In the back room of the Raven, Nick and Janette were opening the day's mail. Cardinals and snow, fir trees and poinsettias all passed muster, more or less, depending on the quality of the art. Occasionally, a vampire finger was snatched back hastily from a sizzling star-and-manger or Three Wise Men.

"Bah, humbug!" said Lacroix. He left the club--knowing precisely the effect those words had--and flew to CERK, where he gave a Nightcrawler broadcast that was scathing on the subject of tawdry sentimentality.

His own mantel still was empty of cards from his Cousins, and he wondered why.