“Order, order,” roared Mr. Claus as he looked out over the small group gathered in a big room.
The Council of Elders sat at an oval table with a chair in between them to err on the side of caution. The group consisted of high-ranking members of the humanoid supernatural population of Earth. Among those who Mr. Claus knew the best were Sam, a dwarf from somewhere in the hills of Kentucky and Viggo, who was a Danish nisse- sometimes mistakenly called a Christmas gnome. Anyone who knew Viggo didn’t make the gnome mistake. He was a well-known member of the Jensen crime family with operations in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Esbjerg. And he was not born with a well-developed sense of humor.
Everyone quieted down and Mr. Claus took his seat at the head of the table. The gravity of their situation seemed to weigh everything down and the room grew quiet.
“Gentlemen, gentlewomen and everything in between, we have a serious problem on our hands. For many months we have had to live with the decision to follow the COVID-19 guidelines without it being likely that we could be affected. We did it to blend in. But now the first case of a wood elf being infected has been verified and all of the rumors that have been rampant the past month have become reality.
“We are in a race against time to find out how the virus could have developed and how it got out from wherever it came from. I ask you if you have any suggestions on this subject.”
Viggo stood up and said with a raised voice, “I have an idea of how this all started and I am looking into it.”
“Care to elaborate brother Viggo?” asked Mr. Claus.
“No,” he answered and sat down.
