ALSOBYRIDLEYPEARSON

KingdomKeepers—DisneyAfterDarkKingdomKeepersII—DisneyatDawnKingdomKeepersIII—DisneyinShadowKingdomKeepersIV—PowerPlayKingdomKeepersV—ShellGame

SteelTrapp—TheChallengeSteelTrappII—TheAcademy

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WinniethePoohcharactersbasedonthe“WinniethePooh”worksbyA.A.MilneandE.H.Shepard

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ISBN:978-1-4231-7921-4Visitwww.disneyhyperionbooks.com

www.thekingdomkeepers.comwww.ridleypearson.com

Contents

TitlePageAlsobyRidleyPearsonCopyrightDedicationChapter1Chapter2Chapter3Chapter4Chapter5Chapter6Chapter7Chapter8Chapter9Chapter10Chapter11Chapter12Chapter13Chapter14Chapter15Chapter16Chapter17Chapter18Chapter19Chapter20Chapter21Chapter22Chapter23Chapter24Chapter25Chapter26Chapter27Chapter28Chapter29Chapter30Chapter31

Chapter32Chapter33Chapter34Acknowledgments

Dedicatedtothecrew,stewards,castmembers,actors,singers,officers,andstaffwhomaketheDisneyCruiseLineunlikeanyothercruiseexperienceout

there.Hatsoff.

THECONSTELLATIONSGREWDIMMER,thenightskyswallowingthemwhole.Thesewerenonormalstars—theywerered,blue,white,green,yellow.Norweretheystrungin familiar patterns. Instead, they formed long, straight lines, the starssymmetricallyspaced.

Itwas only aswhite, foaming clouds rose to challenge the stars, dousingFinnWhitman’sfacewithsaltwater, thatherealizedthelightsweren’tstarsatall.

Butneitherwasheaboy.Notexactly.“Help!”A girl’s cry. Finn fanned thewater, turning around as the ship’s

wake arrived, bobbing him higher. Just before plummeting into another wavetrough,hesawagirlflailingtostayafloat.

Willa.Herememberednow:thetwoofthemjumpingfromDeck4oftheDisneyDream cruise ship, leaping into the darkness to avoid a pack of madhyenasontheirheels.LeavingtheirfellowKeepersbackontheship.

TheDisneyDreamwasonacelebrationcruisetoinauguratetheopeningofthe new locks of the Panama Canal, while also promoting the onboardinstallation of theKingdomKeepers’ hologramDHI guides. The dangers thathadarisenonandoff theshipduring thecruise’s first stopatDisney’sprivateisland,CastawayCay,hadhappened less thanadayearlier. It feltmore likeayear.

The speed with which theDream now receded surprised and frightenedFinn. As a passenger he’d had no idea how fast they’d been moving. As hewatchedthecruiseshipshrinkawayatanalarmingpace,heunderstoodthatinaminuteortwoitwouldbejustanotherflickeringlightonthehorizon.

Anotherwavefromtheship’swakecaughtFinn,liftinghimlikeacork.HesawWillaridingthetopoftheadjacentcrest,lookingtowardtheship.

“Overhere!”Finnshouted.

Treadingwater,Willaturnedtofacehim.Thenshesparkledandvanished.Finn pulled hard, bodysurfing down the rolling wave and swimming

stronglytowardWilla.Stretchingtoextendhisfreestylestroke—amazedbyhisown strength—he saw his hand and forearm dissolve into glitter, a sparkle oflightwashedawaybythehungryspray.

Aninstantlater,Willareappeared—andsodidFinn’sarm.Thephenomenonwouldhavestunned,evenfrightened,anordinaryperson.

But to Finn it made perfect sense. He and Willa were holograms, three-dimensional projections of light generated by a computer server on board thedisappearingDream.Thefartherawayfromtheship, theworse theprojection.Being low in the water as they were, the two holograms were subject toadditionalinterferencefromeachwave.Ridingthecrests,theycameintoclarity.Butitwouldn’tlast,andoncetheirprojectionsfailed,Finnwouldhavenowayof finding Willa. The audio stream, being a narrower bandwidth, might lastslightlylonger,butitwasn’tariskworthtaking.

“Here!”Finnshoutedasecondtime.Kickingferociously,hepropelledhishologramdownfromthewave’screst,throughthetrough,anduptheotherside,cuttingthedistancebetweentheminhalf.Theirhologramssputtered,aresultofdistancefromtheship.Anyfarther,andtheywoulddissolvealtogether.

He andWilla, alongwith several other high school kids now aboard theDisneyDream,hadoncemodeledfortherolesofDisneyHostInteractive(alsoknownamongDisneyImagineersasDaylightHologramImaging)teenageParkhosts, holograms that guided families around the Disney parks. And now thecruiseships.

Undisclosedatthetime(somewouldsay“unknown”)wasasideeffectthatallowed the DHIs to “cross over” in their sleep, becoming their hologramreplicas.FinnandhisfriendsoftenfoundthemselvesinsideaDisneyparkwhiletheirbodies, theirhumanselves,sleptathome.They’dquicklydiscoveredthattheirhologramshadbeenengineeredbyDisney’s Imagineers todobattlewithcertainDisneyvillains—theOvertakers—whoseonedesirewastotakeovertheparksandruinthem.

TheOTs,astheKingdomKeepersreferredtotheOvertakers,dreamedofadarkerexperienceforParkgueststhantheoneWaltDisneyhadenvisioned.Thatsamedarkforce,intheformofMaleficent,theEvilQueen,andCruelladeVil,wascurrentlyaboardtheDream—andintentonturningitintotheNightmare.

Thistime,theOvertakershadstolenahistoricjournaloncebelongingtothe

Disney Imagineers—or perhaps even Walt himself. The Overtakers hadinfiltratedtheship,andsmuggledTiaDalmaandChernabog—amysteriousandmonstrouscreaturefromFantasia—aboardatCastawayCay.Theadditionofawitch doctor and the most evil of Walt Disney’s creations didn’t bode well.WhereMaleficentwent,troublefollowed.

Whichaccountedfortheman-eatinghyenasthathadforcedFinnandWillato jump overboard in the first place, and had put them in their currentpredicament.

When a hologram’s projection failed, it fell intowhat theKeepers calledDHI shadow.The resultwas invisibility,which in certain instancescouldbeagoodthing.Notsomuchwhenyouwerenearlydrowning,andtheonlyhopeforsurvivalwassteamingawayateighteenknots.

“Yourhand!”Finncalled,reachingforWilla.“Beforewe’regone!”Then,whenshedidn’treactinstantly:“Comeon!”

Again,heamazedhimselfbyhowstronglyheswam.AFloridaboy,Finnwasnostrangertowater—butsincewhencouldheswimlikealifeguard?

Willa’s hologram had lost its density and was porous, like sand spreadloosely over a floor. It had lost its third dimension aswell; she looked like apixelated,digitallyenlargedphotograph.Thefinalstagebeforeinvisibility.

“Reach!”Finnshouted.Hisvoicesoundedlikeabadradiosignal,scratchyandpoppingwithstatic.Desperate,heplungedhisface into theseaandcalledout, “Starfishwise, starfish cries!” a phrase he’d been given to summonKingTriton,who’dsavedFinnoncebefore.

Striking out blindly in the water, Finn felt his hands catchWilla’s. Finnsqueezedhard,thenwalkedhisfingersuptoWilla’sforearmssothattheyheldeachother’swrists—astronger“fireman’s”grip.

“Youokay?”hesaid,butitcameout,“oo…ay?”FinnturnedhisbacktoWillaandpulledherhandsaroundhisnecksothat

sherodeonhisback likeacape.Sheheld tight;hefelthersoftcheekpressedagainst his neck.He swam. Swamhard.Kicking and pulling through the sea,more like a machine than a man. Finn supposed this crazy strength hadsomethingtodowithhisexposuretoamassivejoltofelectricityjustbeforehe’djumped.He’dbeenintheship’sengineroom.Aworldawayfromhere.

Buthedidn’tmuchcareaboutthesourceofhispower,onlyitsefficacy.Finn’s progress was admirable, his churnedwake joining the widewhite

stripofaeratedseawaterthrownoutbytheship’spropeller.Thewatersparkled

and fizzed like a freshly poured soda. Viewed from overhead, Finn and hispassengerwere invisible, not even a speck in a strip of sea paved flat by thepassingofahundredandthirtythousandtonsofsteel.

“…invis…”Willasaid.Ortriedto.“D…sh…dow.”Finndidn’tbothertryingtoanswer,savinghisenergyforhisbreaststroke.

If he could get close enough to the Dream for his hands to start flashing,howeverfaintly,hisvoicewouldlikelyreturn.

But that was the problem—as hard as he was swimming, they weren’tcatchingup.Notevenclose.Granted,FinnhadslowedtheratewithwhichtheDreampulledaway,nearlymatchingtheship’sforwardprogress.Buthewasn’tgainingon it.Notan inch.And ifheeasedbackat all, the shipvisiblypulledfartheraway.

He knew what had to be done. Knew the one chance they had. Thelikelihood of drowning was slim, given the state-of-the-art software upgraderunning their projections—DHI 2.0. But it hardly mattered. If they remainedinvisible,lostatsea,theirhumanbodieswouldstayasleeponboard,unabletoawaken. They would be locked in what the Keepers called “Sleeping BeautySyndrome,” or SBS—a hologram no-man’s land where their sleeping bodiesneverwoke,andtheirhologramprojectionscouldnotbereached.

KingTriton’scodeofferedthepromiseofrescue,butTriton’sagentscouldnot rescue what they could not see. He andWilla had to move closer to theDream.Buthow?

“F…thhh,”Willasaid.ChokingFinnwithherleftforearm,shetappedhimontheshoulderwithherrighthand,forcinghimtolookback.Hesawsomethingno thicker thana treebranchstickingoutof thewater,movingquickly towardthem,cuttingafinewaketoeitherside.

Afin?Ashark?Theobjectsparkledas itcaughtstarlight fromadazzlingsky.Apipe.Aperiscope—anold,rustedperiscopemovingveryfastandcomingrightforthem.

CaptainNemo?Finnwondered.FinnutteredaseriesofwetburpsandpattedWilla’sarms,indicating:Hold

tight.Thenheswamhard—straightfortheperiscope,noweighttotenyardstohis right. He had to time it perfectly; he could ill afford to undershoot orovershoothistarget.

The approach of the periscope—its sudden appearance out of nowhere—seemed to suggest itwas part of a rescue attempt.Arranged byWayne?How

couldheknowoftheirpredicament?They’donlybeeninthewateramatterofminutes.HadthesubbeenfollowingtheDreamallthistime?

Or was this a result of his calling for King Triton’s help, as he’d beeninstructed?

Finn calculated his position, adjustedwith a swift backward flutter kick,stretched forward, andgrabbed thebrisklymovingperiscopewithbothhands.Hisarmsfeltliketheywouldtearfromhisshouldersockets.Thesubmarinewasmovingmuchfasterthanhe’dimagined.

WithWillaholdingontohisneckfordearlife,thetwosurfedandcoughedforair.Somewhere in thedeeprecessesofhismind,Finnunderstood thatasahologramhedidn’tneedtoconcernhimselfwithbreathing;butinstinctdictatedotherwise.

During thenextgulpof air, he saw theDream’s lights as distinct strings.Thesubwaspullingcloser.

Finn’s hands suddenly appeared, clasped around the periscope. Theyflashedandpulsedlight—thenvanished.Finnduckedintothewaterandclosedhiseyes.Withthenextliftingofhishead,heclearlysawthehologramimagesofhisarms.Hewasvisibleagain.Willa,too.

“Return!”shesaid,garglingtheword.The suggestion hit Finn as a beacon of hope. Philby, a fellow Kingdom

Keeper, orStoreyMing, a shipboard ally,would be attempting to cancel theircurrenthologramprojectionsand“return”themtotheirsleepingselves,onboardship. Having failed to accomplish the task immediately after Finn and Willajumped,hopefullytheyhadnotgivenupaltogether.WithFinnandWillabackinrange,itwasimperativetheReturnbeattemptedagain.

Buthowtosignalthem?The sub continued to gain on theDream; the ship’s stern loomed ahead,

blackpaintglistening.AnoversizedCaptainMickey,sprawledonaplankslungfromtheupperdeck,hadbeen installedon thestern.Mountednext toMickeyand the yellow letters that spelled out DISNEY DREAM were three large DisneybroomsandpailsfromFantasia.

ThesightremindedFinnofanear-deadlyconflictMaybeckandCharlene—the final members of the Kingdom Keepers team—had had a week earlierbackstageatDisney’sHollywoodStudios.Ifthosebroomscomealivetoo…Finnthought.

HeandtheKeepersdidn’thaveacredo,perse,butiftheydiditmighthave

been:Nothing is as it seems; take nothing for granted. Park attractions camealiveatnight.Disneycharactersturnedouttobereal—andtheDisneyvillains,dangerous. Turns out thatmagic pens, evil curses, puzzling stairways, corruptvillains,secretpassages,anddungeonsallexistedwithintheparks.Allforreal.

PartofFinnwas ready togetback tobeinganormalhighschool studentandleaveallofitbehind.Butinthatorder.Hedidn’twanttoleaveitallbehindbydrowning.

“YouseewhatIsee?”Willachokedout.Atthatexactmoment,thesubveeredoffcourse,steeringwelltoportofthe

massiveship.Theperiscopebeganslipping throughFinn’shands; the subwassubmerging.Hewouldhavetoletgoinamatterofsecondsorbesuckedunder.

To signal Philby and Storey for the return, Finn andWilla needed to bespotted from the ship—but without drawing undue attention. Finn neededpassengers to notice, for the word to spread quickly, and for it all to beconsideredabigmistakeafewminuteslater.Hecouldnot invitelifeboatsandalarmswithoutdrawingattentiontotheKeepers’“misuse”oftheirholograms—an action that might get them locked up for the remainder of the cruise, andpreventthemfromstoppingtheOTs.

Finn spotted a romantic couple leaning on the rail of an upper deck, andrememberedallthefussthenightoftheSail-Awayparty.

“Hangon!”hecalledtoWilla,andletgoofthepipejustasitsankbeneaththesurface.Again,FinnsankhisfaceintothewaterandspoketheTritoncodeinaloudbubblingvoice.

“Starfishwise,starfishcries.”Willaletgoandtreadedwater.“NO!” Finn called out, aware of the physics involved. The two were

instantly the objects of opposing forces: the concussion of the sub’s propellerwashandthedowndraftofcurrentscausedbyitsrapiddescent.Willawassweptback, hands and legs held awkwardly in front of her as though she werecrawling.Finn,slightlytotheside,wascaughtinthedowndraft,suckeddeeperanddeeperashewatchedWillazoomaway.

ForhimandWilla tohavethebestchanceforareturn, theyneededtobetogether,and theyneeded tobeon thesurface.Finndidn’t trust theprojectionstrengthunderwater,eventhisclosetotheDream.Hekickedfuriouslyashewaspulled deeper still. He could feel the water pressure squeezing him smaller,compacting him. He had no idea if even a 2.0 projection could survive such

pressure.Hishandstrucksomethinghardandslimy.Finnyankedawayandkicked

outinstinctively,spookedbytheunyieldingdarknessofthedepths.Ashark?Ithadtobe!

Thecreature impaledhimwith its snout, strikinghim in thecenterofhischest.Aninstantlater,hewasstruckagain,thensnaggedunderbotharms—twosharks,notone?—anddrivenhigher.Finnwrestled tobe free,but the forceofthewaterandspeedofhisescortspinnedhimtotheirslick,snot-likeskin.

OnlyasFinnpulledtowardthesurface,wherethemoonlightandstarlightpenetrated,didhefinallygetalookathiscaptors.Notsharks.Adifferentnose.Sleek bodies mottled gray and white. Spotted dolphins, fast as lightning,streakingforthesurface.

TheTritoncode,answered—again.Finn rolledandhookedon to thedorsal fin tohis right,carriednowbya

single dolphin.The animal responded to hiswilling participation immediately,burstingthroughthesurface,arcingthroughtheair,andplungingbackintothesea.Itchitteredplayfullywhileairborne.Finngaveaspontaneouscryofjoy.

“Ooooo-weeee!”Butitwasagirl’svoiceheheard,nothisown.To his right, between his dolphin and the ship,Willa was straddling her

dolphin like a pony, one hand on the dorsal fin, one high in the air like abucking-bronco rider.Thedolphinsclosed ranks, sidebyside,divingbeneaththesurface,thenbustinglooseinhigh,acrobaticflight.

Glancingup,Finnsawtheship’sportrailsfillingwithspectators.Thiswaswhathe’dhopedfor:wordspreadquicklyaboardtheDream,especiallyaroundwhaleordolphinsightings.IftheirfellowKeeperswerestilllookingforthem—andFinnhadeveryreasontobelievetheywere—therewasnowaytheywouldmissthis.

Equallyimportant,however,wasthatnottoomanypassengersseethetwokids riding the dolphins. Better that the sighting seem like the ramblings ofsomeonewhohaddrunktoomuch,orbetakenasaDisneyspecialeffect.ThePanamaCanalcruisehadbeendesignatedaKingdomKeeperscruise,afterall—excusescouldbemade.

Finnleaneddowntohispilot,havingnoideawhereadolphin’searswerelocated.“Stayunder!”hecalledout.

HavingnoideawhatFinnhadjustsaid,thedolphinroseandleapedagain.

Finn saw that the flippers by his legs aimed upward as the dolphin dove; hereachedoutandheldtheflippersup,thenletgo.Thedolphingotthemessage,diving deeper. Finn pulled the flippers to horizontal—using them as anequestrian would reins. The dolphin responded, leveling off. Its companiondolphin, carrying Willa, caught up, staying abreast of the leader, bothsubmerged.

Willa’s short hair streamed behind. She glanced over at Finn, eyeswhitewithexhilaration.

Thepassengersondeckwouldbescouringthewaves,hoping.Butbynowthecrowdwouldbegrowing.Finndidn’tneedwitnessescomparingnotes:Didyouseethetwokidsridingthedolphins?

Thedolphinsspedforward,racingthroughthewaterliketorpedoes.WillaandFinnheldtight.Thirtysecondsunderwater…Forty…

How long until the Keepers heard about the sighting and communicatedwiththeRadioStudiotoattemptaReturn?

Willamotionedathumbup,towardthesurface.Finn,inweighingexposureto the passengers against the chance to return, had neglected the needs of thehardworking dolphins,whoweremammals and required fresh air.He pressedthedolphin’sflippersdown,holdingthemtherebriefly.Thedolphinresponded,raising its head, kicking its fluke, andexploding into thenight.Water sprayedfromitsblowhole,freshairfillingitslungs.

Finnheardshoutsasviewerscalledouttooneanother.Thenhisarmstingled.HelookedoveratWilla,but itwas like lookingat

her through a shower curtain; her imagewas faded and dull. She reached forhim,andheforher.Theirfingerswiggled,tryingtotouch.Theyconnected.

Finn woke in an empty stateroom. Bone dry. Panting. A dream? Anightmare?Or had he returned?Nearly always the same sensation—mystical,mysterious.Awashindisbeliefandnottrustinghisownpowersofobservation,hebrieflywonderedifhe’dimaginedeverything.

Orhadhelivedit?Wheredidthepotencyofpossibilitygivewaytothepowerofpersuasion?

FROMTHEMOMENTFinnandWillahadjumpedoffthedeck,thesituationonboardtheshiphadgonefrombadtoworse.

Ashe’d leaped,Finnhad thrownasmallobjectbackontoDeck4. Ithadbeen spotted by Amanda and Jess, two girls with unusual abilities who hadjoinedforceswiththefiveKeepers.The“sisters”hadbeencrossedoverontotheshiphoursearlierashologramsat the instructionofWayne’sdaughter,Wanda.WaynesupervisedalltheKeepers’activitiesandmissions;hehadthefinalwordoneverything.

The four hyenas in pursuit of Finn had seen it as well. Nasty creaturesintentonreducingFinntoamidnightsnack,thehyenaswerehomicidalmaniacs.TheleadhyenawassodeterminedtocatchFinnthatitmisjudgedthetractiononthe slippery deck and plowed headfirst into the metal railing, knocking itselfunconscious. The second beast bounced off the rail, but recovered. HyenanumberthreeaimedforwhateveritwasFinnhadtossedbehind,andsnappeditupinitsfrothingmouth.

Maybeck arrived on deck wearing a kitchen costume: white pants andpullover shirt. “Don’t ask,” he said to the bandagedCharlene at his side. Theship’sdoctorhadpatchedherwoundedshoulder.

A big kid for his fifteen years, and fearless to the point of stupidity,Maybeckdoveforthehyenabutmissed.Noneofthekidsknewexactlywhatthehyenahadstolen,butFinnhadtriedtosaveit,whichmadeitimportant.

Maybeck’s effort was commendable if unsuccessful. He tried for theanimal’s rear leg.But thismodel hyena came equippedwith the full package,includingbackupsensors;itspookedasMaybeckdove,avoidinghiseagerhand.Likeatrainedseal,ittossedthesmallobjectintotheair,openeditsmawwide,andappearedtoswallowthething.

Charlenelungedtostopthehyena.Itveered,headingstraightforJess.Assisterswhoweren’treallysisters,theenigmaticAmandaandJesswere

known to the Keepers as “Fairlies”—fairly human, but with unique powers.

Amandapossessedtelekinesis(the“supposed”powertomoveobjectswithhermind);Jess,clairvoyance(the“supposed”powertoseeeventsinthefuture).Infact, therewasn’tanything“supposed”abouttheirpowers,exceptthat theU.S.military was confounded by them and continued to study kids like Jess andAmandaat a facility inBaltimore, an institution fromwhich the twogirlshadescaped before meeting the Keepers. Currently, they lived with a number ofother “strays,” charges of a foster mother called Mrs. Nash, whom the girlsreferredtoasMrs.Nasty.

NowthehyenaaimedatJess,whoreacteddefensivelyandreachedout toblockit.Shegrabbeditshindleg.Theanimalsquealed,rolledover,andbitJess,whosehologramwassolidatthatexactinstant.

Jesscriedoutandletgo.Sheballedupinpain,rollingontothedeck.AninjuryaKeepersustainedasaDHIendedupaspartoftheirrealbody

whenheorshereturned.Thisbitewasableeder.Jesswasinserioustrouble.ThehyenascrambledbacktoitsfeetandchargedupDeck4’sjoggingtrack

towardthebow,theotherhyenastrailingclosebehind.Maybeckstartedout inpursuitbutquickly lostground.Hesnatchedupa

shuffleboardcue,smackeditonthedeck,andbrokeitsU-shapedheadfromitsbroomstick-likerod.Hehoistedtherodtoshoulderheightandlauncheditlikeajavelin.HewouldclaimlaterthatithadbeenaprotectiveinstincttodefendJess,acombinationofanger,frustration,andtheurgetoplayactionhero.

Awild shriek echoed down the deck—the lead hyena was hit, the speardraggingfromitsflank.Theanimalslowedbutcontinuedtowardthebow.Thespearwiggled loose andclanged to thedeck.Thehyenasdisappeared into thejoggingtrack’sbowtunnel.

CharleneandAmandastoopedoverthefallenJess.“What’shappeningtoher?”afrightenedAmandasaid.“She’s…” Charlene studied Jess, trying to understand what they were

witnessing.The girl’s hologram grew translucent, then disappeared altogether. As it

reappeared,itsputteredandwouldn’thold.Eachtimeitfaded,Jesssquirmedandcriedoutinpain.

“…form-shifting,”Charlenecontinued.“Herfearandthepainofthewoundareswitchingherfromhologramtomortal.She’sinlimbo,flashingbetweenthetwo.”

The bite was ugly. It was on the top of Jess’s right thigh, two curved

lacerations—afrownandasmile.Itbledheavily.Philbyarrived fromtheRadioStudio through thedeck’scenterdoors.He

spoke with a slight British accent, having spent some of his childhood inEngland,andhadacropof redhairandasparkle tohiseyes thatsignaledhisuncannyintelligence.

“WhataboutFinn?”Amandacalledouttohim.“Storey’s on it. At the moment, everyone’s on the port side because

someoneclaimedhesawtwokidsridingdolphins.”“Noway!”Charlenesaid.Philby grinned at Amanda. “Storey returned the two of them. So for the

moment,”hecontinued,“weshouldbealonehere,butitwon’tstaythatway.”HetookinJess’sinjuryandherform-shifting.“The ship’s doctors can’t find her like this! They’ll try to medicate her

hologramandwhoknowshowthatwillaffectherrealbody.”“Well,shecan’treturnlikethis,”Amandasaidfirmly.“Nowaywecandeal

withthewoundatMrs.Nash’s,nottomentionthatwe’dhavenowaytoexplainwhat’shappened.”

“Soshecan’t stayhereandshecan’tgoback,”Maybecksaid.“Someonehaveaplan?”

PhilbycaughtCharlene’seye.Hesaid,“Wehaveto—”“Hideher.”“Yes.”“How?”Charleneasked.“Even if she could walk,”Maybeck said, “which I doubt—it’s not as if

anyone’sgoingtomissthat.”HewaspointingatJess’sbloodyleg.“Andweneedtofindthathyena,”Philbysaid,“andwhateveritstolefrom

Finn.”“Thebeesuits,”JessgroanedtoAmandathroughclenchedteeth.AlleyesfellonAmanda.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”Philbysaid.“One of her dreams,”Amanda explained. “She sketched out two guys in

beekeeper suits carrying her. You know: big, baggy suits and netting for ahelmet?”

Philby said, “Not beekeepers. Hazmat suits. Hazardous materials.Coveralls.” He addressed the wounded Jess. “Is that right? Suits? Goggles?Masks?”

Jessnodded.“Rubbergloves,”shesaid.“Ithoughtitwasbeekeepers.”“They call ’em protein spills,” Charlene said. “Kids puking. Passengers

whogetcutsandbleed.Protein.Getit?”“That’sdisgusting!”Maybecksaid.“Better than Puke Patrol,” Philby said. “Any guesses as to how many

peoplegetseasickonacruiseship?Andifit’sabuginsteadofseasickness,theyhavetomakesureitdoesn’tspread.”

“They dispatch teams,”Charlene said. She turned toMaybeck. “Did youreadanyofPhilby’sbackgroundnotesforthistrip?”

“I…ahh…”“Three suits,” Charlene proposed. “One, to hide her. Two more to hide

whoever’scarryingher.”“TakeMaybeckwithyou.Moresuits,ifyoucan.Aproteinspillteamcan

followthebloodtrail.”“Thatwouldbeus,”Maybecksaid,understandingwhatPhilbyhadinmind.

Iftheycouldgetfoursuits,theycoulddivideintotwoteamsoftwo—oneteamtogetJesstoastateroom;theothertofollowthehyena’sspilledblood.

“I’mallright,”Jesssaid,lying.Shestruggledtogetup.“Let’s get her to the bench,” Philby said, “before anyone sees her.We’ll

hideherleg—”“Withmybandana,”Charlenesaid,untyingherCastMemberneckerchief.“Herewego,”Philbysaid.“Youtwo…hurry!”

HAVINGFAINTEDWHENSHE’DSEENthegapinggashinherleg,Jessfeltthewarmsaltspray across her face. Warm as the sunshine that pelted down. Which wastechnically impossible, as it was currently nighttime. But dreams—especiallyJess’s dreams—were unconventional and surprisingly convincing. Only in adreamcouldyoubeabsolutelysuresomethingwashappeningthatwasnot.

Awarmbreezewas happening. Sunshinewas happening.But then itwasdark again, and therewas something soft and squishy beneath her feet: sand.Sharptwigsbelongingtobushesandshrubsscratchedhercalves.

Sand.Pricklyshrubs.Thesoundoftheocean,orwasitwind?Shefollowedagroupofdarkshapes.Notkids.Adults.Five?Four?Theystoppedperiodicallyasiftolistenforanyonefollowing.Likeher.Shestopped,matchingthem.Stayedlow.Alert.

Rocksandshadows.Acave.Theothersfollowedtheleader—awoman.Jessfollowed,runningthelongwayaroundtoavoidbeingseen.Shecrept

uptotheslantingcornerofthecave’sopening,whereahugegrayrockformedthe ceiling, and sand the floor. The rockwas smooth. Paperwasp hives hungfromtherocklikewarts.Dozens,maybehundredsofthem.Afewwaspsflewtoandfromthenests,theirtinylegsdanglinglikelandinggear.

Jess stayed hunched as she crawled inside. The group ahead of her wasaftersomething.Theywerehunting.

Andnowshewashuntingthem.

***

Finnawokeinoneof thefewinteriorstateroomsthathadnotbeenbookedforthecruise.StoreyMinghadmadeitavailable,sotheKeepershadsomewheretosleepwhen crossed-over asholograms.Ever sincehis ownmom’s loyaltyhadcome intoquestion, he’dbeenbunking inwithPhilby.But here, therewasnoone.HereachedfortheWavePhoneandsawatextmessagewaswaiting.

ruthere?

IthadbeensentfromStoreyMing’sstateroomphone.here

Ittookseverallongsecondsforanewmessagetoappear.Anxiousseconds.

jintrouble.deck4.willaok?

Finn felt thickheaded, like he’d had no sleep. It took him a moment toprocess“j”as“Jess.”Hisfeetwerealreadymovingashetexted:

onway

HeknockedonthestateroomdoorwhereheexpectedtofindthereturnedWilla. Looked in both directions. Some passengers, but no stewards or crewmembers.Heknockedlouder,andthedooropened.WillaheavedasighofreliefatthesightofFinn.

“Oh,it’syou!”Sheopenedthedoor.Finnrushedinside.“Hurry.Jessisintrouble.”“Where?”Willaasked.“Deckfour.Starboard.”“Wherewejumped.”“Yeah.”“Thehyenas?”“Wayaheadofyou,”Finnsaid.“Don’tbesucha jerk,okay?”Willawas inhis face,uponher toes.“For

onething:youareneverwayaheadofme.”Shetrembledthere,abouttoloseherbalance.

Finnnodded.“Pointtaken.”“Wenearlydrowned,”shesaid.“Sortof.”“Closeenoughforme.”“Igotusoutofit,”Finnsaid.“You?”“Sorry…Wegotusoutofit.”“Better.”

“ImayhavespokentheTritonCode,”headded.“Twice.”IttookWillaamomenttoallowherselftogrin.“AndIthankyouforthat,”

shesaid.“Nocharge.”“Jess,”shesaid,remindingthembothoftheirmission.“Yes.Andquickly.”

***

Asoneofthefiveprettiestgirlsinninthgrade,ifyoucountedMarshaColeman—and itwashardnot to—Charlenehad theattentionnotonlyofmost juniorsbut even a few seniors as well. She was “popular,” which often translated to“hot.”Shewascheckedout in thehallways.Togirlswhowere jealousofher,shewasanobjectofderision, therecipientoffar toomanytextmessages;andshe even received a few anonymous gifts from time to time, not all ofwhichwereappropriate.

Shehadalottobethankfulfor—butatthesametime,notsomuch.Boyswantedtogettoknowher,butnotinawayshehadanyinterestin.Shekepttabsonacoupleofthem,butthemoreshelearned,thelesssheliked.

Except when it came to Terry Maybeck and FinnWhitman, two of herfellowKeepers.Terry,whowasn’texactlyCalvinKleineyecandy.Terry,whoconsidered himself to be God’s gift to girls. Terry, who came from a brokenhome,hadfewclosefriends,andworkedeverydayafterschooltohelphisauntJelly. Terry, who Charlene couldn’t stop thinking about. She’d been warnedaboutfallingforthebadboys.NoonecouldputTerryinthatcategory.Notbad,justdifferent.Anartist.Someonewhowasn’tafraidtoexpresshimself.

As a cheerleader and freshman starter on the school gymnastics team,Charlene was expected to date athletes. Varsity athletes. Her friends wereconstantlytryingtomatchherwithKadenKeller,thestarsoccerplayer,orJoshBrewer—or any boywith a number on his back.Butwhile she liked them asfriends, even good friends, the jocks didn’t satisfy her romantic ideals. Shewanted someone thoughtful, funny, interesting, and interested in things otherthantheobviousstuffboyswerealwaysinterestedin.

She glanced over atMaybeck,wondering once again if he fit any of herrequirements.Andifnot,thenwhywasshealwaysthinkingabouthim?

“Keepup!”hehissedather.

“Youlooklikeapsychoinahospitalward,”shesaid.“The costume was handy. Okay? Or should I be running around in a

towel?”Thathardlybroughthermindbacktobusiness.The trick was to look like you were walking while moving close to the

speed of running. TheDisney Dream was more than three football fields inlength.Gettingfromamidshipstothebow,andmovingfromDeck4toDeck1,onecoveredagooddistance.

“Storey’sgoingtomeetus,”Maybecksaid,checkinghisphone.“Because?”Theywerestride-for-strideintheportsideDeck4hallway,the

BuenaVistaTheatretotheirright.“Shehastheall-accesscrew-membercard,”hesaid.“Uh-huh,”saidCharlene.She’dhadaboutenoughofeveryone’sfascination

withStoreyMing.Sheappreciatedthehelp,butnotthenoise.TheyreachedDeck1.Despitetheaddeddistanceshe’dhadtocoverfrom

Deck14,StoreyMinghadarrivedfirst.Withoutintroduction,shesaid,“IcangettheHitMan’s trolley—that’s what we callMr.Mop, ‘theHitMan’—but it’llonlyhaveonesuit.Twoatthemost.TheremustbeothersinCostume—Laundry—whichwon’tbe toohard toget,but it’ll takea fewminutes.Sowhatdayawanttodo?”

“I’ll takethetrolley,”Maybecksaid.“Thatway,whentherealguycomeslooking for it,we can stall him.Charliewill hanghere andwait for you.”HeaddressedCharlene.“You’llgettheothersuitsuptous.”

Charlenenodded.“You’llneedtowearasuit,”Storeycautioned.“IfUncleBobseesyouon

videowiththetrolley,he’llknowsomething’sup.WeallknowtheHitMan,andhe’snotyou.”

“Okay.Sogo.Wegottahurry!”StoreytookoffthroughtheCrewOnlydoorthatledtotheI-95corridor.“HowisthispossiblygoingtoworkoutforJess?”Charleneaskedsoftly.“You’llsee,”Maybecksaid.“Andwhataboutyou?”shesaid.“Ifyou’recaughtinthatsuit…Ifyou’re

stealing—”“Borrowing!”

