Grudge was in a state of high excitement. It reminded him of a blissful time in his early childhood when Ma and Pa had secretly celebrated Christmas with him—explaining in tones of hushed wonder the story of the child in the manger and the three wise men coming from afar with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. One December 24 th when he was seven he had gone off to a (brief) night’s sleep tingling at t...