Chapter 7.
The next day Kermit strolled down the streets of Hensonville... A piece of paper tucked into his coat's pocket contained the information he got from Scooter to give to Uncle Deadly. The frog hoped that gloomy old dragon would be in better spirits today, secretly hoping there'd be some way he could join them for the holiday retreat. He briefly stopped in at Fran's Fragrant Flowers, he wanted to get some freshly-cut flowers. Kathy tended to the frog happily, in spite of fighting another bout of sinus headaches.
The rest of the theater's performing cast were dilligently packing their suitcases, taking care only to bring the essentials. It had been agreed that to make the surprise even better, they'd all head off in various groups. The Electric Mayhem hopped into their garishly painted bus, speeding off leaving rainbow dust in their wake. Sadie offered to ferry her daughter, along with her steady boyfriend and their bandmates from Clifford's Solid Foam days. That left the main gang the option of hitching a ride in Fozzie's beat-up Studebaker. Remarkable how they got that vehicle back from Mad Man Mooney, especially his initial reluctance at dealing with Muppets again. But he let them have the car for a song and a dance, which they promptly performed, paying him off with a couple of tickets to their next show. Gonzo, Rizzo, Rowlf, Sam, Lew, Pops, Hilda, Mildred, Bean Bunny, Bunsen and Beaker, Statler and Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, and a few others broke into the bus station at Nelson Square. About half of them skipped out on the bus, the rest heading back to their main boarding house. All that remained was to get Piggy into the car, and for Fozzie to finish his phone call...
"Hey Ma..." his voice spoke through the receiver.
"Grizzly Farms, Mrs. Emily Bear... Oh Fozzie, it's you son."
"Yeah Ma... Just wanted to tell ya, we're leaving now."
"What? Where are you going?"
"Oh come on Ma... You know where, we're headed off to our Christmas party."
"You're not coming here this year are you?" she asked a bit crossly.
"No Ma, Kermit found us a swell place this year."
"Oh... The lizard."
"Yeah. Listen, could you please put Dad on the phone? Got a message for him."
The motherly bear handed the phone to her newly-wedded husband... An old eccentric man who had a sweet disposition at times. His hair grayed, his glasses round, and his dog Sprocket barking, the man known as "Doc" took the receiver in his hands.
"Hello? This is Doc, who's this?"
"Dad!"
"Fozzie... How are you son?"
"Me, I'm fine. Listen, here's the directions of where we're headed so you can tell the Fraggles and their friends."
He quickly jotted down the instructions and bade his adopted bear son a fond farewell.
"Come on Emily, we've got to get ready ourselves."
"You get the Fraggles and I'll warm up the ol' Winnebago."
Sprocket bounded over to the Fraggle hole down in the farmhouse's basement, barking happily a signal worked out between the owners and their Fragglish neighbors. A few Doozers showed up too, anxious to get the news of where the festival would be, and to relay the directions to the Gorgs as well.
The Studebaker pulled out from the house's garage, readied and filled up with passengers for the road trip. Only Scooter and Bobo the Bear Guard remained behind. Bobo set to making a quick call before dashing out himself.
"Hello Operator..."
"Mmm yes?" queried a lofty yet adled voice across the telephone wires.
"Please patch me through to Woodland Valley."
"Certainly sir" responded Lois the Loon, Woodland Valley's telephone operator.
"Oh I hope he's not hibernating this time of... Hello?"
"Hi, you've reached the Big Blue House... Bear speaking."
"Hey Bear, it's your long-removed cousin Bobo."
"Oh hi Bobo, how are things in Hensonville?"
"Fine... Look, we're headed off to a big Muppet Christmas celebration. Kermit, the frog, wanted me to see if I could get you guys to come. It'd mean a lot to him, and it'd give us a chance to catch up on good old times."
"Well... Let me see who else's available. You wouldn't happen to know where it'll be held?"
"Sure do, here I'll give you some directions."
His chore done, the bear guard hugged Scooter good-bye... Bobo was driving one of the other buses out of town, loaded up with the Muppets Tonight and Jim Henson Hour crew already aboard. The gopher hugged him back and waved as the last member of the Muppet family left Hensonville. Now only the orange-skinned assistant and his frog-in-chief remained.
Kermit hastened back to the grand home after delivering the slip of paper to the old ghoul. The frog wanted to get back and get Scooter down to the train station before some special visitors arrived in town. Uncle Deadly dispatched with the invitation to Lady Fughetta and got back to the theater quicker than it took to snuff out a lone candle left burning in one of the wall sockets. A bit out of breath, he sat down to a cup of cold tea relaxing in the moth-eaten armchair located within his private alcove. He was saddened that he couldn't join the rest of the troop... But the rules of death were explicit, no ghost may leave the place where they died upon penalty of their souls returning to that dark limbo known as the Netherworld. Just then, with all the windows in the theater boarded shut and the doors closed tightly, there came three distinct tolling bell chimes, followed by a circle of black magic flames on the floor of the room in front of where Uncle Deadly was seated. The phantom found himself rooted to the spot, a little in awe or reverence or even fright of the spectre before him. This dark ghost was clad entirely in black, clutching a scythe at his side. No, it wasn't the Reaper nor his son Eli, but someone just as intimidating. Deadly had only heard rumors of this entity from the other Muppets, when they staged that film with Michael Caine. Yes, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come peered down at the Muppets' resident phantom with a foreboding air in his tiny slitlike eyes.
"Deadly" uttered the spirit in a voice as low as a deeply frightening whisper.
"Y-Y-Yes Ghost" came the dragon's reply.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come merely looked down at him, scythe still clutched in his firm grip.
"I... I didn't accept the frog's call... Well, you know the Rules of Death" he said almost knowing what the dark apparition was asking.
"No ghost may leave..." he continued "Although I would've enjoyed myself back in the Old World... But it's utterly impossible.
And yet... I... Know your mission is to convert those who claim that the spirit of the holiday is dead in their hearts. But I don't have a heart any more. That's how Life spared me and... What? You can grant... For both me and..."
Uncle Deadly was still shaken, but a small trickle of a grin graced his ghoulish features.
"And it won't be held against... Yes, I understand, we'll leave tonight."
The spirit nodded in silence during the dragon's discourse, disappearing in a circle of black flames once the agreement had been made. There would be two more surprises at the Muppets Family Christmas gathering this year.
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