“—gearthatbelongstothecrew…they’llthrowyouofftheship.”“Wegottadowhatwegottado,”he said. “If they take Jess into the ship

hospital,she’llendupinSBS,andthenwe’reallinabig-timejam.”“You’regoingtolookstupidinthatsuit.”“Me?Seriously?Idon’tthinkso.”

***

TheHitMan’ssuitwasmadeofclothlikedisposablepaper.Therewerefoursuitsonthemopcart,notthetwothatStoreyhadpredicted.Paperhoodsandheavy-dutyglovesaswell.Onlyasinglesetofgoggles.Thesuitsclosedupthebackwith Velcro: they were one-size-fits-all. While Storey was off attempting tocollect additional goggles, Charlene and Maybeck arrived at the Deck 4promenadeintheill-fittingsuits.

“Finn,”Charlenesaidexcitedly.“Willa!”The spare protein spill suitwent to Jess’s hologram.The group collected

aroundherasavisualbarrierwhileAmandaandWillahelpedherintoit.“Shecanhangontothecart,”Maybecksuggested.“We’ll get her to one of the empty rooms,” Philby said, “and treat her

there.”Maybeckworkedtheglovesawkwardlytogetaspraybottleandclothfrom

thecart.“I’mgoingaftertheotherwounded.”“Someoneelsewasbitten?”Finnsaid.Philby answered. “Maybeck hit a hyenawith a javelin. Stuck him pretty

good.Leftatrail.”Hepointedtowardthebow.“I’mwithyou,”Finnsaid,claimingthefourthsuit.“Then you’ll man the defibrillator,” Maybeck said, indicating the

emergencyboxmountedtotheship’swall.Finn,alreadyonthebenchstrugglingintothelastsuit,lookedpuzzled.The

girlsalmosthadJessintohers.“We need some kind of weapon,” Maybeck said. “I’m taking the

shuffleboardspear,butahomemadeTaserwouldn’thurt.”“I’msupposedtopaddlethem?”Finnsaid.“You’resupposedtoshocktheonethatstoletheReturn.”

“It’s not theReturn,”Finn said. “It’s a thumbdrive from theOvertakers’server.”

“Their hologram data,” Philby said as all eyes turned to him for anexplanation. “If we can get that drive back, even if the OTs launch anotherserver,Icanwriteasearch-and-replaceprogramthatwilleffectivelyshutdowntheirDHIs.Each time they try to cross over, the networkwill reject the data.They’llnevergetprojected.”

Finnglancedoveratthedefibrillator.“Philby,you’regoingtohavetotellmehowtoworkthatthing.”

***

Dressedinthewhitepapercoveralls,hood,andrubbergloves,Finncarriedthedefibkitwiththeredbrokenheartontheside.Maybeckheldaspraybottle,rag,andtheblood-tippedshuffleboardcuehandle.Ateachspotofspilledbloodtheypausedtospraydisinfectantandwipe theareaclean.Theyquicklyapproachedthe bow, where the promenade entered a metal tunnel and continued to port,creatingajoggingloopusedbyrunnersandwalkers.

Theyworkedquickly,notwanting to lose the trail.But at the same time,theyhadtolookthepart.Theycouldn’tpassupbloodspills.

Astheyenteredthetunnel,Finnfeltashiver.“Yousmellthat?”hesaid.

***

GregLuowskihaddoneashe’dbeentold.Asthebiggestboyinhisclasssincesecondgrade,Gregdidn’ttakeorderseasily.Theyweretohimasvinegarwastooil,orwatertofire.TosayGregchallengedauthoritywastogivehimtoomuchcredit. He was more of a bumper car at an amusement park; he went in thedirection he was pushed, crashing and forcing his way, rarely mindful of theconsequences.He’dbeenrecruitedbytheOvertakersthroughaYouTubevideosomeonehade-mailedhim.Hedidn’trememberclearlywhathadhappenedafterthat,buthiseyesweregreennow—notthathismothernoticed;shedidn’tnoticeanythingaboutherson—andinsteadofbeingtoldnottomaketroubleforotherkids,hewasencouragedtodoso.

Ordered,ifhewashonestaboutit—whichhewasnot.

He got cool stuff in return, like a Disney cruise. Even if he’d sneakedaboardandwascurrentlyastowaway.Sowhat?Hewasstillontheship,wasn’the?

Sowhentheordercametostopthehyena,whenhewasauthorizedtousetheTaserhe’dbeengiven,Greg jumpedat theopportunity.Howcool toshootoffastungun!He’donlyseenitdoneonce,inthebackofaceramicsshop.Thisbigladyhadfallentothefloorlikethestuffinghadcomeoutofher.

Gregknewthere’dbenothingtoit.Aim.Fire.Bigdeal.But then thingschanged.Then thisnewworldofhisbegan to frayat the

edges.Therewerelimits,evenforGregLuowski.Andwhatthesepeoplewereaskinghim—orderinghimtodo…ForthefirsttimesincebecominganOTK,GregLuowskifeltlikearatina

maze,lookingforawayout.Anyway.

***

Thesmellwasatoncemetallicanddangerous;itstruckaprimevalchordinFinnthattoldhimtorun.

“I’mnotlikingthis,”hesaid.“Ihearyou.”“Maybeweshouldturnaround.”“Weneedthatthumbdrive,”Maybeckremindedhim.“I’m theonewhogot it in the first place,”Finn said,wipingup the spot

Maybeckhadsprayed.Thequantityofspilledbloodhadincreased.Neitherboymentionedit,butneithermissediteither.

“Where’d it go?”Maybeck said, his goggle-covered eyes trained on thedeck.Thebloodtrailhadbeenregularandpredictable—everyeighttotenfeet—untilhere,attheforwardsectionofthejoggingtrack,whereitvanished.

“Weird,”Finnsaid.“Youthinkitwasmagicallyhealed?”“Nah.Maleficentdoesn’thavethatkindofpower.”“TiaDalmamight.”Maybecksoundedworried.“Idon’tputanythingpast

her.”

“Youthinkit’sTiaDalmawho’srunningtheOTs?”Finnasked.Foryearsthere had been speculation thatMaleficent was not the top Overtaker. “WhataboutChernabog?”

“Anything’spossible.”“Exactly.”“ButifwecouldcaptureTiaDalma…”Maybecksaid.“Yeah.I’mwithyou.”“Whitman!”Maybeck’s shout stopped Finn cold. Finn tugged back the paper hood in

ordertoseewhereMaybeckwaspointing:thejambofoneofthecloseddoorscarriedaredsmear.Blood.

Thedoor’ssignwarned:DANGER:

CREWMEMBERSONLYBEYONDTHISPOINT

Maybeckmutteredacurseword.Finn’s family had a rule about not using such language, and though he

neveradmittedit tohisfriends,hedidn’tlikehearingthem.“Youthink?”Finnsaid.

“Ithink,”Maybeckanswered.Hetriedthedoorhandle.Itmoved.Thedooropenedacrack.Hereachedforthelightswitch.

“Nolights,”Maybecksaid.“Youthinksomeonetookcareofthem?”“Ifthatwasthecase,we’dbenutstogointhere.”“Nodoubt.”“Butwe’regoinginanyway?”Finnsaid,tentatively.“You’retheleader.”Ithadneverbeenvotedon.ButFinndidn’tdeny it. “Weneed the thumb

drive,”herepeated.“Noargumentfromme.”Maybeckhungeredforsuchadventure;helistenedtojacked-upmusicand

flaunted his independence. The rest of the KKs tolerated conflict; Maybeckseemedtothriveonit.Maybeithadtodowithangeroverhislivingsituation—noneoftheKeepersknewwhethersomethinghadhappenedtohisparentsorifthey’dbailedonhim.Ormaybehewasanadrenalinejunkie.Finnwasn’tinany

hurrytorushintosomethingsimplybecauseMaybeckwantedto.Throughthedoor, theyfoundthemselvesinamostlyopenareawherethe

anchorsanddockinglineswereneatlystored.Thewindcarriedwithitsaltandthesweetscentofthesea.Butmixedintothiswereother,disgustingodors,likeanouthouseinthesun,likegarbagecanssetoutonthecurb,likeamousethathadbeenunderthecouchforthepastweek.

Somethingdead.Finnfaltered.Maybeckcursedunderhisbreath.“Whoa,”hemuttered.“Iknow,”Finnsaid.Thereweretwoinvertedrowboatsstrappedtightlytothedeck.Afiberglass

rescuelaunchwasslungoverhead,lookinglikeaminiaturetugboat.Twinspoolsthesizeofsmallcarswere loaded to fullwith twistedsteelcableas thickasaman’sforearm.Eachplayedouttoamonstrouschainneatlyorderedonthedeck,leading to one of the ship’s two anchors,weighing four tons—eight thousandpoundsofiron.Therowboatsandthedarknessblockedthesightoftheforwarddeck.SomethingcrunchedbeneathFinn’sleatherdeckshoes.

“Glass,”Finnsaid.“Thelights.”“We could report the broken lights,” Finn sug- gested. “Whatever we’re

smelling…whoevercamelooking…they’dfindit.”“Andthat’sagoodthing?”MaybeckandFinnstoppedattheexactsamemoment,compelledtodoso

bythesuddenstench.“Onthree,”Maybecksaid.Finn wasn’t waiting. He used the face of the phone to cast a green pall

acrossthedeck.Heretched.Maybeckblewhiscookiesontotheinvertedrowboat.Hecursedagain.Beforethem,lyingonthedeckatoptheneatlyorderedcoilofchain,wasa

hyena,cutopenandeviscerated.Maybeckturnedawayfromthegruesomesight.Finntriedtomakesenseofit.Aritualisticsacrifice.SomethingaCreolewitchdoctorwoulddo?

“Psst!” Finn caught Maybeck’s attention. By moving the light from hisphone away from the horror and incrementally to his right—starboard—he

illuminatedalineofthinS’sonthepainteddeck.Maybeckpickeduponitandnodded,wipingspittlefromhislips.BloodredS’s,fromtheedgeofarubber-soledshoestampinganever-fainter

lineofcoloralongthedeck.Finnturnedaway,notwantingtomakeabigdealoutofit.

The line led into thedark shadowsbetweenapair of steel girderson theouterhullthatsupportedtheoverheaddeck.

Someonewashidingthere.Finnsuppressedtheurgetoscream,tochargeintotheshadowsandattack

whoeverhadslainthehyenainthishorridmanner.Retribution.“We need to tell someone,” Maybeck said, louder than necessary, loud

enoughtobeheardbywhoeverwaslurkingafewyardsaway.Heleanedagainsttheopposingrowboat,asdidFinn,theirbackstothegirders.

Finn tooknoticeof the coveralls, realizingwhoever itwaswouldbelievethemtobecrewmembers,notkidsimpersonatingcrewmembers.ForamomentbothheandMaybeckhadforgottentheirroles.

“Youmeantohelpuscleanitup,”Finnsaid.“Ah…yeah. Of course,” Maybeck said, catching on. “Disposal. Easiest

thingistotossitovertheside,butthey’llwanttoincinerateit.”“They’llwanttoexplainit,”Finnsaid.“Nojoke.Sincewhenaredogsallowedonboard?”“That’soneuglydog,”Finnsaid.“Youseetheneckonthatthing?”Allthewhilehe’dbeenunpackingthedefibrillatorwhilesignalingwithhis

gloved hands, pointing first to the wall behind them, then counting down byputtinguponefingeratatime.

When Finn’s third finger lifted, Maybeck spun to the far side of therowboat; Finn stayed on the bow side and charged the dark, lugging thedefibrillator along with him. He dropped the main business of the thing,extendingthewiredstickersoutlikeaweapon.

Twoguysjumpedoutofthedark.NomatterthatFinnhadbeenexpectingsomething like this; he startled and trippedon a deck-mounted cleat andwentdown hard. Defending himself from the fall, he let go the defibrillator’selectronic stickers. Suddenly defenseless, he rolled into the ankles of the twoboysandknockedthemdown.

Maybecktookthebiggerofthetwo,whileFinnrolledontopoftheother

one.ButMaybeckjumpedbackasasteelbladeflashedinthelowlight.“Back!”GregLuowskisaid,lungingwiththeknife.“Offhim!”Finnpaused,thenletgooftheotherkid.Theonlylight—andtherewasn’tmuchofit—camefromtheopendoorto

thejoggingtrack.ThelightplayedacrossLuowski’ssullenfaceinpatchyscabs.Finnwasnostrangerto thebully,buthe’dneverseenhimlikethis.Theboy’sdullCro-Magnoneyeswerealightwithenergy,liketheeyesofaguyonastreetcornertalkingloudlytothepassingtraffic.Luowskilookedunsureandunstable.Ifanything,itmadehimmoredangerous.

The other boywasn’t a boy at all. Hewas in his thirties,maybe,with abony,pinchedfaceandunfocusedeyessetclose together.Heworeallblack,astagehand’s costume, and a name tag that Finn couldn’t read because of theangle.

“Noproblem,Greg.”“Shutup,Whitless.”JudgingbyLuowski’sblood-cakedclothesandhands,theywerelookingat

thehyena’skiller.“Heswallowedit,”Maybecksaid,figuringitout.“Thehyena.Theymade

yougoafterit.”Luowskisaidnothing,buthedidn’thaveto:hewashorrifiedbywhathe’d

done.“Nicepeopleyou’reworkingwith,”Maybecksaid.“Shutit!”“They’renotpeople,”Finnsaid.LuowskiwavedtheknifeinFinn’sdirection.“Isaid—”“Yeah,yeah,wegotit,”Maybecksaid.“Letmeaskyouthis:afterwhatyou

justdid,howcanyoupossiblywaveaknifeatus?Fellowhumanbeings.Yougonnacutusopenlikethat?”

Luowski’sknifehandlowered.Hewasbreathinghard;helookedsick.“Myadvice: get off this ship before they carry you off. I’m telling you, she’s notgoingtoletanythingstopher.”

She?Finnthought.Whichwitch?Whatwoman?Whatgirl?“Fromdoingwhat?”heasked.Luowskialmostlookedreadytotellhim.Withhishandlowered,Maybeck

couldhavejumpedhim,buthethoughtbetterofit.“TiaDalma?Maleficent?TheEvilQueen?”“I have no idea,” Luowskiwhispered. “I don’twant to know.”His body

shookfromhead to toe.Finnsensed that the realGregLuowskiwasheld inaspell.

Thenitoccurredtohim:theotherguywaslikelyundersomekindofspell,too.

“Wecanhelpyou,”FinntoldLuowski.Maybeck’squestioninglookthreatenedFinn.“GetoutofherebeforeIhurtyou,”Luowskisaid,brandishingtheknife.“I’dlistenifIwereyou.”Theunnamedmanspokeinagravellymonotone.

Definitelydrugged,drunk,orunderaspell.“You’renotus,”Maybecksaid.Finn stepped back carefully. Maybeck matched him step for step, but

reluctantly;hewantedafight.Finn said, “We need theUSBdrive,Greg. Its contents, at the very least.

Makeaduplicate.Who’sgoingtoknow?”“I’ll know,” theman—Dixon—said. Finn could finallymake out his full

nametag.“Whothatmattersisgoingtoknow?”Maybecksaid,makingsuretodirect

thisatDixon.Luowskispokeinthesamegrindingwhisper.“Getofftheship.Allofyou.

Getoffandstayoff.I’mtellingyou:theymeanbusiness.”“Betterlistentohim,boys.”Finnfeltgoosefleshrippleacrosshisskin.HespokedirectlytoGreg,doing

hisbesttoignoreDixon.“Cometous.Anytime.Anywhere.Wecanhelp.”“Someonewilldie,”Luowskisaid.“Oneofyou—you’lldie.”Heblurteditoutlikehewasdivulgingasecret.Foramomenttheyallstood

stillasstatues.ThenFinnsteppedbackuntilhereachedthedoortothepromenade.Heand

Maybecknevertooktheireyesoffthetwomenastheyretreated.Luowskistillheldthebloodyknife.

Someonewilldie,Finnthought.

Oneofyou.

ITWAS SOMETHING OF aKeepers convention in stateroom816.Finn andMaybeckshedtheircoverallsandjoinedtheotherKeepers—Willa,Philby,andCharlene—along with the hologram of Amanda and the real-life Storey Ming. Jess’ssputtering, sparking hologram lay on the bed, the leg wound sometimesbleeding,sometimesnot,dependingonhercurrentstate.

“Whatamess,”Charlenesaid.“Keepcalm,”saidPhilby.Finn tried to catchAmanda’s eye, but shewouldn’t lookhisway.To say

they’dbeenmore than friends for thepastyearwasanunderstatement. Itwassomethingspecial,andtheybothknewit.ButthingshadnoticeablycooledoffsinceFinnhad accusedher of leading theOvertakers intoTyphoonLagoon, aconflict that had left Finn’s mother under the Overtakers’ power. He’d beenstupid.Ithadcomeoutofhismouthallwrong.Hewasn’tsureifAmandawouldforgivehim.ThepossibilityofthatlossleftFinnwithasickeningfeelinginhisgut.Onlyonethinghadeclipsedthisreaction:thatmomentwhenhe’dlookedathismotherbehindthewheelintheTyphoonLagoonparkinglotandhadseenhismother’sbright-greeneyes.

Shehadbeenbornwithblueeyes.Thatmomenthadbeenparalyzing.Terrifying.Finn’smotherwassomewhereontheshipnow.Ifhe’dbeensuccessful in

threateningTiaDalma, she’dbehismother,not some ladyundera spell.Finnwas itching to findher andmake sure shewasokay; itching to haveAmandarelentandallowhimbackintoherworld;itchingtogetJesstakencareofsohecouldfigureitallout.

Butasleader,heknewhehadtostayfocusedonthetaskathand.Heknewto put the needs of the group first and his own desires last, no matter howfrustratingandpainful.

“Weneedtofixher leg,makesureAmandaisreturnedfirst,andthengetJesssafelyback,”hesaid.“Philby,youneedtogettotheRadioStudio,soonly

AmandagoesonthefirstReturn.”“Whydidyoucome,anyway?”WillaaskedAmanda,somewhataccusingly.

Thequestionhushedtheothers.“I told you, Wanda. Jess’s dream about Maleficent and the Evil Queen

capturingCharlie—Charlene,”Amandacorrected,knowingCharleneonlylikedtheboystousehermasculinenickname.“Thebeesuits.Herdreams,hervisions—whatever—getalltangled.Wandawantedushereasbackup.”

“Let’sstayonpoint,please,”saidProfessorPhilby.“Whatmattersisrightnow.”

“Onceshereturns,Jessisgoingtobeinsomeseriouspain,”Charlenesaid.“Amanda,you’regoinghavetobereadyforthat.Shemaycryout.”

“Ice,”Willa said. “We can numb thewoundhere.When she returns, it’llstillbenumb.”

“Numbornot,”Maybecksaid,“thatthing’sgoingtohurt.”

***

Amanda scratched and clawed at the darkness like she’d had a blanket tossedoverher.PulledherselfupandoutofanightmareinwhichFinntriedtokisshergood-byeand sheputherhandup tohis face, stoppinghim likea traffic cop.Pulledatthefabricofherunconsciousasitbunchedatherfeet,stillallowingnolighttopenetrate.Justthen,asound.Athinelectronicwhinethatsheknewwellbut couldn’t place. No, wait! It was their roommate’s CD player, an ancientportablethingthatthegirlusedtolistento“massagemusic”tohelphersleep.

Amandawasreturning.Sheopenedhereyes,threwherlegsofftheupperbunk,andjumpedtothe

floor,arrivingat Jess’ssideashersister satup inpain,herstartledeyeswide.She grabbed for her leg. Amanda covered Jess’s lips and signaled quiet. Jesssqueezedhereyesshutandnodded,tearsrunningdownherface.

Amandacarefullypeeledback thebeddingandwinced.Even in thedark,she could see the stain on the sheets and the open wound on Jess’s leg. Shecheckedrepeatedlytomakesuretheirroommatewassleeping.ShehelpedJessoutofbed,and together theywent into thehallwaybathroom.Amanda lockedthedoorbehindthemandranwarmwater.

“Thebandagesdidn’treturn,”shetoldJess.

“Isortoffiguredthatout.Theicedidn’tworksogreateither,I’msorrytosay.”

Amandatouchedaroundthewound.Infact,itwasincrediblycold—theicetreatment had worked— which meant it was only going to hurt worse as itwarmedup.

“There’sointmenthere,”Amandasaid,checkingthemedicinecabinet.“I’llwashit.Thenwe’llbandageitagain.”

“I’mgoingtobefine.”“It’snasty.”“It’slikeafewcutsalltogether.Nobigdeal.”“Itisabigdeal,andyouknowit.”JessbitherlipsasAmandawashedthewoundwithsoapandwater.“You’realotbraverthanIam,”Amandasaid.“Weneedtogetbackontheship.”“Chill.Weneedtogetyouhealed.”“I had almost the same dream again. Maleficent and the Evil Queen.

Someplacedark.Acave, I think,sameas last time.But this timeIwas inside,andif itwasCharlene,Idon’t thinkshewasalone.It lookedlikeherfromtheback,butwhensheturned…therewasascarfwrappedaroundher.Maybearopearoundherneck.Icouldn’tseeherfaceclearly.Idon’tknowexactlywhatwasgoing on, but if it was Charlene, I think they meant to kill her. We have toprotecther.WehavetotelltheKeepers.”

“IcansendPhilbyane-mail.Youstaystill.”“Itdoesn’tfeelright.Weneedtobeontheshipwiththem.”“Iknow,butwe’renot.Andyou’reinnoconditiontogoanywhere.”Amanda’s phone vibrated. Itwas insanely late to receive a text or a call.

Drivenbycuriosity,shecheckedthedevice.“It’sfromWanda.Atext.”“Saying?”Amandaread,“‘Sorry tohearaboutcurrentsituation.Textmebackwhen

you twoareable toTAKEANAP.’Shecapitalized that lastpart.What’swiththat?”

“Sheprobablythoughtyouwouldn’tgetituntiltomorrowmorning.”“So?”

“Sosomeonewantsustocrossover.”“Well,that’snotgoingtohappen!You’reinjured!”“Amanda, she knows that. They wouldn’t cross us over if we couldn’t

handleit.Theymustneedus.”“Needyou,youmean,”Amandasaid,emphasizingJess’s importance.For

yearsithadbeenthesame:everyonewantedwhatJesshad.Herabilitytodreamthefuturewasmorepreciousthanmoney.

“I’llprobablyfeelbettercrossedover.Soifyou’reworriedaboutme,don’t.Writeherbackandtellherwe’regoingtosleepnow.”

“It’snotright.”“It’s Wayne. It’s Wanda. It’s right. They’ll have us back by morning.

Remindthemof that in the text—thatMrs.Nashwillcheckonus ifwe’renotdownforbreakfast.”

“As if you’ll get downstairs like that,”Amanda said, the phone suddenlyheavyinherhand.

***

Amandaawokebeneathasuperstructureofmetalbeamsonanopen-air,circulartiledterrace.IttookherseveralsecondstorecognizeitasthebaseofMickey’sSorcerer’sHatatDisney’sHollywoodStudios.

She studied her hand’s peculiar quality—a luminescence that shewishedwashers.Itwas,infact,herhologram’s.She’dcrossedover.

Jesswastoherleft.Amandaworetheboxershortsandspaghetti-straptanktopthatshealwayssleptin.Jessstillworetheclothesshe’dbeenwearingwhenshewasinjuredontheship.Herbandageswereblood-soakedandnasty.

“Howareyou?”Amandaasked.“Idon’tthinkithurtsasmuch.”Amanda took Jess’s hologram hands and began dragging her awkwardly

intotheshadows.Inthatmoment,avoicecalledout.“Willow?”A red-haired girl in a purple clamshell bikini top approached. Amanda

froze.ItwasAriel!Recalling Willa’s stories about Ariel saving her here in the Studios,

Amandasmiledandcalledback.

“FriendsofWilla’s.I’mAmanda.ThisisJess.”“Ah!”Ariel’seyesgrewlargerasshetookinJess.Itwasobviousshedidn’t

seetheinjury,orchosetoignoreit.“Thesorceress,Jezebel!”“Hardlyasorceress,”Jesssaid,sittingup,butunabletostand.“Weoweagreatdebttoyouandtheothers,”Arielsaid.“It’stheotherwayaround,”Jesssaid.“Weall—everyonewhocomestothe

parks—worshipyouguys.”“Guys?”Arielsaidcuriously.“Characters,”Amanda.“You,thecharacters.Weweresenthereby—”“TheImagineers,”Arielsaid.“TheElder.”“Wayne,”Amandasaid.She’dneverheardhimcalledthat.Jess couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Is our coming here connected to the

theftofthejournalfromthelibrary?”WhenArielsmiled, theterracefilledwithasoft light.“Ibelieveyoumay

befamiliarwithmyfriends.”Shegestured into theshadows.Threesilhouettesappeared,twoofthemdistinctive.TiggerandPluto.Astheycameintothelight,AmandaandJesssawthatthesultryfemaleformwasMegara,fromHercules.

None looked exactly like their film animations, but again, each wasunmistakable.

“Wewishtohelpyou,”Megarasaidinasilkyvoice.ShelookeddirectlyatJess’sleg.Shewaspossiblythemostbeautifulofallthecharactersthegirlshadeverencounteredinperson.“Telephus,sonofHercules,ishereinspirit.”

Amanda looked around the area. The Engineering Base was only a fewhundred yards from where they stood. “You’re exposed here. We know ourenemiestobeinthearea.”

“Youforget,”Arielsaidinaneerilycalmvoice.“Longbeforeyouandyourfriends came along, my friends and I were battling these same forces. Everynightfordecades.Yes,itismoreseriousnow.Yes,theeviloneshaveorganizedinwaysweneverbelievedpossible.Butwearequiteawareofthedangers.”

“ThebattleforBase.”“Hassubsided,atleasttemporarily.”“TheKeepersweretoldonlydaysagothefinalbattlewasimminent!”“Thedarknessappearstolackleadership.”“Weknowwheretheleadersare.Butthere’satechnologythatcouldallow

thembackhereatanymoment.”“Idonotknowthiswordtek…”“It’s…aformofmagic.Itcomesfromthepoweroflightning.Wearetrying

topreventtheleadersfromappearingmagically.”Amandaranherhologramarmthrough a wooden kiosk stand. Ariel was clearly impressed by thedemonstration.

“You see,Amanda,” she said, “once upon a time—forever, actually—theevil ones’ imagined superiority over one another has prevented them fromworkingtogethereffectively.Theyhavebattledeachother,ratherthanus.Thisgave us an advantage. Now it is different. They have come togetherunexpectedly.This iswhyyourfriends likeWillowweresummoned.It iswhyallofyouarehere.”

Ariel’scalm,liltingvoiceaffectedAmanda.Itiswhyallofyouarehere.Tiggerjumpedupanddown.PlutonuzzledAmanda.Shepettedhim.MegaraapproachedJess,kneltbyherside,andkissedJessontheforehead.“Youhavesacrificedandsufferedmuch,mydear.Wewishtothankyou.”

AsMegararanherhanddirectlyabovethewound,shewhispered,“Theoracleof Delphi once said, ‘He that wounded, shall heal.’ Do you know what thismeans?”Assheasked,shepulledoutasmallleatherpursesackandlooseneditsdrawstring.Shereachedinside.

“Isuppose,”Jesssaidthroughclenchedteeth,thepaintighteningherthroat,“Ineedtohealthismyself?”

Megara chuckled. “Not exactly, child. To the contrary, it means all oneneedsisthesourceoftheinjurytoendtheeffectsoftheinjury.”Shepulledouttwo small white teeth from the bag. “Hyenas are part cat, part dog. Did youknowthat?”shemusedtoherselfasArielpassedheraknifeandMegarascrapedeachtoothwiththeblade.Shecollectedatinyamountoftoothdustinherpalm.

“Youmustn’tfearthis,child,”Megarasaid.Sherubbedthetoothdustintotheopenwound.

ItwasasiftwodifferentphotosofJess’sleghadreplacedeachother:oneshowingthewound;one,without.

“There,”Megarasaid.“Thatshouldfeelbetter.”The rip remained in Jess’spant leg,but thewoundwasclosedandclean.

Jessflexedherlegeffortlessly.“Noway…”

Megara grinned serenely. “They have not defeated us yet,my child! Themagiclives,Iassureyou.Thereisstillmuchtofightfor.”

“This iswhyWanda…”Amandamuttered,hereyesbrimmingwith tears,unabletocontainherjoyatthehealingmiracle.

“Wearea team,”Ariel said. “Megara’spowers…well, this is child’splayforher.”

Itmightbechild’splay,butMegara looked tiredanddrained.Clearly thehealinghadtakensomethingoutofher.

Arielcontinued,“Weaskthatyoucometobelieveinus.Torelyuponus.Weareatyourdisposal.Weaskthatyoutelltheothers:youarenotalone.Youwilldothisforus?Youwilltellthemaboutthepowerofourmagic,please?”

“Yes!”Amandasaid.“Ofcourse!”echoedJess.Itiswhyallofyouarehere.

FINN MET STOREY MING outside the Radio Studio just after three that samemorning,thesunfarfrombeingevenapinksmudgeonthehorizon.

Finnhadsneakedoutofhisstateroom,feelingabitlikeatraitorforleavingPhilbybehind.

“This seems a little cloak-and-dagger to me,” Storey said. “Aren’t webasicallygoingbehindPhilby’sback?”

Her concern about Philbymade Finnwonder about hermotive.Was sheinterestedinPhilby?

All things girl confused Finn. Specifically, Amanda confused him. Theyhadn’thadachancetotalkthenightbefore.Finnwantedsobadlytogetthingsrightwithheragain,buthehadnoideahowtorewindandresethislife.

AndwashemoreinterestedinStoreythanhe’dadmitted?Storey challenged him with a take-no-prisoners look. “He put this call

throughlasttime,right?”Finnhopedtheheathefeltinhisfacewasn’tshowing.“Right.”Nowhegotit.Shewasn’tsuggestingthatsheandFinnlikedeachotherand

werecuttingPhilbyout.StoreyfearedthatFinnwasbetrayingtheotherKeepersbyaskingher,notPhilby,toconnecthimwithWayne.

“It’sjust…likeaphonecall,”hesaid.“Thinkofitasaphonecall.”“Butthenwhycouldn’tPhilbydoit?”“Is this about Philby?” Finn said,wonderingwho hadmade thosewords

comeoutofhismouth.Whatastupidthingtosay!“IswhataboutPhilby?”NowStoreywasblushing.“I’mnotcomplaining.

AmIwhining?It’searly,ifI’mwhining—”“You’renotwhining.”“There aren’t a lot of guys Iwould get up early for, Finn, if that’swhat

you’re asking. People,” she said, attempting to correct herself. “Not a lot ofpeople.”

“Iguessweshoulddothis,”hesaid.She stepped to within an inch of him, their faces almost touching. The

landingoutsidetheRadioStudiohadfeltchillyuntilthatmoment.“Youthink?”shewhispered.“Metoo.”

Ifhedroppedhischinor leanedforwardtheywouldkiss.Until thenFinnhadn’trealizedhowphenomenallyperfecthereyeswere.Theyseemedoversizedandbottomless.Hewantedtodiveinthereandswimaroundinsideherthoughtsanddiscoverwhatshewasreallythinking.

Storeyreachedupandstrokedhisneckandear.Hefeltshiversripthroughhim.“Youareanincredibleperson.Youknowthat?”

“You’retheonewhokeepssavingus.”“Imeanasaperson.Howyoucaresomuchabouteveryone.Thinkofthem

first.Putotherpeoplefirstallthetime.”“That’s not exactlyme…”How could she smell so good so early in the

morning?“Andyou’remodest,ontopofeverythingelse.”“You haveme confusedwith a secret agent who looks an awful lot like

me.”“Andfunny.”Thiswasit.Hewassupposedtokisshernow.Everythinginsidehimwas

tellinghimthat;everythingbuthisbrain,whichwasscreamingforhimtoturnanabout-faceandscram.

Theelevatordinged.Storey swipedher crewmember IDbadge to the left of thedoor and the

RadioStudiounlocked.ShegrabbedFinn’shandandpulled.Sheeasedthedoorshut.Click.Shepacedherindexfingerinfrontofherveryfulllipsandkepthimquiet—thoughFinnhardlyneededtobetold;hecouldn’tthink,muchlessspeak.

Soon,StoreyhadmadecontactwithLouMongelloofWDWRadio,whoseWeb-basedradioshowservedasaninterfacetoshipboardcommunicationwithWayne. Lou, who sounded enthusiastic despite the early hour, patched themthrough.SoonFinnheardWayne’sscratchyvoicecomethroughtheheadphones.

“Wehavemanagedtoencryptthetransmissionthistime,”Waynesaid.“Noneedforcodespeak.”

“O…kay.Isthatwhyitsoundslikeyou’reontheNorthPole?”Finnsaid.“Actually,I’mmuchcloserthanthat.Much.”

“You’reonthesub!”Finnsaid.Storey’seyeswentwide.Thensheputonherownsetofheadphones,and

Finncouldhearshe’dcrankedupmusicsoastonoteavesdrop.Hethoughtallthemoreofherfordoingthat.

“Icannotconfirmordenymycurrent location,”Waynesaid.“WhatIcantell you—because we haven’t much time—is that your situation has taken aprecariousturn.”

“Asindangerous.”FinntoldhimaboutthehyenaattackonJess.“I’msorry tohear about Jezebel,”Wayne said,usinganame thegirlhad

oncebeengivenbyMaleficent. It struckFinnasanoddchoice forWayne;hedid not question it. “But Iwas actually referring to the incident onCastawayCay.Shipradarhasconfirmedthelandingofaplane.”

“Yes!Chernabog,”Finnsaid.“They’vebroughthimonboard.”“Thenyoumustfindhim.YoumustworkwithBob—UncleBob,theycall

him.Security.”“I’veseenhimaround.”“Hemaynotbelieveyou.Thatmayposeabitofaproblem—”“Youthink?”“ButnowTiaDalma’spresencetheremakesmuchmoresense.”“Because?”“She’s…clever.” It wasn’t often Wayne was at a loss for words. “She’s

powerfulandcunningand,asyoufoundout,noonetotanglewith.”Hepaused.“Toresistherpowerisfutile.Withheryoumustloseyourselftowin.”

“Whatdoesthatevenmean?”Finnasked.Finnheardnoisesinthebackground.Waynerushedhisnextwords.“How’s

yourmother?”ThequestionhitFinnasawkward.“Mymother?I…ah…haven’tseenher.I

afraidshemayhave…vanished.”“No, actually, she hasn’t.Worry not. Certain factions loyal to our cause

have hidden her.They are taking care of her.”Wayne often spoke cryptically.Whethertooverdramatizeortomotivate,Finnwasn’tsure.ButitbotheredFinnbecauseitworked.Hisheartspedup.

