Farewell my reindeer

IT WAS ABOUT 4 pm on Christmas Eve when the inevitable call came in. In over 20 years as a tax adviser only one client ever called at that time: old man Claus. 'He's in the red again' I thought as I picked up the phone.
'Ya gotta help me Sam ' he croaked 'dey're on my case again big time da lousy no good ...'.
I cut him off before the editor had apoplexy. 'OK Santa hold your reindeer what is it this time? They haven't caught you running the reindeer on red cabbage again have they?' I had to hold the phone at arm's length until his voice stopped echoing off the office walls and he agreed to drop the phoney accent — it is murder to type.
It turned out that the SCI (Special...