Elves on Strike!

"Mister Claus, do you have a moment?"

"A moment? I suppose. The list of naughty's isn't very long this year. I think I made some mistakes, but... yes, please sit down."

"Thank you. Your workers have a few concerns."

"Concerns? What concerns could they have?"

"Well, Mister Claus. The list is their concern. More and more children are getting toys, rather than coal. Their work hours are getting longer. The world population is getting bigger. They are getting old. Essentially, they just went on strike."

"On strike! They can't go on strike. I don't pay them!"

"I'm glad you see the problem right away, Mister Claus."

"And, so how did they afford you?"

"Well, I only get paid if they do."

"Right. One of those kinds of lawyers. That figures."

"Now, Mister Claus, you shouldn't sound so sarcastic. I passed my exam like every other lawyer."

"I see. What is your name?"

"Randyl. Randyl Spencer."

"Randyl Spencer. I thought so. The naughty list might not be very long, but you are certainly on it. You may leave my office now."

"They won't make your toys if I do, Mister Claus."

"They will if you tell them that they will be allowed to have all of my cookies from Christmas Eve. I need to lose weight anyway. Bathing suits these days are tiny."

"Cookies, Mister Claus. You pay them in cookies?"

"I do pay them in cookies. You can tell Melvin to ask the Missus to bake a large batch now to make up for my mistakes."

How am I supposed to take my twenty five percent fee from cookies?

"You should have thought of that before you worked for elves."

"But... I didn't say anything."

"Oh come now, you don't know my legend by now? You may go."

"But, Santa!"

"Oh, now you become informal? Leave!"

"Bu..."

"Leave."

"Right."

"And you're staying on my naughty list for slamming that door!"

WC: 320