“Youwon’tseemuchofheron thisvoyage,”Waynecontinued,“ifatall.Butdon’tletthatworryyou.She’sresting.Recovering.She’sgoingtobefine.”

Finnknewbetterthantoargue,butcouldn’thelphimself.“Ifit’sallthesame,I’dreallyliketoseeher,”hesaid.“It’snotadvisable.Wehaveconcerns.Threats…”“Wealwayshaveconcerns,”Finncountered.“She’snotinvolved.”“But shewas seen as being part of it. She drove you to yourmeeting at

TyphoonLagoon.Thatmadeherpartofit.”“Iwanttoseemymom.”“Andputherat risk?Atadditional risk?Yousavedher,Finn.Leave itat

thatfornow.Allowhertofullyrecover.”Finndidn’twanthismothertobeanypartofthis.Asmuchashewantedto

seeher—neededtoseeher—hewouldn’tforgivehimselfheputindangeragain.“Wehavemorepressingmatters,”Waynesaid.“FirstistheBase.Wehave

signsthatourfriendsareregrouping,possiblyforamajoroffensive.”TheOvertakershadbeenattemptingasiegeonDisneyWorld’sEngineering

Base for some time. Seizing control of Base would give them not only fullcontroloftheattractionsandelectronicsecurityatallthemajorparks,butaccesstotheDHIservers,whichhadrecentlyundergoneasoftwareupgrade.DHI2.0eliminatedbugsandexponentiallyincreasedhologramperformance.Likegoingfrom a bicycle to a Porsche. Loss of the Base would crippleWayne and theImagineers in theirefforts tokeeptheparksfunctioningasusual; itmightalsoputtheKeepersoutofbusinessforgood.

“We doubt verymuch,”Waynewent on, “that any attemptwill bemadeuntil the leaders are off the ship.But there’s a catch: if they’re able to restarttheir ownholograms, all bets areoff.TheirDHIs could lead thebattle for theBasewhiletheirbodiessleepontheship,Finn.”

“Iunderstand.”“Thatmustbepreventedatallcosts:theymustnotgetaserverrestarted.”“We lost their data.” Finn blurted it out forWayne to digest. “It was…

messy.Wehadit,andwelostit.”“Allthemorecritical,then,”atroubledWaynesaid.“Iunderstand.”“Ihopeyoudo.”Wayne rarely scolded Finn, but Finn felt horrible nonetheless for letting

himdown.Theoldmandidn’tspeakforseverallongseconds;Finncouldhaveswornheheard thehumofengines in thebackground.Again,he thought:The

sub.HemarveledattheideathatKingTritonmightactuallyhavesavedhimbysummoningCaptainNemo, and thatWayne could possibly be on theNautiluswithhim.AsmuchasFinnwasreadyforhisroleasaDHItoend,forlifetogobacktonormal,momentslikethismadehimwantittogoonforever.

“Morepressingforthemomentisthisplane.YoutellmeChernabogisnowonboardtheship.Youmustfindhim.”

“It’swhythey’reontheship,isn’tit?”Finnasked.“SomethingtodowithChernabog.Thejournal.TiaDalmabeingawitchdoctor.”

“Iwarnedyoubefore that themissionmay involveresurrecting thebeast.Youhavetounderstand,Finn.HowdoIputthis?Hispowers,shouldtheyeverreturn, should they ever be at the levelWalt originally imagined…You see?Fantasiawas as close asWalt ever got to showing us just howbad…towhatdegreethischaracterispossessedbyevil.YoucrosstheMinotaurwithaCentralAmerican bat god, and you get not only themost hideous, powerful physicalfeaturesofboth,butthepoweroftwoculturesaswell.TheGreeks.TheMayans.Onehadactive imaginations, theotherhorrificpracticesandbackwardbeliefs.Shouldtheintentionbetoreturnthisbeasttoitsfullabilities?Well,Godhelpusall.”

“So,wefindhim…andthenwhat?”“Soconfident.”“I’mtrying.AllI’msayingiswe’lltry.”“And I thank you for that. Okay. First? Let’s say you find him prior to

whatevertheyhaveplannedforhim.Totheawakening—ifI’mrightaboutthat.Inthatcase,Bobmayhaveaholdthatcancontainhim.”

“This ship is made of steel,” Finn reminded Wayne. “Of course it cancontainhim.”

“Isee.You’resuddenlytheexpert?”“Ididn’tmean—”“Finn,youlosttheDHIdata.Andnowyou’renotlistening.IfChernabog

regains his full cognitive and physical abilities, nothing you have—nothinganyoneonthatshiphas—willstophim.”

“You’rekidding,right?”“You will recall your encounter at Expedition Everest, please. Even at

twenty-fiveorfiftypercentofhispotential,he’sstillmanytimesthestrengthandevilofanythingyouandyourfriendshaveencountered.”

OnlyAmandahadmanagedtosaveFinnfromChernabog.“But…”“Any…thing, any…one you have battled. Maleficent is a mere pawn in

comparison.”Finnfeltachill.“Chernabogistheembodimentofevilandlethalforce.Wehaven’tseenthe

halfofhim.”“So…?”“They may have cut off their noses to spite their faces,” Wayne said.

“They’vebroughthimonboardinordertotransporthimsomewherethecruiseisgoing.Idoubtseriouslytheawakening,ifthat’swhat’satplay,istotakeplaceon the ship itself. They could have awakened him on Castaway. But they’vechosen to takehimout to sea. If you can findhim, ifBob can containhim—perhaps drug him—before he’s fully conscious, it’s at least possible that hemightbedrowned.Batsdonotswim.Ifyoucandrownhim…Theshipmaybeouronechance.Butonceonland…”

“You’rescaringme.”“Good.ThenI’maccomplishingsomething.”“AndBase?”“We may need the five of you on a moment’s notice. It depends what

develops.Checkyourphones.Checkbackherewithmeasoftenaspossible.It’sfluid,Finn.”

Theconnectionended.Storey was rocking out, virtually unaware of Finn. He pulled off his

headphones, his vision blurring. He’d wanted to ask her about 2.0, aboutWayne’sapparentfavoritismofPhilby,abouttherumorthatthepresentKeeperswouldberetiredinfavorof“newmodels”once2.0wasfine-tuned.

Hewantedtoaskalotofthings.Butnotnow.Atthemoment,hecouldn’tgetawordout.

INTHEWEEHOURSofthemorning,Luowskiclimbedasteelladderinsidetheship’sforwardfunnel.Pausingoncetolookdown,hedecidednevertodothatagain.Itwasathirty-footdroptoametaldeck.

HeprobablyshouldhaveconsideredaninvitationtomeetwithMaleficentsomekindofhonor.Butsinceitwasdeliveredasanorder,hefeltuneasyaboutthewholething.

Theinteriorofthestack,includingtheladderheclimbed,trembledfromthevibrationsoftheship’smotor.Theclaustrophobicspacewasoverlywarm,noisy,anddark.Thehigherheclimbed,themoreitfeltasiftheremightnotbeawaybackdownagain.

Reachingaladder,Luowskipulledhimselfupthroughtheholeandsteppedoutontoacatwalk’smetalgrate.Hegrippedthehandrail,moppingsweatoffhisface. A pale guy dressed like a pirate blocked his way—a henchman for theOvertakers.Themanwasmostlikelyacrewmemberincostume,butLuowskiwasn’tabouttoinsulthim.

“Andwhomightyoube,lad?”thepiratesaidinadeep-throatedrasp.“Greg,”theboysaid.“Luowski.”Themanshoneablindinglightintohiseyes.“Open’emwide.”Luowski did as hewas told, revealing the deep-green irises. For awhile

he’d worn green contacts because Maleficent had told him to. Then, onemorninghe’dwokenupandtheyweren’tcontactsanymore.Fromthatdayon,hehadn’tfeltlikehimself.

Avoicebehindhimsaid,“Armsup.Feetspread.”Luowskistartledashewaspatteddownfrombehind.Hedidn’tlookback.“Clean,”theunseenmansaidinafakeJamaicanaccent.Sheesh! “Is this happening or not?” Luowski said, impatient despite his

betterjudgment.Heknewtokeephismouthshut,yetlikesomanythingsinhislife,hisbrainsaidonethingandhisactionscameouttheexactopposite.

“Chill,”saidtheoneinfrontofhim.Definitelynotapirate.A blindfoldwas pulled over his eyes. Tightened, it covered his ears and

dulled the sounds as hewas guided forward. Straight for five paces. Left.Hetriedtomemorizetheirmovementsincaseheneededaquickexit.

“Up!”saidthefakeJamaican,proddinghimfrombehind.“You’rekidding!”hesaid.But it was no use. Luowski climbed a ladder blindfolded. Not easy. Six

rungsup.A turn right.Twosteps.Left, three.Leftagain.Hewas losing track,already forgetting the turns they’d made. It grew noticeably colder, and thewhirringoffansmadeitloud.

“Youhaveitforme.”Hervoice,likecrackingice.ThecharacterofMaleficentinSleepingBeautywasatall,greenwomanin

a pressed cape and nice clothes. The Maleficent Cast Member was nearlyidentical. But theMaleficent Luowski heard—he’d never actually seen her—sounded like an old, menacing hag, like the nastiest grandmother in theneighborhood, the one with thirty cats in her house and a brown, overgrownyard.

There was yet someone else standing nearby, someone previouslyunaccounted for. Luowski resisted turning in that direction. The personwas amouthbreather—along-timesmoker,maybe—andhe/shegaveoffstrangeodors—moss,mud, human sweat.The smells didn’t fitwithwhat he thought aboutMaleficent.Thiswassomeoneelse.Someone…unforgettable.

Wanting italloverwith,Luowskireachedintohisfrontpocket,withdrewtheblood-and-gutsencrustedUSBthumbdrive,andhelditinhisopenpalm.

Coldfingerspluckeditaway.Maleficentneededthecold.“Welldone,youngman,”thedarkfairysaid.“Welldone,indeed.”“It…wehadtokillit.”“Yes.Pity.Thehyenasaresohelpful.”“Hadtogutit.”“Sparemethewhining.”“Yes,ma’am.”The dry-throat breathing sounds came from his immediate right now.

Luowskicouldfeelwhoeveritwassizinghimup.

“Thereismoretobedone,”saidMaleficent.Theotheronewouldn’tspeak.“Weneedyoutocollectoneofthemforus.”“Collect,”Luowskirepeated.NowitwasMaleficentholdinghertongue.“Oneofwhat?”heasked.“Notwhat:whom.”“Youwanttorunthatbymeagain?”“Areyoudeaf?”“No,ma’am.YourExcellency.Whatever…”“Nevermindthatfornow.Butwewillspeakofthisagain.”Ashiverswept

through Luowski. “Presently,” she said, “there is a task at hand. Once onAruba…youwillbejoinedbyanassociate.PerhapswewillsendDixon.PerhapsVictor.Itishardtosay.Itisanimportanttask.Oftheutmostimportance.Tofailis…unacceptable.”

“Whattaskisthat?”“I’m beginning to regret my choice of you,” she said. She muttered

something. Luowski couldn’t hear the words—they sounded like a gibberish,likea foreign language—but therewasasoothingchantlikequality to themaswell.He felt overwhelmed, likeablankethadbeenpulledoverhim.Pleasing,butdisturbing.Somethingheknewbetterthantotrust.Yethewelcomedit.

It was hard to think, like in the moments just before sleep. Luowski’sthoughtswereflatandsoft.Hesawarmswrestlingtheelectricallystunnedhyenaontoitsback;hesawthebladeglintabovehishead.Heshudderedasthecameraofhis imaginationpulledbackandhe recognized thearmholding theknifeashis own.He’d killed the poor thing.He couldn’t think, couldn’t grab a singlethought.Itwasasif…

“You will do as I say,” spoke the cracked-glass voice. “You and youraccomplice will get in and out with no one the wiser. Including the police.Especiallythepolice.Tofailistodisappointme.Iadvisestronglyagainstthat.

“Now,youwill listen,andyouwill listenclosely,andyouwill remembereverythingItellyouasclearlyasyourownname.”

GregLuowskihadnocomebackbecausehehadnothought.Whatheheard,heknewtobethetruth.Whathewastoldtodohadtobedone.Andhewoulddoit.Justlikethehyena.

Hehatedthiswoman—thisfairy—formakinghimdowhatevershewished,andinthesamebreathhelovedherforit.

“I’mlistening,”hesaid.

HAVINGSLEPTFEWERTHANthreehours,awakenedbyMrs.Philby(whodidn’twanttheboyssleepingin),FinnandPhilbysatcross-leggedonthestateroom’sbed,theDisneyjournalbetweenthem.

Thenotebook,datingbackmore than fiftyyears,hadoncebeenpartofaprivate collection in a library kept by the Disney Imagineers at Disney’sHollywoodStudiosinFlorida.SomeDisneyhistoriansbelievedthejournalshadbelongedtoWaltDisneyhimself.

Maleficent,theEvilQueen,andCruellaDeVilhadbeenseenstealingthejournal, making its return critical to the KingdomKeepers. Finn had, in fact,gottenitback;he’dkeptitlockedupinthestateroom’ssafe.

They thumbed ahead to the author’s notes about the creation of WaltDisney’smostfearsomevillain:Chernabog.Itwasinamongthosepagesthatabeautifulwatercolorhadbeendrawn—fadedbytime,butstillstriking.

Thenextpageinthejournalwasleftblankexceptforfourdoodles,oneineachcorner,doneinpenandink.

Thelastofthethreepageswasnobetter,holdingonlytheinscription:“LIFEISBECAUSEOFTHEGODS;WITHTHEIRSACRIFICETHEYGAVEUSLIFE….THEYPRODUCEOUR

SUSTENANCE…WHICHNOURISHESLIFE.”

Theboysspunthejournalbackandforthbetweenthemlikeapinwheel.“Whatthe…?”Finnsaid.“Thereisagoodandabadtothis,”Philbysaid.“I’lltakethegoodfirst,”Finnsaid.“IhadaboutallthebadIcantakelast

night.”

“Thegoodandthebadarethesamething,”Philbysaid.“Whateverthisis,itseemshighlyunlikelytheOTshavefigureditoutyet.”Heclearedhisthroat.“Thebadnewsis:wehavenocluewhatanyofitmeanseither.”

“Waytocheermeup.”“I do what I can,” Philby said sarcastically. “Whatever it is, whatever it

says,it’swhythey’reonboard,whyChernabog’sontheship.”FinnthoughtbacktohissecretconversationwithWayne.“Wedon’tknow

thatabsolutely,butIsupposeitmakessense.”“It makes tons of sense.” Philby ticked off each point on his fingers.

“They’ve spentmonths battling for control of Base—still awork in progress;theystealthejournal;theyboardtheDream;theysmuggleChernabogontotheship—noeasytask;theybringinOTKslikeLuowski.Theyaretryingtokillus.They may want to kidnap Charlene, according to Jess. They’re taking hugechances.Ithastobeforhugerewards.”

“Again,withthecheeringup,”Finnsaid.“Why?”“Whywhat?”“Trytokillus?”“Wecanbeveryannoying,”Finnsaid.Philbysmiled.“Wecan,can’twe?”“ButIseewhatyoumean.Whathappenedtothisbeingagame?”“Exactly.It’sasfarawayfromagameasitcanget.”“It’sus,”Finnsaid.“Thefactthatweexistatall.Before,itwasthevillains

againsttheprincessesandprinces,thefairiesversusMickeyandMinnie.Therewasabalanceofpower.WaynebroughtusinasDHIstomakesurethebalancedidn’ttilttoofartowardthevillains.Butmaybebydoingso,itupsetthings.”

“Thebalanceofpower,”Philbysaid.“That’swhatI’mtalkingabout.”“You’resayingwe’retheproblem.”“I’msayingwemayhavestartedthingsgoingwrong.”“Escalation.Sothey’vebroughtinOTKs,”Philbysaid.“They’reattacking

theBase.Ifwewin,theylose—”“Whichisprobablydifferentfromwhenbothsideswonandlost,butnotall

thetime.”

“Morepermanent.”“Permanentvacation,”Finnsaid.“And now that we’re winning some of the time, they bring along

Chernabog.Though,granted,he’ssleepingorinaspellorsomething.Theyseeachanceforrealvictory,notthegiveandtakethat’sbeengoingonafterhoursinthe parks for decades. The only thing is, we’re in theway. As long as we’realive…”

“Cheerythought.”“So their mission has two parts: get rid of us, and bring Chernabog to

power.”“Andthejournal’spartofthat,”Finnsaid.“Thisjournal’simportanttothem.Thisjournaliswhythey’reontheshipin

thefirstplace.”“Wedon’tknowthat!”“Let’sassumeit,”Philbysaid.“Thekindofdetailedplanningthatwentinto

theChernabogpickup?Thisthing’sonawholenewlevel.”“Agreed.”“Weneedtheothers,”Philbysaid,pointingtothejournal.“We’rebetterat

figuringoutstufflikethiswhenit’sallofus.Thesoonerwecrackthecode,thebetterchancewehaveofstoppingthem.”

ATBREAKFAST,thecafeteria-stylefoodstationsintheCabanasrestaurantteemedwith hungry passengers. The Keepers’ quest for privacy put them at a cornertable,wheretheyspokeinsoftvoices.

“We couldn’t risk bringing the actual journal,” Philby said, “but wephotocopiedtheimportantpages.”

He passed them around—the painting of the stone steps, the coin-sizeddesigns,thelineoftext:

“LIFEISBECAUSEOFTHEGODS;WITHTHEIRSACRIFICETHEYGAVEUSLIFE….THEYPRODUCEOURSUSTENANCE…WHICHNOURISHESLIFE.”

“Wedon’tknowiftheOTshavesolveditornot,”hesaid.“Regardless,wehave to figure out if itmeans anything.Whatever’s going onwithChernabogmustbeconnectedtothejournal.”

“CanImentionsomethingbizarre?”Charlenesaid.Nooneanswered,butshecontinuedanyway.“PhilbyaskedmetophotographthehyenaMaybeckandFinnfound.”Shecringed.“Which,I’mhappytosay,wasgonebythetimeIgotthere.Butanyway,I’mheadingupthejoggingpathandI’mpracticallyspearedbyahummingbird!”

“That’snotpossible,”Philbysaid.“Theycan’tsurviveatsea.They’relandbirds.”

“ButIsawit.”“You’resureitwasahummingbird?”Willaasked.“Onehundredpercent.”“Sowehave amonster that doesn’t belongonboard,”Finn said. “Anda

speciesofbirdthathasnobusinessbeinghere.”“Can we talk about this later?” Philby said, pushing back his hair

impatiently.“Thismeetingisaboutthejournal.”Charleneshrugged,putoffbutunwillingtostartafight.“When we work together, we’re good at this kind of thing. The

Stonecutter’sQuill.‘UndertheSea’inAK.”

“Maybe Jess’s dreamabout caves has something to dowith these stairs,”Willasaid,nudgingthedrawing.“Imean,they’restone.Theylookold.Maybeweshouldcopytheactualjournalande-mailittoher.”

“Toodangerous,”Philbysaid.“The journalhas tobe lockedup.Wecan’trisklosingitasecondtime.”

WillapassedthesheetstoStoreyMing.“Pictographs,”Storeysaid.“NotEgyptian.I’vestudiedthoseinartclass.”“Interesting,”Philbysaid.“Notreally,”Maybeckquipped.Philby ignored him, always the best tactic in the face of Maybeck’s

cynicism.“Caribbean?”“The Mayans were highly civilized,” Willa said. “They had a written

language,alotofwhichstillhasn’tbeentranslated.”Theothersstaredather.EvenPhilby.“What?IsupposenoneofyougetsNationalGeographicChannel?”“Igetit,”Maybecksaid,“butIdon’twatchit!”“What ifwecombine the Jesscave thing,”Charlene said, “with the steps

andthesymbols?”“There are famous caves on Aruba,” Storey said. “One of the Dream

excursionsgoesthere.”“Ournextportofcall.Asin,tomorrowmorning.Somaybethesymbolsare

inoneofthecaves,”Finnsaid.“Maybewestillhavetimetofigurethisout!”“Yeah, and maybe they lead to buried treasure, too.” A jaded Maybeck

wasn’tbuyinganyofit.Butwhenhepickedupthepagewiththesymbols,histonechanged.“Hey,isthishowtheylook?Imean,arrangedlikethis?”

“Yes.Ascloseaswecouldgetit,”Philbysaid.“Then there’s somethingmissing.See?Theblank spacebetween the four

corners? It’s like they were framing something.” The artist in Maybeck wasadamant.“Butwhateverwasthereisn’ttherenow.”

“Moreinteresting,”Philbysaid,asifabouttovoteonit.“TheOTshaveit,”Charlenesaid.“Whateveritis!”“Wedon’tknowthat,”Philbysaid.“Maybetheydo,maybetheydon’t.”“Weneedtofigureoutwhattheglyphsmean,”Storeysaid.“ThecomputersonDeckTwo,”Willasaid.“WecansearchtheWeb.”

“Agoodplacetostart.”“Troubleis,”Storeysaid,“therearesomethingliketenthousandcharacters

intheMayanlanguage.”“My nana presses flowers,” Charlene said, pointing at the page with the

symbols. “The thing in themiddleof the frame? It couldhavebeen apressedleaforaflowerorsomethinglikethat.”

“Nice!”saidMaybeck.“Thatmakessomuchsense.”NoonecommentedonthefactthatlatelyMaybecklikedanythingCharlene

said.“But wait a second!” he continued, his frustration revealing itself as a

tighteningofhisfistsandlips.“Areweinsane?Howcouldsomejournalentrywritten inFlorida fiftyyears agohave anything todowith aCaribbean cruisethatwasn’tevenaroundbackthen?”

“It doesn’t,” Philby said. “It can’t. Obviously. So it has to do withsomething else, something Walt Disney and his animators were working on:Fantasia.Chernabog.”

Mentionofthemonstersoberedthegroup.“He’shalfMinotaur,halfbatgod,”Finnsaid.Wayne’swordsechoedinhis

ears,andheshivered.“ThemostevilvillainWaltDisneyevercreated.Therearedescriptionsofhimbeingthe‘embodiment’ofevil.”

“TheMinotaurwasnopicnic,”Willasaid.Again,thegroupturnedtoher.“History Channel,” she said. “What? I watch a lot of TV! In Greek

mythology—andI’mnottalkingPercyJackson—theMinotauratepeople.”“Lovely.”Maybeckpretendednottobeinterested,butheclearlywas.“Hewashorribleanddidhorriblethings.Youknowhowstufffoundinone

cultureisoftenfoundinothers?”Willa’seyeswerewide.“Let’sassumetheoldImagineersfoundreferencestoaMinotaur-likedemon,likeaCaribbeanBigfoot.Youknow?Includingsomelore,somepictographsorwhatever,thatsupposedlytoldyou—”

“Howtowakeitup,”Philbysaid.“Notgood.”Charlenesoundedpanicked.Maybeckmoaned.“ThatwouldinteresttheOvertakers,”StoreyMingsaid.Sheusedtheterm

withfamiliarity,Finnnoted.

“See?”Philby said. “We’remuch better at thiswhenwe do it together. Ithinkwe’regettingsomewhere.”

“Charlene’shummingbird!”Willasaidsuddenly,sittingupstraighter.“TheAnimalChannel,Isuppose?”saidMaybeck.“Yes,asamatteroffact.Torpor.”Willaspottedseveralblankexpressions

andsighed.“Youguysaresuchduds.WayneexplainedittoFinn,whotoldusallabout it.Anyone remember?”Shewaited.Sighed again. “Hummingbirdshavethis insanemetabolism.Likedrinking-six-lattes-an-hourkindof thing.So theydon’tactuallysleep;theyenterastatecalledtorpor.It’slikehibernating,butforamatterofminutesoranhour.Somebatsusetorporaswell.”

“Bats.Asinbatgods,”Philbysaid.“TiaDalma,”Willasaid.Itwaslikejustthetwoofthemintheroomnow.“Awitchdoctor.”“Theysmuggledsomehummingbirdsontotheshipsoshecanpracticeher

magic.Sheputsthebirdsintotorpor.Shewakesthemup.Oneofthemescapes—”

“—andtriestospearme,”Charlenesaid.“Whoa!”Finnsaid.“Nokidding.”Maybeckwassuddenlyaconvert.“Thisismakingwaytoo

muchsense.”“They’re missing something,” Philby said, “or they’d have taken

Chernabogoutoftorporandtakenovertheshipalready.”“Somethingfromacave,”Finnsaid.“Somethingtheglyphsdescribe,”Storeyadded.AtattooedarmreachedoverFinn’sshoulderanddroppedafoldedpieceof

paperonthetable.Finnspunaround,tryingtoseewhoeveritwas,butCabanaswasmobbed.

Dozens of people were milling around the food and drink stations. Anotherdozenstoodwithtrays,lookingforopentables.

Hesearchedforanarmwithatattoo—athinarm,agirl’sarm,hethought.Inhisrandomsearch,hecaughtaflashofred-streakedhair.

Heragain?Agirlwithsimilarhairhadhelpedtheminthepastfewdays,showing up exactlywhen needed. Philbywould discount the coincidence, but

Finnhadlittledoubtitwasthesamegirl.Hadtobe!“Didanyonegetalookather?”Finnasked.“Who?”Maybeckasked.“Noone?”Blanklooks.Finnunfoldedthenoteandread:

k’anpetch’enInsteadofreadingitaloud—hehadnoideaofitssignificance,andwiththe

OTs,youcouldneverbe toocareful—Finnpassed itaround.Itmovedhand tohandacrossthetable.

“So?What’sthatabout?”Maybecksaid,breakingtheunbearablesilence.“Wehavefriendsworkingforus,”Storeyproposed.“Orenemiestryingtotrickus,”Finnsaid.ProfessorPhilbysaid,“Deceittypicallyinvolvessubtlety.Droppinganote

onatableisnotterriblysubtle.”“Solet’sbepositive,”saidthecheerleader,“andfigureoutwhatwedowith

everything.”Charleneclearedherthroat.“IsawthehummingbirdonDeckFourforward.Thehyenawaskilledupthere,too.”

“Interesting,”Maybecksaid.Charlenesmiledwidely.Willasaid,“StoreyandIcanGooglethepictographsandthewordsonthe

mysterynote.”Finnloweredhisvoice.“Thethingis,ifshe’sleavingusaclue,she’sgotto

beonourside.Sowhynotjusttalktous?”Maybeck said, “Because we’re radioactive,Whitman.We’re nothing but

trouble.Shewantstohelp,butnotgetinvolved.”“Butifshe’shelpingus,thenWaynesenther.”“Mostlikely,”Philbysaid.Hisfacetightened.“Whichisodd.”“Odd that we weren’t told,” Finn said. “Maybe she’s part of the 2.0

upgrade.Maybeitisn’trumor.”“Maybeshewasahologram,”Willasaid,silencingthegroup.The rumor about 2.0, begun by Finn’s making assumptions about things

saidbyStoreyMing,was that theKeepersmightbefacingearly retirement. Itseemed possible that, unbeknown to them, Wayne and the Imagineers were

testingoutthebetaphaseof2.0beforefixingbugsandinstallingitontoanewsetofDHIs—bigger,faster,stronger.

“That’shardlycriticalthinking,Willa,”cautionedPhilby.“There’snowherenearenoughempiricalevidencetobringustoanykindofconclusion.It’spurespeculation.Speculationcanbedangerous.”

Willalookedcrushed.He’dblurteditoutintypicalPhilbyfashion;nowhelookedasifhewishedhecouldtakeitback.

“Whatever,”Finnsaid.“WeneedtomakeplanstospyontheOTs.”“Say,what?”Charlenesaid.“Wehavetofollowthem,”Maybecksaid.“Wehavetoknowwhatthey’re

doing.Samewith theOTKs.If they leave theship inAruba,weneed to leavetheship.Iftheystayonboard,westayonboard.”

“How can we follow them if we don’t knowwhere they are in the firstplace?”Charlenesaid.

Philbysaid,“Ihaveaccesstoalltheshipboardcamerafeedsnow.We’renotwithoutassets.”

“SpeakEnglish,”saidWilla,irritated.“Let’s assume Jess’s sketch of the cave is accurate,”Maybeck said. “We

know there are cavesonAruba. In her dream, therewerewomen in the cave.Women—asinwitchesanddarkfairies,maybe.”

“Maybe,”Philbysaid,emphasizingtheword.“Wedon’tknowanyofthistobefact.”

“Shut up aminute.Let’s assume it’s fact.Okay? If so,we need to knowwhat they’re doing in that cave. Right?”Maybeck answered himself: “Right.So…ThankstoPhilby’scameras,wecancoveralotoftheship.TheproblemisgettingofftheshipattheexactsametimeastheOTKs,sowedon’tlosethem.”

“Forwardfollowing,”Philbysaid.“Say,what?”“Now you’re just talking nonsense,” Willa said, her irritation showing

again.Groupmeetingshadgottenwaytoocomplicated,Finnthought.Clearinghis

throat,hewadedin,determinedtobreakthetension.“Willa,Philby’ssaying thatwedon’tneed to follow theOTsoff theship.

Thereareprobablyonlyacoupleofcavesthiscouldbe.WecannarrowitdownusingJess’sdrawing.Thenwelet themcometous forachange,bygetting to

whatevercaveitisaheadoftime.Theywalkintoourtrap.”“Nice,”Maybecksaid.“We’ll have to check out the island tourist information for caves. I’ll bet

onewillmatchupprettycloselywithJess’sdrawing.”“Icandothat,”Storeysaid.“BeingaCastMember,Icangetalookatall

theexcursionstuff.”“Itcouldbeatoneoftheotherstops,”Philbyremindedthem.“Arubaisknownforitscaves,”Storeysaid.“NotsosureaboutCostaRica

andMexico.”Philbytookinthefacesstaringathim.“Fine.CharleneandMaybeckwill

getoffearlyand,providingStorey’sfoundamatch,go to thecaveandhide. Iwillusemyhackoftheshipboardsecuritycamerastokeepaneyeonthevariousgangwaysofftheship.IfIseeLuowskioranyOTsleaving,WillaandFinnwillfollowthem.”Headded,“Ishouldbeabletogetusallwalkie-talkies.”

“Meanwhile,” Finn said, “we’re keeping an eye out for the girl with thebrightredstreaksinherhair.”

“TheGirlwiththeDragonTattoo,”Maybecksaid.“Ha.Ha.”Finnwasn’tamused.“But, Finn, if she wants to be anonymous, shouldn’t we let her be?”

Charlenesaid.Finnstudiedthepeopleinthebusybreakfastroom.“Shecanhelpus,”he

said.“Butmostimportant…themostimportantmissionofall…BeforewereachAruba tomorrow,weneed to findChernabog. Ifwe findhim, if security lockshimup,thenitwon’tmatterwhat’sinthejournal.Wewon’thavetodoanyofthis.”HethoughtbacktohiscommunicationwithWayne.“WegetChernabog,andwespoiltheirplans,whatevertheyare.He’sthekey.”

“It’snotliketheycanhidehimjustanywhere,”Maybecksaid.“Well,he’snolongerintheboxunderthestage,”Willasaid.“Buthowfarcouldhegowithoutbeingseen?”Finnsaid.“Somethinglike

that?Therearepassengers,crew,cameras.Someonewouldhaveseenhim.”“Somaybe he’s still backstage somewhere. There’s a lot of room there,”

Storeysaid.“Tonight, during the orientation,we’ll be backstage.” Philby’s voice rose

withexcitement.“We’repartoftheprogram.”“Yourememberwhathappenedlasttimewewereinthetheater?”Maybeck

asked.“Asin:chaos?”Maleficent had made a video appearance at an evening show that had

resultedinthornyrosesrainingdownonthepassengers.“Butthat’s thepoint, isn’t it?”Philbysaid.“Whatif theOTsarecounting

onusbeingtooscaredtogobackstage?”“They’d be right,” Willa said. “It’s a miracle no one was hurt the first

time!”“We’ll appear in the orientation as scheduled,” Finn declared. “Butwe’ll

arrivebackstage twentyminutes early—as agroup.That’ll giveus extra time.Wemeetatthestagedoor,starboardside.They’renotgoingtomakeuswaitoutinthehallway.They’llletusbackstage,andthat’sourchance.”

“Ilikeit,”Philbysaid.As if Icare,Finnnearlysaid.But the truthwas:hedidcare.Henotonly

neededPhilby’ssupport,hewantedit.“Willaand I can sayweneedaplace toworkonourmakeup,”Charlene

said.“That’llgetusseparatedintotwogroups,onceinside.Twoarebetterthanone.”

“Nice,”Philbysaid.“Boystakethebackstagearea,”Finnsaid.“Girls:thesalon,costumes,and

theotherroomsdownstairs.”“There’snowaySecuritymissedhim,”Maybecksaid.“Hasanyonethought

aboutthat?”“DependsonhowwelltheOTshidhim,”Finnsaid.“Andwhy.”“Meaning?”Charlenesaid.“MaybetheOTsdon’twantChernabogfoundbecausetheyhaven’tfigured

outhowtowakehimoutofthistorporthingyet.MaybeTiaDalmaisn’tdoingsowellwithwakingupherhummingbirds.Whoknows?Maybethey’reworriedabouthowthey’llcontrolhim.”

“Thestuffinthejournal,”Willasaid,hervoiceawhisper.“Whatifit’smorelikeanowner’smanual?”Finnsaid.“You have to do it right. And then whoever wakes him…” Philby said,

speculating.“Yes!”Finnsaid.“Whoeverdecodesthejournalproperlyandapplies it to

Chernabogashecomesoutoftorporendsupincontrolofhim.”

Maybeckcoughed.“Us?ControlChernabog?”“Ilikethesoundofthat,”ProfessorPhilbysaid.

WILLAHADDONEHERHOMEWORKandwaseagertosharewhatshe’dfound.ThefirsttoarriveintheunremarkablecompanionwayoutsidethestarboardstagedoortotheWaltDisneyTheatre,shewaitedfortheothers.Impatiently.Overcomebythehallway’sdullness.Drabwalls.Noartwork.Severalunmarkeddoors.Attheend,thebackstageentrance:CASTMEMBERSONLYPLEASE.

Inalllikelihood,amonsterlurkedontheothersideofthatdoor.Whereelsewould the OTs have hidden something Chernabog’s size? The engine deckseemedliketheonlyotherdecentpossibility,butsomethingthathugemakingitdowntherewithoutbeingseen?Impossible.

