The Night They Saved Christmas

1

I would've bet the ranch

on that well.

That field is down there

somewhere, I'm sure of it.

I think so too.

We're running out of time.

We gotta start clearing Site B

right after New Year's.

How long will it take you to

sink two more rigs here...

and here?

With the way the ice is

jamming the drills, I'll have

to triple the dynamite to

clear 'em.

Four or five days.

Okay, go ahead.

When does Murdock arrive?

This evening.

He's not going to be very happy.

There's Claudia now.

That ice fog is forming fast.

We better take off right away.

Let's go.

Well, what did you decide?

What did you decide?

Come on, Claudia,

be reasonable.

Michael, I've been more

than reasonable.

For the last five years, I've

been trying to raise a family in

deserts, the Brazilian jungle,

and now this place.

Well, at least we're living

in a house this time.

I have my reservations as to

whether it qualifies as a house.

A home, no way.

All right then, be realistic.

I've got everything on the line

here.

You know I'm the one that talked

Murdock into this exploration.

I can't just walk away from it.

And I can't stay here

any longer.

Our children deserve a civilized

existence, and C.B. particularly

needs a stable life.

Don't start that again.

There's nothing wrong with C.B.

Well, you're not around him

enough to know.

He's having a lot of problems,

and he's constantly fighting

at school.

No, Michael, I've made up my

mind.

I'm moving the kids back to

Los Angeles after the New Year.

Why can't you take that head

office job that Murdock offered?

I told you!

I'm not an office type.

I'm a field man, this is what

I do.

I only need a couple more months

at the most.

Come on.

You've hung in this long.

I'm sorry.

Michael, I can't.

You haven't said anything to

the children yet, have you?

Of course not.

I wouldn't want to spoil their

Christmas.

Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!

How you doing?

Mommy, Daddy, wait till you

hear what I have to tell you.

Marianne, will you please

shut up?

C.B.'s done it again.

He gave Curt Larson the biggest

black eye you ever saw.

He started it!

He called me a liar!

I don't care what he called

you, you shouldn't have hit him.

He made me so mad, I couldn't

help it.

Anyway, he's a liar!

He's been going all over school

telling everyone there's no

Santa Claus.

You and I are going to have

a very serious talk right now,

young man.

Hedda had to go to her

sister's.

Are you gonna make dinner

for us?

We can't send out for the

pizza man, can we?

Oh, Dad.

Mr. Murdock's here.

He's waiting for you in the den.

But Dad, you said you and me

were gonna have a serious talk

right now.

Your mother will have the

talk with you.

Aw, Dad!

I don't care, you have him

call me the minute you hear from

him, you understand?

Right.

Gee, that Fred Haley

needs a keeper.

How are you, Michael?

Hi, how was the plane trip?

Oh, the usual--

a little rough the last

couple hundred miles.

Will you join us for dinner,

Sumner?

Thanks, I ate at the hotel

just after I checked in.

So, how's everything shaking?

Well, uh, I hate to give you

bad news, but, uh...

Rig 5 came in dry today.

Rig 5?

You said that was 90% probable.

Yeah, I was wrong.

I'm sorry.

I'm not interested in

apologies, kid, just results.

All right, all right, we'll

forget about the A Site.

We'll forge ahead with Site B.

I'm sure I'm right about the

A Site, just give me another

week or two.

I'll give you one week.

In the meantime, move as much of

the crew as you can over to

Site B.

Morning, Craig.

Michael.

Murdock just left for Site B.

He's in some rotten mood.

So, what else is new?

Good morning, Mike.

Good morning, Sam.

Looks like Arnie Hanson over

at Burocoal is up to his old

practical jokes again.

Ha, he's probably running out

of things to do with all his

money.

What is it this time?

Much better than the bigfoot

paw prints he spent the night

putting around your house last

Christmas.

Tell me, tell me.

Oh, I wouldn't wanna spoil it

for you.

I'll let Arnie's little man

tell you himself.

He's in your office.

May I help you?

Oh! Oh...

Yes.

Yes, you may.

Michael Baldwin, I'm project

manager here.

My name is Ed.

Ed...?

That's right, Ed.

Oh, I see.

Well, Ed...

can I get you a cup of coffee?

Would you have a nice cup

of hot chocolate?

I'm afraid not.

Oh.

That's all right.

That's perfectly all right.

Won't you sit down?

Oh, thank you, yes!

Well, uh, Ed,

what brings you to this frozen

hellhole, if you'll excuse the

mixed metaphor?

Mixed metaphor?

Mixed metaphor...

Does that mean I can get right

to the point?

Yes, that's what that means.

Good.

Mr. Baldwin, your company has

been doing a great deal of

dynamiting in the North Pole

region recently.

That's right.

Uh, ice has been jamming our

drilling rigs, and we've been

forced to do some heavy

dynamiting to free them.

You don't know what you're

doing, Mr. Baldwin.

You must stop dynamiting,

immediately.

Okay...

Why should I do that?

Because if you continue,

there's a very good chance

you're going to blow up

Santa Claus.

I beg your pardon?

Mr. Baldwin, I'm Santa's

chief elf at North Pole City,

and we realize you had no idea

you were creating such problems

for us--

You're the chief elf?

Mm-hmm.

May I?

We've already sustained serious

damage because of explosions

here at-- at Site A.

But dynamiting here at Site B

would most certainly destroy

North Pole City.

We're-- we're smack dab

next to it.

Blow up Santa Claus?

And destroy North Pole City?

Arnie gets crazier every year!

Arnie?

Oh, I gotta give you credit

though, I-- I couldn't have

pulled it off with a straight

face.

Go on, go on, tell us what

happened next.

Well, he looks me straight in

the eye, and he invited us all

to visit Santa Claus tomorrow!

But why us?

Well, he wants to convince us

to stop dynamiting at our sites

because he's afraid we're gonna

blow up Santa Claus.

Did Arnie finally

own up to it?

I haven't spoken to him yet.

I think he's still out of town.

There aren't any little

people around here.

Where in the world did he

find him?

Well, knowing Arnie, I'm sure

he had him flown in just for the

occasion.

Maybe it isn't a joke!

Maybe he really is Santa Claus'

chief elf.

That's impossible.

Santa Claus is just a

mythological figure.

What's a mytha-- myth--

It's nothing, C.B.

David's just being a smart

aleck.

No.

Hey... I was just kidding.

Well, it isn't funny.

May I be excused?

Me too?

Yes, go ahead.

What's wrong, honey?

Nothing.

Come on.

Now I know what David meant.

Meant about what?

You know-- Santa Claus.

What about Santa Claus?

I guess Curt Larson wasn't

lying.

There is no Santa Claus.

He isn't real.

Mom?

You always said you wouldn't

lie to me.

I want to know.

Tell me, please?

For all of us who believe in

Santa Claus, he is real,

in our hearts.

But he's not a real person?

Uh... well, no.

Not in the same way that

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