THE DELIGHT ON his face is effusive; the urge to yell huzzah! is high.  but jack reigns it in long enough to retrieve her arm with a flourish, pressing kisses from knuckles to elbow as he returns it.  “ excellent!  brilliant!  i have a LIST of names — starting with macbeth; what do you think?  too modern?  we could also rip something from the odyssey, too, if you’d prefer more . . . traditional.”

     REASON?  OH, RATS — he’d quite forgotten himself, and his manners!  jack retracts his hand sharply, waving it grandly in a twisting gesture as he bows; off goes his head, in his free arm, as if removing a hat and tipping it out of courtesy.  “ my apologies, dear boy.  i am jack skellington — and i’ve come looking for inspiration.  i HAD been on the trail of a demon, but . . . it seems i’ve been misled, a little, ”  he pauses, frowns.  “ i must say . . . you don’t seem all that alarmed by my presence.  i don’t know if i should take offence to that or not. ”

     “ is it so weird, when you walk in a land full of rot and death — and the only things living are the creepy crawlies?  we’re a lively bunch here in halloween town, your highness, but look around: you’re among corpses.  those bugs are beyond decay — they enforce it.  and they are to be strictly avoided.  promise me you’ll remember that. ”

u know they could have just said ‘he adopted kids’ but. someone out there at didney just COULDNT hold in their skeleton fucker urges at work

     BOTHERING HIM?  the ghosts?  jack shakes his head, waves away the concern and the grimace good naturedly.  “ oh, no — they can be tiresome, but we’ve been friends for hundreds of years, now!  do you think i’d have survived out here if i were easily bothered by the gossiping ghosts? ”  a pause; jack turns his head around at the neck to look at the boy, before quietly adding:  “ . . . that was rhetoric, of course. ”  another pause follows, though this time — it’s to sweep a curtain of cobwebs back for them to pass through.  “ do pass on our regards to the princess; the door is always open for you, and any child of the underworld.  i don’t suppose you get much freedom to leave . . . er, what was it called again?  ah!  camp half blood! ”

     SIR?  OH, HADES BLESS this boy, and the manners he probably didn’t learn from his father.  jack’s smile cracks audibly into a grin as he straightens up.  “ they told me you were polite — the ghosts, i mean, ”  here, his voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper.  “ they’re awfully gossipy, these spirits, but rest assured!  no slander was to be spoken.  NOW! ”  louder now, with glee:  “ come, come, i must take you to meet my wife at once.  your sister — will she be joining you, or have you ventured out alone, your highness? ”

     “ OH, I SUPPOSE . . . maybe, yes — but he’s such a cheerful little thing with others, and we have so much attention to give!  perhaps a cat?  ooh, i’ve always wanted a cat, ”  excited now, he turns to sally with a grin, his fingers steepled.  “ a little skeleton cat — i saw one buried by the woods; say we go wake the little thing up?  hmn?  oh, say yes, sally, i’m sure it would love you! ”

     HIS LAUGH IS — more of a high and sharp cackle than it is a laugh, but he’s amused all the same.  at least the boy has a sense of humour.  jack crawls out from behind the door one limb at a time; thank goodness for the high ceilings.  “ oh, these old bones can still feel a chill.  if only i had skin like yours, i might know when it’s cold a little better . . . no skin, no goosebumps, you see, ”  as if to demonstrate, the skeleton leans over the bed, and drags one cold finger up nikolai’s shoulder.  “ i do so miss that. ”

     HE KISSES IT’S KNUCKLES as she hands him the arm, and winks.  “ i have no defence to offer — but i ask you: could YOU tell zero no, if he wanted you to throw a rib?  surely not?  alright.  let me see here . . . ”  off the arm goes, with a gentle nudge, to find the bone.  “ perhaps we should get him a playmate?  the poor boy must get lonely sometimes. ”