Wayne’s concerns about the balance of power were warranted. The OTsweredangerousenough,strongenough,withoutsuchaforceontheirside.WithChernabog,they’dbeunstoppable.

Chernabog was the worst, Willa thought, feeling her gut twist. Evilincarnate.Both theMinotaur and theMayan bat god,Camazotz,were said tohavedevouredtheirprey.Alive.

Finnwasnexttoarrive.Willafoughttokeepthedisappointmentfromherface.

“Hey,”shesaid.“YouwerehopingforPhilby,”Finnsaid.Sheshrugged.“We’renotexactlyseeingeyetoeye.”“Idon’tthinkyouhavetoworryabouthimandStorey.”“Idon’twanttotalkaboutit,Finn.Okay?Besides,he’snotcomingwithus

anyway.He’swatchingthecameras.”Willawavedatahemisphericplasticglobein theceiling,but itwasachurlishgesture.“So,Finn.Newsalert: Imayhavedecipheredthecode.”

“Seriously?Already?DidStoreyhelpyou?”“No,”Willasaidtersely.“Ihadsomeextratimeatthecomputers.Ka’n is

‘gold.’It’salsothesymbolintheupperleft.Petis‘island,’upperright.”

“Goldisland?”“Patience!Ch’enis‘cave.’Lowerleft.Ihaven’tfiguredoutthefourthone

yet.”“That’shuge!”Finnsaid.“Somaybe it isa treasuremap.Gold.Maybeck

willlovethis.”“Whateveritis,it’sburiedinacaveonanisland.”“And the only island remaining on the cruise is Aruba. Tomorrow

morning.”“We’dbestupidnottofollowtheOTs,nottodoeverythingwecantofind

outwherethey’regoingandwhy.”“That’sgeniuswork!”“That’sGoogle,”Willasaid.“Youneverletanyonecomplimentyou,”Finnsaid.“What’sthatabout?”“Thank you for the compliment,” Willa said, effectively ending the

discussion.“You’rewelcome.”“What’swithyouandAmanda,anyway?OrisityouandStorey,too?”“MeandMaleficentismorelikeit.”“Whodoyouthinkismorepowerful?MaleficentortheEvilQueen?”“IputTiaDalmaabovethemboth.”“Seriously?Because?”“She’s awitch doctor. She practices blackmagic.And she’smore in this

world—our world—than any of the others. She doesn’t wear a costume. Shedoesn’tplayarole.Shethrowsbonesandstabsdollswithpins,andwhoknowswhatelse?”Finn’seyeswerehaunted.

He’s rememberinghismom,Willa thought.Shedidn’tknowwhatelse tosay.

Next,Maybeck, thenCharlenearrivedto jointhem.Willacaught themupquicklyonwhatshe’dlearned.

“So as promising as that is,” Maybeck said, “we’re still hoping to findChernabogandendthisbeforeitstarts,right?Troubleis,nooneeversaidwhatwedowhenwefindhim.”

“WecallSecurity,”Finnsaid.“WaynesaidwecantrustUncleBob.”“Asif,”Maybecksaid.Hehadissueswithauthorityanddidn’ttrustanyone

inauniform.“Wepretendwedidn’tseeanythingandcallSecurity.Noheroics.Gotit?”“Hey,youandIarepairedup,Whitman.Noheroics.Agreed.”“Sameforyoutwo,”Finnsaid,mostlytoWilla.“Wayaheadofyou,”shesaid.CharlenelookedatMaybeckandhelookedbackather,andforamoment

Finnthoughthewasgoingtobesick.“Let’sdothis.”

***

TheArubaorientationintheship’sWaltDisneyTheatrebeganwithawelcometotheaudiencefromChristian,thedirectorofentertainment.Hestoodaloneonthehugestageinhisshipwhites,pressedandsharp.HecrackedajokeabouttheceilingfallingwhileaslideshowofArubaplayedbehindhimonascreenbiggerthanmosthouses.

Finn and Maybeck heard him clearly over the backstage speakers, andcaughttheblindingwhiteofhisuniformoutofthecornersoftheireyes.

CharleneandWillaseparatedfromthetwoboysuponenteringbackstage—twoperformerslookingforthebeautysalon.TheydescendedthestairsleadingtowhereChernabog’scratehadbeenfoundearlier,empty.

Upstairs,Finnpushedthewalkie-talkie’sbutton.“Clear?”heaskedPhilby,adjustingtheiPhoneearbudinhisrightear.

“Yes. I don’t see anyone.”Philbywasmonitoring thebackstage cameras,runninginterferenceforbothsearchparties.

Maybeckledtheway,cuttingacrossthebackofthedeepstagebehindthegiantprojectionscreen.

Backstageareaswereseparatedbydrops—thickfabriccurtaindividers.AsFinnandMaybeckapproached,theysawthemetalhullwallsstackedwithwell-organizedgroupingsofstage furnitureandshowprops,allof it tieddownandsecured.Neon tapedesignated safewalking lanes.Tohis credit, and toFinn’sastonishment,Maybeckremainedinsidetheyellow.

They passed giant alphabet blocks used in aToyStory show, pieces of adisassembled castle, jungle vegetation, and a pushcart from Beauty and theBeast.Theycarefullysearchedforapossiblehidingplaceforaneight-foot-tall

half-breedmonsterwithflamingeyes.“Nothingbigenough,”MaybecktoldFinninawhisper.“Agreed.”They passed a ten-foot tower of stacked tables, all fitting together like a

puzzle.“Butthisiscool,right?”Finnsaid.“Totally.”“Howaboutinsideoneofthealphabetblocks?”“Iguessit’spossible,”Maybecksaid,“buthe’dbesquished.”“Maybehedoesn’tcareifhe’sintorpor.Wecouldtrytomovethem.Test

howheavytheyare.”“Solid.”The boys reversed direction just as Philby spoke into Finn’s ear. “Red

alert!”“Hide!”Finnhissed.Thetwoboysslippedbehindthealphabetblocksastwostagehandswalked

past the prop storage, silhouettes against the big screen. Their gait was stiff-legged,likerobotsorsoldiers.

Maybecksneezed,causingFinntojump.Oneofthestagehandsturned.Finn spunawayandslappedhisback to thewoodblock.Maybeck’s face

glowedbluishinthedark;helookedthunderstruckbyhismistake.“Dust,”hesaid.“Notgood,”Finnsaid.

***

WillaandCharlenehuddledatthebottomofthebackstagestairs.Everysurfaceofthehallwaywaspaintedblackanddimlylitbyblueneontokeepstraylightfrominfiltratingbackstage.

Male voices echoed throughout, giving little hint as to their source ordirection.Totheright,thehallwaydead-endedinaT;totheleftitranstraight,clearacrosstheareabeneaththestageandtotheotherwing.

ThegirlsknewfromtheirearlierattempttofindChernabogthattwooftheroomsoffthiscorridoraccessedsubstageservicerooms,wheretheelevatorliftsfromthestage’sthreetrapdoorswereloadedandunloaded.Buttherewereother

doorsaswell.Chernabogcouldbeinhiddenontheothersideofanyofthem.Twentyfeetdownthecorridor,thesoundsbecameclearer.“Wearewalkingtowardthevoices,Willa,”Charlenehissed.“I’vegot that,”Willa said.She triedadoor.Locked.Shewaved thecrew

member ID card supplied by Wayne. Unlocked. They stepped inside andswitchedonthelight.

Four green-metal electric panel boxes on the wall, each the size of awashingmachine,produceda loudhumming.Theycarriedstickerswarningofelectricshock—thestickfigurelyingdownapparentlysymbolizingdeath.Metalconduitscrisscrossedtheceiling.Theroomwassmallandwasabsurdlyhot. ItwasnotevenclosetobeingbigenoughtohideChernabog.

ThenextdoorwouldnotopentoWilla’scredentials.ItwaslabeledSERVICEBREAKERS—NOADMITTANCE.Theytookitatfacevalue.

A door to their left was familiar to them both as the larger of the twosubstageserviceareas.Someofthevoiceswereclearlycomingfromwithinthisroom.Willa shook her head, but Charlenemoved the lever anyway; the dooropened.Charlenepokedherheadinside.

“Oh!”shesaid,feigningsurprise.“Sorry;I’mlookingforthewashroom.”Four guys wearing the all-black uniforms of stagehands, each holding a

waterbottle,satonupturnedcrates.“Twodoorsdown,”saidapotbellied.“Ontheright.”Charlene tookamentalsnapshotof thespace.The lightbulbswere turned

downlowerthancandlelight,theblueneonpaintingtheroominanotherworldlyway.Chernabog’ssmashedcratewasnowheretobeseen.Asbefore, thespacewasimmaculatelycleanandtidy—shipshape—despite thedozensofpropsandpieces of furniture it contained.Every square inchwas thoughtfully organizedand accounted for. IfChernabogwas still in here somewhere, itwas far fromobviouswherehemightbehidden.

“Your entrance isn’t for another twenty.”Themanwho spoke had sharp,angular features likeamouse’s;narrow-set, suspiciouseyes;and theweightofdistrust in his voice. He checked a clipboard. “Greenroom’s at the top of thestairs,starboard.”

“Goeasyonher,Dixon,”theheavyguysaid.“There’sawashroomoffthegreenroom,”saidDixon.“Butyouknowthat.”Thesubtext:Whatareyoudoingdownhere?

“Gotit!Thanks!”Charlenesaid.Shepulledthedoorshut.Willalookedupset.Charlenemadeafaceasiftosay:Soshootme,Ihadto

look!Theyhadamissiontofulfill,andCharlenewasmoreafieldagentthanananalyst;shelikedaction.

Notmuchbiggerthanakitchenpantry,thenextroomsmelledofengineoilandwasfilledwithmachinery.Again,noroomforsomethingChernabog’ssize.This was the trouble for the Keepers: any space identified as backstage andtherefore away from guestswas filled and utilized; therewasn’t an unused orunoccupiedsquareinchontheship.

“Troublefollowingdirections?”Aman’svoice.TheyturnedtoseeDixon,therodent-facedstagehand,blockingtheirway.“Funny,thisdoesn’tlooklikethegirls’roomtome,”hesaid,hisvoicevoid

ofinflection.“We…ah…”Hiseyesdidn’tseemtofocus.Hestaredpasttheminadaze.“Bestifyou

comewithme,please.”Heproducedawoodenbillyclubfromoutofnowhereand slapped his left palm with it. “We can do this peaceful-like, or not sopeaceful.”

“You’renotgoingtohitagirl,”Willasaid.“No, I’m going to hit two girls. If I have to. Your choice.” That same

dreadfullycalmvoice.Aspell?Willawondered.Theideawaschilling:athousandcrewandCast

Members travelingon the ship,with someof themactingasundercoverOTs?Shedidn’tlikethoseodds.

Charlenefakedacoughtocoverhersaying,“Onthree.”Willanodded.Charlenepattedherlegonce,twice…Herthirdstrikewasaccompaniedby

afronthandspringandaone-eighty-degreepivotbackhandspringdirectly intothe face of the zoned-out crewman. He flew off his feet and across the hallwithouthavinggottentheclubtoshoulderheight.

Willa took off down the hall, running away from the room full of men,heading to port. The sound of the stage’s public-address system played fromsmallspeakers.Somekindofscientistwasbeingintroduced.ShewenttospeaktoCharlene,butshewasn’tthere.

Willastoppedandlookedback.Charlenehadknockedtheclubfromtheskinnyguy’shand.Shehookeda

kneearoundhisneckandleapedtoherside,flippingtheguylikeabeachedfishinsomekindofMMAmoveWillahadneverseen.Charlenetuggedfreealengthofropethemanhadtuckedintohisbelt—ropemeantfortyinguptwogirls?—and bound his hands behind his back like shewas a policewoman.Lacking agag,shepulledhisshoeandsockoffandstuffedhisdirtysockintohismouth.ShewavedforWillatocomehelpher.

Willacouldn’tmove.Charlenegesturedasecondtime,moredesperately.Hereyessaid,Hurry!The man kicked Charlene in the chest, sending her airborne across the

room.“Uhhf!”Charlenegruntedasthewindwasknockedoutofher.Themanstoodandrearedhislegbacktokickherwhileshewasdown.Hefellflatontohisface.Withhishandstiedbehindhisback,hecouldn’t

protecthimself.Hewasknockedunconscious.Willalookeddown.Sheheldhisbarefootinherhand;shehadupendedhim.

Charleneregainedsomebreath.“Waytogo,Willa.Nicemove!”WillahelpedCharlenetoherfeet.Together, theydraggedtheunconscious

manintothemachineroomandpulledthedoorshut.Charlenetriedtosteadyherbreathing.“Nexttime,remindmetocomeasa

hologram.Fortherecord,thisiswaytoodifficult.”Willalaughed.Thegirlsfleddownthehall.Upstairs,theaudiencebrokeintoapplause.

***

“Hey,”Finnsaid,innocently,loweringhisvoiceforthesakeofthelecturegoingon.“We’relookingforthegreenroom.”

“Sureyouare,”aclean-cutJoeCollege–typeguysaid.ThetwocrewmenmovedclosertoFinn.“Whatareyoudoinghidingbackhere?”thesecondmansaid.Builtlikea

weightlifter,hewasshortbutsolid,withayoungface.“We…ah…” Maybeck was fast on his feet, but not always with his

thinking.“Weweren’thiding.Wehadthisbet,”Finnsaid,“aboutwhatletterwason

theothersideofthebottomblock.IsaiditwasanR.Myfriendhere,aB.”“Wehadthesameblockswhenwerekids,”Maybecksaid.Thetwoguysseparated.NeitherFinnnorMaybecklikedthelookofthat.

ThestockyonemovedtowardtheblockswhileJoeCollegefacedthem.“Andwhatwastheletter?”inquiredJoeCollege.FinnandMaybeckexchangedslightlypanickedlooksintheflashinglight

fromtheslideshow,whichwascontinuingonthebigscreenabove.Theweightlifterleanedintolookatthebacksideofthealphabetblock.Maybeck shook his head ever so slightly, like a pitcher shaking off a

catcher’ssignal;hedidn’twanttomaketheguess.Finntookinthevisiblelettersontheexistingstackofblocks.“It’sE,”hesaid.HeandMaybeckwatchedastheshortguynoddedtohispartner.Maybeckshothimalookthatsaid,Howcouldyouhaveknownthat?“So.Weshouldbegettingtothegreenroom,”Finnsaid.Joedidn’tmove.Herockedhisheadback,eyesontheceiling.“So…what

exactlyarewegoingtodowithyou?”Maybeckhadhadenough.“Look,man,youcanjoinusinthegreenroom.

That’swherewe’regoing.”“I don’t think so,” Joe said in a menacing voice. “We hear your two

girlfriendsarepokingarounddownstairswheretheydon’tbelong.Whatisityoukidsarelookingfor?Witches?Monsters?”Histonewasmocking.“Growup.”

“Justtheletterontheblock.Really,”Finnsaid.“Uh-huh.Right.Now,thereshouldbefiveofyou.Where’stheotherboy?”Finndidn’tlikehowmuchJoeknew.“Schedule says five of you.Where’s the fifth?Huh?Hiding somewhere?

Likeyoutwo?”“Weweren’thiding,”Finnsaiddefiantly.“Itoldyou,wewere—”“Yeah.Igot that thefirst time.”Hesteppedcloser.“Mustbecoincidence,

allofyoujusthappeningtoarriveearly.”“Don’t troubleyourbrain,” anannoyedMaybeck said. “Youmusthavea

microphonetogopluginorsomething.”Finnscowledathim.Coolit!

“Stagemanagerwouldliketospeaktoyou.Downstairs.We’llgothisway.”JoeCollegeindicatedtheportsideofthestage.

ThestrongmanremainedafewpacesbehindMaybeck,squeezingtheboysbetweenhimselfandhispartner.

“Actually,we’re going tomeet the girls.Wouldn’twant them toworry,”Finnsaid.

“Boys,”PhilbysaidintoFinn’sandMaybeck’sears,“Icanthrowabreaker,killing the lights but not the presentation. Emergency lightswill kick in. Youmightgetasecondortwo.”

“We’llmakesurethegirlsjoinyou.Trustme.”Joehadahungryglinttohiseye.

“Yes!”Maybeck said, a little loudlygiven thepresentation takingplaceamatterofyardsaway.Finnsawhishandonhis radio;Maybeckwas signalingPhilby.

Thebackstagewentblack.Maybeckattackedthestrongman,divingblindlyintohislegsandknocking

him down. He drove an elbow into the back of theman’s neck, stunning hisspineandbrieflyparalyzinghim.

Finn had kept his eye on Joe, knowing it would be dark by the time heattacked.Heshovedtheguy,hopingtoknockhimdown.

Theemergencylightsflashed,wentdark,andcameonagainforgood.Asthe sterile white light strobed like something on a dance floor, Finn saw JoeCollegehalfwayacrossthebackstagearea,justgettingtohisfeet.

Hadhedonethat?hewondered.Inyearspast,whentheotherguysonthebaseballteamhittriples,Finncouldonlymanagesingles.Hewasfastandagile,buthewasn’texactlymusclemanmaterial.

Hadtheguytakenoffinthedark,slipped,andfallen?Ifso,whythelookhewasgivingFinn—oneofbothangerand…respect?

Joecharged.Finn’skneeswenttorubber.Butasthelightsflickeredoffandthenonforgood,FinnballedhisfistsandconnectedonanupswingwithJoe’schin.Joelookedlikehe’dhitapatchofice.

“Sorry,”Finnsaid,forgettinghimselfforamoment.Hestaredathisownhands.DidIdothat?WillaandCharleneappearedfromtheright,runningfrantically.Maybecklayfaceuponthestagefloorwherehe’ddived.Finnofferedhima

hand,andwithonearmliftedMaybeckontohisfeet.Remindedofhisexplosiveswimming,Finnwonderedwhatwasgoingon.Aspell?

“Quickly,”hesaid.Maybecklookeddazed.“I’m okay,” Finn said, thinking that was the source of his friend’s

bewilderment.“Piñata,”Maybecksaidinaharshwhisper.Justtheoneword:piñata.

***

The four Keepers passed behind the projection screen. The reversed imageshowedwhatthespeakercalleda“ceremonialarch.”

“Carved into the stones of the arch you can see pictographs and glyphs.TheseareanexampleoftheancientMayanlanguage,whichisnotdissimilartoglyphsfoundinArubancaves.Historiansandarcheologistsspeculatethattherewasmuch trade and cross- cultural exchangewithin theCaribbean during theMayanandAztecdynasties.”

Finnledtheteamaroundtothefarside,awarethattheiropponentswouldbe fast on their heels. As they hurried, a close-up of one of the pictographsappearedonthescreen,nowfifteenfeethigh.

“Thisisjanaab,theMayansymbolfor‘flower,’”hesaid.“Seriously?That’s number four!”Willa cried.As a group they arrived at

stage left. “That’s the Mayan character I couldn’t find: flower! So it’s gold,island,cave,flower.”

Charlenesaid,“Goldisland,flowercave.”Herrearrangementof thewordsmadeitakindofgame;agametheboys

weren’t interested in. Their attention was fixed on the backstage area, wherePhilbyhadrestoredthebluelight.

Thetwozoned-outstagehandswereupandmoving.“Islandcave,goldflower.”Both girls gasped and repeated the words in unison, voices rising in

excitement:“Islandcave,goldflower!”

***

Dixonappearedat the topof thestairs,blockingthestage-doorexit.Theothertwo,JoeCollegeandtheweightlifter,approachedfrombackstage.

“We’retalkingOTsandwich,”Maybecksaid.“Andwe’rethePB-and-J.”Thetwostagehandsclosedfast.Joewalkedwithanangrylimp.“Notgood,”Finnsaid.“Grabhands,”Willasaid,“andgetreadytosmile.”“What?”Maybeck said, incredulously.But before he could protest,Willa

took his hand and led the Keepers out onto the stage—the one place thestagehandscouldnotfollow.

A wild cheer arose from the audience. The speaker wasn’t sure how tohandletheirearlyentrance.

Behind them, the stagehands divided; the weightlifter crossed backstage,reappearingontheoppositeside,trappingthem.

Theywere aKingdomKeeper short—noPhilby—but the audiencedidn’tseemtocare.Manywereontheirfeet,givingthegroupastandingovation.

MaybeckspoketoFinnthroughafakesmile.“Likeapiñata.”Finnhadnoideawhathemeant.“Youmusthavehityourheadprettyhard.

You’retalkingnonsense.”“I’mtellingyou:apiñata.”The audience stomped and cheered. The stage floor vibrated. Christian

crossedtowardthem,wavingtothecrowd.“Ladiesandgentlemen,boysandgirls,yourveryownKingdomKeepers!”Anotherloudcheerfromtheaudience.Finnglancedbacktoseethejanaabimage.Islandcave.Goldflower.Island

gold,cave flower?While hewaved to the audience, hismindworked throughthevariouscombinationsand tried to throwapiñata into themix.Hecouldn’tmakesenseofanyofit.

Christian did a nice job of covering for their early entrance.The lecturerlookeddazed.Didn’tknowwherehewas.

Atthatmoment,thethreestagehandssuddenlyrushedthestagefrombothsides,carryingwirelessmicrophones.They’dfoundtheirexcuse.Andeachhelda second item,obscuredby themikes. It tookFinnamoment toprocesswhatthoseitemsmightbe.

“Lookout!Tasers!”hecried,trippingWillaintoCharleneandintentionallysendingthemtoppling.HepulledMaybeckdownbythearm.

ThestagehandsfiredtheirTasersnearlysimultaneously,butmissed.Missedthekids.The lecturer collapsed; Christian caught him. The audience laughed and

applaudedasthestagehandsretreated,passingPhilby,whowasarrivinglate.Hedrewmoreapplause.Anewgroupofstagehandsrushedonstageanddraggedthefallen lecturer into the wings. These guys, Finn realized, were the realstagehands,notMaleficent’szombies.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please give a bigDisney DreamwelcometotheDisneyHostsInteractive!”Christianhadlittleelsetosay,sohetriedagain,makingoutthatthiswasallpartoftheact.HiseyesflashedtoFinn,demandinganexplanationfortheattack.Finnjustshrugged.Whatcouldhesay?

TheKeepers, led byWilla, followed the script they’d been given for theorientation. Willa picked up perfectly on Christian’s second introduction,recitinghermemorized lines.TheotherKeepers followedher lead.The spokeabout all the fun theywere going to have onAruba, the interesting places tosightsee,andhowtotakefulladvantageoftheexcursionsbeingoffered.

A slideshow of the island’s features ran behind them while high seasadventure music provided background. Despite the awkward beginning, theorientationendedwell.

Surprising Christian by going off script, Finn led his friends into theaudience.There,surroundedbyadmirers,theOTshadnoshotatthem.

Minutes later, the theaterdoorsswishedclosedbehind them.TheKeepersdivided into twogroups;MaybeckwithCharlene;FinnwithPhilbyandWilla.Theywouldmeetin816,bypriorarrangement.

Climbingthestairs twoatatime,Finnwasdeepinthought.Piñata.Goldisland,caveflower?Whatdiditallmean?

FINNHELDOPENthebackstagedoorforPhilbyandMaybeck,whoslippedthroughquietly.Hefollowedtheminside.Itwastwointhemorning,theshipplyingthewatersforthefinalpushtoAruba.

Maybeck had argued against a return backstage on the same night as theorientation,butPhilbywasdeterminedtofollowthroughonMaybeck’smentionofapiñata.

“The idea that the OTs have hidden Chernabog inside a Buzz Lightyearparadeballoonbackstageisjustinsaneenoughtomakecompletesense!Ifhe’sin torpor, asWilla believes, he will require almost no oxygen.Maybeck, it’spossibleyou’reright.Wellplayed.”

“Ihopenot,”Maybecksaid.The three boys crept across the backstage area, holding close to the

backdrops.Together, theysharedananxiousinhaleasMaybeckledthewaytowhereheandFinnhadencounteredthetwostagehands.

Theonlysoundwasaslighthumofelectricityandthewhooshofforcedair.Theyweredirectlybelowseveralcharacterballoonssecuredtotheceiling:

Buzz,Bolt,andthefivemembersoftheIncrediblesfamily.Maybeckpointedtohimself,thenup.Philbynodded.Maybeckclimbedtheladderstrappedtothewall.

***

From up close, the Buzz Lightyear balloon was all color and clear plastic.Maybeckdidn’tknowwhetherhewaslookingintotheguy’ssideorhisarm,butwhathesawcausedhishearttoleapinhischest.

Hepanicked, a rare andunnatural state for him.Throwinghis feet to theoutsideof the rungs, he sliddown the ladder like itwas a firehousepole.Hissneakerssquealedagainstthemetal.Helandedonthestagewithaloudthud.

“Sheesh!”FinnreachedouttosteadyMaybeck.“We’reoutofhere!”Maybecksaid.Hetooktwosteps.“Who’s there?”Aman’s voice carried across the stage. “Hello?” It came

fromtheirleft.PhilbywavedforMaybeckandFinntofollowhim.Thethreeboyshurried

awaytoasetofdarkstairsleadingtothetheaterauditorium.Theywerecornered.Iftheywentthroughintothetheater,they’dbeseen;if

theystayedwheretheywere,they’dbecaught.Finn wasn’t going to stand around. He yanked open the door and dove

beneathaseatinthefirstrow,crawlingforwardandtuckinghislegsintoaball.Philby and Maybeck followed. The three boys lay on the auditorium floorbeneaththreeside-by-sideseats.

Footfallspoundedoutonstage.“Anybody there?” The man’s voice was incredibly present and close.

“Answerme!Who’sthere?”Morefootfalls.One,maybetwomorepeople.Finnused the loud sound tocoverhis rollingontohisbackandwiggling

forwardtobeneathrowthree.Philbyhadthenervetograbholdofhimtotrytostophim.Finnshookoff

his hand a little too harshly, pulled himself to sitting, and peered through thespacesbetweenseats.

He saw a squat but wide-shouldered stagehand looking up into the darkwhereMaybeckhadclimbed.Finnsensedtheothermanbeforeheeversawhim,amanstandingasstillasapredatorcat,onlythewhitesofhiseyestickinglefttorightashesearchedtheauditorium.Finndidn’tsomuchasblink.Themanwaslookingrightathim.Heheldhisbreath;foughttokeepfrommoving.

At last, the stagehand turned away. A second later he could be hearddescendingthestairs.

Finnfinallyrestedhiseyes,relieffloodinghim.Thestagestoodempty.Theboysgingerly extricated themselves fromunder the seats andmoved

quietlyintotheaisle.Theycrepttowardthebackofthetheaterandtheglowingexitsigns.

“You!Stop!”Thesneakystagehandhadtrickedthem.“Don’tshowthemyourfaces!”FinntoldPhilbyandMaybeckasthethree

ran.Thestagehandjumpedandtookoffaftertheboys,supernaturallyfast.“Go!” Finn shouted toMaybeck and Philby as he skidded to a stop and

turnedtofacethemancomingforthem.Finn possessed a confidence acquired over time by being the unanointed

leaderofthegroup.ButusuallyitwasMaybeckorCharlene,nothim,whostuckaround for the battles. Without thinking now about what he was doing, hedroppedtooneknee,grabbedholdofeithersideoftheaislecarpet,andpulled.Pulledhard.

Nothinghappened.Whattheheckhadhebeenthinking?Thestagehanddrewcloser.AngerandfrustrationovercameFinn.Hegave

thecarpetoneferocioustug.Tohissurprise,thistimeittorelooseandroselikeawave, rippling powerfully as it pulled free. The wave surged beneath thestagehand—amagiccarpet—dumpingthemanflatontohisbackandknockingthewindoutofhim.

Theboysranoutthetheater’smaindoorsreachingMickey’sMainsailshopinrecordtime.

“Whatwasthat,Whitman?”Maybeckasked.“Noclue.”“SincewhendoyougofortheSupermanstuff?”“Sincenever.”Finnpanted.Asiftoproveit,hewasoutofbreath.Then,arrivingdowntheopposinghallwayalongsideWhiteCaps,camethe

secondstagehand, theonewith theshouldersofaweightlifter.Hegloweredatthethreeboys.

“Well,”hegrowled,“ifitain’ttheThreeStooges.”“Splitup!”Philbyshoutedasthethreeboystookoff.Finn and Philby headed aft;Maybeck peeled off and bounded down the

amidshipsstairs.ThestagehandignoredMaybeck,increasinghisoddsbygoingaftertwoof

thekids.Thoughhetriedtofocusonfleeing,Finncouldn’thelpwonderingwhathad

happened back there. That surge of strength…was it a fluke? Something hecouldlearntodo?Heglancedoverhisshoulder.

Noquestionthemanwasafterhim,notPhilby.Timetoact.

FinnbumpedPhilby,sendinghimtumbling.ThestagehandranpastPhilby,justasFinnhadsurmised.Finn put his newfound power to a test, ascending the Atrium’s grand

staircase.Hehuffedandpuffedasusual.Wasslow,asusual.Themanlaboredbehindhim.Finn was running on fumes by the time he headed through the Vista

Gallery,randownthelongportcompanionwayleadingtotheDistrict,andthenthroughthewarrenofnightclubs.Heneededoxygen.Heneededaparamedic.

Whenhelookednext,thestagehandwasnowhereinsight.Finnclimbedtheaftstaircase,feelinglikehewasahundredyearsold.

HestoppedatDeck8,hislungsreadytoburst,wantingdesperatelytofindoutwhathadhappened.

Tofindoutifhecouldeverdoitagain.

***

“It’shim!”Maybeckrarelysoundedfrightened.He,Finn,andPhilbywereoutsideontheverandaofFinn’sstateroom.“Chernabog?”Finnworkedtokeepdisbelieffromhisvoice.“He’sinsidetheBuzzLightyearballoon.”“You saw him.” Philby swallowed so hard it looked like he’d gulped a

mouse.“Mostoftheballooniscolored.Isawaneye,andpartofahorn.”Maybeck

allowedthistosinkin.“Anextremely,unbelievablybigeye.”Maybeckwas no chicken. Just theway he’d bailed down the ladder told

Finnhe’dseensomethinghorrific.“SowereporthimtoSecurity.”Philbysoundeddisappointed.“You realize, this could be the beginning of the end for the OTs.” Finn

sounded stunned. “No Chernabog. Security realizing something big is goingdown.Thatwe’renotabunchoflunatickids.”

“YouandIgotoSecurity.”“Whataboutme?”Maybeckcomplained.“Youhangback.IfSecuritydetainsus,wemayneedajailbreak.”

***

“Letmegetthisstraight,”UncleBobsaidtothetwoVIPs.“You’vedemandedtospeaktomeatthreeinthemorningbecauseyousayChernabog,whoisaDisneycharacter who has never sailed with us, is hidden inside the Buzz LightyearinflatablebackstageintheWaltDisneyTheatre.”

“Correct.”Theredhead,Philby,wasbright-eyeddespitethelatehour.Theotherboy,Finn,seemedmorequietlyconfident,likeapersonincharge.

“Andhowdidthismonstergetaboard?”“AplanelandedonCastawayCay.Hewasthecargo.”Bob said nothing, revealed nothing in his face.He’d been told of guests

havingseenaplanelanding.Atthetime,he’dnotbelievedit.“Isawit,”Philbysaid.“Iwasthere.”“Andhowdideveryoneelsemissthisevent?”Bobpurposelydidn’treveal

thatsomehadinfactreportedsimilarhappenings.“The fireworks,” Finn said. “They were used as a diversion. The plane

didn’tturnonanylightsuntilsecondsbeforeitlanded.”“Sothesoundwascoveredbythefireworks,”UncleBobsaid,tryingnotto

appearinterested.Hefakedalaugh.“Okay.Thisispartofyourshow,right?Thelate-nightvideodump? I thoughtyouweren’t supposed toknowabout—”Hisexpressionchangeddramatically.“Listen.Sorry.Okay?We’lllookintoit.”

Finndidn’tunderstandwhathadjusthappened.UncleBobhadgonefromsuspiciousandconfrontationaltoapologeticandchummy.

“By‘show,’”Philbysaid,his toneconfrontational,“doyoumeanourrolein the parks or something? Look.We’re not asking you to believe any of thestoriesaboutus,sir.WeonlyaskthatyouinspecttheBuzzLightyearballoon’scontents.”

“Weareintheprocessofthataswespeak,”saidBob,nowadifferentman.FinnandPhilbyexchangedperplexedglances.

“We’reserious.”FinnhadasenseBobwasnot.“AsamI.Ihaveamanonthewaytherenow.”Bobworkedtheradioathis

waist.“Yup.He’sonhisway.”“Whatdidyoumeanjustnowbythe‘videodump’?”ProfessorPhilbysaid.

WhenBobshothimalookofignorance,Philbycontinued.“I’mawarethattheshipuploadsthelargerdatapacketstothesatelliteatnightwhentheguestsare

asleepandthere’smorebandwidthonthesatellitelink.Butisn’tthatmostlyforthemediatoursorthespecialevents?”

BoblookedasifPhilbyhadtrickedhim,asifhisbrainwastryingtocatchup.Thatexpressiongavewaytooneofimpatience,andfinally,determination.

“Iwas referring to the three-six-fiveyou’re shooting forDisneyChannel.The director uploads after hours.” A Disney 365 was a two-minute videopublicitypiecethatranontheChannel.

Finn was having trouble focusing, his brain too tired. He understoodPhilby’sconcernabouthigh-volumevideodumps:thetransmissionofDHIdatarequired enormousbandwidth—thatwashow the Imagineers hadbeen able totrackthemovementoftheOvertakers’servertoapossibleshipatsea.Thisship.Thissea.

If the ship performed a video dump at night, sending the 365 to thecompany’sstudio, thehugebandwidthrequirementscoulddiminish thequalityofAmandaandJessasDHIs.Philbywastryingtofigurethingsoutinordertoavoidcomplications.

Bob touched his ear. “Did not copy!” Theman listened intently. “Rogerthat.”

Helookedatthetwoboysquizzically.“Okay,sowhat’sgoingon?”Theboysofferedonlypuzzledexpressions.“If itwas an accident, I need to know that right now. If it’s found to be

vandalismandyou’retryingtopullmychain,headsaregoingtoroll.”“Wedon’thaveacluewhatyou’retalkingabout,”Philbysaid.“Don’tmesswithme.”“Nothappening,”Finnsaid.“Noclue.”Bob studied them. “The condition of theBuzzLightyear balloon the last

time you saw it? And I advise you to think carefully before giving me youranswer.”

