Disney at Dawn

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 Fi

“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.

Fi

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

Leadership, Fi

“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!” Fi

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,” Fi

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,” Fi

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

“That may work even better for us,” Fi

“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 Fi

“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 Fi

“I’ll take my chances,” said Fi

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.

Fi

Fi

“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,” Fi

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

“See you up there,” Fi

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 Fi

With the lights out, the building’s vast interior was held in an u

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

Fi

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?” Fi

“Answer the question,” Amanda pushed.

“His enemies,” Fi

“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 Fi

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

Fi

“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 Fi

“Interesting,” said Amanda. She didn’t sound winded at all. Fi

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

“Defeating Mickey,” Fi

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

“Nothing,” Fi

mybest: ice truck just arrived!!!

Fi

“Then this is it,” Jez said, her voice trembling. “Whatever Maleficent has been pla

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