re a peaceful people. It’s just that - “

Max was not there. He stood in front of the old man, wrenching away the staff and tossing it into the woods. The monk turned and ran after it. By the time David reached him, Max was kicking at the drawings along the road.

“
They promised us no one would come. We send them money every month. They promised us you would not carry... those....” he gestured towards the horizontal trees “...things near our town.”

Max paced back and forth. “They’re just Christmas trees!”

Gasps and shrieks and covered ear locations. Max turned to the crowd and shouted, “What’s your problem? Christmas Trees!” Shrieks and gasps. “Christmas Trees!” This was getting fun.

David grabbed his arm with surprising force. “Please, we strive to be a spiritual people. We recognize the holiness in everything around us. The sky, snow, and most especially the trees are precious gifts from God.” The grip seemed to tighten for a moment on Max’s arm. “What you are delivering to so many unfortunate souls is an abomination to all that we have been taught to be sacred. These fallen symbols of heaven will become the idols of Satan, representing with brilliant and horrifying clarity the path the world has taken.”

His hand dropped, as if the words fell too heavily upon him to keep the grip on the driver. He continued, “Evil has triumphed over the world, is slowly working its way towards our town, our homes...” His face, one of painful sadness. “...our last refuge in God’s embrace.”

Max swallowed. He looked at the tired man in front of him. David was probably younger than him but showed lines of fatigue Max wouldn’t likely see in himself until middle age. He looked back at the truck, idling patiently behind him. Then, slowly, he smiled.

“
But, these are just Christmas trees.”

Shrieks and wails. David’s face reddened within his cowl. “Get out of here, sir. Now. We have a deal with your superiors. God forgive my impatience, but you simply do not understand.”

Max turned and hopped into the cab. He grabbed the keys and killed the engine. The background rumble of the diesel cut out. The group stood in stunned silence.

“
Listen,” he said, jumping back down. “If you think... stop hitting my truck!” The monk had re-emerged from the woods and resumed his punishment against a tire. Beside him, one of the kneelers spat on the trailer.

“
That’s it!” Max said. “I’m going to the bathroom. Your bathroom! When I come back, if any part of my rig is damaged, you’ll meet my ‘superiors’ face-to-face. Or at least their lawyers.” More shrieks.

“
You cannot -”

“
I can. The sooner you show me to the potty the sooner I’ll leave.” Max pushed past him. The crowd shuffled aside like a human Red Sea. Max sensed the anger of the leader behind him, but he was gambling violence wasn’t in the rule books. Halfway up the dirt path, he heard David shout, “Nathan! Show that man where to go then bring him directly back here. Do not speak to him. Quickly now.”

By the time Max reached the common he’d been joined by a teenage boy, dressed in his own dark robes. Neither spoke.

The common glowed with lanterns. Small yellow flames danced in glass cages. Similar light drifted from the clusters of single-story houses. No electricity, Max mused.

Like the ghost of Christmas Future, the boy pointed to a narrow structure on the far side of the common. An outhouse, no doubt.

* * *

The detective raised his hands. “Listen,” he said. “This is all well and fine, but until the doctors tell us what happened to those people I don’t see how - “

“
There were others,” Max whispered, still looking into his cup of cider.

McGovern looked at his watch then leaned forward in the chair. “If there are others, then why can’t we find them? You brought us in here saying people were dead. Unless you’re able to tell us how that happened, I think we should call it a night. We’d like to be with our families.”

Max shuddered involuntarily. “If you’ll just let me finish.”

A chilly gust of wind swept through the room. A women in a skirted business suit, a badge dangling from her waist, closed the door and glanced icily at Max. She covered her mouth to whisper into the detective’s ear. Slowly, McGovern’s face went pale, then hardened. When the woman finished she straightened, obviously waiting for direction. McGovern looked up at her and said softly, “They were burned?”

The styrofoam cup disappeared within Max’s hands. Cool cider poured over his fingers. The woman looked at the truck diver with obvious contempt.

“
Yes, sir,” she said. “At least a half-dozen they’re guessing. The bone fragments were sent to Amherst for analysis.”

The detective said nothing for a minute. He simply stared between his legs at the floor. When he looked up, Max knew things would get nasty very quickly. “Mister Tanner, I mentioned when we first arrived that you should call a lawyer. I strongly recommend that now. The charges against you have been upgraded to suspicion of murder. Do you understand me? Mister Tanner?”

“
I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. How could I know?”

McGovern looked behind the prisoner. “John, did you read him his rights?” John nodded. “Mister Tanner, would you like to have officer Jamison repeat your rights? Let me remind you that everything you say is being considered a confession.”

Max waved away the warning. “I understand my rights. I didn’t know people would die.”

The detective stared at him in silence for a moment, then checked the tape recorder. “Finish your story, please. If at any time you wish to discontinue this confession and contact a lawyer please understand you may do so.”

“
Yes. Yes, I know.” Suddenly Max realized he would never be with Pam again. Never play baseball with the boys. He began to cry. The others in the room stared dispassionately at him, waiting for the story to resume.

* * *

If anything was evil in the world, Max decided, it would be outhouses. Once outside, fresh clean air swept over him like a lover. His spirits were decidedly up. The silent teenager stood a few paces away, glancing nervously across the common. Max followed his gaze. From their vantage, the truck and townsfolk were out of sight.

“
Nathan, is it?”

The boy nodded.

“
I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“
Yes,” Nathan said.