Theboysstaredateachother,dumbfounded.“IfI’mhearingyou,”Philbysaid,“you’retellingussomething’shappened

totheballoon?”“Thelongeryoumesswithme,”Bobsaid,“thedeepertheholeyoudig.”“We’re notmessingwith you,” Finn said. “Give us a lie detector test or

whatever,butwhenwelastsawthatparadeballoonitwasinflatedandsecuredtotheceilingbackstage.”

“Why?”Philbysaid.“YourguyfoundChernabog?”“My guy found a deflated balloon, cut—not torn—from one end to the

otherwithasharpobject.That’safive-thousand-dollarprop.Asindollars,”Bobaddedfortheirbenefit.“You’retryingacleverplantopretendsomeoneelsedidthisandgetyourselvesoffthehook.”

“SowedreamedupChernabog,”Philbysaid,allowingfatigueandangertocolorhisvoice.“WedreamedupaplanelandingonCastaway.Yeah!”hesaid,sarcastically.“Wedidthattomakesureyouwouldn’tbustusforpoppingyourBuzzLightyearballoon.”

“Youbecarefulwiththatmouthofyours,son.”“We’reindangerhere,Dad.You’reunderattackandintrouble,andwe’re

apparently the only ones trying to keep your ship from being overtaken bypeople—bythings—youwillnotbelieve.Whenyoufinallydo,it’llbetoolate.”

Bob’sfacewasscarlet.“Weweretoldwecouldworkwithyou,”Finnsaid.“WayneKreskytoldme

youweretheonepersonwecouldtrust.”MentionofKresky’snamestoodBobupalittletaller.Theroguedesigner,

themanaccusedof running a secret agencywithin the Imagineers.WhowerethesekidstotellhimaboutWayneKresky?

“Youwillanswerforthedamagetothisballoon,”hesaid.“Seriously?Youthinkwe’rethatclever?Toturnourselvesinatthreeinthe

morninginordertotakesuspicionoffofus?”“Iwishwewerethatsmart,”Finnsaid.“Returntoyourrooms.You’llhearfromme.”“Chernabogisgone,”Philbysaid.“Youguyshavegottofindhim!”“I acknowledge that you and your friends are special guests aboard this

ship, youngman”—Bob directed this at Philby—“but Iwill determinewhat Ihavetodo.Notyou.NowgetoutofherebeforeIchangemymind.”

ABOYWALKSDOWNadarktunnel.Ashadowclimbsthewalltotheleft,runsalongand rolls down the rocks like a snake. There are sounds—his feet? Someoneelse’s?

The soundof rapid breathing suggests danger lurking.Theboy is afraid,deathlyafraid.Yellowlightleaksintotheconfinedspace.

Theboycontinuesthroughasquaretunnelofsomekind.Aparkattraction?Therearenolights,nomusic,nosoundsotherthanwatersplashing.

Something is chasing the boy. It’s monstrous. It makes hideous, gutturalsoundsthatdrivetheboyforward,deeperdownthetunnel.

Whateverisbackthere,whateveriscoming—itmeansbusiness.Itmeanstokillhim.

Jess’seyessnappedopen.Shewas lookingat theundersideofamattress,heldupbywiremesh.Hernaturalinstinctatsuchmomentswastoreachforhersketchbook, switch on the battery-operatedbook light, and take the pencil outfromthebinding.Shedidjustthatandstartedtodrawtheimageofafrightenedboy in a square stone tunnel, knowing that Amanda was so attuned to herprocessthatatanysecondherheadwouldcomeovertheedgeoftheupperbunk.

Anditdid.Amandaknewbetterthantospeak.NothingcouldcomebetweenJessand

whatever images lurked in her thoughts. The dream needed to be preserved.Jess’spremonitionscontributed to theKeepers’ efforts like information fromaspy.Themoredetailedandaccurateherdrawing,thebetter.

Amanda lowered her head to her pillow and stared at the ceiling. Threeglow-in-the-darkstick-onstarsgaveherdullgreenimagestofocuson.Patiencewas everything.Thepersistent scratchingofpencil point onpaperwas all sheheard…andtheoccasionaldullrubbingsoundoftheeraser.

Theerasermeanta lackofconfidence; itwas thesoundof Jesschanginghermindornotlikingthewaysomethinghadcomeout.Amandaknewhertobe

anexpertillustrator.Hercrudedrawingsofayearortwoearlierhadevolvedintosophisticatedrealism.

Thesoundsofsketchingfinallystopped.Jesssighed,asifshehadheldherbreathforthepasttenminutes—anunintentionalsignal.Amandaslippedoffthetopbunk.

“Can I see?” she whispered, painfully aware of Jeannie Pucket sleepingonlyafewfeetaway.

“I’mnotsurewhatwasgoingon.Aboy.”Amandaknewnottoforceher.“Anyhintsastowhoitwas?”“No.”“Ashadow,”Amandasaid,studyingthesuperblysketchedimage.“Yes.Aboy.”“It’sacave.”“Morelikeatunnel,”Jesssaid.“Seethesquarewalls?”“WeneedtogetthistoFinn.”“Wewill.”“Imeanrightnow.”“Whythehurry?”Jessasked.“BecausetheDreamdocksinArubathismorning.They’reheadingtothe

caves.”“I’mnotsosurethisisacave.”“Doesn’t matter.” Amanda couldn’t take her eyes off the sketch. “They

needtoseeit.”“Idon’tknow.Itdoesn’tfeelcomplete.Iheardwater,butIdidn’tseeany.”Amanda felt sorry for Jess, who bore the burden of her dreams and the

messagestheycontained.JessoccasionallyrebelledagainstthesignificanceFinnandPhilbyattributed tohervisions.Toher, theywere justdreams, sometimesaccurateprojections into the future, sometimesnot.Shedidn’t likeher friendsbasingtheirplans—orworse,riskingtheirlives—onsomethingsoephemeral.

Amandasaid,“I’llgetthistoPhilby,makesureheseesitbeforetheyleavetheship.”Sheforcedhereyesoff thepage.Theedgeof thewindowcasementwasglowingyellowwiththeflushofdawn.“Ihopewe’renottoolate.”

INTHEEARLYHOURSofThursdaymorning,ClaytonFreeman,ahandsomeAfricanAmerican man who shaved his head to a spit polish, found himself headingbackstageintheWaltDisneyTheatre.HeblamedthetwoKingdomKeeperboysformakinghimlosesleep.ButhealsofoundhimselfatleastslightlybelievingwhatBobhadtoldhim.

Maybe it was because he was younger than Bob. Maybe it was due toinexperience.Maybeitwasbecausehe’dcomethroughcollegeonthefringeendofHarryPotter, andhe stillhada thing forArtemisFowl,PercyJackson,andLegend,buthedidn’timmediatelydismisstheimprobablethewayhisbossdid.

Certainlywhat the boys reported seeing backstagewas a stretch.ClaytonFreeman would rank it as highly unlikely. But impossible? He worked forDisney;wasanythingbeyondthescopeofimagination?

Clayton had heard the stories from fellow security personnel within theDisneyWorld parks, stories that Bob had no time for. He’d seen the damageinsidetheIt’saSmallWorldride—dollsbrokenoffthescenes,othersfloatinginthewater;he’dhearditcalledvandalism.He’dalsoheardrumorsthatthedollsappeared to have broken free of their platforms, as ifmarching like an army.Claytondidn’tknowwhattomakeofanyofit.

Heapproachedthebackstagepropstorage,hismindweigheddownbythedisappearanceofasecondMickeyMousewhohadbeenspottedonboard; thevandalism done to some security cameras during theCastawayCay stop; andMaleficent’sunscheduledvideojustbeforethelightssparkedandshattered.

Toomanyunansweredquestions…Claytonstopped.Asthey’dbeentold,theBuzzLightyearballoonlayonthe

stagefloor,deflated,collapsed.Itwashisjobtoinspectit.Indeed,itappearedtohavebeencutopenwithasharpblade.

LikeBob,hewantedtofobthisoffonthetwoboyswhoreportedit.Theygoof around backstage, a bit of mischief leads to vandalism. The boys—bothVIPs!—reporttheincidentassomethingmuchbigger.

But the balloon had not popped by accident. It had been cut openintentionally. Try as he might, Clayton couldn’t see the boys doing that.Physically,itwouldhavebeennearlyimpossible.

He kneeled and inspected the cut seam. Therewas a bead of dried glue,implyingithadbeenopenedpreviouslyandthenrepaired.

The boys claimed the Buzz Lightyear balloon had contained Chernabog.ThecreepythingfromFantasia?Asif!Claytonnearlylaughedaloud.

Thenhediscovereda five-inch lengthofcoarsehair.Animal,nothuman.Thickandinflexible.Awhisker?

Hefoundanother,andanother,allstucktodriedbeadsofglue.Impossible!The evidence supported the boys’ claim. Clayton collected the hairs. No

choicebuttoshowthemtoBob.Nochoicebuttoconsiderthisalegitimateinvestigation.

PRIORTOLEAVINGtheshipfortheday,theearlyrisersmetonthedeckofCabanasforbreakfastbeforesunup.

Philby, Storey, and Finn listened as an excitedWilla explained to StoreyandPhilbywhattheotherKeepershadfiguredoutthenightbefore.

“K’an isgold,yellow,orprecious.Ch’en iscave.Janaabis flower.Pet isisland.Wehavenearlyallthepiecesofthejournal’ssecondclue.”

Philbysaid,“Yes.Finntoldmelastnight.”“But?”saidWilla,contestinghim.Thefrictionbetweenthemwaspalpable.Finnanswered,tryingtokeepthefireworkstoaminimum.“Philbypoints

outthatnowthattheOTshavetheflashdrivewiththeirDHIdata,alltheyneedisanewserver,sinceIfriedtheirotherone.”

“IfIwerethem,”Philbysaid,avoidingeyecontactwithWilla,“I’dreplaceitinAruba.AfterArubawehaveadayatsea,thenthePanamaCanalpassage,then another nightwithout a stop. It’s several days before anyone gets off theshipagain.”

“Todayisthefinalislandstoponthecruise,”Storeysaid.“‘Island’ is one of the four words from the journal,” said Willa. “Not

‘computer.’”Ouch, Finn nearly said. Instead he tried to keep them focused. “Let’s

considerthefourwords—”“Twenty-four different combinations,” Philby said proudly, and made an

unpleasantfaceatWilla,whowincedandblinked.“Actually,” she snapped, “it’s three times thatwhenyouconsider the two

addeddefinitionsfork’anofyellowandprecious.”Philbylookedcrushed.“In my opinion,” Willa said, “the most promising is: island cave, gold

flower—or maybe yellow flower. I don’t see ‘gold cave’ or ‘gold island’ or‘islandflower’or‘preciousflower,’thoughwhoknows?”

“Okay,solet’sstartthere,”Finnsaidhastily.Philbyglanceddownbelowtheedgeofthetablewhereheheldaprintout

ofane-mailsentbyAmanda.Itshowedashadowonawallofwhatmightbeacave.Henearly showed it to them,but lookingacross at thedefiantWilla, heshook his head, refolded it and slipped it into his pocket. “I thinkwe shouldconsidertheirneedforaserver.”

Finnsaidquickly,“So…islandcave,goldflower.Anyluckwiththelookofthecaves?”

Storey slid an excursion brochure across to Philby, followed by somecomputerprintoutsofArubancaves.

“NoneareanexactmatchwithJess’sdrawing,butwhat’sinterestingisthesimilarformationsandthesurroundinglandscape.ShewasdefinitelydreamingofacaveonAruba.”

Philby compared Jess’s drawing to the various photographs. “Agreed. Sowe’reintherightplaceattherighttime,andweknowwhatthey’relookingfor.”HefingeredthevacantspaceframedinthecopyofthejournalpageandglancedupatWilla.“You’regoingwithflowerbecauseofthis.”

“Yes.Therewasapressedflowerinthere,likeCharlenesaid.Hastobe.”“AndtheOTshaveit,”Philbysaid.“Couldhaveit.Mightnot,”Willasaid.“Weareoutnumberedonceagain,”Philbysaid.“Forwardfollowingcould

work,shouldwork,butitwon’tifwe’rewatchingthewrongcave.”HeturnedtoStorey.“Therearewhat,fiveimportantcaves?”

“Yes.Andmanymoreupanddownthenorth-easterncoast,”Storeysaid.“Divideandconquer,”Finnproposed.“No other choice,” Philby said. “Five caves. Six of us, including Storey.

Nottomentiontheneedtocoverthecomputerstores.”“Thenlet’snotmentionit,”Willasaid,anddrewascornfullookfromthe

boys.“Whatifyoustaybehindandwatchthecamerasforacomputerboxbeing

broughtaboard?”FinnsuggestedtoPhilby.“We’dknowwheretolook,whotogoafter.”

“Hmm.”“There are two others we could ask to help us,” Storey said, somewhat

tentatively.

Dillard?Finnwondered.Hewasfairlycertainhisneighbor,who’dhelpedtheKeepers in thepast,wasontheship,buthowcouldDillardpossiblyknowStorey?Andhowcouldhepossiblyfindthekidanyway?Hekeptquiet.

Shesaid,“TheirnamesareKennyandBart.Iworkwiththem.”“Notforfieldwork.Icouldusethemaslookouts,”Philbysaid.“Done.”Philby, apparently satisfiedwithFinn’s solution to thecomputerproblem,

mellowed.“Therestofyou…fourwilleachtakeoneofthefamouscaves.Thefifth—maybewegivethistoMaybeck?—willbeourcontrol:he’llshowtheJesssketchtoataxidriverandseewherehe’staken.Maybeitoverlapswithoneofyou,maybenot.”

“Maybeweshouldalldothat,”Finnsaid.“Ilikethatidea.”“Itputstoomuchfaithinthesketch,”Philbysaid.“Bettertocoverasmany

basesaspossible.”“Jess’sdrawingshaveneverbeenwrong,”Willasaid.“ButifyoutalktoAmanda,that’snotthecase.”PhilbylookedWillainthe

eye. “Jess gets confused now and then. We have to stay objective, be asstatisticallyaccurateaspossible.Of the fivemostpopularcaves,wecover thetopfour.Maybeckactsasourcontrol.”

Noonelookedsold.“Thestolenjournalstartedthis,”Philbyinsisted.“Thejournaltellsusit’san

islandcave.ThisistheonlyislandstopafterCastaway,andtherearen’tcavesonCastaway.Rightplace.Righttime.”

“AndifLuowskioranotherOTKleavestheship?”Finnsaid.“Theywon’ttrusthimoranyonetodowhateveritisthey’replanning.You

wantsomethingdoneright,youdoityourself.”Philbysquinted,deepinthought.“Okay.Acompromise.MaybeckandWillaleavesuperearly.YouandCharleneleavenext,”hetoldFinn.“Storeygoeslast.IfanOTorOTKisseenleavingtheshipduring that time,maybewechangeplans. Ifnot,eachoneofyou takesadifferent cave and Iwatch for a computer comingbackonboard.”Hepausedandsaid,“Iseveryonegoodwiththat?”

Nooneobjected—unlessyoucountedWilla’srollingeyes.

***

A blade of bloodred arched above the horizon, absorbed in spots by cumulusclouds, all of it drippingwith foreboding. The smells and sounds of land hadawakenedGregLuowskiastheshipdocked;nowheclimbeddowntothedeck,peeringovertherailtoseedockhandsandshoreworkersbusybelow.

Theshiverthatranthroughhimhadnothingtodowithairtemperature;itwas instead the recollection of hismeetingwithMaleficent—the IceQueen—andhowshe’dtoldhimhehadto“collectone”forher.

“Onewhat?”he’dasked.But he’d known the answer. Another shiver. He knew “what.” He knew

“who.”HiscontemptforFinnWhitmanknewnobounds.Whitlesswasthekindof

boy Luowski lived to hate: clever, brainy, fast-tongued and slow-footed. HisfeelingsofillwillweremultipliedbyAmanda’sobviousadoration;shewouldn’tgiveLuowskithetimeofdayaslongasFinnWhitmanexisted.

Focusingonthetaskathand,Luowskiattemptedtocollecthisthoughts—abit like picking up three dozen apples without a basket or bag: the more hegathered, themorehedropped.And so itwas that his plans spilledout of hisheadandovertheship’sraillikeconfetti,losttothewhimsofthewind.

First,hehadtogetofftheship.He’ddealwiththerestlater.Maleficent had made fun of him—something no one got away with. He

would show her: he’d pull off this assignment flawlessly, return with thecomputer she needed.He’d use his accomplishment as a bargaining chip. Letsomeoneelsedotheotherthing.Luowskiwasnokiller.She’dtreatedhimlikeathug.She’dsee.

Twentyminutes later,heworea shiphand’sbluecoverallsover apairofNBAshortsandaWorldofWarcraftT-shirt.ADisneyCruiseLines IDbadgehungfromalanyardaroundhisneck.Hishandsandforearmslookedlikethoseofanengineroomworkerwho’dfailedtogetallthegreaseoff.Crewmembersweredisembarking to thedocks.Theprocessof resupplying theshipwaswellorganized and executed: everyone had his or her assignment; they worked inconcert.Asingleplayer likeGregLuowskiwas, to thesecurity teamscanningthe crew as they disembarked, just another player. His ID was legit. He wasscannedoffanddisembarked.

LuowskisteppedontothesandsofArubaandinhaleddeeply.Therewasworktodo.

INTHEBALCONYSEATINGoftheBuenaVistaTheatre,StoreyMingwasmetbyKennyCarlson,atall,freckledkid.Hissidekick,Bart,lookedlikeasurferdude.

“Theystilldon’tknow?”Kennysaid.“Actually, now they do.You’ve done an excellent job of laying low.But

that’schanged.Theyneedlookouts.You’llbeonWavePhonesreportingdirectlytoPhilby.”

“Cool,”Kennysaid.“We’reready.”“Thisisn’tagame.”“Iknowthat.”“You’rehighschoolers.”“Acknowledged.”“Soactlikeit.”“Rogerthat.”“Whichmeansdon’tuseradiospeakwhenI’msittingnexttoyou.”Kennyblushed.“You’reexcited.Igetthat.It’sexcitingwork.Buttheirlivesdependonour

doing a good job. You understand? Their lives. No exaggeration. So get thegigglesoutandmanup.”

Kennynodded.Bartlookedalittleconfused.“Explainittohim,”shesaid.“Willdo,”Kennysaid.“Anddon’tmessthisup!”Kennyleanedawayfromher.“Now you’re getting it.” Storey appraised them both. “Cast Members.

That’sall.YouareCastMembers,helpingout.”Notknowingwhattosay,Kennysaidnothing.Storeyleftthebalcony,but

not without one last menacing look to drive home her point: they were

answeringtoher.Andshemeantbusiness.

***

WithMaybeckandWilla longgone, thedisembarka-tionofLuowskiand thenDixon set off a flurry ofWave Phone texts and conversations that resulted inPhilby’sleavinghispost.

With a bird’s eye view fromDeck 11,Kenny reported that Luowski hadbypassed theexcursionbusesandwasheaded into townonfoot.Aman––orabigkid––followednearlythesameroute,aboutfiveminuteslater.

Philbyclosedthedistancebut lostsightofLuowskibehindsomemassiveoil tanks.Kennyreported thathewasheadingweston thestreetclosest to thedocks.“Justbelowtheblimp.”

Aminiatureblimp,aboutthesizeofacar,maneuveredoverhead.ItboretheDisneyChannellogoinbrightyellow.Followinginthegeneraldirectionoftheblimp, Philby spotted Luowski entering a Quiznos sandwich shop. So far, sogood.

Finn left the ship and headed to the taxi queue on schedule. As he wasabout to climb into the backseat, he heard a report through his earbud that asmallboathadjustpulledupontheoppositesideoftheshipfromthedock.

“I’monit,”saidStorey’svoice.“Notime,”Philbytoldher.“I’mtakingtheexpresslane,”shereplied.

***

StoreyMingopenedawatertightdoormarkedCREWONLY.Itwasanexteriordeckarea where a number of cables as thick as her leg ran through portholes andsecured the ship to thedock.These spring lines tied the ship tight to thedockwhileallowingfor,andself-adjustingto,theship’ssubtlemovements.

Shestuckherheadoutovalportholeandgulped.Itwasalongwaydown.Shelocatedashortlengthofchainandthrewitoveracable,takingholdof

thechainateitherend.Storeysatonthesilloftheopenporthole,watchingthedockactivity,awaitinghermoment.Thensheslidoff.

Sheflewdowntheline,atinyspeckofgirlamidtheoversizedworldoftheDream. There were several spring lines securing the bow. She’d chosen thefarthestforwardline.Asecondline,setjustbelowhers,gaveherawaytobreakherdescent.

Storeyracedtowardthehugeironcleatonthedock,countingdowninherhead.At the last second, she letgoof thechain, tucked intoaball,and rolledacross the dock in a somersault. She scraped both her knees and elbows, butdidn’tbreakanybones.

“Hey!Youthere!”She took inventory: the shipbehindher, stretching a thousand feet toher

left;theemptypierandtaxistandtoherright.Shetookoffatasprint.Nodockhandwasgoingtocatchher.AsStoreyclearedtheterminalbuilding,shespottedapairofumbrellasand

behindtheumbrellas,twomen,allclimbingsteepstairsfromasmallboat.ShereachedforherWavePhonetoreport.Gone!

Shecheckedforherwallet:stillinherpocket.When the umbrellas were collapsed, allowing their holders to board a

parked taxi, they revealed twowomen, one small and dark, the other tall andthin.

Diving into the back of another waiting taxicab, Storey yanked the doorshut.Thedriverspunaround,awidesmileonhisface.

“WelcometoAruba!WherecanItakeyou?”She’dalwayswantedtosaythewordsshesaidnow.“Followthatcar!”Storeycried.

***

Asad-lookingsandwichsignonthesidewalkadvertisedanATM.Atired,darklytannedmaninaloudshirtstoodbyadilapidatedformerschoolbus,nowpaintedin outrageous colors reading FANTASY ISLAND TOUR. Neon lights flashed in variousshopwindows:GOLD!JEWELRY!SOUVENIRS!T-SHIRTS!

PhilbykepthiseyeonthedooroftheQuiznos,hispalmssweaty.The stagehand Dixon entered, obviously to rendezvous with Luowski.

Momentslater, thetwolefttheshop.Philbyfollowed,keepingagooddistanceback.

Quickly, theupscalestreet,Arendstraat,gaveway toaseediersidestreet.The crumbling sidewalks and low concrete-block buildings made Philby feelunsafe.The drone of the overhead blimp grabbed his attention. Itwas like anannoyinginsectcirclinghishead.

When he refocused, he’d lost Luowski and Dixon. Philby panicked andstudiedeachoftheshops.

NexttoPeggy’sYarnShop,astorewindow:Bytes,Bits,andBeyond.Acomputerstore.Philbycrossedthestreetatarun.Theshop’swindowwasfilledwithgear,

some of it switched on and working. One monitor displayed a live video ofPhilby looking in. To the right was another monitor divided into four videoquadrants.

Ahandwrittenadread:SecuritySpecial!Packageincludes4wirelesscamerasandsoftware!In the lower-right quadrant, two dark shapes were crouched below the

counter.PhilbywonderedhowLuowskicouldbesodumb.Apolicesirengrewsteadilylouder.Andcloserstill.At first, Philby assumed Luowski had tripped a silent alarm, and was

delightedattheideaofthebullygettinghimselflockedup.Thenheconsideredhisownposition.

Notgood.Hecouldeasilybemistakenforalookout.Anaccomplice.Tiresscreeched.ApolicecarslidthroughtheturnontoJolastraat.Philbytookoffrunning,realizingtoolatethatthiswasastupidthingtodo.

Peoplewhoranfromcopsappearedguilty.Cardoorsslammedbehindhim.Thedyingsirencrawleduptoascreamagainasthepolicecarpeeledout.

Cursingunder his breath,Philby cut left onto a dirt track.Thepolice carslammed on the brakes, backed up, and took a sharp left, now immediatelybehindPhilby.

Fence,Philby’sbraincried.Thewooden fencewas eight feet high, with lumber bracing halfway up.

Philbyheadedforit.At that samemoment,LuowskiandDixonemerged from theshop’sback

doorcradlinglargecardboardboxes.

For a split second Philby hesitated: he’d led the police directly to thethieves.Thathadtobeagoodthing!

But as the police car slowed and the passenger door swung open,dispensing a woman cop who ran straight at Philby, he knew he was in bigtrouble. If arrested, hewouldnot onlymiss the ship’s departurebut he’d looklike an idiot to theothers—all brains, nobrawn, though thatwas far from thetruth.

WaynehadrecruitedPhilbyinpartforhisrock-climbingskills;he’dendedupas thegroup’s techieonlyafterMaybeckshirked the responsibility.Now—unbeknowntotheothers—heseemedtobebeinggroomedtoleadtheKeepers,arole currently all Finn’s. Wayne treated him special, gave him secretresponsibilities.Anarrestwouldsabotageallhe’dbeenworkingtoward.

Philbyscaledthefencelikehewasflashinganewclimbingroute,crossedthestreet,andtriedtolosehimselfinastandoftrees.

Theladycopfellawkwardlyintothedust.Whenshelookedup,thetallkidwasgone.

***

IfDixonhadn’treactedthewayhehad,Luowskimighthavefrozeninplace.Attheveryleast,Luowskiwouldhavedroppedthestolencomputerbeforerunning.ButDixonreactedcalmly.Hewasn’tafraid.ItgaveLuowskistrength.

Dixontookoffwithoutlookingback.Within seconds Luowski was following him across a busy street amid a

flurryofprotestingcarhorns.Thepolicecar’ssirencriedbehindthem,butatadistancenow;theyhadthe

jump on them, and Dixon and Luowski shot though a narrow gap betweenbuildings,knowingapolicecarwouldnotfit.Thedrivershouldhavefollowedonfoot.Bypursuinginthecar,he’dlosthisadvantage.

DixonandLuowskiseizedit.

MAYBECK AND CHARLENE had disembarked at seven when Cast Members wereallowedofftheship.They’dheadedforseparatetaxisandleftforseparatecaves.

Tenminutesoutofthecity,Maybeck’sdriverdrovehimontoaroadofsandnowiderthanthecar.Afteralong,bouncingdrive,thetaxiarrivedataturnoutwhere threebouldersblockedvehicles fromenteringaweed-infested, trodden-downfootpathlinedwithcactusanddiscoloredbylitter.Maybecktoldthedrivertowaitforhim.

Maybeckpassedaboulder;decayingwroughtironbarsblockedaccesstoadark hole where rock met sand. Hoping that wasn’t the cave in question,Maybeckhurriedupapaththatclimbedasmallhill,nowfacingasmoothrockformation that rose unexpectedly out of the sand.Giant boulders lay atop oneanother at odd angles, creatingdark spaces between them.Thepath ledunderandthroughtheboulders,revealingshadedspaces,butnotexactlycaves.

BugsswarmedaroundMaybeck’shead.Noneof thespacesmatched thecopyof thesketchhecarried inhisback

pocket. The path continued through more of the partial caves and broke outagainintosunlight.

Abust.Backinthetaxi,hedescribedthecaveinJess’sdrawingtothedriver.“ThecaveI’mlookingforisonflatground.”Hepassedthedriverthecopy

ofthesketch.“Thecaveopeningislikeamouthabouttosmile.”“Apoet,”thedriversaid.“Artist,actually.”“Youdrawthis?”“Afriend.”Thedriverdraggedhishandoverhisface,stretchinghisskin.“Imightknow thisplace,” thedriver said. “Not sopopular.Aways from

here.Costyoutwentyflorins.”

Maybeck calculated the conversion. Eleven dollars. It seemed like a lot.“Andifyouwaitformemaybeanhourandtakemebacktotheship?”

Thedriverconsideredtheproposal.“Thirtyflorinstoreturn,thenthemeterbacktotheship.”

“Twenty-five,”Maybecksaidtothedriver.“Thenthemeter.”“Iwaitonehour,”thedriversaid.“Youhavethemoney?”“U.S.dollars,”Maybecksaid.“Showme.”Maybeck didn’t like the idea of showing a taxi driver hewas carrying a

bunchofcash.“Noproblem.”Hestruggledtopullasingletwentyfromhispocket.Waved

ittowardthefrontseat.ThedrivernoddedandtookoffsofastMaybeck’sheadsnappedback.

Fiveminutesintotheride,Maybeckturnedonhischarm.“Thiscave?Youknowanythingaboutit?”“Thisislandgotnothingbutstories,mister.”“Anystoriesaboutthecaves?”“Guadirikiri,where you’re going, has two parts.Holes in the roof of the

caveletinthelightbyday.Letthebatsoutbynight.Thousandsof’em.It’ssaidthatthey’resoulsofallthemslavesflyingeachnight,tryingtofindeternity.”

Maybeckfeltachill.Heleanedback.“Slaves?”“Aruba’s first settlers were Indians—natives, like me—escaping other

tribes like theCarib.Then theEuropeans came, in theyearofourLord1499.Butunlikeontheother islands, theEuropeansdidn’t try togrownothinghere.Instead,theypackedupthenativesandsoldthem,sentsomeofthempoorsoulsbacktothecountrytheirancestorsfirstescapedfrom.ThebatsofGuadirikiri…aresoulsthatstayedbehindontheisland,eventhoughtheirbodiesleft.”

Maybeckswallowedbackaknotofangerandfrustration.“Youokay?”Thedriverasked.“Myancestors…theywereslaves.”Maybeck’sstomachfelttight,histhroat

dry.“ThatwhyyoulookfortheGuadirikiriCave?Youlookfortheirsouls?”“Somethinglikethat.”

***

Seedscarriedbythewindandwashedashorebystormtideshadfoundpurchaseon the island’s shores and randomly rooted in clumps, like a poorly plannedobstacle course.Maybeck now lay beneath the shade of one of these bushes.Surrounded by a thicket of stickers, engulfed by the unrelenting heat from asteadily rising sun, hekept his eyeonGuadirikiri cave. Its similarity to Jess’sdrawingwasunmistakable.

Hewasgladhe’dchosentobedroppedoffuptheroad.Anothertaxiwaitedinthesandparkinglot.MaybeckhadalreadyjumpedtotheconclusionthatthistaxihadbroughttheOvertakers—toGuadirikiri,acavenotonthetouristlistofthe top five sightseeing attractions. But Maybeck was here; his moment hadarrived.

Bugs swarmedhim, landedonhis armsandneck.He fanned themaway,but theydrovehis impatience toabarelycontrolled restlessness.Hecouldnotstayhiddenmuchlonger.Hewasgoingtohavetomove.

Thecaveentrancewasconcealedwithina toweringsetofrocks,accessedbyaconcretestaircasethat,unfortunately,lookednothinglikethepaintingofthestepsinthejournal.Otheroutcroppingsofrockrimmedthearea,likespaceshipsthathadcrashedinasand-sweptdesert.

Maybeckswattedawaytheblackbugs,rose,andrantothenextclumpofshrubbery and thorn. As he moved, he saw a person, crouched and runningtoward him. He tightened his fists and fixed his feet squarely, so that evensquatting,he’dhaveafirmbaseforfighting.

StoreyMingslidinnexttohim.“Howdidyou—?”“It’salongstory,”Maybecksaid.“Later.”“They’reinthere!”“Ikindafigured,”hesaid.“Howmany?”“Twowomen.Twoguys,”shesaid.“Arethosestepstheonlywayin?”Maybeckasked.“Yes.There are these erosionholesup top, but I don’t recommend them.

They’rewaytoohigh.We’dmakeascene.”“You’vebeenwatching?”“Iheardthemtalking.Thewomen,nottheguys.”

“Whatweretheysaying?”“Notsure.Itwasweird,likeoldladiesarguing.”“Canwegetintherewithoutbeingseen?”Maybeckasked.“Wecantry.”Withhisattentionmovingbetweentheparkinglot,thesteps,andthecave

entrance,Maybeckshieldedhiseyesfromthesun.“Thedriver?”Shesaid,“Asleep,withhisseatlaidback.”“Good.Okay.So,I’llcheckouttheentrance.Youchill.Ifitlooksgood,I’ll

signalyou.”“Fine,butwegointogether,”Storeysaid.“You realizehowstupid thatwouldbe?”Maybecksaid. “If I’mcaught, I

needyoutogetmeout.”“Strengthinnumbers.”“Battletactics,”hecountered.“It’sadeepcavewithabunchofrooms.Ifyoudon’tsignalmetojoinyou

oneminuteafteryougoinside,I’mgoingtodropin.”“Yousaidthatwouldmakeascene.”“Yeah,Idid,didn’tI?”Storeysaidproudly.

THESTAIRSHADBEENCARVEDoutoftherockthatformedthecave.Maybeckstoppednearthetop,madehimselfflatagainstthestone,andedgedclosertogetalookinside.

StoreyMinghadhintedtoFinnthatthe2.0upgradewasbetatestingforasecondgenerationofDHIs, thatFinnandtheotherswereabouttobe“retired”and replaced. Standing there, about to enter a cave infested with bats thatsupposedlyembodiedthesoulsofdeadslaves,MaybecksawaminiatureDisneyChannel blimp in the distance andwas reminded howmuch he liked being aKeeper.BeingpartofDisneyhadmadehimfamous,hadgivenhimasenseofreal purpose. The idea of returning to his “normal” life reallywasn’twhat hehopedfor.

Pushingthethoughtsaway,heslippedaroundtherockandintothemouthofthecave.

Dark.Cool,almostcold.Heheardthevoices thatStoreyhadmentioned,but theywerea longway

off.Theawfulsmellhithim immediately:batguano.Shaftsof light streamed

through the overhead holes. It was like entering a slab of Swiss cheese; he’dgone from daylight to dusk. Itwas hard to seemore than a few yards in anydirection.

Maybeck cautiously continued inside, dodging stalagmites that rose fromthe sand floor likemelted candles. If Storey jumped down onto one of those,she’dbekilled.

He hurried back to the entrance and signaled. She joined him amomentlater. Together, they crept quietly forward toward a second “room.” Darker.Colder.Thesickeningsmellgrewmoreintense;Maybeck’ssandalsquishedintoadeeppileofguano.Hethoughthemightpuke.

They followed the cave wall slightly to the left and lower, the darknessswallowing them. The overhead holes emitted marginal amounts of sunlight,

barelypenetratingthegloom.MaybecksteeredStoreyawayfromaconeofthisfaintlight,movingthem

deeper into thedark.He took the longwayaround this second room,duckingunderstalactitesthathungdownlikestoneicicles.

