Kingdom Keepers(34)

The clock read 8:12.

“Well,” Finn said, moving to open the door, “Thanks a lot. That was really nice of you.”

“Nice bathrobe,” Jez said, stifling a grin. “You feel okay?”

Truth was, Finn was overheating in all the layers. Sweat trickled off his forehead. He mopped it up with his sleeve.

“Just a little tired. Probably just the game.”

She nodded, but studied him oddly. He felt one of his pant legs slip down. He bent over and stuffed it back up, without offering an explanation.

The doorbell rang.

Mrs. Whitman charged out of the kitchen. Finn tried to stop her with a glance, but it was no good. Finn stepped up and opened the door.

Amanda.

His mother lost the battle to keep a smile off her face. Heading back into the kitchen, she called out, “I’ll get cookies.”

“Hey, Finn,” Amanda said, stepping inside. “I’m Amanda,” she introduced herself to Jez.

“Jez.”

“Yeah, I know.” Amanda gave Jez that same penetrating look she’d given her earlier at the sports complex. Jez just looked back at her and smiled.

“What kind do you like?” Finn’s mother asked from the kitchen doorway.

The two girls followed Mrs. Whitman.

“What kind do you have?” Jez asked.

Finn felt outnumbered. He was boiling hot and boiling mad for having his plans interrupted. By the time he reached the kitchen all three of them were jabbering away about how quickly cookies went stale in the Florida weather…something about Girl Scouts…Jez mentioned the car wash.

The clock read 8:15.

“I’m beat!” Finn announced from the hall. The two girls glanced over, the conversation interrupted. His mother gave him an Oh, no you don’t! face.

He said, “I mean, I don’t feel so hot…Actually, I do feel—hot. Like a fever or something.”

“But you said you felt fine,” Jez corrected him.

He swiped his damp forehead with the sleeve of the bathrobe. “Hot,” he repeated. “Did you need something, Amanda?” he asked.

“No. I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I’d stop by.”

In the neighborhood? Finn didn’t think so. She lived several blocks away.

Jez asked, “Will I see you at the car wash?”

Amanda said earnestly, “Absolutely!” as if Jez had intended this for her.

“Night, then!” Finn said softly, backing up the stairs. “See you both tomorrow, I guess.”

Amanda scrunched her face and snarled secretly at him. She did not want to be abandoned.

His mother said, “Finn, we’re going to have some cookies—”

Amanda saw his panicked expression; then she looked at the clock. She understood. “It’s okay, we can do it another time,” she said. She pulled Jez toward the hallway.

The girls said good-bye. Finn tried to thank Amanda with his eyes.

After the door shut, his mother asked, “Is it true you’re not feeling well?”

“Must be why I’m so tired,” Finn said.

“Well, get to bed and we’ll see how you feel in the morning.”

Music to his ears.





16


The Cinderella Castle shone in the night sky. For all the make-believe in this place, everything seemed so real that Finn briefly understood how the lines had blurred. Even at this hour music floated on the air, coming from Frontierland. Must be a private party, Finn thought. Hadn’t Wayne said that private parties had been canceled because of the problems the park had been having? Had Finn imagined that?

A damp evening chill stung the air. It felt like rain was coming. Finn didn’t know how his DHI would react to rain. He didn’t know a lot of things. Like where to find the others. They had crossed over ahead of him, no doubt, but were now nowhere to be seen. He considered checking the apartment first, followed by the teepee, but then remembered that Philby had mentioned It’s a Small World when they had all met at the sports park. They were looking for attractions that corresponded to the sun clue in The Stonecutter’s Quill, and though the Sunshine Tree Terrace, the Swiss Family Tree House, and the Carpets of Aladdin were all plausible candidates, Philby and Willa had picked It’s a Small World.

The ride had two references to the sun. One, in its theme song:

There is just one moon

And one golden sun

Two: the ride’s Central American section included a blazing Mayan sun, the biggest sun in the Magic Kingdom.

So Finn headed to It’s a Small World first, knowing he would have led the others there had Philby or Maybeck not arrived on time. He found the four waiting outside the attraction, Philby anxiously looking at his wrist-watch. Willa waved excitedly as she saw Finn approaching. He heard her say, “I told you he’d make it.”