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Wayne would have been proud.
“We’ll meet after school. We’ve got to find Wayne.”
He raised his right hand. In it was the black remote with the small button at its center.
“Ready?” he said.
The others nodded.
He pushed the button.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Kingdom Keepers novels depend on a team, in part because the research conducted inside the Parks, and also about the Parks, is both complex and time-consuming, and ultimately essential to the story.
First, I want to thank my co-writer (from other novels), Dave Barry, who, during a car ride to Orlando’s airport made suggestions to the outline that formed and framed the book, forever changing it. He jokes how I’m the “plot guy” in our partnership, but for once he is “making this up.” He set the clock in the book ticking and gave me one of the most important twists. Thanks.
The real dedication of the book should probably be to Alex Wright, a Disney Imagineer, a man with tireless patience, who has endured (and I am not making this up!) hundreds of e-mails where I picked his brain for details. Alex also hosted several behind-the-scene tours for me in Animal Kingdom and introduced me to:
Dr. Joseph Soltis—Wildlife Tracking Center
Dr. Don Neiffer—Veterinary Hospital
Debbie Weber—Animal Nutrition Center
Matt Hohne—Animal Barns
Jason Surrell—Disney Imagineer (and AK tour host/insider)
I’d also like to thank my niece, Blair M. Daverman, for filling in some blanks about the sport of lacrosse.
My wife, Marcelle, along with Laurel and David Walters, as always, copyedited the various drafts. And Ta
Special gratitude to Nandy Litzinger, my office manager; Wendy Lefkon, Disney editor; Amy Berkower, agent; Matthew Snyder, film agent; and Je
It obviously takes a village.
—Ridley Pearson
January 2008
St. Louis, Missouri
RIDLEY PEARSON
is the award-wi