People were nodding, were eating it up. Jesse saw the same fervor on their faces as those of the Shawnee. There was no denying that there was something infectious about the Yule Lord’s spirit; Jesse could feel it in the air.
An old man, bent and rail-thin, wearing a sweat-stained cap atop long, silver hair, squinted at Krampus and called out, “Who’s buying?”
The crowd laughed and the Yule Lord laughed with them. “I am,” Krampus exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. “Tonight is a night of excess. All the mead one can hold and all on me.”
Almost every head swiveled to the barman, hopeful faces searching for confirmation. The barman nodded. “Open bar all night!” he called. With that, a great cheer rang out and most everyone in the tavern headed for the bar.
The band started back up, a spirited rendition of Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River.” Krampus waded into the crowd. One of the bikers handed him a beer and cried, “To Krampus!” Mugs were raised all around, accompanied by shouts of “Krampus! Krampus!” The Yule Lord drank down the beer, took another, then another.
“Well,” Chet said. “I ain’t gonna sit here and let them drink this place dry on their own.” He grabbed a pitcher of beer, rounded up a few glasses, and filled them up, handing one to Isabel, Jesse, and to Vernon. Isabel dragged Wipi and Nipi over, shoved a beer into each of their hands. “Come on, time to enjoy yourselves a little.”
The Yule Lord grabbed two women from the bar, hooked his arms into theirs, and began to dance. Both of the women squealed, and a loud hoot went up from the crowd and soon more women joined in. Krampus swung from arm to arm, a sort of square-dance jig. The tavern erupted in howls. The band broke into “Muleskinner Blues,” kicking up the tempo and really belting it out. More and more folks joined in until the entire dance floor was full of men and women hooting, hollering, clogging, and acting like fools.
Drinks were spilled, tables and chairs knocked over, but Krampus’s spirited laughter could be heard above all the ruckus, a booming sound that warmed the heart. Jesse had never seen this side of the Yule Lord, and it occurred to him that he was seeing the real Krampus, the Krampus of ancient times, the great and wild Yule spirit that galvanized mankind to brave the darkest primeval nights, kindled their will to survive the trials of the harshest winters. He could almost see the horned beast dancing this very jig within the communal houses of primitive man. Jesse saw the way the people fed on Krampus’s spirit, and how, in turn, Krampus fed on theirs. And understood now just why those shoes, with their small tribute of candies, meant so much to the Yule Lord. That what Krampus needed more than anything was a flock to shepherd, to protect and inspire. Jesse found he was tapping his toes and smiling, that he couldn’t help himself, couldn’t help but get caught up in the fervor.
“Well, I’ll be damn,” Chet grumbled. “Everyone’s sure in a good goddamn mood. I was hoping to see the old goat take a few in the stomach, not prance around like a mountain troll.”
“I commiserate with you wholeheartedly, chum,” Vernon said. “Who would’ve guessed a bit of candy was all it would take to turn Old Tall and Ugly around.”
“That was a whole hell of a lot more than a piece of candy to Krampus,” Isabel said. “I think that was his validation, proof that his spirit has truly returned to this here world.”
“Hey look.” Vernon pointed and let out a laugh. Wipi and Nipi were out on the dance floor, stomping their feet with the best of them.
“Sure look to be having a blast,” Isabel said.
Vernon stood, extended his arm to Isabel. “Shall we?”
Isabel lit up with a big smile. “Heck yeah!” She hooked her arm in his and the two sauntered out onto the floor.
Jesse glanced at Chet. “You see that?”
“See what?”
“Over there. That guy, the one with the red bandanna.” Jesse nodded to a bearded biker with an impressive paunch, kicking up his heels on the floor. “He’s had his eye on you since you walked in.”
“What? So?”
“So? So? Are you blind? I believe he wants to dance with you.”
“Fuck you, Jesse. Why’d you always gotta be such a dickhole?”
Jesse laughed, and it felt good to laugh. He leaned back against the bar and watched Isabel dance. She danced really nice, a lot like Linda used to. Jesse thought of all the nights Linda and him had danced together and slowly his smile faded. He ached to hear her laugh again like in the old days, to feel her close to him as they slow-danced, and there, surrounded in a sea of smiles, laughter, and cheer, Jesse felt completely alone.
“I miss Trish,” Chet said, looking fairly miserable. “Sure wish she were here to dance with.” Hearing Chet voice his same sentiment startled Jesse, then he noticed the way Chet watched the couples, the longing in his eye—wasn’t too hard to understand.
“Fuck,” Chet said. “Swear to God, if I ever get out of this mess, gonna do right by her. Sure as hell I am.”
Jesse nodded, took a long swig, and lost himself in thoughts of what he’d do if he ever got free.
Krampus appeared in front of him, holding a guitar. Jesse blinked as though awakened from a snooze. Krampus held the guitar out to him. “Come, music man. Play me a song.”
Jesse stared at the guitar as though it might bite him. “No, that ain’t happening.”
Krampus took a seat next to him. “I would like to hear you sing.”
“No, I told you I was done with that.”
“Jesse, what do you believe in?”
“Krampus, we’ve already been over this. I told you I don’t believe in nothing.”
“No, that wasn’t what you said. You said you didn’t know.”
Jesse shrugged.
“Well, I do know,” Krampus said. “You believe in music. It is at the heart of you.”
“No, I’m done with music.”
“You can never be done with music. No more than you can be done with breathing. The day you quit is the day you die.”
“Krampus, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you don’t seem to understand . . . I got other things on my mind and—”
“I know, the Dillard. We will go and take care of him.”
“You done said that before.”
“Jesse, if you will get up there and play me a couple of songs, then I give you my solemn word that we will leave this place and go kill that bad man.”
Jesse stared at Krampus. “Is that the drink talking or do you mean it?”
He met Jesse’s eyes, held them. “You have my oath as Yule Lord.”
Jesse scrutinized his face a moment longer, saw that the creature indeed meant it, at least at this moment he did, and Jesse decided that was the best he was going to get. Jesse stood and took the guitar. He skirted the dance floor and waited on the side of the stage for the band to finish up their song. When they did, he asked if they’d like to take a break and get a beer, then stepped up onto the stage.
All eyes fell on him and he felt sure they could see right through him, could see that he just didn’t add up. Jesse slipped the guitar strap over his shoulder, strummed the strings, twisting the keys, pretending to tune the guitar while trying to get a handle on his nerves. He adjusted the mic and looked out over the crowd, unable to shake the feeling he had no business on stage. He swallowed, started to say something, then forgot what it was.
“You gonna sing or just gawk at us like a chicken?” a woman shouted and everyone laughed.
“Like to . . . share a little number . . . with you,” he stammered. “Something I came up with a while back. It’s called . . . ‘Night Train.’ ”
He hit the strings, caught a few sour notes. Stopped.
“Next!” someone cried, followed by a few boos.