Kingdom Keepers III(123)
His foggy mind sought an explanation, for that was the way his mind worked: question/answer. Logic lived inside him like a prized gem in a vault.
For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.
He was definitely on the reaction end of things. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t think why he couldn’t think. He couldn’t place what action might have made him this way.
The thought of that got him laughing. Softly at first. To himself. But then the silliness of the moment spread through him like a wildfire and—
Fire.
There it was again: something about fire and that flat-panel computer screen and that mouse.
But even that seemed funny.
His laughter began anew and he found himself owning the cozy office chair, bouncing to the rhythm of the music—good music—and wondering what it was about that flat-panel screen that was so incredibly important.
* * *
Jess kept her head down and moved to the rectangular box with the red and green buttons inside. Big buttons that reminded her of the controls outside the Mission: Space pods. Above the box was a smaller green light—dark for the moment.
Something told her this all had to do with Philby, as Maleficent stepped onto a square platform and tightened her robes so that they didn’t hang over the edges of the platform. She clipped a safety strap around her waist, keeping her right hand on it. Jess could envision her arriving up on stage, releasing that strap, and stepping out of a blinding spotlight to take the place of the Hag—a woman who had come down on the same platform only moments earlier.
Jess had watched how the Hag’s handler had handled things: when the little warning light turned green, the handler pushed the large green button. A moment later the stage had opened overhead and the Hag had appeared, descending on the platform. Now Maleficent had taken the Hag’s place and Jess assumed the device worked just the same to take someone back up onstage: the computer would cue the handler. If all the proper safety precautions had been observed, then the handler pushed the green button, allowing the computer to start the lift when the show’s timing called for Maleficent’s entrance. If anything was awry, the handler could hit the red button marked ALL STOP and prevent the lift from rising through the trap door and anyone getting hurt.
Like Finn, she thought, knowing that tonight the script had been rewritten.
The smaller light flashed green. Jess’s finger shook uncontrollably as it hovered at the large green switch. Maybe there was some other way. Maybe Finn was taking too great a risk.
“Go on push it, you fool!” said Maleficent. “It’s my entrance!”
Jess’s finger straightened, all the indecision gone from her, and with it the shaking. Her finger inched closer to the button and, at the last possible second, she turned her head toward the green thing standing on the lift, and she raised her head just enough to allow the cap’s brim to reveal her face.
In that moment, she and Maleficent met eyes and she took great delight as the evil fairy’s whites widened in the sea of green skin, as consternation overcame the witch—for this thing before her never showed fear.
“You?” she gasped dryly.
Jess smiled widely. “Me,” she said, gloating. “Enjoy the show.”
Jess pushed the button and in a flash of light and smoke Maleficent was gone.
45
AS THE FIRE-BURST surrounding Maleficent’s entrance receded, leaving a coil of gray smoke twisting high above the stage, Finn saw a Security guard holding back Mickey, the Brave Little Tailor, preventing the Cast Member from going onstage. Finn had no time to glance overhead and try to spot Charlene and prevent the dragon from rearing its ugly head—all forty-five feet of it; no time to ensure he wouldn’t be burned to a crisp by Chernabog, who he assumed had taken the dragon’s place the same way Maleficent had taken the place of the Cast Member playing her. What odd fun this substitution must have been for them—acting out themselves in front of audiences and tech rehearsals, subtly changing the show in ways the Imagineers couldn’t troubleshoot. Preparing for something much bigger, much more sinister. Taking the audience of ten thousand hostage? Threatening to burn them if they left their seats? Such an act would give the Overtakers the kind of clout they sought, would provide them a negotiating position.
Maleficent turned to taunt Mickey, as was her role.
Finn noted that she had a green bandage on her neck—where he had cut her with the sword.
Finn stepped out onto the stage, the sword held down at his side. He’d wondered how hard it might be to determine if he had the right Maleficent and not the Cast Member playing her, but his question was answered immediately. Not only was her skin green and bandaged, her eyes were bloodshot, and the look in them pure hatred. But there was also that twisted smile—a smile he’d witnessed in the back corridors of the Animal Kingdom’s veterinary clinic.