Kingdom Keepers(30)

13


Then following night, the five DHIs gathered near the Riverboat Cruise as the first rumblings of a thunderstorm echoed like faraway drums in the distance. The approaching clouds drew a veil across the night sky. The river’s black water swirled and lapped lazily at the riverbank. Wayne had mentioned the Indian Encampment as a safe location, and this had led the DHIs to meet here.

The cluster of extremely realistic-looking teepees sat atop a rise, overlooking Tom Sawyer Island. The encampment included a dozen human-size models of Native Americans doing a day’s work: chopping wood, tending a fire. At the fake campfire, an old Native American woman squatted while she cooked.

As Finn led the DHIs inside the first of the teepees, they all disappeared. Charlene gasped aloud. “We’re…”

“Invisible,” Maybeck answered. “Our holograms are not projected inside the teepees. Basically, we’re in a kind of hologram-projection shadow here.”

Finn said, “That’s got to be why Wayne suggested it. It’s the perfect hiding place.”

“Our holograms apparently have been programmed to project inside most attractions,” Maybeck said.

Philby said, “The plan was to have us guide guests onto the rides at some point. Still is. Sit there with them and explain the history of the attraction. That producer Brad told me about it when we were all at MGM.”

Finn said, “But here, we’re safe.”

The small space was crowded with the five of them. Maybeck’s crossed legs—and only his legs—showed because they were near the teepee’s open door. A part of Charlene’s left knee showed as well.

“This is too weird,” said an invisible Willa.

Maybeck raised and lowered his arm into the light that came through the door, making his hand appear and disappear. He said, “It’s like cell phone reception in a tunnel.”

“Let’s not forget,” Philby pointed out in a whisper, “that though we may be invisible, we can hear each other. That means we can also be heard.”

“Good point,” Willa whispered back.

Finn also spoke quietly. “So, where are we? Willa? Philby?”

Philby said, “The Stonecutter fable is supposed to lead us to a quill: maybe a special pen or pencil; maybe something used by Walt Disney a long time ago. Our clues are: sun, cloud, wind, and stone. As Wayne said, they’re found all over in the park.”

“The attractions,” Willa said. “Walt knew they would stay behind long after he was gone.”

Philby said, “Rides dealing with sun, clouds, wind, and stone.”

“We’re working on which attractions have to do with each clue,” Willa said.

Finn pointed out, “But Walt died before the park was ever open, didn’t he? So he wouldn’t have known what attractions would end up getting built. Not all of them, anyway. Maybe we’re supposed to try to solve this in Disneyland, not here.”

Willa said, “But he had dozens of loyal people working for him. His brother. His nephew. He could have passed his wishes along to any one of them.”

Philby added, “And Wayne worked here, in Disney World. Walt told the fable to Wayne, and no one else.”

“That we know of,” Willa reminded.

“The answers are here,” Philby said convincingly. “We just have to put it all together.”

Finn asked Maybeck if he’d found out anything about the DHI servers. Any clue as to why they all fainted at the same time. “Was Wayne right about that?”

“You remember we had to sign those releases before they started turning us into DHIs?” Maybeck replied. “Some of these imaging techniques have never been tried before. That’s what makes it look so cool, right? It’s, like, totally new stuff. The DHI servers clearly control our holograms, but why they could affect us as humans is really weird. In crossing back over we must take something of our DHIs with us. We don’t see it, we don’t feel it, but it’s there. That might explain how messing with the servers made us feel faint. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not real keen on someone else controlling me. I’m not loving that idea. I think the time will come when we’d rather have control of the servers ourselves. So that’s what I’m working on.”

Murmurs rippled through the group. No one objected to the idea of gaining self-control.

“The Fall Games are tomorrow,” Charlene said. “Is everyone here going?”

They realized they would all be there, participating in various sports.

“That gives us a chance to meet again,” Finn said. “Let’s meet by the snack bar before any of the sports get going.”