A light breeze broke the silence between them as, once again, it carried the cries from Expedition Everest.

“One thing we know,” Willa said, “is that Everest is cold. At least, it represents the cold.” She indicated the gorilla on Jez’s diary page. “What if this is the yeti, like Charlene said?” The other kids stared at her with puzzled expressions. “What if, like Maleficent, the yeti can’t handle the heat? So Maleficent’s job is not only to get him out of the Park, but keep him cold. Keep them both cold.”

“The ice truck!” Charlene said.

“Exactly!” agreed Willa.

“But to what purpose?” complained Maybeck.

“How do we know? A refrigerated truck can take him anywhere he wants to go.”

“But where?” asked Finn.

“So Expedition Everest was a way for Wayne and the others to control Chernabog?” Charlene asked. “The Imagineers basically locked him up in a deep freeze?”

“It could be,” agreed Willa. “They locked up Maleficent in the dungeons, let’s not forget.”

Philby spoke confidently. “I say we get inside Expedition Everest and check out the yeti. That could be where the answers lie. Jez drew it in her diary. It has to mean something!”

“It means that’s where the danger lies,” muttered Jez.

Finn said quietly, “Chernabog is using Maleficent—maybe to get him off of Everest or even out of the Park. Maleficent used us to reveal and capture Wayne. If they eliminate Wayne, then they take away years of knowledge about all the Parks, all the history of this place. If they’re trying to gain control of the Parks, Wayne has to go. He’s proved that.”

“He has the knowledge and leadership,” said Willa, “to stop them.”

Leadership, Finn thought. Wayne had given him a lecture on how to be a good leader. Had Wayne known what was coming?

“Wayne is not the only one they need to get rid of,” Maybeck reminded them. “I’d say we’ve become a pretty big pain in the—”

“But!” Finn said, interrupting, “there’s obviously stuff we haven’t figured out. Maybe a lot of stuff. It’s pretty obvious we don’t have it all. We can’t make any conclusions without going in there, without knowing more. I’m going in there. And I have a hunch Amanda and Jez are, too, because Jez dreamed about it.”

The two sisters nodded.

“This is stupid,” Maybeck whined. “It could be a trap.

“Which is why you and Willa and Charlene will remain outside of Everest,” Finn directed. “If we get nailed, you’ll have to come save us.” He knew if there was one thing Maybeck loved, it was being the hero.

Maybeck snorted. “Okay,” he said, relenting.

“Philby will come with me because he’s so good with tech stuff, and if there’s one thing we know about Expedition Everest, it’s that it’s high-tech.”

“I haven’t studied it much,” Philby cautioned.

“We’ll take our chances,” Finn said.

“The Park closes in, like, five minutes,” said Charlene.

“That may work even better for us,” Finn declared.

“What about the fact that Jez’s daydream has Ape Man swinging you around like a drumstick?” Maybeck crossed his arms, believing he’d finally found a hole in Finn’s plan.

“But what he doesn’t know,” Philby said, “is that we already know that, and that’s gotta be to our advantage.”

“Not if you’re the one being swung around,” said Maybeck, clearly challenging Finn.

“I’ll take my chances,” said Finn, staring back at Maybeck’s twitching smile and wondering why he’d volunteered.

63

THE LINE FOR EXPEDITION EVEREST had been shut down fifteen minutes prior to the Park closing to make sure the roller coaster was free of passengers by the appointed time. The line twisted through a startling reproduction of a Nepalese village, complete with prayer flags and Asian memorabilia.

Finn, Philby Amanda, and Jez stuck together. They passed into the backstage area through a “Park Rangers Only” gate and simply walked into the enormous structure that housed the exotic roller coaster.

Finn had expected to need his ID and perhaps some quick talking to get them all inside, but with the closing of the ride to the public, someone had left the backstage door open, and the kids simply walked in.

“It’s three structures in one,” Philby explained in a hush. “The massive superstructure that supports the exterior building, the roller coaster, and the yeti.”

“I thought you hadn’t studied it,” whispered Jez.

“I haven’t studied it thoroughly,” Philby replied, “but that doesn’t mean I haven’t read up on it a little.”

“We may need the roller coaster for our escape,” Finn said to Philby. “Why don’t you stay and try to handle that?”

“Done,” said Philby. He could be a handful when he showed off.

“See you up there,” Finn said.

The metal stairs reminded him of a fire escape. The three of them climbed and climbed. Then they climbed some more. Far below they suddenly heard men’s voices. The lights went out. Then a reverberating thunk as a door was slammed shut with a finality that Finn felt up his spine.

With the lights out, the building’s vast interior was held in an unnatural haze caused by the few emergency lights strategically placed throughout.

No one said anything at first, but a tremor of fear passed between them.

Finn couldn’t lose the image of his being swung around by his feet. Step by step he felt himself drawn to that fate.

Amanda started talking, possibly to break the mood established by the lights going out. “What is it that something—someone—like Chernabog wants?”

“Power,” Jez answered.

“Exactly,” Amanda agreed. “He’s been locked up in here ever since they built the ride, and now he wants freedom and power, probably in that order.”

“And you’re saying he’d have gotten both if I hadn’t dreamed what I dreamed,” Jez said.

“He still may get both,” Amanda cautioned. “And what’s the one thing anyone seeking power is afraid of?”

“What is this?” Finn complained, “a social sciences class?”

“Answer the question,” Amanda pushed.

“His enemies,” Finn answered.

“Yes! His enemies,” Amanda agreed. “In particular, any enemy who is potentially more powerful than he is. So who are his biggest enemies? You—the Kingdom Keepers—or Wayne, or Jez, or whom?”

“All of the above,” a winded Finn replied. The stairs seemed to go on forever. The trio passed along the roller coaster’s high-tech tracks and the arctic scenery that only made the chill of the air all the more convincing. “Or none of the above,” Finn said, his mind racing.

“You’re messing with us?” Amanda said accusingly.

Finn answered, “Chernabog is rarely seen in any of the Disney stuff. Fantasia and Fanstasmics are it, I think.”

“And all the postcards and stuff that show the Disney villains,” Amanda corrected.

“That, too. But in the Fantasmics—he’s beaten by the sorcerer, Mickey,” said Finn. “And in Fantasia, by the sun.”

“Interesting,” said Amanda. She didn’t sound winded at all. Finn wondered if she was levitating herself up the endless stairs.

Jez asked, “Are you saying he has to defeat Mickey before he can be assured of maintaining any power he gains?”

“Defeating Mickey,” Finn said, “defeats us all. Without Mickey, there is no Magic Kingdom, no Animal Kingdom, no Disney at all.”

“But then why kidnap Jez? Why involve the five of you? What do you guys have to do with Mickey?” Amanda asked.

“Nothing,” Finn answered. “That’s what’s puzzling. But think about it: the sooner he eliminates Mickey, the sooner there’s no one to stop him from overtaking the Park.”

mybest: ice truck just arrived!!!

Finn told the two sisters the news. “The ice truck pulled up around back.”

“Then this is it,” Jez said, her voice trembling. “Whatever Maleficent has been planning, it’s happening right now.”

They rounded a corner and then quickly jumped to one side to hide.