Kingdom Keepers IV(16)

When they were alone again, Finn said, “We have to trust it. This is why we’re here.”

“It could just as easily be a trap,” Maybeck warned. “Wayne gave us all phones,” he reminded. “If he wanted to contact us, wouldn’t he just call us or text us? Am I missing something? Why bother with the Kim Possible thing?”

Charlene said, “We won’t know until we try.”

Willa said, “He is always paranoid about the OTs eavesdropping. When he puts us on a quest, it’s to tell us something that no one else could figure out.”

“I volunteer,” Charlene said, raising her hand. “I’ll do it.”

“Amanda and I could do it,” Jess said. “We aren’t Kingdom Keepers. We wouldn’t raise any suspicions.”

“She’s right,” Philby said.

“And if it’s a trap,” Finn said, “then they catch the wrong people and who knows what that means?”

Charlene said, “I thought you were the one trusting it?”

Busted.

“I said, ‘I volunteer,’ ” Charlene reminded.

“I’ll go with you,” Finn said.

“But if they catch you…We can’t let them catch you,” Amanda said.

Some suppressed smirks. It was the Amanda-and-Finn show. For all to see. Including Charlene, who looked away.

“Finn’s the only one of us that can all-clear with any consistency,” said Charlene.

“I know,” Amanda said. “I’ve seen him do it.”

With Greg Luowski, Finn recalled. He’d suckered Luowski into taking a swing at him, while Finn was briefly transformed into his hologram. No one had explained the science behind how Finn was able to briefly transform himself into pure light—what he and the others called all clear; he supposed it made him part Fairlie like Jess and Amanda.

He supposed that all clear was a state where mystical, metaphysical elements met the physical sciences. It worked two ways: Finn, as a mortal boy, could on occasion concentrate to where he suddenly turned into a hologram. It only lasted a short amount of time—his record was eighteen seconds—but in that state he could walk through walls or take a punch, because technically he didn’t exist as anything but light. The second way was more difficult for parents and even Wayne to understand: a hologram was nothing but light. When projected or crossed over into the Parks as DHIs, the kids were technically nothing but light. But fear removed their state of purity. If, as a DHI, one of them became afraid, that hologram lost a percentage of data, depending on the level of fear. That resulted in a DHI that was part mortal, part teenager, part hologram, and therefore vulnerable to being wounded or captured. Finn had perfected a kind of visualization—a train coming at him from down a dark tunnel—that helped him achieve all clear, pushed him into that state of invulnerable light. It was a useful, even necessary tool, and one he’d been coaching the others to learn how to do.

“And while you two are out playing games, what are we supposed to do?” Maybeck asked, clearly complaining. “I’m not hanging here. I’m not big on churches.”

“You’ll divide into groups—split up between Norway and Mexico on either side of us,” said Finn. “You watch for crash-test dummies. Text me if you see any. Charlene and I will do the Kim Possible quest and let you know what we find out. Amanda and Jess, stay with us to make us a bigger group. That way it’s less likely we get spotted as Keepers.”

Maybeck said, “You look so stupid, Whitman.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“At least he tried for some kind of disguise,” Willa said.

Philby said, “It’s a good plan. Let’s get going.”

Philby and Willa headed for China. After more discussion, Maybeck went by himself into Mexico.

An announcement filled the loud speakers: the fireworks were set to begin.

* * *

A wooden cart sat tucked into a dark corner of the terraced path between Norway and Mexico, pushed against an island of trees and bushes. The Cast Member attending the unmarked cart wore a Kim Possible Adventure T-shirt. Finn, Charlene, and the sisters approached the overweight man, waiting for a small boy and his father to return their Kim Possible phone.

“W sent us,” Finn told the Cast Member.

“Okay.” The man had a gruff voice, unexpected of a Cast Member.

“We’re here to do the adventure,” Charlene said.

“I was told you would have two initials for me,” he said to Finn. This had Wayne’s DNA all over it.

“K.K.”

“Can’t be too careful,” the guy said.

He rifled through some phones in the cart’s drawer and handed one to Finn.