A huge northern elk of the reindeer variety stirred from its sleep position under the cardboard that had been thrown into the large recycle bin behind the Tavern. The journey that brought it to this place seemed surreal - out for a test flight with Santa one minute, the next, hit by an out-of-control drone from Iranian scientists as they practiced with the booty from their GIS raid. Pow! and Dasher went from lead deer on the right to tumbling ass-over-applecart down into Mudcat land. Santa had watched the slow-motion tumbled descent and knew Dasher would come to no harm, so, due to a need to get everyone else home for further delivery operations, he left the scene. Perhaps not a good move.

It was a soft landing in the bin of shredded paper and cardboard, but the Giant Squid was nearby and decided that perhaps venison instead of calamari should be on the menu this year. Quickly moving over to the recycle area, his many arms retrieved cardboard from an adjacent bin to throw in on top of the limp animal, then slammed the top closed to keep the dazed Dasher confined until the discussion of roast meat should arise.

Hours, even days passed, before Dasher finally staggered from under the bulk of the corrugated and with bits of shredded paper still clinging to his coat, staggered in the back door of the Mudcat Christmas Tavern.