Kingdom Keepers(75)

Finn took an exit door to his left. He raced up the stairs at a furious speed, glancing behind. No Maleficent. She’d followed Maybeck.

Finn broke into blinding daylight. He checked the tube of papers tucked into his waist, thrilled the plan had worked. Fresh air. Park music. For a moment Finn couldn’t figure out where he was. A cast member door led out into Tomorrowland. That was wrong! He was out of position. Finn fled through the door and out onto a busy concourse.

At midday, the area bustled with activity, a steady stream of guests in a chaotic mass of T-shirts, shorts, and the sweet smell of suntan lotion.

How long would it take for Maleficent to discover their trickery?

The plan had been to rendezvous with Amanda on the bridge between Tomorrowland and the Central Plaza. But which way? Finn had left the Utilidor via the wrong exit.

He heard the crowd scream to his right. He was familiar with all sorts of sounds in the Magic Kingdom, but this particular roar sounded out of place.

A second later, Maybeck came out of the same CAST MEMBERS ONLY door. He was out of breath and sweating.

“She’s after Philby,” he told Finn.

Another scream broke from the distance.

Some little kids shouted, “Aladdin! Aladdin!” and cut through the thick crowds to reach Maybeck, who they mistook for the character. Maybeck tried to get away from them. Parents called after their kids to be polite. A line formed behind Maybeck as he and Finn set out walking.

Maybeck said under his breath, “We should have lost the wardrobe.”

“I don’t know,” Finn said, “maybe we can use this.”

He handed Maybeck one of the pens.

“You’re kidding me!”

The children caught up and surrounded them both, their autograph notebooks out and ready.

“Sign some autographs, Aladdin,” Finn said encouragingly.

With clenched teeth, Maybeck asked in a whisper, “How do you spell Aladdin?”

Finn spelled it for him as yet another excited scream pealed from the crowd—this time much closer. A sea of park guests parted to his right. A green witch. Maleficent. She walked quickly and deliberately and was just scary enough looking to hold her admirers at bay.

“Head down!” Finn called out.

Maybeck ducked, continuing to scribble out autographs furiously.

The green-faced witch and her following sea of fans passed them by.

Finn backed away from the clot of eager children.

“That’s all!” Finn said, though to little effect.

Maybeck was suddenly hooked on this autograph writing. He made no attempt to stop.

“Aladdin!” Philby called out. “You’re going to be late!”

Maybeck finally gave it up. He made his apologies, and he and Finn moved on.

The crowd up ahead, the group following Maleficent, stopped, colliding into one another. This, because the witch had stopped and turned. But why?

Finn moved in the other direction. He came face-to-face with Jez.

“Give us the pen and the plans, and we won’t hurt you,” she said.

Several things happened at once. First, Finn spotted a group of four or five seagulls clustered atop a high white fence. Then he saw Amanda. She stood inside the same white fence, the gulls perched overhead. She signaled Finn to join her. Third, Jez reached for the plans—and stole them from him.

“Go!” Finn ordered Maybeck. And there was Philby standing next to Amanda, also beckoning them over to the fence.

Finn dove at Jez, knocked her down, and took the plans back. She sat up on the pavement, mumbled something, and cast a spell at Finn.

He felt a sharp pain flood through him. His knees went weak. That dreaded sense of cold overcame him.

Jez smiled at her success, got to her feet, and stepped toward him. Finn fought against the spell by thinking of himself as pure light—as a DHI—even though he was just Finn Whitman, the boy. He allowed her no power over him, refused to give into her. As he did, something strange happened. His fingers tingled.

A woman in the crowd gasped, “Oh, my gosh! Look who it is!”

Finn was crossing over—becoming his DHI.

He mentally pushed against Jez. The harder he pushed, the more of his body turned to light—a hologram.

The next spell she tried to cast passed right through him and turned a small tree just behind him to solid ice.

The crowd applauded and cheered, children shouting, “More! More!”

Jez lunged at Finn but she, too, passed right through him.

Again, the crowd cheered.

She dared to try again. This time, Finn stepped into her and stopped. He moved with her in perfect lock-step, able somehow to know her every thought.

She spun in circles, trying to rid herself of him. They were a single entity now: spinning and glowing. Two kids in one. The crowd went wild.