As the ceiling grew progressively lower, the distant voices grewprogressively louder. Here, the stalactites reduced the clearance to five feet,forcingMaybeckandStorey toweave inbetween.With theeeriegray light, itwasliketryingtoseethroughsmokedglass.

Buttherewasenoughlighttoseetheshapesoftwowomen.StoreytouchedMaybeck’sarmandturnedhim.Shepointedtoherselfand

thenatthetwowomenwhowerecrouched,talking.BeforeMaybeckcouldregisterifshewasaskingortelling,Storeywason

herstomach,crawlingthroughthesandandguano.Shereachedthefarsideofthe“room”andheldtoitsedge,tryingtogetnearenoughtooverhearwhattheyweretoupto.

Maybeck felt worthless, like he should do something to help. He didn’tappreciate Storey’s tricking him like that, but he knew better than to follow.Therewereotherwordsforguano,afterall.

Hecarefullydodgedtherock icicles thathungfromtheceiling,movedtothenearestwall,andplacedhisbackagainstit,wishinghiseyeswouldadjusttothelight.AfteranotherthirtysecondsofwatchingStorey,whowasnothingbutadark, slithering shadow, he realized his eyes had adjusted—there just wasn’tmuchlightbackhere.Itwasaboutonebirthdaycandleshyofpitch-black.

Storeygotcloserstill.Whatever was being said by the two women sounded like gibberish, all

grunts and chants. Maybeck couldn’t tell who it was. Maleficent? The EvilQueen?Itmighthavebeenacoupleoftourists,forallheknew.MaybeheandStoreyhadgonetoallthistroubleoverapairofoldladiesfromtheship!

Thatwaswhenhespottedasecondmovingshadow.ThisonewasstandingalmostuprightandmovingthroughthestalactitesacrossthecaveinthedirectionofwhereMaybeckhadlastspottedStorey.

Thenewshadowpaused.It,too,vanishedamomentlater,atrickofthelowlight. Maybeck dropped to his hands and knees and, despite the bat guano,crawled towardwhere he’d lost the standing shape onlymoments before.Hisfingerssankintothegooeystuff,unleashingtheworstsmell—acombinationofouthouse and puke. He held his breath and tightened his throat to keep from

hurling.Tryingtoseebetweenthestalactiteswasliketryingtoseewithacombinfrontofyoureyes; theycreatedoptical illusionsof impenetrablewalls; theylookedlikespears,knives,icicles,andsnakes.Maybeckdidn’twanttorunintotheshadow-shapeguy—ifitevenhadbeenaguy.Maybeitwasnothingbutanillusion.

Pulling into a squat,Maybeck slowly stood, an inch at a time.Ablob ofdarknessmoved, only feet from him. Itmoved again, towardwhere he’d lastseenStorey.Withherattentiononthetwowomen,shewouldn’tseethisman—ifthat’swhatitwas—comingforher.

Maybecktookastepforward.Whathe’dbeenlookingatwasashadow.Buttohisleft,lessthanthreefeetaway,stoodaman.Lookingrightathim.

***

Up close, Maybeck could see that the guy was Joe College, the one who’dhelpedattackthembackstage.OneofthezombifiedOvertakers.Blond,tall,andfit,hehadtheclean-cutlookofaCastMemberandwasdressedasone,inkhakishortsandawhitepolo.

Theguyswungaclubupand intohisgrip,astring loopholding it tohiswrist. He handled it in a controlled, practiced way, striking Maybeck on theshoulderanddroppinghimtooneknee.

Maybeck’sshoulderwasnumb.Hefoundhimselfunabletomovehisarm.Theclubwasraisedagain.Itwascomingforhishead.And then Joe College was hit from behind and knocked off his feet,

revealing Storey, suspended from a pair of stalactites, which she’d used ashandlesinordertoelevateandkick.

FromtherecessesofthedarkcavecameMaleficent’scracklingvoice.JoeCollegegottohisfeetagain,directlybetweenMaybeckandMaleficent,

raisedtheclub—andturnedintoahuge,hairycrab.He’dinterceptedMaleficent’stransfigurationspell.Thecrab,easilythesizeofacafeteriatray,landedonitsback.“Ew,”Storeysaid,nowonherfeet.Shescoopedupsandandguano,packeditintoasnowball,andflungitat

Maleficent, forcing the dark fairy to duck out of its way. But not before

Maleficentlitafireballinherhand.Thecavecamealivewithamillionshadowsthrownbythestalactites.The

floorandwallsshiftedinadisorientingdanceofdarknessandlight.ToMaleficent’s side stoodTiaDalma, shorter, darker, and holding a tiny

ragdollinherhand.Shestabbedthedoll.Maybeckscreamedandtwisted.TiaDalmastabbedthedollasecondtime.Maybeckroaredandbuckledover,holdinghisstomach.Storeygrabbedontohim.“Run!”shesaid.Helimpedforward.Shesteeredhimthroughthemazeofceilingspears.He

buckledagain.Hisrightlegdraggedbehindhim,stiffandunusable.Then, asquickly as it hit him,he recovered.Hewasmore surprised than

anyone.“I’mgood!”hegasped.“Notsogood,”Storeywarned.Allaroundthemthestalactitestransformed:nolongercalcifiedstonebuta

thousandsnakeshangingbytheirtails.Maybeck’s pain had disappeared becauseTiaDalma had changed tactics,

castingacursethatendangeredbothofthem,notjustMaybeck.Storeywasliftedoffherfeet.Shewashangingbyherthroat,asnakecoiled

aroundherneck.Thesnakeconstricted,liftingStoreyhigher,chokinghermorefully.Leapingup,MaybeckforcedhisfingersbetweenthesnakeandStoreyandpulled. It was like trying to uncoil a steel cable. Storey’s face bulged like anoverinflatedpooltoy.Itwasnouse—thesnakewasn’tgoingtoletgo.

Maybecktookholdjustbehinditshead.Thesnakedidn’tlikethat.Itflexedandpulled. Indoingso, it loosened itsholdonStorey,whodrank inagulpofmuch-needed air.Maybeck pulled hard, twisting the snake’s head at the sametimeasheunwrappeditfromStorey’sneck.Itcamefree.

Storeyfelltothesand,coughing.Butbreathing.Maleficent,holdingtheburningorb,marchedsteadilytowardthem.Storey and Maybeck crawled away, keeping low to avoid the dangling

snakes.“Oh,please!”Maleficentcalledout.“Arewesolimitedinourthought?”A hundred snakes dropped to the sand, writhing and coiling. Maybeck

starteddancingfromfoot tofoot,shiftingwildly, terrified.Storeygrabbedhim

andtriedtoclimbuphimtogetherfeethigher.Maybeckeasedherbacktothesand.“Hangtough.”Heknewthiswasone

of those definingmoments, his chance to prove himself.He sucked it up andshookoffhisoutwardfright.

“Perplexing,isn’tit?”Maleficentsaid.Maybeckdove,tookholdofoneofthesnakes,andthrewitatMaleficent—

moreoutoffearthanheroics,buthewasn’tevergoingtoadmitthat.Maleficent threw a transfiguration spell. The snake became a harmless

lengthofrope,andshecaughtitwithherfreehand.TiaDalmastrodeupbehindMaleficent.“Howyoufeelnow,meboy?Eh?”Shestuckthedollwithapin.Maybeck twisted,moving in inhumanways that seemedsure tobreakhis

limbs.“Stopit!”Storeyshouted.“Now?”TiaDalmasaid,deliveringmoreofhervoodoo.Maybeck folded backward, screaming. Storey feared the next pin would

breakhiminhalf.“Runoutoffire,oldlady?”Agirl’svoiceechoedthroughthecave.“Charlie?”atorturedMaybeckwhispered.Charlenedroppedthroughaceilingholeinthenextroom,stickingaperfect

landing. Irate, Maleficent wound up and threw the fireball in Charlene’sdirection. Charlene cartwheeled. The fireball missed and ricocheted off thecave’sceilinginashowerofsparks.

Inthatmoment,twothingshappened:Thefireballcausedthesnakestoreleaseandslitheraway,clearingapathto

the exit. And as the fireball exploded into the ceiling, ten thousand bats tookflight.

Maleficent,blindedbytheswarm,spokeacursethatturnedathousandofthefecklessbatsintorats.

TiaDalmacursedatMaleficent.“Rats?Youmaketherats?”“Childrenhaterats.”“Inoliketherats,neither,youlizard-skinnedfairy!”“Youshutyourtrap,orI’llturnyouintooneyourself.”“You talk like that,missy; Igiveyou thegiftofpain.Pain likenoneyou

felt.”ForMaybeck,Charlene, andStorey, escaping the cavewas like trying to

run underwater. The churning, screeching, flapping bats were like windblownleaves,battingagainstfacesandarms,makingithardtosee,tobreathe.Theratscrawling on the floor onlymadematters worse; no foothold was secure. Thethree teens held their breath, squinted, and dashed for the entrance.Maybeckholleredasheran.CharleneandStoreycoveredtheirfaces,peeringthroughthecracksbetweentheirfingers.

Gasping for air, they followed the bats out the cave, bursting into thesunlight.There,twentyfeetaway,aJapanesetourgroupthathadgoneoff-mapcowered back from the black wave escaping the cave. Without noticingCharlene, Storey, and Maybeck, the tourists ran for their mini-bus. The kidsheadedforthestreetandMaybeck’staxi.

“Wheredidyoucomefrom?”MaybeckaskedCharlene.Lookingather,hecouldn’thelpthehugesmilebreakingoutonhisface.

“Myfirstcavewasnogood,butmydriverrecognized thesketch.SorryIwaslate.”

“Me,too.”Theydoveintothecabandslammedthedoorshut.Thedrivercameawake,

banginghisheadagainstthesteeringwheelandsoundingthecarhorn.Looking back, Maybeck saw Maleficent at the mouth of the cave, bats

floodingoutpasther.Sheswipedhercapeup,posingfortherunningtourists.Thetaxispedaway.“So?”MaybeckaskedStorey.“It was some kind of ceremony or ritual,” Storey said. “Tia Dalma was

crouchedoverapileofbones.Shewasburningabird’snest,ormaybetwigs?Icouldn’t see thatwell in thatweird light. Shewas chanting and kind of half-singing,andMaleficentsaidnothing.Juststoodthere,watchingher.”

Thedriverwasturned,listeningtoStorey.“Drive!”Maybeckshouted.“Fast!”Thetaxidriversneered.Thecabgainedspeed.“And therewas thisyellowflower,”Storeysaid.“It seemed like thatwas

whatthecrazyladywasfocusedon.”“Akey flower?” thedriver said,hiseyes lockedon theirs in the rearview

mirror.“Youactuallysawakeyflower?”

“Yellow,”Storeysaid.“TheonlyflowerIsaw.”The driver nodded. “You are special, missy. And so very lucky! A key

flower!Imagine!”“Itakeit,it’sspecial,”Maybecksaid.“Special?”Thedriver scoffed. “Onlybloomsbetween anewmoonand a

fulleclipse.Youtellme,mister.Special?”“They picked it,” Storey said. “They did their little ceremony, and they

pickedit.”Thedriver’seyesfilledwithterror.“Theykilledakeyflower?”Hesoundedhorrified.“What?”Maybecksaid.Thedrivershookhishead,refusingtoanswer.

***

FinnandWilla reboarded to theshipafterPhilby,butbefore theothers.WhilePhilbyreturnedtohisstateroomtoreviewtheship’ssecurityvideoforLuowskiand the stolencomputer,FinnandWillawatched for their friendson thedockoverthesternrailofCabanasrestaurant.

“Haveyoukissedher?”Willaasked.“W…h…a…t…?”“Amanda.Haveyouguyskissed?”“Webarelyeventalkanymore.Whyareyouaskingmethis?”“Conversationbreaksthetension.Weallneedconversation.”“Youneedyourheadexamined,”Finnsaid.“It’sasimpleenoughquestion.Haveyoukissedher?”“Yeah.Iguessso.”“Youguess!?Wasitthatbad?Seriously?”“Ididn’tsayitwasbad.”Finnfeltlikejumpingovertherail.“Youdon’tsoundtooimpressed.”“I’vekissedher.Okay,Willa?”“Itwasjustokay?”“Stopmessingwithme.”Finnpeeredovertheedgeatworkerssittingona

planksuspendedbyropes,washingthehull.“I’msureitwasmorethanokayforAmanda.SameforCharlene.”“What’sCharliegottodowiththis?”“Areyouthatblind?”“ShelikesMaybeck.”“Yougotthatright.ShelikesMaybeck.”“Getyourheadinthegame,”hesaid.“There’s one checkpoint, Finn. How difficult is it to watch one

checkpoint?”Therewasamomentofawkwardsilence.“ThesilenttreatmentiskillingAmanda,”Willasaid.“Youknowthat,don’t

you?”“That’sridiculous.She’sbarelyevenspokentomelately.”“What’s she supposed to say? ‘Hey, Finn, I’m crushing on you big-time,

andthewayyougawkatStoreyandthewayyoutreatmeleavesmeintearsandunabletosleepatnight’?That?”

“Oh…comeon!”Finnsaid.Willarolledhereyesathim.“Seriously?Get…a…clue.”TheDisneyChannelmini-blimppassedover the ship formaybe the sixth

time.Passengerswavedupatit.“Do they have any idea,” Finn said, “that it’s a drone?That it’sway too

smalltocarryevenapilot?”“Theyprobablythinkit’sfilmingthem,”Willasaid,scoffing.“Yeah,right.Boneheads.”“Youshouldsaysomething,”Willasaid.“ToAmanda.Anditshouldstart

with‘I’msorry.’”“Forwhat?”“Takeyourpick.Hurtingherfeelings?Notspeakingtoher?Beingaboy?”“Goodone.”TheystoodthereforalongwhilebeforeWillaspokeagain.“Whatdoyousupposeitmeansiftheygetacomputeronboard?”“ThattheOTsbecomeimpossibletostop.Ornearlyimpossible.”“Becauseof2.0.”

“Yes.”“But ifAmanda’s‘pushing’ tiresheroutwhenshe’scrossedover,doesn’t

thatmeanMaleficent’spowerswouldtireherDHIout,too?”“No. Pushing tires Amanda anytime. Don’t confuse that withMaleficent

throwingspells.WeneedtoacceptthatwithMaleficentin2.0,there’sbasicallynothingwecandotostopher.”

Willa hesitated before speaking. “Youdon’t suppose the Imagineerswantthe OTs getting hold of 2.0, do you? Like, what if they want to test howinvincibleorhowvulnerable2.0makesyou?It’snotlikewe’regoingtoattackeachother,right?There’sreallynowaytotestthatsideoftheupgradewithoutgivingusa2.0opponent.”

“Donotsaythatstuff.”“I’mjustwondering.”“Waynewouldneverdothat.We’renotguineapigs.”“Areyousure?”AboysteppedupalongsideFinnandleanedagainstthesternrail.“There’saCastMembermakingtheroundsthatIdon’ttrust.He’llbehere

anyminute.”Finnlookedoverattheboy.“Dill!”Dillardlookedolderandmoreseriousthannormal.Healsolookedthinner.

A lot thinner.Maybehe’dbeenwearingbaggy clothes the last timehe’d seenhim,butthechangewasdrastic.

“Youshouldgetgoing.”“ItwasyouattheSail-Away.”DillardsmiledatWilla.“Hi.Wemetbefore.”Heofferedhishand,andthe

twoshook.“Yes,”Willasaid.“Waynesentyou,”Finnsaid.“Wanda.Asyourguardianangel.”“Alone?”Finnasked.Storeyhadalready toldhimaboutKennyandBart;

nowhewasbeginningtoseeapatterntoWayne’sbiggerplantoprotecthisteamofKeepers.

“Alone.Listen,theaftstaircaseissafe.Headovertothestarboardsideof

therestaurant.Theguy’ssearchingtheportside.”“Ah…”“Youcanthankmelater.I’llstallhim,”Dillardsaid.Heleft,headingforthe

restaurant.Amomentlatertheyheardacrash.Someone’strayhadspilled.“We’dbettergetoutofhere,”Finnsaid.

SHOOTINGADISNEYCHANNEL365whileonamovingshipcontainingthreethousandpassengersisastudyin“controlledchaos.”Inthiscase,thechaoswascontrolledbythefilmdirector,AndyMeyers.Thehandsome,dark-eyedmanwasjoinedbyJodi Bennett, the Disney Cruise Line executive, a kind-faced woman whosemanagerialandorganizationalskillsrivaledthoseofanarmygeneral.

AndywontheattentionofCharleneandWillawith“Hello.”ThiswasthefourthDisneyChannel365theKeepershadshot;CharleneandWillabothhadbarelydisguisedcrushesonAndy.

Maybeck,foreverathorninAndy’sside,cateredtothefanswhogatheredaround,turningadeafeartodirectionwhileofferingautographsandsmilingforphoto ops. Finn reluctantly tried to help Andy keep the group under control,while Philby busied himself with studying the camera and lighting gear andinteractingwiththefive-personfilmcrew.

The location of themorning sun required them to shoot onDeck 12 aft,starboardside.Ahalf-dozen tripodsconnectedbydozensof thickblackcablesawaitedtheKeepers.

AndybarkedoutinstructionstoFinn,Willa,andCharlene,speakingloudlyenoughforMaybeckandPhilbytohearhim.

“Thefirst scenewe’regoing toshoot iswhere the fiveofyouare talkingexcitedlyabouteverythingcoolontheDream.”

“Remember,” Jodi said, “not ‘theDream,’ but ‘theDisneyDream.’ Veryimportant.”

Andycontinued.“Neartheendoftheshot,Maleficent isgoingtomakeacameoappearancebehindyou.Youguyswillfreakout,she’llthrowaspell—”Hepaused.“ThenIthinkCharlene,youwillcatchWillaasshefaints.Finn,youruntowardMaleficentasshehurriesoffscreen.”

HestaredatFinn’slongface.“What?”Andyasked.“We’regoingtoturnWillaintoabouquetofflowers

inpost-production.Charleneendsupcatchingabunchofflowers.It’llbegood,

you’llsee.”“Maleficent?”Finnsaid.“Oh,comeon!Thebigevilfairy?You’retalkingtoaguywhodealswith

specialeffectsonadailybasis.You’regoingtotrytosellmethattheImagineershavefiguredouthowtoallowyourbrainfunctiontocontrolahologramwhileyou’reasleep?Uh-huh.Look,I’minonthegag,Finn.Don’tworry,it’ssafewithme.”

“ButMaleficent,”Finnsaid,realizingAndywasalostcause.“I’m shooting an interstitial for the Channel. I’ve got a casting call for

Maleficent,whoiscurrentlydowninwardrobeandstyling,andasmuchasI’dlove to play along with the whole”—he drew air quotes—“‘Keepers thing,’we’reburningdaylight. ’Kay?So let’sget inacouple run-throughsbefore thetalentarrives.”

“The talent.Right,”Finn said.He’d lostMaybeck to the adoringcrowds,andPhilbytothelightinggrip,butheaddressedWillaandCharlene.“TheGreenMachineisscheduledforthenextshot.”

“GreenMachine?”thelightingmaninquired,overhearing.“Thosesmoothiedrinks?BlueMachine.RedMachine.Theygotagreenonenow?”

“Somethinglikethat,”FinnsaidashiseyesmetWilla’s.JodioverheardFinn, saw the troubled look inhiseyes,andconsultedher

clipboard.“Andy…thischaracterappearance…shewasn’tinthefinalscript.”Andylookedupfromhisclipboardofnotes.“Yeah,Iknow.Butshe’sinthe

sidesnow,sowe’reshootingit.”“Ishouldhaveheardaboutthis,”Jodisaid,approachinghim.“ReachStoreyMing,”FinnwhisperedtoWilla.“Havehercheckthebreak

room,makesurewe’regettingtheCastMembercharacter,not…ourfriend.”“I’monit.”HeaskedCharlenetogetMaybeckawayfromhisfans.“Philby!”PhilbyjoinedFinn.“Iknowmylines.I’mgood,”hesaid.Finn toldhimabout theadditionofMaleficent to the scene. “Weneed to

thinkfast.”“We’vegotnothing!”Philbysaid.“We’retotallyexposedouthere.”Indeed,withthepassengersheldbackfromthefilmshoot,itleftthesmall

film crew and the five Keepers isolated in an empty area of open deck withnothingbutsometripods,lights,andcamerastohidebehind.

CharlenereturnedwithMaybeck.“Guys,”Maybecksaid,“ifshethrowsafireball,we’retoast.Asin,crispy.

Shemisses us?She’s going to hit them.”He indicated the dozens of fans andtheirparents,heldbackbycrewmembers.

“We’reawareofthesituation,”Finnsaid.“Storey’sheadingtothebreakroom.”Willaworeherconcernopenly.“Okayeveryone!”Andycalledoutabove the soundof thewind from the

movingship.“Places!Let’sdoarun-throughaheadofthetalent!”“The‘talent,’”Willawhispered.“Now,that’sjustprecious.”

***

StoreyMing reached thebulletinboard in the I-95 crewcorridor and read theday’sitinerary.Herplum-coloredpaintednailtracedacrossthematrixofboxes,stoppingatthecolumnlabeled“CharacterCalls.”

ChipandDale(BR3M,A,8:00am)…Belle(BR3F,MM,9am)…Maleficent(BR11A,D12aft,8am).BreakRoom11A,Deck12aft,8am

This appearance accorded with the video shoot now under way.Confirmation of a Cast Member playing the Maleficent character loweredStorey’sanxiety—itseemedlesslikelythiswasasneakattackbytheOTs.

ShetextedWilla:

onwaytobreakroom.Mappearanceconfirmed.

Inthebreakroom,sheswipedherIDcardoverthereader,pushedthelever,and banged her face on the door. It hadn’t opened. Storey swiped her ID asecondtime.Thesmalllightonthecardreader:red.

Sheknockedloudly.Thedoorhadtobeprivacy-lockedfromtheinside.Noanswer.Sheknockedagain.Andagain.

ADHIcouldlockthedoorfromtheinsideandthenstepthroughit,leavingthe room sealed along with whoever was inside, like the Cast MemberMaleficent,Storeythought.

DANGER!

HerfingershoveredovertheWavePhone’skeypad.Howfardidshedaretogo?

MalefpossibleDHI

***

“CoderedfromStorey,”WillawhisperedtoPhilby,beingsuretokeepherlipsstill.Shedidn’twantAndyscreamingather.

ThefiveKeeperswerelinedupagainstthestarboardrail,apaletraceofsunskimmingoff thewaves.Itwastootranquilasettingfor thesuggestionofanykindofdanger.

“Theshotisthis,”Andysaid.“First,Finn’slineabouthoweverydayisabeautifuldayontheDream—”

“TheDisneyDream!”Jodicalledout.“TheDisneyDream,” Andy repeated. “Okay. Charlene, you come back

with‘magical’; thenMaybeck’s line;Philbycheckshiswatch—we’regoing touse someCGI there tomake it glow or something—and thenWilla, you spinyourheadaroundtoseeMaleficent.Finn,yougivethelineaboutrunningforit.Philby hoists the Return”—a film crew member handed Philby the prop—anautomobile remote—“and thenholdpositions. Inpostwe’regoing to fadeyououtlikeholograms.Gotit?”

“Thisisjustawalk-through?”Finnsaid.“Arun-through.Yeah.”“NoMaleficentyet,”Willaclarified.“You’re trembling, I suppose?”Andywasan incrediblyniceguy.He just

didn’tgetit.“Yes, as amatter of fact,”Willa said. She held her hand out; her fingers

shook.“You’re safewithme!”Andycrackedhimselfup.His crew laughedwith

him.The Keepers practiced their lines and moves four times, with small

adjustmentsmadebyAndyaftereachnewpass.“Ifshe’sbacktherebythetimeyouturnaround…”Finnsaidprivatelyto

Willa.

“Yes.It’llbetoolate.”“CanStoreyMinggetuphere?”“Anddowhat?ShethinksMaleficentmayhavecrossedover.”Finnlookeddumbstruck.“Thisisnotgood.”“Okay,everyone!Thistime’sforreal!”Andyshouted.Themakeupartist,Nichole,rushedintoframe,touchinguphairandpatting

noseswithwhitesponges.“Youguysaresweatinglikeyoujustranamarathon,”shesaid.“No need for nerves,” Andy said, playing the coach. “You’ve done this

dozensoftimes.”Ifyouonlyknew,Finnthought.PhilbycaughtFinn’sattentionandpointed to two tripods supporting light

panels.HishandsignaltoldFinntotakethepaneltotheleft.Buttakeitwhere?How?Finnwondered.

“Theblind leading theblind, eh,Andy?”Philbycalledout to thedirectorwhilelookingatFinn.Hewastryingtocommunicatesomething.Finnshookhishead;Philbypantomimedthemotionof twistingsomething.“Ontheback,”hemouthed,hopingFinncouldreadhislips.

“Standby!”Andysaid.“Rollcameras.”Thetwocameramencalledback,“Speed!”“Action!”ThatwordjoggedFinn’sthought:Philbyhadn’tbeenclowningaroundwith

thelightingcrew;he’dbeenfiguringouthowtooperatetheirequipment.Lightpanels.Turnknob.Blindleadingtheblind.Finnunderstood.“Action,”Andycalledout.Finnfacedthecamera.“Hey, guys! Every day’s a DisneyDream, every meal a banquet when

you’recruisingwiththeDisneyCruiseLine!”“ADisneyDream?”Charlenesaidoncue.“It’sDisneyMagic.”“Or,” said Maybeck, “a Disney Fantasy. From the Caribbean to the

Mediterranean,you’venevercruisedlikethis.”“It’stime,”Philbysaid,checkinghiswatch,“towelcomeyouaboard!”ThatcuedMaleficenttoentertheshot.Willaturnedsimultaneously.

“Oh,no!”shesaid,recitingthememorizedscript.“Lookwho’shere!”ThefiveKeeperslookedbackatonce.Maleficentstoodattherail,herblackandpurplerobesswirlinginthewind,

hergreenindexfingerpointingskywardintoastunninglyblue,serenesky.Finnspottedatoncewhatwasmissing.Maleficenthadnohandler.AllCast

Members playing Disney characters were accompanied by a fellow CastMemberguidewheneverappearinginpublic.ThefactthatMaleficentlackedahandlersuggestedshewasnotaCastMemberplayinghercharacter.Shewastherealthing.Ora2.0hologramoftherealthing.

WillaandFinntookoffforthelightingpanelnearesttherailing.MaybeckandCharlenedoveforthetripodclosesttothem.

Willaaimed thepanelhigherwhileFinn foundand twisted twoknobsonthe back. Light burst from the panel, like a car switching to high beams.MaybeckandCharlenedid thesame.Maleficentcriedout, trying toshieldhereyes.

AsmuchasPhilbyhadannoyedFinnlately,theideaofblindingMaleficentwasastrokeofgenius.Evenhologramshadtosee.

“What the—?” Andy managed to say as the Keepers ran toward him.Charlene hookedAndy’s arm and dragged himwith her. Each of theKeeperssnaggedothermembersofthefilmcrew.

Itsoundedlikeajethadbrokenthesoundbarriersomewhereupintheclearbluesky.Maybecklookedupandoverhisshoulder.

Hehollered,“Hitthe—”An explosion rocked the deck as a bolt of lightning struck. Sparks flew

fromthefilmcrew’sgear.Maybeckshovedthecameramanasidetosafety,crossedthroughthesmoke,

and threw a football block on Charlene and Andy just as a second spike oflightningstruck.

Maybeckscreamedandlayflat.Graysmokeswirled.Passengers in the ship’s swimming pools cried out. Parents grabbed their

childrenandranforcover.Ashewasknockedoff his feet by the concussionof the lightning strike,

FinnlookedinthedirectionofMaleficent.Shewasgone.Returned,hethought.His head thumped against the deck, and his eyes found a piece of the

staircase that led to theAquaDuck—theworld’s first enclosedwaterslideon acruiseship.Hesawbarefeetrunningupthestairs.Hestaredat thesteps foragoodlongtime,finallymakingtheconnectiontotheillustrationinthejournal.

Somethingnaggedathim:stairs?steps?barefeet?Hecouldn’tplaceit.Healsospottedsomethingelse,somethingmoresinister:ablackcrowon

the rail of the upper deck from which the fireworks were launched. Diablo,Maleficent’ssidekick.

Thecrowlifteditsbeakandcawedshrilly.WhathappenednextmadeFinn’sbloodruncold.He’dseensuchscenesin

movies: theboyandgirlhighonaskyscraper roof, thebadguyscomingafterthemandthen,fromoutofnowhere,helicopterssurfacefrombelow,risinghigh,searchlightsaimedatthebadguys.

Butthiswasn’thelicopters.AndnobadguyswerechasingtheKeepers.Itwasfrigatebirds—long-wingedblackseabirdswithwhitenecksandheads.Thebirds’ five-foot wingspans were oddly angular, like something attached to astealthfighter.First,therewerefiveorsix,thentwenty,thenfiftyormore,risingintoviewfrombelowthedeck.

Diablo cawed twice, sharply. In unison, like a squadron of aircraft, thefrigatebirdsangledup,catchingtheship’swindandracingskyward.

Finncalledoutloudly,“RUN…FOR…IT!”Theothershadrolledandtumbledinreactiontothelightningstrikes.Finn

spottedandcrawledtoMaybeckwholaystillontheblackeneddeck.FinnshookMaybeck,buttheboywasunconscious––orworse.

Acrewmember, a collegeagedboy,kneltbyFinn. “I’m trained inCPR!I’vegotthis!”

“Yousure?”Theboypointedup.“Takecover!”Finnsawthefrigatebirdspoisedtostrike.“FOL—LOW ME!” Finn shouted, rising to his feet as he searched for

someplace safe from the birds. The obvious choicewas the nearest door—thedoor through whichMaleficent had come—but something told Finn that waswhat hewas supposed to choose, thatMaleficent hadmade sure itwould notopen,leavingtheKeepersexposedasfrigatefood.

Instead,Finncrossedthedecktoward…thestairstotheAquaDuck.Wherebettertoavoidabirdstrikethaninsideanacrylictube?Heglancedback:others

followed,includingAndyandhiscrew.The frigate birds dove in concert, as if something—or someone—were

controllingthem.Theytuckedtheirwingsbackasthoughtheyweredivingforafishintheocean,increasingtheirspeedtenfold,theirblack,beadyeyestrainednotonfish,butontheheadsofthefourteenagers.

“DOWN!”shoutedPhilby.Thekids and the filmcrewall duckedatonce.The firstwaveof frigates

arrived. Several missed their targets, crashing into the deck in an eruption offeathers.AbeakgrazedFinn’s right shoulder, tearinghis shirt, openinguphisflesh.Hegrabbedthebird’swingandflungthecreatureaway.Itspuninaloopandsplashedintothepool.

Charlenewasdown,abirdtangledinherblondcurls.Thefrigatepeckedather scalp, the blood turning her hair pink. Finn grabbed the flapping bird andchokeditwithhisbarehandsuntilitstalonsreleasedtheknotofblondhair;hethrewitintoawallwithenoughforcetosendfeathersfloatingintheair.HeandCharlenepulledanotherfrigateoffWilla,asAndysuddenlyturnedhero,wavinghis arms and fending off the next wave of diving birds like a one-manantiaircraftgun.

“Go!”Andyroared.Hisarmsbledfromtakingdirecthits,buthestoodhisground,knockingthebirdsoutoftheairlikeitwasavideogame.

“Come on!” Finn hollered. Andy’s crew, Willa, Philby, and Charleneboundedupthestairs.Andywentdownbehindthem.Finnstoppedandhurriedback.Hefoughtthroughtheflappingwings,foundtheman’shandandgrabbedhold.FinnpulledAndyoutfrombeneaththecloakofblackfeathersandsharpbeaks.

Finntookashot to thehead.Another tohisshoulder.Andysteadiedhim,theman’s facepeckedandbleeding.Together theyentered thecoveredpartofthestairs thatclimbed to thestartingplatformfor theAquaDuckwaterslide. Itsounded as if they were suddenly inside a kettle drum as the birds collidedoutside.Finnlookedbacktoseescoresoftheblackbirdsdroppingtothestairsandcartwheelingdownlifelessly.

Foramomentitfeltsafe.Theycaughttheircollectivebreath.“Thanks,”Andysaid,gaspingashebenttograbhisknees.“Yousavedus,”Finnsaid.“NotthewayitfeltwhenIwasunderthatpile.”Thelightswentout.AtleastthatwashowitseemedtobothFinnandAndy.

ButtheAquaDuck’sstairwaywaslitonlybynaturallight.Lightnowblockedbyathousandbeatingwings.

Ifthefirsttwowavesoffrigatebirdshadseemedlikeanattack,thiswasaninvasion.Thiswasadambursting.Nolongerdozens,buthundreds—thousands!—of the enormous black birds came at Finn and Andy like a wall of white-headedhatred.Beaksoutstretched,theflockfilledeverygapoffreshair.

“RUN!”thetwomencried,takingtwostairsatatime.Theyreachedalandingthatcarriedabunchofsignsandclimbedthenext

setofstairs,alreadyshouting.“GO!GO!GO!”“You can’t do that!” an adult’s voice called out, his words drowned by

splashing.Finnmadethemistakeoflookingback:tenthousandblackeyescomingat

himatsixtymilesanhour.“Dive,man!Dive!”AndycalledouttotheCastMemberwhosejobitwas

to distribute the ride’s inflatable rafts.Therewas no time for rafts, though, asWillaandtheothershaddemonstrated,enteringheadfirstintotheslide’sacrylictube.Thoughcompletelyagainsttherules—rulestheCastMemberwastheretoenforce—Andyglanceduptoseeawallofpointedbeaksheadingupthestairsathim,anddoveintothewaitingtube.

FinnandAndyfollowed,facedownliketheywerebodysurfing.Thewaterwas warm and moving incredibly fast. They flew out over the ocean, twelvestoriesbelow, and then shot in a straight line for thehuge screenonDeck11.Birdscollidedwiththeclearplasticwallofthewatertube.Thewalloffrigatesbehindthemhitadeadendontheupperplatform,self-destructingastheypiledintooneanother.

ThewatercoursesuddenlydroppedoutfromunderFinn,thenpushedhimupaninclineandsenthimintodarknessashetraveledbehindtheFunnelVisionscreen. Another turn. Daylight. A straightaway. Birds dropped from the sky,implodingon theplastic tube and fallingdead to thedeckbelow.Finn tuckedintoaballandmanagedtoridefeetfirsttherestoftheway.TheAquaDuckspithim out into an open troughwhereAndy’s crew,Willa, Charlene, and Philbywerejustclimbingout,soakingwet.

