Plundering Pillager Placed at Pole

Mrs. Claus stared hard at Gizmo Elf. "Tell me that again, please?" she asked.

Gizmo sighed. "I needed to attatch a beveled three-quarter clockwise apparator apparatus to the Appendapulator as part of the improvements I made to it for this year. It was going to do much more than just make toys!

"Well, I had Waldo fetch it for me, but he came back with a a beveled three-quarter counter-clockwise apparator apparatus instead."

"And that's what caused Santa Claus to pop clear out of the North Pole?"

"As far as I can tell," said Gizmo. "I knew I shouldn't have had Waldo Elf helping me. That elf's nothing but trouble."

Where is Waldo now?" asked Jiller Elf.

"Not here, and that's a good thing," said Gizmo. "At any rate, I've swapped the counter-clockwise apparator with the clockwise one, and let's see if that gets Santa back."

Gizmo pulled the lever. Inside the great toymaking machine, a hooting sound was heard. The hoots grew louder, and were joined by a honk, then a clonk, then a bonk. Steam came out of a valve, the whole machine shuddered, and there was a loud POOF.

Inside the cloud of steam, a shape loomed. It was large. It was round-bellied. It wasn't Santa.

"What in the world just happened?" a voice cried out. Out through the steam walked a man. He looked around. "Hey! I'm back at the North Pole!" Spying Mrs. Claus, the man strode over, took off his top hat, and bowed low.

"Mrs. Claus, it's a pleasure to see you again. Let me re-introduce myself: I am S. Alfred Pickles, Esquire, from the law firm Peppered, Pickles and Beets.

"I remember you, Mr. Pickles," said Mrs. Claus. "And it's NOT a pleasure to see you! You almost ruined Christmas!"

Gizmo Elf stood next to the Appendapulator, scratching his head. "That most certainly shouldn't have happened. I wonder what happened to Santa?"

What DID happen to Santa? Who is S. Alfred Pickles? And how did he almost ruin Christmas? Keep reading the North Pole Times to find out!