Spot the Star
By Swellison

Jim Ellison's glance shifted from the Headline News to his roommate, seated next to him on the sofa. The television's volume was in the normal range, since Blair was purportedly also watching the news. Sandburg's eyes, however, were glued on the cordless phone on top of the sofa's end table.

"A watched phone never rings," Jim observed lightly.

"Yeah, I know, but--" Blair shrugged. "Hope rings eternal."

Jim flicked the television off with the remote, then turned to face Blair. "It's after eleven. She said she'd try to call tonight, but there's no guarantees. She could be having trouble making the connection from Katmandu--"

"Kuala Lumpur, Jim. Naomi's in Malaysia, checking out the Batu Caves - that's BATU Caves, NOT bat caves - getting the Hindu perspective on the holidays."

"--one of those K-places from half-way around the world. Why can't Naomi just celebrate Christmas here, for a change?"

"She'd say there's not enough spiritual sustenance in Cascade; the trappings of modern civilization have all but buried it."

Jim grinned and lightly nudged Blair's shoulder. "Little does she know." He skimmed the loft from top to bottom, looking for a suitable distraction for Sandburg's phone watching. He started with his upper-level bedroom, where the Panther had been known to perch, and finished with the living room, decked out in holiday splendor with garlands and a Christmas tree. Jim's gaze landed on his free-standing telescope, which had been moved to the closest balcony window, to make room for the tree.

"How about a little stargazing?" Jim coaxed, rising and pulling Blair along.

"Gee, twist my arm, why don't you?" Blair grumbled good-naturedly, but he didn't resist, and followed Jim over to the telescope. "It's a good thing it's a new moon tonight," he said as he pointed the telescope over Cascade Bay and took a cursory glance through it.

"Ready for round one of spot the star?" At Jim's nod, he offered a clue to the star he had located. "You're lucky I don't belt you."

"Too easy, Chief. Rigel, the brightest star in Orion, there." Jim pointed to the constellation's most visible star, which he had easily spotted using just above normal vision. "My turn. Hope you can bear the cold."

"Talk about easy," Blair chortled, shifting the telescope upwards. "Polaris, in Ursa Minor, a.k.a. the Little Dipper." He thought a moment, then nodded and peered through the telescope, shifting the lens as he spoke. "If the stars of a famous musical had been females, instead of males, what would you have?"

Jim scanned the sky, trying to figure out from the telescope's angle what star Blair was currently viewing. Technically, that was cheating, but Sandburg didn't call him on it, since it required more accurate use of his hyper-vision than just stargazing. Once his view matched the telescope's, it was obvious what Sandburg was referring to. "The Pleiades - the Seven Sisters." Jim winced as he got the musical connection to "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." "Only you," he muttered.

"Yeah, the Seven Sisters. Also known as Tayami pa, or the Animal's head by the Lakota Indians."

"Too much information," Jim said, determined to retaliate with the most obscure star and most dreadful clue in the galaxy. He panned the sky, spotting a faintly red pinprick of light towards the east. He boosted his vision, sliding from just above normal to the top of his range, and finally got a good look at the star. "No way!" Jim closed his eyes and rubbed them, shaking his head, then opened them and looked again. The red point became the nose of a flying reindeer, the leader of the team of nine, who were hauling a fat man dressed in red, seated in an open sleigh with a huge burlap sack brimful of presents behind him. "S-Sandburg," Jim pointed shakily towards Santa's sleigh, "Do you see what I see?"

"Oh, that's a good one, Jim. Not very specific, though." Blair hummed the Christmas song as he lined up the telescope to site with Jim's pointing finger. He abruptly ceased in mid-hum as he, too, gawked at the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. He jerked upright, away from the telescope and rubbed his eyes, then took another look through the 'scope.

"I don't see it, either." He declared firmly, after several seconds of silence. Blair backed away from the telescope and met Jim's gaze, daring him to say anything.

The telephone rang, breaking the silence in the loft and spurring Blair to movement. He crossed the living room, grabbing the phone. "Hello? Mom! Merry Christmas..."

Seeking to give Blair privacy, Jim concentrated on his vision again, boosting it to maximum. He honed in on the still-present red spot, trying to convince himself it was only a star. Without realizing it, he piggybacked his hearing to his eyesight, just as he relocated the sleigh that wasn't there. "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" Jim heard Santa Claus say as the sleigh glided rapidly across the night sky.

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Note: This story was partially inspired by today's telescope thread and partially by the NORAD Track Santa site.

http://www.noradsanta.org

Check it out!

Happy Holidays!

Sue