“VIPsornot,you’renotgoinganywhere!”shoutedaCastMember.“You’reallbarredfromusingtheAquaDuckfortheremainderofthecruise.Handoveryourroomcardsthisinstant!”

ThewaterhadwashedthebloodfromFinnandAndy.Neitherwasasbadly

injuredasithadappeared.“We’llhavetodothatlater,”Finntoldtheman.“BacktoMaybeck!”heshoutedtohisfellowKeepers.Theytookoffrunning—alsonotallowed.

***

“They’recallingitblue-skylightning,”Philbysaid.TheKeepershadgatheredinthe ship’s Health Center––its hospital. Maybeck was stretched out on a tablewearingabloodpressurecuffandothersensors.Heremainedunconscious.TheKeepershadbeenleftalonewithhim.Theyweresupposedtobeshootingmorefootageforthe365,butAndyandhiscrewwereoff,tryingtopulltogethertheirdamagedgearandexplaintotheDisneyChannelexecswhathadhappened.

“What’sthatsupposedtomean?”Willasaid.“It’s a weather phenomenon. Weather clouds just over the horizon. The

lightningcantravelmorethantwentymiles—includingthroughclearbluesky.”“Come on!” Finn said. “That was no blue-sky lightning. That was

Maleficent.”Charlene stood off to the side, biting her hand and trying hold back her

sobs.Willawrappedanarmaroundhershoulders,unsuccessfullyattemptingtocalmher.

“And they’re calling the frigate bird attack a virus,” Philby said bitterly.“Likewhenwhalesgetmessedupandbeachthemselves.”

“I’msure,”Willasaid.“They need to explain this, both to themselves and the passengers. They

can’t very well sayMaleficent is out to kill us and that some raven is usingseabirdsasitsairattackforce.”

“I’llbettheyjusthappentomentionthatthisisaKingdomKeeperscruise,”Willasaid.“Youwatch,they’llmakeitsoundplanned.”

“Well,itwasplanned,”saidPhilby.“Justnotbyus.”Maybecktwitchedandshiftedonthetable.Charlenefinallyspoke,callingforthedoctor.“Hold that arm!” the doctor directed Finn. Together, they held down the

unconsciousMaybeck.

“Hope!”thedoctorshouted.“Restraints!”Hope,akind-lookingnursewithsandyhair,enteredcarryingnylonstraps.

Together,sheandthedoctorstrappedMaybeckdown.“That’sawful,”Charlenesaid.“Hewon’tlikethat!”“Thishappens,”thedoctorexplainedtotheKeepers.“Vividdreamsduring

a coma. Best if we keep him from rolling off the table and further injuringhimself.”

“Howlongishegoingtobelikethis?”Charleneblurtedout.Shebrokeoutsobbingbeforethedoctorcouldanswer.

“Fifty people die of lightning strikes each year,” Philby said calmly. Hewontheharshscrutinyofeveryoneinthesmallexamroom,includingthedoctorandnurse.

“Which is why,” the doctor said, “we should be glad it wasn’t a directstrike. I’m told the lightninghita tripodnext toTerrance.Melted it.Thedeckbeing metal…Terrance being so close…but it wasn’t a direct strike. He’s intrauma.Hisbody tookaheckofa jolt.People recover fromcomaseveryday.Sometimesthey’retwominutes,sometimestwodays.Thebodyhastoconvincethemindit’ssafetocomeoutagain.Youallbeinghere,talkingtohim,talkingnearhim,that’sgottohelp.Hecanhearyou—atleastwebelievehecan.”

“He’sgoingtocomearound,”Finnsaid.“We’renotdonehere,”Willasaid.Theothersnodded.Thedoctorseempoisedtosaysomething,butdidnotspeak.“He’sgoingtobeokay,”hesaidfinally.“Youcan’tpromisethat!”Charlenesaid.Thedoctoreyedhersympathetically.“Whatifhe’snotawakebytonight?”Philbyasked.ThedoctorconsideredeachoftheKeepersindividually.“I’mnotgoingto

sugarcoatit.Thesooner,thebetter.Itgets…moredelicate…thelongerhestaysasleep.”

“Andifhe’snotconsciousbythetimewereachthecanal?”Philbysaid.“Let’stakeitonestepatatime.”Thedoctorandnurselefttheexamroom.“Whatwasthatabout?”Charleneasked.“Whatdidhemean?”“They’lltakehimofftheshipifhe’snotbetter.”“No way!” Charlene said, her eyes glassy. “What? Some hospital in

Panama?”“Betterthananexamroomonacruiseship.”“We are not leaving him behind!” Charlene shuddered. “That is not

happening.”“We’regoingtodowhat’sbestforhim,”Finnsaid.“WhatevergivesTerry

thebestchance.”“No…way…”Charlenemuttered.“Likethedocsaid,”Philbysaid,“onestepatatime.”Charlene grabbed Maybeck’s hand and squeezed. “Wake up, you idiot!

Wakeuprightnow!”Tearspoureddownhercheeks.

***

Adayat seapresentedUncleBobwithhis first realchancesincesailing fromAruba to followup onwhat the twoKingdomKeeper boys had told him.HewantedsomeoneheldresponsibleforthedamagetotheBuzzLightyearballoon;andhewanted topursue thestowawayheandhis teambelievedwas linked tothetroubleonboard.

Determined to get his ship in order, to explain the improbable lightningstrike,thebirdattack,thereportsofaplaneonCastaway,heintendedtoputhissecurityteamtothetest.

Having briefed the captain, having put them off to random chance—badluck, something no captainwanted to hear—UncleBobnowdoubted his ownexplanations. It was one thing to say that blue-sky lightning had struck theDisneyDream; but combinedwith thebirdattack, theboys’ explanationmademoresensethanhewantedtoadmit.

TheDHIshadanundergroundreputationfor trouble—company-wide, thevarious securityheadswere regularlyupdatedabout their activities.BobknewthattherehadbeenskirmishesofsomesortoutsidetheEngineeringBaseintheStudios;hehadbeentoldtheseinvolvedtheDHIs.

Acceptingthereportsasfactualwasanothermatter.Andyet, coincidencewasno longeraviableexplanation. It seemedquite

possible,evenprobable,thattheKingdomKeeperswereunderattack.Bobcouldn’texplainit;hedidn’twanttothinkaboutit.Hefeltfoolishfor

even considering it. But he had no choice.Maleficent’s videowarning on thefirstdayofthecruiseseemedtobecomingtrue.Whowouldhavethought?

The sighting of two Mickeys at once—impossible! The likelihood of astowaway? Itwasall fitting together.TheduplicateMickeyhadbeenmean toseveralkids—anattempttodiscreditthecharacter.

As far as Bob was concerned, his ship was not getting taken over byanyone.Ifhehadtogivecredencetowhattheboyshadtoldhim,thensobeit.

Find the stowaway, interrogate him or her, and maybe, just maybe, hewouldgethisshipinorder.

Tothisendhedispatchedeveryavailablememberofthisteam.Bobhadfar-reachingpowersaboardtheship.Withthecaptain’sblessing—andhehadit—hecoulddeployaveritablearmy.

Membersofhissecurity teamweresent toonceagainsearchareasof theshipforChernabogor“anythingelseofasuspiciousnature.”AllCastMembersandcrewwereremindedtokeepwatchforunusualactivitiesorindividuals.Noonewasbeyondreproach.UncleBobwantedthistroubleoverwith.

“What about working with laundry?” Clayton Freeman had come upquickly through the ranks of security. At twenty-four, he was the youngestdeputy director in the cruise line’s history. Bob had come to trust the youngman’s“outofthebox”ideas.

“I’mlistening,”Bobsaid.“Two suggestions. First, we ask laundry for a full inventory. It’s all

computerized anyway. What’s missing?What sizes?What gender?We knowthat’sprobablyabiglistonanygivenday,butwiththenewincentivestoturninyourdirtylaundry—”

“Ilikeit,”Bobsaid.“Theycanalsotelluswhohoardstheirlaundry.Ifwetake thosepeopleoff the list,maybeweget amissingcostumeor two, andatleastthatwouldtellusthekindofoutfitthestowawaycouldbewearing.What’sthesecondidea?”

“All our costumes and uniforms carryRFTs.”Radio frequency tagsweretinycomputerchipsusedontheDreamtotrackeverythingfromsmallchildrentolaundry.“IfweaddtheRFTidentificationnumbersforallmissinglaundrytotheCadetMonitoringSystem…”

Bobgasped.Hegotup,walkedoverandshutthedoortohisoffice.“Whatyou’resuggesting…It’saviolationofprivacy.”“Actually, it’s not. The Oceaneer cadets already wear wristbands that

containRFTs.”“Iknow.ButwedonotemploytheOceaneers.”“So? An RFT is an RFT,” Clayton Freeman said. “We reprogram the

computerwiththelaundrycodes.”“We would end up with thousands of data points of our crew and Cast

Membersmovingaround theship.Sowhat? It’ll justbeapileofuselessdata.Besideswhich,theCMSsensorsareonlyonacoupleofdeckswherethecadetsspendtime.Mainly,DeckFive.”

“Yes,but thereareothersaswell:Six,Eleven,Twelve.Anddon’t forget,themonitoringpoints record the time.EachCastMember, each crewmembercanbetiedtoaparticularcostume.Thosecostumesareonlysupposedtobeonagivendeckwhenthosepeopleareonduty.”

Bob looked as if his eyes might pop out of his head. “Someone who’swearingastolencostumeoruniformwouldhavenowayofknowingwhathoursthatlaundrybelongsinservice.”

“Bingo,”Freemansaid.“Andthesystemwouldcatchthem.Atwhichpoint,wecouldtrackthem,andwe’dhaveourstowaways.”

“Canwedothis,Clayton?”Freemanlookedbackathisbossasiftosay,WouldIhavebroughtitupifI

didn’tthinkwecoulddoit?“IwantthisontheQT,”Bobsaid.“Thecrewgetswindthatwe’retracking

theirmovementsaroundtheship,andtheunionwillhavemyhead.”“Understood.”“Ilikethewayyouthink,Clayton.Finework.”“Thankyou,sir.”“Catch me that stowaway, and I’ll put in a good word for you with the

peopleupstairs!”“Trustme,he’sours!”

WITHTHEKEEPERSCONFINEDtotheirstateroomsbecauseofKingdomKeeperDHIactivitiesonboard,FinnandPhilbywerevictimsofcabinfever—theytookroomservicebreakfastinthestateroomandwerebasicallyprisonersuntilnoon,whiletheirDisneyhologramguidesentertainedpassengers.

With the advent of the2.0upgrade, the Imagineershad rolledout a two-serversystem.Currently,acompany-sanctionedDisneyHostInteractiveserverprojectedthekidsasguidesandentertainersinversion1.6;asecond,2.0cloud-based serverwas used to project theKeepers duringmissions.While the twomightbeable tooperateover thesameprojectors simultaneously, ithadneverbeen tried.With their Disney DHIs out on deck, the kids could not be seen.CompanypolicyforbadetwoofanyDisneycharactertoexistatthesametime.

FinnopenedthestateroomsafeandremovedtheImagineerjournal.Hesatonthebed;Philbyleanedbackonthecouch,his laptopout,hisfeetuponthecoffeetable.

“When the lightninghit,”Finnsaid,“Iwas throwndown,andIendeduplookingattheAquaDuck.”

“So?”FinnignoredPhilby’srudeness.Philbywas tired,aswereall theKeepers.

Maybeck’sconditionandtheirinabilitytohelphadputthemallinbadmoods.“TheAquaDuckstairs, tobemorespecific.”Philby liked thingsexact, so

thatwashowFinnserveditup.“Isthisgoingsomewhere?”“The stairs in this drawing,” Finn said, referring to the journal, “are not

stairs.Theyaresteps.Therearethreeofthem:asin,threesteps.”Philbylookedupfromhiscomputer.“Okay.I’mlistening.”“Itwasneveraboutburiedtreasureinacave.Itwasaboutaflower.Akey

flower,right?”“Right.”

“Thispartofthejournalisanowner’smanual.”“TowakeupChernabog.Weallagreethat’sabigpossibility.”“Thepictureissaying:‘Therearethreesteps.’”Philby set the laptop aside and joined Finn on the bed. He studied the

artworkforalongmoment,andthenshookhishead.“It’stoosimple.”“This isWalt’s journal,don’tforget.For theImagineers,beforetheywere

called that.Walt studiedmagic. If he discovered an ancientway to raise theirgods,whatwouldhedo?”

“He’dmakeitsimple,butdifficult.”“Threesteps.”“Andyou’rethereincarnationofWalt,Isuppose?”“ThatwouldbeWayne.”They laughed. Philby reached out for the journal; as he did so, a folded

piece of paper popped out of his pocket. Philby tried for it, but Finn’s armmovedwithinhumanspeedandseizedit.

“What’sthis?”Finnsaid.“It’s…Howdidyougrabthatsofast?”Finnignoredthequestion.“Thisisane-mailfromAmanda.”“Yeah.”“Toyou,orus?”Philbydidn’tanswer.“AJesssketch.”“Correct.”Finnstudiedit.“Acave,lookslike.”Heturneditslightly;hiseyefoundthe

date stamp at the top. “Hey! This was sent at 4 a.m. the morning before wedockedinAruba.”

Philby,beingaredheadwithalight,freckledcomplexion,hadnochanceofdisguisingablush.

“Shesaysit’sCharleneinthedrawing.Again!ThatCharlene’sthetarget!”Finn said.Philby juttedouthis chin. “Whydidn’twe see thisbeforewewentcavehunting?”

“Ididn’tthinkitwasrelevant.”

“Isthatright?Adrawingofacave,withnotesatthebottomaboutCharlenebeinghungbyarope.Notrelevant?”

“Notacave.Moreofatunnel.Weneededallofus.”“What is itwith you, anyway?”Finn said. “All the secrecy.The attitude.

Thelying!”Heheldup thee-mailashisevidence.“Charlene’sobviously theirtarget!”

“Threesteps,”Philbysaid.“Ilikeit.Simple.Easytointerpret.”“Don’tchangethesubject,”Finnsaid.“Explainthesecrecy.”“Ihavenoideawhatyou’retalkingabout.”“You have something goingwithWayne. Something the rest of us aren’t

includedin.”“You’reparanoid.”“Ithastodowith2.0,”Finnsaid.“Whattheyhaveplanned.”Philbypursedhis lips. “Storey saidmore than she shouldhave.Shedoes

thatsometimes.”“Isthemysterygirlwiththetattooandred-streakedhairpartofthis?”“Idon’tknowherorherrole.Honestly,Idon’t.NeitherdoesStorey.”“ButyouknowStoreyMing.”Finnpaused.“Didyouknowherbeforethis

trip?”“Wemayhavemet.”“ThroughWayne,”Finnsaid.“Youdon’thavetoseeitasaconspiracy.”“Don’tI?Don’twe?Meandtheothers?You’vebeenactingtotallyweird,

Philby.Likeyou’rerunningthings.”“Whenwe started out—can you remember that far back?We all thought

Maybeckwouldbethetechie.Butlookhowthingsturnedout.”“Sure.You’rethetechie,andyou’resayingthatthingschange.Bigsurprise.

AreyoutellingmethattheleadershipoftheKeepersischanging,too?”“Calmdown.Look,who’sgoingtointerfacethemostwiththeImagineers

andWayne?Hmm?The techie, right?”The hint of aBritish accent came outmost when Philby acted superior. “Wayne invented the crossover. They’ll bestudying this stuff for a hundred years. He can put our dream state into ahologramprojection.Thinkaboutthat!That’stotallysci-fi,right?Butwedoit!You,me,theothers.It’snuts!Insane!Butit’sreal!Youknowit.Iknowit.So,

yes,Wayneconsultsmefromtotimeontechnologyissues.Sosueme.”“Technology issues…like 2.0,” Finn said, trying to measure Philby’s

reaction.Hesawnothing.Theguywaschill.“Like2.0.”“Becausewe’rebeingreplaced.”“Haveyoustoppedtothinkabouttheramificationsof2.0?Thecontrolthat

thenewsoftwaregivesus?Rememberbackwhenwehadtouseeveryounceofstrengthtoholdoffourfearinordertostayallclear?Butnowwedon’tgiveitasecondthought.”

“So?”“So,thefiveofus.Nowpicturefifty.Whataboutfivehundred?”“An…army.”Finngasped.“Themilitarywantsthis?”“Everyone wants this, Finn. Not just Maleficent and some has-been

witches.Everyone.”“TheOTswantChernabogtoleadanarmy?”“You’renotthinkingbigenough.Let’sjustsaythatencrypting2.0,keeping

itsafe,isthemostimportantworkanyofuscando.Fornow,weneedtokeep2.0protected,andweneedtomakeabsolutelycertainMaleficentdoesn’tgetherhandsonit—oronanyoneofus.”

“She’sworkingforsomeone?”“Don’tworryyourselfwiththisstuff.”“There you go again,” Finn said, “acting so smug, like you know

everything.”“IfWaynesworeyoutosecrecy,whatwouldyoudo?”Finnthoughtlongandhard.HefelthurtthatWaynehadnotincludedhim.

Hurt…andenvious.“I’dworry,”hesaid.

***

CharleneandWilla remainedbyMaybeck’s sideduring the remainderof theirconfinementforDHIactivity.

Maybeckslept.Andslept.“Whatdoyouthink?”Willaasked.

“AboutTerry?”“Abouttheblue-skylightning,”Willasaid.“Chernabogbeingsmuggledon

board.Maleficent’swarnings.Allofit.”“Whatdoyoumean,whatdoIthink?Ihateit.”“Imean:whyisitallhappening?”“Idon’tcare.IjustwantTerrytowakeup.”“Soyoutwoareforreal?”Willasaid.“AsrealasyouandPhilby.”“Then you’re not real.” Willa smirked, winning a grin from Charlene.

“PhilbyandIarenothingrightnow.”“It’sallcrazy,isn’tit?”“IthoughtyoulikedFinn.”CharlenelookedoveratthesleepingMaybeck.“Yeah?Sowhat?”“ButyoulikeMaybeckbetter.”“IlikeTerrydifferent.”“Youdon’twanttokissFinn.”“Ididn’tsaythat.”“Youdowanttokisshim.”“Ididn’tsaythateither.”“Kissingisgross,”Willasaid.“Yousaythisbecause…?”Theybothburstoutlaughing.“Boysaresoweird,”Willasaid.“I likeboys,”Charlenesaid,“butnot thatway.Not thatwayatall. I just

like thembetter thangirls.Lessdrama.Theylike todostuff.Theylikesports.Workingout.StuffIliketodo.”

“Philby and I think the same way,” Willa said. “That’s…refreshing, Iguess.”

“‘Refreshing,’”Charlene said. “See? That’s just not aword Iwould use.ButyouandPhilbywould.”

“Isuppose.”“That’swhyyoulikehim.”“Iguess,”Willasaid.

“It’sokaytolikehim,”Charlenesaid.“Towanttogooutwithhim.”“Idon’twanttogooutwithhim.Idon’twanttolikehim.Thefiveofus…

it’slikeweworktogether.Right?It’s totallyconsuming,thisDHIstuff.”Willahesitated.“Totellyouthetruth,ifthisstuffaboutourbeingreplacedisforreal,Iwon’t be complaining. Imean, I love you all. You know that. But these pastcoupleofyears,I’vehadfourfriendsandnolife.”

“Wegetfreecruises,”Charlenesaid.“Withourparents.”“Hey,”Charlenesaid.“Mymomdoesn’texpecttoseeme.SheknowsI’m

working and that when I’m not working I’m in Vibe. She’s loving this trip,believeme.”Charlene paused, and brushed her hand gently acrossMaybeck’sforehead.“Fortherecord:wearenotleavinghimbehindinPanama,”

“The passage is tomorrowmorning.We’ll reach the Pacific, the Panamasideofthecanal,attheendofthedayaroundsunset.”WillastaredatMaybeck.“Whoa!”Shesatforward.

“What?”Charleneaskedexcitedly.“Howstupidcanwebe?Imeanwe’vedoneitbefore,severaltimes!”Willa

wastalkingtoherself.“Noreasonwecouldn’tatleasttry.”“Trywhat?”“Whathappenswhenwe’reasleep,Charlie?”Charlenedidn’tanswer.“Wecrossover.”Charlenestillwasn’tgettingit.“Maybeck’sasleep!”Willaremindedher.“O…M…G!”“IfPhilbyturnsonthe2.0server,maybehisDHIappearsandwecanfind

himand talk tohim.Maybewecanget through tohim.Gethimtowakeup.”Willa took a moment to think it through more carefully, and then noddeddecisively.“Weneedtocallameeting.”

***

Atnoon,withtheirDHIsonbreakforanhour,theKeepersmetupinVibe,theteen-onlylounge.Theysatoffbythemselves,waryofOTKspies.

ThediscussionbeganwithFinn’sexcitementovertheconceptofthethreesteps.ThispromptedaresponsefromWilla.

“BeforeItalkaboutMaybeck,there’ssomethingwehavetothinkabout,”Willa said. “In myWeb searches, I read that Aztec priests believed ‘a greatongoing sacrifice sustains the Universe.’ That almost matches the line in thejournalaboutthegods:‘withtheirsacrifice,theygaveuslife.’”

“TheOTsarelookingtoperformsomekindofsacrifice?”Philbysoundeddeeplyconcerned.

“Threesteps,”Willasaid.“AtCastaway,theygotawitchdoctor.OnAruba,akeyflower.Andthatleavesasacrifice.Itsaysitrightinthejournal.”

“‘One of youwill die,’” Finn said, quotingLuowski—admittedly not themostreliableofsources.

“That’scomforting,”Storeysnappedsarcastically.“Thepersonsacrificedwasoftenayoungwoman,”Willasaid.Shelooked

directlyatCharlene.FinnlookedoveratPhilby,whosaidnothing.Finnsaid,“Wereceivedane-mailfromAmanda.”Hemadeapointofnot

indictingPhilbyinfrontoftheothers.“Bottomlineis—”Philby interrupted in a whisper. “It had to do with Aruba, and Aruba’s

behindus.Wewillworkinpairsfromnowon.Westayoutinpublic—nocrewcorridorsunlessabsolutelynecessary.”

Finnboiled.“No,ithadtodowithCharlene.ItshowedCharleneintrouble.Sowehavetoatleastconsiderthepossibilitythatsheistheonewhoismeantforthesacrifice.”

“Wedon’thavenearenoughtomakethatjump,”Philbysaid.“Tell them about Terry,” Charlene said to Willa, attempting to deflect

attention from herself—a rarity. But everyone looked at her intently just thesame.“Seri-ously,”shesaid.“Philby’sright.Beenthere,donethat.Wemadeitthroughthecavedrama.Let’smoveon.”

Alongsilencesettledoverthegroup.WillaofferedhertheoryaboutcrossingMaybeckoverwhileinacoma.“That’sbrilliant!”Philbysaid.“If we can explain his situation to his hologram, then maybe when we

returnhimhecantryhardertowakeup.”“Ifhewerehere,”Charlenesaid,“he’dtellusthat’sastretch.”

“It’sworthatry,”Finnsaid.“So,as soonas theship’sDHIserver isdown,we lightup2.0and try to

findMaybeck’sDHI.”“Wecan’taffordtowait,”Charlenesaid.“Ithinkshe’sright,”Willasaid.“Areyoukidding?”Philbyprotested.“WithourDisneyDHIs inusemost

oftheday,wecan’trisktryingtocrosshimover.It’sneverbeendone.It’stoorisky.”

“Iftherewaseveratimetotakearisk,”Charlenesaid,“it’snow.”

***

ThesearchforMaybeck’sDHIbeganinearnestthefollowingmorning,thefirstchancePhilbyhadtoswitchonthe2.0cloud-basedserver.ItwasPanamaCanalDay,meaning theKeepers’DHIs and theKeepers themselves had a bunch ofseparateappearancestomake.

As a precaution, the Keepers had all adopted disguises, some moreconvincingthanothers.Theyhopedtomovearoundtheshipunrecognized.

“Remember,” Philby reminded them, “by noonwe have to be out of thedisguisesfortheribboncutting.”

FinnandCharlene(hedidn’twanttoletheroutofhissight)headedtotheAtrium photo alcove, where before dinner, families posed in front of variousbackgrounds.Thephotoalcove,oneoftwolocationsonboardtheshipthatDHIcrossoversoccurred,hadbeenchosenbyPhilbytorenderMaybeck’shologram.

Waiting there, Finn could see worry on Charlene’s face—about her ownsituationorMaybeck’s?hewondered.Hesaid,“Eveninadisguise,you’rewaytoopretty.”

CharlenehadherhairupinabuntuckedbeneathaDisneyDreamballcap.Sheworenoearrings,andnomakeup.Shefeltugly.

“Ican’tsaythesameforyou,”shesaid.“Youlookdifferent.”Finn’s disguise consisted of a stupid-looking hat, a Band-Aid on his left

cheek,andmirroredsunglasses.“Isn’t there something you can do to make yourself at least a little less

pretty?”heaskedher.“Don’tgirlshavewaystodothat?”Hissinceritycausedherchesttotighten.“YoureallythinkI’mpretty?”

“Honestly?” Finn said, “you are…you look…I think you’re more youwithoutallthatstuffonyourface.”

“Duh.Hencetheexpression‘natural.’”“As in:wayhotter.”Finnblushed.Theelevatordoorsopened;hestepped

outandwalkedaway.Maybeeverythingwasgettingbetter.Charlenedidn’tbelievethataperson

couldchangeovernight,butinthatlastmeeting,somethingaboutPhilbyseemeddifferent.Likehe’dlostatleastsomeofhisaloofnessandbossiness.ThetensionbetweenhimandFinnhadsubsidedaswell,almostwasn’tthere.SheassumeditallhadtodowithMaybeck’sbeingintrouble.Theteamcametogetherwhenincrisismode.

FinnandCharleneawaitedMaybeck’sDHI.When it failed to crossover,FinntriedtextingPhilbybutdidn’tgetareply.

Theyheadedbacktostateroom816.CharlenerecalledWilla’swordsaboutnot“havingalife,”andfrowned.Belongingtosomethingfeltgoodtoher.

AstheywereadmittedintothestateroombyWilla,Philbycalledout.“So?”“Nothing,”Finnsaid.“Itextedyou.”“Textedme? I don’t even knowwheremy phone is.My laptop froze. It

tookmeuntilmaybeaminuteagotocrosshimover.”“Well,wewerehalfwaybackherebythen.Sohecrossedoverwithoutour

beingthere.”“Terrific!”Charlenesaidinfrustration.Philby’s freckles were coveredwith foundation; baby powder in his hair

turned it a milky strawberry blond. Even without the baseball cap, his ownmotherwouldn’thaverecognizedhim.

Lookingupfromhislaptop,hesawWillaforthefirsttime.She’dbeenintheroomforthepasttenminutes.

“Youlook…wow,”saidanastonishedPhilby.“WhataboutMaybeck?”Finnasked.Nooneseemedtohearhim.“Wowasingood,orwowasinbad?”Willaasked,settingatrapmostboys

Philby’sagewouldhavehadnoideawaswaiting.ButPhilbywassmarterthanmost, by a long shot. He seemed to understand immediately: if he said shelookedprettier,itimpliedshedidn’tnormallystrikehimthatway;ifhesaidshelookedolder—whichshedid—thenhewastellinghershelookedgirlishtherest

ofthetime.“Asin,noonewillrecognizeyou.That’sthepoint,right?Youdidagood

job.”“EarthtoPhilby!”Finnsaid.“WhataboutMaybeck?”“Thefactis,”Philbysaid,“ifMaybeckcrossedover,noonewastherewhen

ithappened.”“Becauseyoudidn’tanswermytext.”“Itdoesn’tmatterwhy,”Philbysaid.“Itjustis.”“Well,ifIcrossedoverfeelinglikehe’sprobablyfeeling,”Finnsaid,“the

firstthingI’ddoislookforaplacetohide.Hecouldn’thavegonefar.”ThegirlslookedtowardPhilby,expectinghimtocounterFinnorobjectas

he’dbeendoingformonths.“Goon,”Philbysaid,acquiescing.“Thereisn’talotofchoiceofwherehecango,”Finnsaid.“He’snotgoing

todraghimselfup thatstaircase.Andhe’snotgoing togetveryfaracross theAtriumwithoutsomeoneseeinghim,withoutsomeone trying tohelp—only tofindouttheirhandsgorightthroughhim.AtthatpointSecurity’scalled,Ithink,andit’sUncleBob’sproblem.IfBobspotsanyofus,orgetsholdofMaybeck’shologram… He has the authority to shut us down completely. At that point,we’retoast.”

“They’llshutdownourserver,”Philbysaid.“Wedonotwantthat.OuronechancetodefeattheOTs…theycan’tharmus.”

“So,” Charlene said, recapping, “no stairs, noAtrium. If he sticks to thewall,hecouldgetdowntotheShoreExcursionDesk.Maybehidebackthere—”

“That place is occupied every living second of every living day,” Philbysaid.

“The Royal Palace,”Willa said. “It’s huge. It’s empty a lot of the time.Therearewaiterstations,tables,atonofplacestohide.”

“Greatidea!”Philbysaid,nodding.“Theycloseupbetweenmeals.Iknowthatforafact,”Finnsaid.“Allthebetterforhiding,”Willasaid.“Allthetrickierifwe’resupposedtogolookingforhim,”saidCharlene.“Yes,”saidFinn,“butwe’rearrivingatthelocks—theceremony.Everyone

willbeoutondeck,eventhecrew.”

DAZZLED BY RAYS OF SUNSHINE streaming out through a few stray clouds likeHollywood searchlights, the sound of an off-key brass band, and the snap offlagsinthewind,theDisneyDreamcreptforwardintothewaitingmouthofthenew locks of the Panama Canal. Governors and politicians had been broughtaboard for the inaugural ceremony.A canal pilot controlled the shipwhile thedignitariesoccupiedaforwarddeckjustbelowthebridge,standingwithCaptainCederberginhisstarchedwhites,aswellasCaptainsMickeyandMinnie,bothdressedinfestivesouth-of-the-bordercostumesandsombreros.

Over three thousand passengers and crew jammed every availablestateroombalconyandopendeckonbothsidesoftheelevenhundredandfifteenfeet of painted steel.Miniature flags—U.S. on one side, Panama, the other—waved from the ship and ground. Cameras flashed. Video rolled, professionalandamateuralike.Tensofthousandsoflocalscheered.

Amongthosecelebratingwasasturdygirlwithdarkhairthatcarriedafewstreaksofbright redhighlights.While theotherpassengerswere fully focusedonthecrowdsbelowandonthespectacle,MattieWeaverwasonamission.Itwasnoeasytaskstudyingeveryface,everyprofile.Shemovedlikeaspy,herarmraisedandwaving,hereyesneverstrayingfromthepassengerssurroundingher.Shemovedslowly,oneendofadecktoanother.Deck4toDeck11.Then11to12.Thesportsarea.Thestern.Somewhereshewouldfindhim.Theallureofthecelebrationwouldprovetooenticing.Hewouldnothavethewillpowertoresist.

***

“We’vegothim!”ClaytonFreemaninformedUncleBob.Themensatthirtyfeetbelowthewater’ssurfaceintheair-conditionedconfinesoftheSecurityoffices.

With Bob’s attention jumping from one closed circuit camera image toanotheronthefivehi-deftelevisionscreens,withhisearbudcarryingthevoicesoftwentymembersofhisstaffandcrewworkingtoprotecttheDisneyDreamon

ahistoricdayinforeignwaters,withfiverecente-mailsfromtheFBIwarningofthreatstotheship,Bobfailedtohearhisright-handman.

“Sir!”ClaytonFreemansaid,tryingagain.“I’vegotthestowaway!”“What?!”Bobsaid,practicallyfallingoutofthechairashelungedforward.

Hepressedabuttononawireandspokeintotheradiomicrophone.“Standbyallforredeployment.”ToClayton,hesaid,“Go!”

“TheRFT,sir.Thelaundry.Youremember—”“Iremember!”Bobsaid.“Trackingthestolenlaundryelectronically…blah,

blah, blah… As you can see, Freeman, I’m a little busy trying to keep mypassengersandshipssafefromterroristthreats,fakeornot.”

Thankfully, the FBI listed all five “threats” as “Reduced Risk.” Thecompanywouldnot havegone forwardwith the inaugural had there been any“LegitimateRisk”cautions.Bobrubbedhisforeheadwearily.

“It’sjustthat—”“Notnow.”“Yes,sir.”“If you can handle it on your own,” Bob said, capitulating. He knew

Freemanwanted thestowawayasbadlyashedid—though the timingcouldn’thavebeenworse.“Sobeit.”

“Yes,sir!Thankyou,sir!”“Nowthatyou’veinterruptedme…whatexactlydowehave?”“Vibe, sir. Whoever is wearing that stolen costume entered Vibe five

minutesago.”BobdirectedacameraimagefromVibeontotheupperrightcornerofthe

secondscreen.Theclubwasempty.HeswitchedviewstoVibe’soutsidedeck.Itwaspackedwithsomanykids that theylookedlikeasingle tannedbodywithseveraldozenheads.

“Lookslikeifyouhurry,”Bobsaid,“you’vegotyourboy.”“Orgirl.Yes,sir.”“Well?Gettheleadout!”“Yes,sir!”AnelatedClaytonFreemanhurriedfromtheoffice.

***

FinnandCharlenedescendedtheemptyamidshipsstairs.Everyonewasoutside.TheKeepersweredue tobeon shorewith thecaptainas the ship reached thelake,abouttwohoursaway.

“Storeyshouldbetherebynow,”Finnsaid,slightlyoutofbreath.“WithPhilbyandWilla.Inthegalleys.”“Yes.”Deck7…alanding…Deck6…anotherlanding…“Ilostabracelet,”Charlenesaid,repeatingtheexcusetheyintendedtouse

ifcaught.“Correct.”“AsifIwouldeverwearabracelet.”“What?”heasked.“I’mnotabraceletgirl.Forgetit.”ShekeptupwithFinneasily.“They’re

goingtotellustheyturneverythingintoLostandFound.”“Yes,andwe’regoingtopolitelyignorethem.”“Youthinkhe’shurting?”Charleneasked.“Maybeck?”“No,thePope!”Deck5…Finnstoppedabruptly.Charlenebumpedintohim.Foramomenttheywere

extremelyclose,bothbreathingheavily,eyetoeye.Finnsteppedaway.“Yes,” Finn said. “I mean, I would think so. Just as I assume Jess was

hurtingwhenshereturned.”“Youcan’tstopthinkingabouther,canyou?”“Who?”“Yeah,right,”Charlenesaid.“Charlie!”“Don’tcallmethat,”sheprotested.“Theothers,sure.Butnotyou,okay?”“Because?”“Itmakesme sound like a boy. I don’twant you thinking aboutme as a

boy.”Finnswallowed.“O-kay.”“Notever,”shesaid,closingthedistancebetweenthem.