“
It’s OK. I won’t tell them you talked to me.” The boy tried in vain to suppress a smile. Max pressed the advantage. “That guy. David. He’s the boss?”

“
Well, I guess. He’s my Dad. People rely on him a lot when the world gets too close.”

“
Too close. Hmm.” They were all nuts. Max was officially five minutes behind schedule now. It was Christmas Eve, and these people were hiding in their hoods like kids in a thunderstorm. This time of year, bringing Christmas to New England from the cab of his truck, Max almost felt like Santa Claus… though he decided not to share that image with young Nathan.

“
Do you believe all that stuff your Dad was saying, about Christmas trees?” Max noticed the boy didn’t shriek at the words. In fact, he didn’t even wince.

“
My father believes it.” He kicked at a rock that was frozen into the ground. “Maybe not as much as Grandfather, but the elders are a very spiritual people.” Max wanted to interrupt and ask why religious fanatics insisted on calling old people “elders,” but held his tongue.

“
Grandfather….” Nathan continued. “He believes in the teachings. In fact, he was the primary drafter of the new edition of the
Book of God’s Laws
.” He looked up, an almost-smile forming under the cowl. When Max didn’t offer the expression of awe the boy apparently expected, he looked back at the tops of his shoes. “I don’t know. I suppose you get out of your faith what you want to. The elders are very wise. They wouldn’t believe in all of this if it wasn’t true.” The implied “would they?” hung in the air between them.

“
Well,” Max said, trying not to sound overly condescending. “I’m sure it’s true to them.” As he spoke, his gaze fell on a twisted Maple, standing alone in the center of the common. An uncomfortable idea began to glow in his head. “What about you?” he said. “The other kids your age?”

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, began to say something then stopped. He raised his head, letting his gaze linger on the path leading back towards the road. He said, “We have to get back now. You shouldn’t be here.”

The idea was a forest fire in Max’s mind.
Oh hell
, he thought.
Maybe it’ll be fun
. The only question was how to get some juice. The idea brightened further.
If you need power, get a battery
.

“
Listen, Nathan. Do you people have a car? You know, drive?” He made a steering gesture with his hands.

“
I know what a car is, sir. We may be religious, but we’re not stupid.”

“
Right. Sorry. Then there’s a car around here?”

“
We have an old Chevy out back. Once a month someone gets special dispensation to go to Pelham for supplies. It’s never a happy time. But they won’t let children go.” He paused. “Why?”

“
I was just thinking. It’s so nice here, I might just stay for a day or two.”

Nathan stepped back, then turned away. He looked as if he were deciding whether to run screaming for help. Still looking across the common, he said, “You can’t stay here. They won’t let you. Please, you’ve caused enough trouble. Leave us alone.”

Max smiled. “Tell you what. We’ll make a deal. You give me something, a gift maybe, and I’ll leave. I’ll even make it look like you forced me out.”

Nathan looked back at him. “What kind of gift?”

“
Go get the battery out of that car and bring it here. That’s it. My Chrysler at home is dead. You give me your battery to take home with me, and I’ll be gone faster than your townspeople can scream.”

“
That’s stealing.”

“
Not if you give it to me. That’s my offer.”

After a moment’s thought, “I’m not supposed to leave you.”

“
Take it or leave it.”

He watched the boy running toward a dilapidated shed across the grounds. Max wasn’t sure if his plan could technically work, but it’d be worth seeing their expressions when he tried.

Once Nathan disappeared from sight, so did Max. He emerged from the trees onto the narrow stretch of highway, a hundred yards up-road from the truck. It still suffered under the spitting and battering of the old men. David was there, glancing nervously up the path. Max would have to do this quickly. Under the cover of the darkness, he ran across the road into the trees beyond.

* * *

Everyone wore black shoes. They poked in and out of the robes on the other side of the trailer. The old men knelt along the roadside. Max stepped slowly, quietly. Flickering light from lanterns cast wavering shadows around the rig. One foot on the cab’s step. His eyes rose above the passenger window. There was David, looking the other way. Max’s heart beat out the excitement and fear of the moment. He’d come this far.

Be quick
. The lock was up. This was a good thing, since keys make noise. He lifted the door handle.

Click. The inner dome light snapped on. Max whispered, “Shit.”

Voices. He reached under the seat and grabbed the Wal-Mart bag. It crinkled its plastic scream as he jumped down.

“
Who’s there?” David’s voice. Footsteps. Max ran into the woods. As he moved between the trees he took hold of the tangled mass of Christmas lights and tossed the white bag away. No sense giving them a beacon. He ran parallel with the road. A quick look behind revealed dark figures moving into the woods. They quickly changed direction and returned to the roadside.

“
Mister Tanner!” David’s voice again, more distant. At least they weren’t following. Max had a good idea where they’d go next. Time was not on the side of this plan. He turned towards the road. Without checking if anyone was looking he crossed the pavement in four steps.

The common looked no different than when he left it, with the exception of a teenage boy standing near the outhouse, battery in his hand. Max ran to him. How long did he have? Sixty seconds? He giggled involuntarily.

Nathan sagged in relief when he saw Max approach, then abruptly stiffened when he noticed what hung from the man’s fist. Though he’d never seen Christmas lights, he had a good idea that’s what they were.

“
Where did you go? What are those?”

“
Never mind. Is that battery working?”

Nathan began to hand it over, then everything made sense. “Dear God! Those ARE lights! What are you doing?”