Everyone was screaming. Attendants ran onstage to help. Even some of the closest onlookers edged towards the stage as if to try something courageous. Toby was stuck by panic. There was no way he could reach Nicko before he was gored by the same reindeer that had almost got him before the show. As if spurred on by the uproar, the stags continued to charge.
Nicko’s life looked certain to be cut short in a violent c****x. As the reindeer closed in, he panicked showily for the crowd. Then, when all seemed hopeless, he smiled and shot his arms out wide. Just as it looked like he was bound to be impaled, the reindeer’s thundering hooves became quiet.
Steam pumped from their nostrils and their feet continued to move, but the charging animals were no longer a danger. True to his word, Nicko’s tr
