I was instructed to meet a Mr. Carbone in the diner up on the second floor of the mall at 9 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning, one hour before The Arrival. “Mr. Carbone is your Santa Squad leader,” Gerta had said over the phone. “He’s the one who will go over the weekly shift schedule with you and describe the overall flow of activity in Santa’s Village.” On my drive to the mall, I realized that my father’s good-luck pancakes weren’t cooperating with my nervous stomach. I had…