“Maybeck,”Finnsaid.“I know,” Charlene said breathlessly. She led the way down to the next

landing,thenfurther,toDeck4.OnDeck3theykepttheirheadsdownincasetherewerecameraswatching.

TheymovedthroughtheshopstowardtheAtrium,stickingtothestarboardsideoftheship.Lessbusyhere.

Astheyfacedthewide-openexpanseofthelavishAtrium,Finnthrewhisarmoutlikeagate.Notapersoninsight.Notasoundorvibration.Theship’spropellerwasbarelyturning.

“What?” Charlene said, much too close to his ear. His skin rippled withgooseflesh.Think!Finnchastisedhimself.

“Idon’tknow,”hesaidinahush.“Well,that’sconvincing.”“Something’s…”hesaid.“Something’swrong.”“Itlooksfinetome.”FinnslippedhisWavePhoneoutofhispocket.HesentatexttoPhilby:

trap!searchisallyours

weforgotaboutobvious

CharandIonwaytomedcenter

“Weare?”Charlenesaid,readingoverhisshoulder.“TheOTsknowMaybeckisdown,”hesaid,waitingforhertoconnectthe

dots.Searchinghereyes.Whenshefailedtolookasifsheunderstood,headded,“TheDHIappearancesareprintedintheNavigatoreveryday,meaningtheOTsknowwhenourhologramsaremakingappearances.Thatmeanstheyalsoknowwhenwearen’tallowedoutofourstaterooms.”

“Istilldon’t—”“You andWillawerehangingwithMaybeck earlier.Youwereprotecting

him.Butnow…”“There’sanursewithhimatalltimes.”“TheOTsmaybeslightlyafraidofus.Butanurse?Imean,comeon!”Charlene’sfacebunched.Finn nodded. “That’s what I’m talking about. This is the perfect time to

kidnaphim.”Charlenetookoffrunning.Finnhurriedtocatchup,butwasnomatchfor

herspeed.

***

MattieWeaverfoundVibe’sinterioremptyexceptforaCastMemberbehindthebar.Theoutsidedeckwasanothermatter.

Bodieswerecrowdedtogethersotightly,youcouldn’tslipapieceofpaperbetweenthem.

Shedrewadeepbreath,knowinghewasoutthere,knowingwhathadtobedone.

Itwasnevereasyforher.Harder thananyoneknew.Thatblastofenergy,drainingandfillingherallatonce.Likeastrobelightflashedinhereyesfromaninchaway.Likeaslapintheface,orapunchinthegut.

Worse,itwasn’tsocontrollable.That’swhatthefreakswhocontrolledtheFairliesweretryingtofigureout.Howcouldsheharnessit?Howcouldtheyuseher?Atparties for foreigndiplomats? In train stationswhere they suspected abomber?Atpolitical functions?Tomanipulate the stockmarket?Theyneededher, andbynow theywouldbe looking forher,big-time.Fornow,Mattie feltsafe—thoughateveryport,shepanicked,terrifiedthatthey’dboard,lookingforher.

Sheshookherheadclear.Shehadwork todo.The fact that shecouldn’tcontrolherpowersmeantthatinafleshjam,liketheoneoutonVibe’sdeck,shemightexperienceadozenconnections.More!Itwouldfeellikebeingspuninthedarkwearingablindfold,onlytopeekouteveryfewseconds.Itwouldmakehersick.Itwouldbefrightening.

Butwhen…if…shefoundhim,itwouldallbeworthit.

***

FromDeck 11, passengers waved at the Panamanians greeting them. Crowdsestimatedatmorethantenthousandlinedupalongthefirstlockalone.

CheersroseovertheDisneymusicblaringfromshipboardspeakers.Disneycharacterswaveddowntothecrowds.

Bothsidesshotvideoandtookpicturesofthehistoricevent.Robotictugscreptforward,matchingtheship’scrawlingspeed,keepingit

centeredinthenew,widercanals.A miniature Disney blimp—an unmanned drone—hummed above the

scene.Thereweremanyhoursyettogo,butiftherestofthedayliveduptothestart,itwasgoingtobeoneofthegreatestcelebrationsever.

***

StoreyMing led Philby andWilla down the I-95 corridor, having instilled inthemtheimportanceofwalkingwithpurpose.IfaCastMemberlookedlost,hewould be easily spotted as an outsider. To give the impression theywere oldhands,thethreecarriedonaconversation,complainingtooneanotheraboutnotbeing topsideenjoying the festivities.Theypassednoofficers,onlyotherCastMemberswhopaidnoattention to them.Eventually,StoreyMingdirected thetwointoacompanionwayofsteepstairs.

“ThisiswhereIleaveyou.Yougodowntwolandings.”Shecontinuedwithdirections to thebakery, fromwhich theycouldmake theirway toyetanothercompanionwayleadingtotheship’sstores—thewarehousingofthedrygoods.

“Iknowmywayfromthere,”Willadeclared.Sherememberedavisittothegalleysafewdaysearlier.

“Uptothegalley,”Storeysaid.“Yes.”“ThemaingalleyservesboththeRoyalPalaceandtheAnimator’sPalate.

Youdon’tbelongthere,soifsomeonestopsyou,tellthemHermansentyouonanerrand.”

“Herman?”“Oneofthechefs.NoonemesseswithwhatHermanwants,”Storeysaid.

“He…Willa?What’swrong?”Thegirlhadgoneanashenpale.“Nothing,”Willasaid,clearlylying.Philbyplacedhishandonhershoulder.“Itwon’thappenagain.Ipromise.”

HeexplainedtoStorey,“SheandFinnwereattackedbydoughboysthelasttimeshewasinthegalley.”

“Doughboys?”“Giantdoughboys,”Willawhispered.“Freakydoughboys.”

“But you all,” Storey said, “have been attacked by all sorts of creatures,right?”

“The doughboys are creepy,” Willa said. “You know how some peopledon’tlikesnakes?Givemeasnakeanydayoveradoughboy.”

“Everything’s good,” Philby said encouragingly. He briefly repeated thedirectionstoStorey,makingsurehehadthemright.Hethankedher.

Together,PhilbyandWillaheadeddownthesteepmetalstairs.Amomentlater,theyfacedthedoortothebakery.

“Youokay?”Philbyasked.“No,”Willaanswered,“notreally.Imean,ofalltheplaces,ithadtobethe

bakery,right?”“Wecan’tlookscared,”hesaid.“YoumeanIcan’tlookscared.”Philbysaidnothing.“ButIam.Theywere…creepy.”Shepaused.“Andhuge.”“Wehavetolookasifwebelong.”“Asif.”Voicesarrivedbehindthem—someonecomingdownthestairs.“Nowornever,”hesaid.“Never?”sheasked.Philbyopenedthedoor.Theship’sbakerywasall stainlesssteelandwhite tile.Largecommercial

kitchenappliancescrowdedtheinterior.Apetitewomanandalargeman,bothinuniforms,whiteaprons,andchefs’hats,lookedupfromtheirduties.

“Hermanwantsus,”Philbysaid,pointingacrosstheroom.“Sorrytobotheryou,”Willasaid.“Notbother,”saidthemaninaforeignaccent.Hesmiled.Hewasmissinga

fronttooth.Willa was fidgety, remembering the twin six-foot doughboys that had

attackedherandFinnwithbutchers’cleavers.Philbyheldthedoorforher;theypassed into the galley—avast space of preparation tables and, along the backwall, huge ranges and ovens. Willa had been here before; but for ProfessorPhilby,itwaslikearesearchfieldtrip—hewasinstantlyfascinatedbythesizeandscopeoftheship’skitchen.Thenitstruckhim:theyhadworktodo.

“Empty,”Willamutteredfrombehindhim.“They’reallupondeckfortheinaugural.”

Philbytriednottosoundsurprised.“Asexpected.”“Youwish.”“Itmakessensethey’dbegivenafewminutestojointhecelebration.”“Leavingusaloneinhere.”“Allthebetter.”“Youwouldn’tthinkthatifyou’dbeenherewithFinnandme.”Philbywithheldcomment.TheyhadalongwaytogotoreachthewaiterentrancetotheRoyalPalace.

Thegalleywasdivided intocookingandpreparationareas forall thedifferentaspectsofameal:maincourses,salads,desserts,beverages,allconnectedbyawaiter-collection area—an endlessly long stainless steel counterwithwarmingshelvesaboveandstorageshelvesbelow.PhilbyandWillawalked thispickupareaatopspongy,slip-proof,black-rubberfloormats.

“Itwasataplacelikethisthatwewereattacked,”Willasaidflatly.“Yeah,thanks.Goodtoknow,”Philbywhisperedback.Hiseyeszeroedin

onalltheknives,cleavers,andotherweaponizedkitchengear.Theybothstoppedatonce,frozenbythesoundof…ruffling.Philbypointedto theirright:anareafilledwithfive-foot-tallsquarecarts,

usedforkeepingsaladsfresh.Saladleavesdidnotmakethesoundtheyhadjustheard.

Willawavedherarmslikeabirdandmouthed,Diablo?Philby’smindworked like a precision instrument. His headwas like the

cockpitofanF-16.HewastheTopGunofbrainiacs.Thesoundoftherufflingwingshadbarelystoppedbythetimehewasmovingatarunforahangingrackof strainers. He climbed atop a prep table to reach them, grabbed two, andstartedbackforWilla.

The raven took flightoutof thecartarea,appearing just toWilla’s left, apieceoflettuceclampedinitsbeak.

PhilbylaunchedoneofthetwogiantstrainersatWilla,whocaughtitone-handedandswipedtheairlikealacrosseplayer,narrowlymissingDiablo.

“He’ll tell Maleficent we’re here!” Philby said, leaping over the pickupcounterandlandingoutinthelineaheadofWilla.“Can’t…let…him.”

Diabloreverseddirectionsat thesoundofPhilby’svoiceandflewathim.HenickedPhilby’sforeheadwithhisbeakbeforePhilbycouldraisethestrainerlikeabutterflynet.BloodtrickleddownintoPhilby’seyebrow.

The raven’s feet latched onto Willa’s hair and pulled a clump loose,knockingWillaoverbackward; shecriedoutwithpain.Asshe fell, she threwherstrainerat thebirdand,surpriseofsurprises,hitDiablointhetailfeathers.Thebird’sflightfaltered.Itcareenedintoastainlesssteelpost,fluttered,andfelltothefloor.

Willa crawled quickly to her fallen strainer. Philby vaulted over her andslappedhisstrainerdowntotrapthecrow.ButoneofDiablo’sblackeyescaughtareflectionofapolishedspatula;thebirdthrewoutitstalons,clawedontothepole,andflappeditswaystraightup,avoidingPhilby’strap.

Diabloscreeched,andpeckedatPhilby’sface, tearingagash in theboy’snose.

Philbyreactedinstinctively,defendinghimselfbyraisinghisrightforearmtoprotecthisfaceandeyeswhileattackingwithhislefthand.HetookholdofDiablo’swingandyankedhard.Thecrowwashurledacrosstothepreparationcounter,crashingtherelikeaplaneinafailedlanding.

Willa jumped up and slapped her strainer over the bird, trapping it. Sheusedbothhandstoholdthestrainerdownatopthetable.

Diablobouncedandflutteredandfoughttobefree,butitwasnouse.“Youokay?”sheasked,nottakinghereyesoffhercaptive.“Yeah,Isuppose,”Philbyanswered,touchinghiswound.Shestoleaglanceinhisdirection.“OMG!Youlook…you’rebleeding.”“Headwounds,”saidtheprofessor.“Theybleedalot.Looksworsethanit

is,I’msure.”Philbyfoundakitchentowelandmoppeduphiswounds.“Whatdowedowiththis…thing?”Willaasked.AnangryPhilbylookedaround.“Youeverheardtheterm:eatcrow?”His

eyeswerefixedontherowsofovens.“Wecan’tdothat!”“Sayswho?”“Me,”saidWilla.“Nomatterhowmuch Ihate theOvertakers, I’mnever

goingtobereducedtotheirlevel.”“They’dkillusinaheartbeat.”

“That’swhatI’msaying:wehavetoriseabovethat.”“Because?”“Ishouldn’thavetoanswerthat.”“Weputhiminoneof theovens,”Philbyproposed,“butwedon’t turn it

on.Ifsomeoneelsehappenstoturnitontopreheatit…sobeit.”“That’sthesamethingasuskillinghim.”“He’sMaleficent’sspy.Hehastobedealtwith.”“Listentoyou!Doyouhearwhatyou’resaying?There!”shesaid,pointing.“Amicrowave?”“Youdon’tstartamicrowavewithoutopeningit.”Philbynodded.“Andamicrowaveisvented,sohewon’tsuffocate.”“Maybetheywon’tuseitforadayortwo.”“Maybethey’lluseittonight.”“Eitherway, itwon’tmatter.”Sheadded for the sakeofPhilby’sobvious

hungerforvengeance,“She’sgoingtofreakwhenshecan’tfindhim.Haveyoueverlostyourdogorcat?”

“IlostElvis,mycat,onetime,”Philbysaid.“Findacookiesheet.Weneedtomovehim.”“Werunthemicrowavefortwominutesandhecooksfromtheinsideout.”“Youneedyourheadexamined.”“Truestory.”

***

“FromthemomentweuseourCastMembercardstoenter,”FinntoldCharlene,poised in front of the CAST MEMBERS ONLY door onDeck 1 that accessed the I-95corridor,“bothSecurity,andpossiblytheOTs,willknowwe’rein.Andiftheyknowwe’rein—”

“—theOTswillknowwe’reheadedtothehospital.”“Andanyadvantageofsurprisewemighthaveisblown.”“TheOTscouldbewaitingforus.”“That’swhatI’msaying.Yes.”ItdidnotescapehimthatMaybeckcouldbe

the bait andCharlene the ultimate prize.Thesacrifice.He felt responsible for

her;hehadtoprotecther.“It’snotlikewehaveachoice,”shesaid.“Actually,”Finnsaid,“Ithinkwedo.Thatis,Ithinkwehavetoconsider

thatthiscouldbeatrap.Thatwhileoneofusgoesin,theothercouldhidehere,alongsidethestairs.”

“Oh,no,youdon’t!”Farmoreagileandquickthanheknewhimselftobe,FinnshovedCharlene

and unbuckled her ID lanyard at the same time. As she fell off balance, herlanyardcameloosefromaroundherneck.NoIDcard,noaccess.

Charlenegrabbedthelanyard,butcouldn’tholdonasshefell.WithherIDalreadyinhand,Finnunlockedthedoor,slippedthrough,and

pulleditshut,lockingherout.Charleneraisedherfist,abouttopoundonthedoor,butstoppedherself.To

bringattentiontoFinnwasstupid.“I hate you!” she hissed at the closed door. Then she stepped back and

stompedherfoot.“Notreally,”shesaid.

***

Thisissocool!It’sboilingouthere.Iforgotmysuntanlotion.I’msobored.The thoughts inMattieWeaver’sheadwerenothers. Instead,shehearda

loudtangleofexpletives,happiness,frustration,malcontent,desire,joy,elation,hunger,apprehensiveness,andangst.Theycametoherinwhispersandshouts,complaint and celebration. Like something from a nightmare. It made her sodizzy that she had to stop amid the press of human flesh onVibe’s deck andcollectherself.

Alargebrassbandwasperforminginfrontofafive-storyhotelwithavastterracerestaurantongroundlevelandabalconyrestaurantontheroof.People,bothonshoreandontheship,wereclappingintime.Bannersread:

WELCOME,DISNEYDREAM!and

DREAMSDOCOMETRUE!and

PANAMANIACS♥DISNEY

By her watch, they were still forty-five minutes from the ribbon-cuttingceremony at the second lock. The morning’sNavigator had implied that thesecondceremonymightbeconsideredthemostimportantofthefour.

WhileMattieconsidered thebestdeck fromwhich toview the festivities,she tookher eyesoff thecrowdeddeckoutsideVibe.When she lookedagain,therehewas:wideshoulders,pinkskinrawfromthesun,astubbleofhairatopan enormous head, ears like a cartoon character’s puffy cheeks, piggish eyes.GregLuowski,asthey’ddescribedhim.

Itwasariskworthtaking,butarisknonetheless.Somepeoplecouldfeelit.Theexperiencewentbackas faras theNewTestament. Ifhehad thatkindofsensitivity,shewouldbeinbigtrouble.Big,asinsix-feet-one,onehundredandeightyorninetypounds.Seriouslybig.Thekindofbigcapableofpickingheruplikeanoversizedpillowandlaunchingherover-board.

No sound whatsoever now; everything in slowmotion, driving her rightshoulder between kids as she worked her way toward him. Heads, hair, andshoulders bouncing in unison—something beyond the rail had excited thegathering all at once. Mattie never took her eyes off the man-boy’s freckledneck.Hisheightmadehimaneasytarget.

Closernow.Onlyayardtogo.Thecrowdjostled,crushingher.Shefoughtagainsttheinvasivevoices,resistingthem,holdingthembackasbestshecould.Butitwasliketryingtofightoffafirehosewithanapkin.Thevoicesrosefromthedepthsofthesilence.

“Stopshoving!”“Thathurts!”“Myfoot!”Shewilledthemoutofherhead,outofherthoughts.Shehadtofocus.To

concentrate.Shewasinterestedonlyinhim.Itwouldtakemorethanbrushingupagainsthim.Fullcontact.Whatshethoughtofasalock.Onlyalockwoulddo.Tentofifteensecondsataminimum.More,ifshecouldmanage.

Themomentwasuponher.Shesqueezedpastonemoregirl.Theman-boytoweredinfrontofher.Muchscarierupclose.

Mattierosetohertoes,tryingtoappearasthoughshewerestretchingtoseeovertherail.Herhandshoveredbrieflyalongsidetheboy’supperarms,andthenshetookhold,asiflosingbalance.

Itwasagood,stronglock.Theboy’sheadturned.Hefeelsit!shethought.

“Sorry!”shesaid,not lettinggo.Sheclosedhereyestopreventhimfromseeingthemrollintothebackofherhead.Imagesflashedthroughherbrainlikea high-speed slide show. The boy’s voice filled her ears, foreign at first, thenowningher.Thesameeverytime.

Mattie’shavingaseizure!Mattie’sspeakingintongues!Forsomuchofherchildhoodevenherownmotherhadseenhergiftasanillness.Doctorsalwaysgiving it names. Labels. Her parentsmumbling behind her back. Packing up.Sneakingout.Runningaway.

Therushofimpressionsfromtheboypushedthememoriesaway.TheclosestthingMattiecouldcompareasuccessfullocktowasacomputer

download.Data flow.Otherpeoplecouldn’tunderstand,exceptmaybe thefewwhofeltithappen.

Oneoftheimagescausedherkneestosag.Ithappenedtooquicklyforherto knowexactlywhich image—was it one of the boy’s thoughts?—butMattielostthelockonthewaydowntoherknees,slidingbetweenthecrushofbodies.

Hereyesflutteredopen;theboyglareddownather.Heknows!

***

Onhandsandkneestoavoidbeingseenbyapairofwaiters,PhilbyandWillacreptthroughtheRoyalPalacerestaurantinsearchofMaybeck’sDHI.Circularlow-wingwallsdividedthelargediningareaintosections.Whitecolumnslentitthefeelofacastle.Philby,inthelead,usedthelowwallsasscreens,movingtothecenteroftheroomwhereahubheldsixoreightdiningtables.Theypaused,theirbackstothewall,studyingtheroom’sperimeter.

Wherewouldhehide?Willa cupped her hand andwhispered softly into Philby’s ear. “Awaiter

station.”Yes,Philbythought.StrategicallyplacedthroughouttheRoyalPalacewere

highcabinetswherethefoodcouldarriveontraysandbesorted,wheredrinkslike tea and coffeewere prepared, and tableware and extra dishes stored. Thecabinetshadshelves,butifMaybeckhadcontroloverthe2.0software,hecouldfitinthere,shelvesornot.

“Orthecolumns,”Philbywhisperedback.“Ifhesteppedintooneofthosepillars,he’dbeinDHIshadow.Youcan’tseewhatisn’tthere.”

“Theremustbetwentypillarsinhere.Eightortenwaiterstations.”

“Ifwehadwaiteruniforms,thissurewouldbeeasier,”Philbysaid.“Think about it,”Willa said. “Thewaiters don’t get involved in the ship

activities.It’spossiblethattheymightrecognizeus—”“Butdoubtful.”“Yes.Soinsteadoftryingtohidefromthem,weshouldconfrontthem.Put

themonthedefensive.”“Takecharge.”Their eyes met. A recently unfamiliar energy exchanged between them.

“Exactly!”Willasaid,tryingtodismisstheexcitementshefelt.“Youfirst,”Philbysaid.“Right.”Shenodded.Backtobusiness.“Heregoes.”Willacreptaroundthearcofthelowwallandstood,approachingthetwo

waiterswithconfidence.Philbytrailedbehindbyafewsteps.“Hello?”shecalledout,hervoicesteady.“Excuseme?”Thetwolookedup.“I’mWilla.This isPhilby.We’reCastMemberguideswho’ve just joined

theDream.”Shepaused.“Doyouknowaboutus?”Theman’snametagreadOmarfromSomalia.Thewoman’ssaidGiuliana

fromPeru. He looked puzzled. She looked vaguely aware of whatWilla wastalkingabout.

“Iamafraidnot,”saidOmar.“Thepicturepeople,”saidGiuliana.Willa had never heard the term before. Both she and Philby suppressed

grins.“Thatwouldbeus,”shesaid.“Weare…”Shefroze.Weare…what?“Designingagame.”Philby stepped forward. “Youknow:hide-and-seek?

It’slikethat.Oneofushidesandthekids—thepassengers—havetofindhim—”“Ontheirwayintodinner,”Willaadded.Theyhadaflowgoingnow.“Something to make the Royal Palace as much fun for the younger

passengersasAnimator’sPalateis.”Both waiters nodded at once. Waiters moved from dining experience to

diningexperiencewiththeguests theyserved.Theydidn’tneedanyremindersabouthowpopulartheAnimator’sPalatewas.

“Sooneofourfriendsishidinginherenow,”Willasaid.

“Andwe’regoingtolookaroundtofindhim,”Philbyadded.“You’rewelcometojoinusifyoulike,”Willasaid,invitingthem.“You are kind to make this offer,” Omar said. “We have jobs we must

complete.”Theymadenoefforttostopthetwokidsfromsearchingtheroom.“Shouldn’ttakelong,”Willasaid.They turned and separated, dramatizing their searching. Willa reached a

waiter station andopened a cabinetwithout lookingback for approval. Philbypickeduponherlead.Theyweremakinggoodprogress,havingcoveredafullquarterofthevastdiningroom.Nowathird.Half.

By this time, the two service staff no longer knew they existed. Theyfinishedsettingupatable;thenexttimeWillalookedback,theyweregone.Thisshould have made her feel victorious; instead, the size and emptiness of theRoyalPalacesunkin.WhatifMaybeckwasn’ttheonlyoneinhiding?

Shestruggledtoridherselfofthememoryofthedoughboysswingingmeatcleavers,buttonoavail.Thenherspinetingledasshepassedarowofpaintedportraitsalongthefarwall.Eachportraitdepictedaparticularprincess:Aurora,Belle,Cinderella,SnowWhite.Aurora’seyeshadjustmoved.

It’sapainting,Willaremindedherself.Theeyesofpaintingsdon’tmove.“And the dolls in It’s a SmallWorld don’t come alive,” shemuttered to

herselfcynically.AurorawastheprincessinSleepingBeauty.ThevillaininSleepingBeauty

wasthedarkfairy,Maleficent.Willaworkedherwayover toPhilby,whowascurrentlyknockingon the

columnsand thencuppinghishandsandspeaking to them; ifanyonesawhimtheywouldlockhimupinastraitjacket.

“Overmyshoulder,”shewhispered,“verycarefully.TheeyesintheAuroraportrait.”

“Got it,” he said, waiting several long seconds before changing columnsandstealingalookinthedirectionofthefarwall.

HepassedWillaaminutelater.“Thosepeepersarecreepers.”“Moving.”“Yup.”“It’stheOTs.”

“Not necessarily, but I’m not sure that it matters exactly who it is. Thatpaintingiswatchingus.”

“Whatdowedo?”Theprofessorglancedabout.“We’vegotitcovered,”hesaid,softly.“First,

welocatehim—ifhe’sevenhere.Then,we’lltakecareofMissCrazyEyes.”“I’llstartoverthere,”shesaid,“andworktothefront.”“We’realmostdone.”Willa headed to the farthest corner of the dining room, an area removed

fromtherestofthediningareaandonewhereanespeciallylargewaiters’stationhadbeenbuiltintothewall,wiselyplacedsoastobeinvisibletovirtuallyallofthediningpassengers.

Twicethelengthofanyoftheothers,italsocontainedtwicethenumberofcabinets.

Willa opened up the second of these. It appeared filled with an oddlyformed stack of table linens. But something made her reach inside and feelaroundbehindthem,pullingthemoutontothefloor.

“Terry?”shehissed,leaningfullyintothecabinet.“Willa?”Maybeck’svoicewhisperedweakly.Philby heard her talking to herself and abandoned the pillar that he was

speaking to. He worked his way toward her, keenly aware that the Aurorapaintingcouldbewatchinghim.Thankfully,unlessitcouldseearoundcorners,theyweresafe.Squatting,hehelpedWillaupandstudiedtheemptycabinet.

“Hespoke,”Willagasped.“Canyouhearme?”Philbysaid.Afteramoment,agroanissuedfromthecabinet.Philby searched the ceiling and walls for possible security cameras—the

devicesmostcommonlyusedtoprojecttheirDHIs.“He’sinDHIshadow,”PhilbysaidtoWilla.“Niceplacetohide,man,”he

toldtheemptycabinet.“Maybeck, youwere struck by lightning,”Willa said. “Your body is in a

comaintheship’shospital.”“Tired,”theDHIsaid.“Hurting.”“Youhavetowakeup,”Willasaid.“Youhavetoworkreallyhardtowake

up.”

Maybecksaidnothing.“Maybeck!”Philbysaidmoreloudly.Maybeckgroanedagain.“WhenIreturnyou,you’llbebackintheship’shospital.Youknowthatjolt

youfeelwhenyou’rereturned?”heaskedrhetorically.“Youneedtoharnessthatjolt.Useit.Letitwakeyouallthewayawake.”

“They’regoingtotakeyouofftheshipotherwise,”shesaid.“Noonewantsthat.”

“Wewanttogetyououtofhere,”Philbysaid.“Butweneedyourhelp.Areyouhearingus?”

“Ihearyou.”“TheReturn,”Philbysaid.“Useit.”“Repeatit,”Willasaid.“Wake…up,”Maybecksaid.“Orget leftbehind.”WillaknewMaybeckwell;hewouldnotwant tobe

missanything.“Gotit.”Maybeckalreadysoundedslightlylesstraumatized.“It’sgoingtohappensoon.Willa’sgoingtostayherewithyouaslongas

possible.”“Don’tgobacktosleep,”Willasaid.“Fighttostayawake.”“Easyforyoutosay.”ThatsoundedmoreliketheMaybecksheknew.With the two waiters gone, Philby threw a tablecloth over the Aurora

portraitonhiswayout.Hetextedtheothersthatthey’dfoundMaybeckandthattheOTsmayhavebeenwatching.Thathe,Philby,wouldreturnMaybeckwithinamatterofminutes.

TherestwasuptoMaybeck.

***

The I-95corridor stoodempty, the result of theCanal celebrationupondeck.Finn held his head high and his shoulders square, attempting to express aconfidencehedidn’tfeel.Theship’shospitalwasupaheadonhisleft.

Not longago,Finnhadheaded into thedark tunnelsofFortLanghorn toliterally catch the Overtakers napping. It seemed only likely that they would

attempt to repay the favor—to try to capture the comatoseMaybeckwhen hewasdefenseless.

Whenwillanyofthisend?Finnthought.Howdowebreaktheirholdforgood?DoesWayneknow?Doesanyone?Howdoyoustopafifty-yearwar?

Finnwonderediftheywerejustpawns,footsoldiersinsometinybattleinawar now older than their parents. Had they escalated things by bringing intechnology?Hadn’teveryonebeenbetteroffwhentherewaslittlemoregoingonthanafter-hourpranksbetweenthevillainsandheroes?

These seeds of doubt grew roots as Finn drew closer to the hospital. Hequestionedthepointofitall, includinghisleadingabunchoffriendsintolife-threatening situations time and time again. He knewwhat he’d facewhen hepassed through thedoorahead—nobetter time to try tocaptureMaybeck thannow.DeterminedtoreducetheirnumbersandspreadtheconcernFinnwasnowexperiencing,MaleficentwouldtakeadvantageoftheCanalcelebration;shehadprovedherselfanexperiencedtactician.

Normally,FinnwouldapproachsuchconfrontationsasaDHI,able tousehis transparencytohisbenefit.Perhaps thiswaspartofherplanaswell: forcehiminto theopen,exposedhimasmortal flesh,aphysicallyvulnerableyoungman,notaprojectionoflightandmirrors.

Looking back at the still-empty corridor, Finn wished he hadn’t trickedCharlene; he could use the company and support. If youwanted anyone in aconfrontation, it was Charlene: levelheaded, nimble, and fast. What kind ofstupidjerkwouldstopsuchateammatefromjoiningapotentialbattle?

HisWavePhonevibrated inhispocket.Charlene,nodoubt trying to talkhimoutofgoingthisalone.Andwhilehe’djustbeenthinkingthesamething,hehadnodesiretoarguethematter.Heleftthephoneinhispocket.

The iridescent glimmer of unnatural light beat down uniformly from theceilingfixturesoverhead,causingadreamlikeshimmeronthewallsandfloor.Itlookedstrangelylikeaship’sversionofthegatesofheaven,orwhereverpeoplewentwhentheywerenolongerpeople.Wasthistobetheendofitall?

It was only a single vibration: a textmessage, not a call. Thatmight beanyone. He slipped his hand into his pocket.Chicken! his conscience calledloudly. He was stalling, using any excuse not to open the door and confrontwhateverevillayontheotherside.Hereleasedthephoneandletitfallbacktothebottomofhispocket.

Hepusheddownontheleverandleanedhisshoulderintothemetaldoor.

***

MattieWeaverhuddledona toilet seat inVibe’s restroom—theonlyplaceshecouldthinkoftobetrulyalone.Maybehehadn’trecognizedtheCallerIDonhisWavePhone.Couldn’theassumeitwasfromafriendifthenumbercamefromstateroom 816? She typed the message a second time, struggling with theantiquatedsystemfortextentrythephonesused.

HerthumbhoveredabovetheSENDkeybelowthephone’stinygreenscreen.Shewasabouttorevealherselfinawayshehadhopedtoavoid.Shewasaboutto enter someone else’s fight. A favor for a friend was about to turn intovolunteeringforateamsheknewlittleabout.

Herthumbpressedthekey.oneofyouisgoingtodie

***

“Oh,hello.”Finnwasmetbyaship’screwmember,Maybeck’snurse.“I’m—”“Iknowwhoyouare.”Shewastwenty-fiveandquitebeautiful.Hethought

he’dseenheraroundtheship.“Afriend…ofTerry’s.”“Yes.”“AndI…Well,how’shedoing?”“Same,I’mafraid.Nometabolicchanges,nomotionoractivity.”He’ssuspendedinSBS,Finnwantedtosay.He’llbereturnedinamatterof

minutes, and I need to protect him until then. Instead hemade the proverbialofferthatcouldnotberefused.

“Iplan tobehere for awhile. If youwanted togoupondeck for a fewminutes and catch the festivities, I’d be happy to text you if there’re anychanges.”

ShestudiedMaybeck’sstillform,thenFinn.“Yousureyoudon’tmind?”“Notatall.”“Someonehastobehereatalltimes.”“Iunderstand.”

“Don’tmesswith that,” shesaidpointing toa syringeona stainless steeltray.“That’stosedatehimifhewakesuptooviolently.Ithappens.”

“Ofcoursenot.”“I’llbefiveminutes,tops.”“Noproblem.”“Areyousureaboutthis?”“It’sincredibleupthere.Awesome.”“Thisisreallyniceofyou.”“Notatall.”“Youknow,onsecondthought…youmindturningaround?”“I…ah…Ofcoursenot.”“Ishouldn’tleaveanymedsout.”ButasFinnturned,hefoundhimselffacingthepolishedframeontheback

of the interior door— the mirrored frame. The nurse carefully put the traybearing the syringe into a cabinet, which she then locked. The card key wasreturnedtothedrawerontherightofthecabinet.

“Fiveminutes,”shesaid,pinchinghisshoulderinafriendlygesture.“Sure.”Shepulledthedoorshutbehindher.Finn searched the room forwhatheneeded.Was it all here?Would it be

enough?He started collecting itemsnecessary to his plan.While hewas at it,wanting to letPhilbyknow thatMaybeckcouldbe returnednow,hewithdrewhisWavePhone.Hischesttightenedatthetextmessagewaitingthereforhim.

oneofyouisgoingtodie

Hespunaround,facingtheunconsciousMaybeck.“Notyou!”hesaid.“Notgoingtohappen!”

***

ClaytonFreemanstoodbythedoorofVibe,hisiPAQmobiledeviceinhand.Byhisestimationtherewereaboutahundredkidsoutontheclub’ssmalldeck;hehad little hope of finding the one he was after. The way he saw it, he had achoice tomake:hecouldstaywherehewasandmonitor the iPAQto tellhimwhentheradiofrequencytaginsidethestolenlaundrytrippedthesensoronits

wayout,orhecouldgolookingforthekid.Bothchoiceshadbenefitsandrisks.The relay to the iPAQwould lag—thewireless system could be delayed

anywherefromtentofortyseconds…orlonger.Buttherecouldn’tbemanykidswearing Cast Member laundry—specifically, a white polo T-shirt, size extra-large.Evenso,hedidn’twanttomixitupwiththekidsandriskthestowawayslippingpasthim.

Thebetter solution, hedecided,was towait outside the club entrance forthetaggedshirttopasshim.

Thespiderweavesthewebandwaits.“Soclose,”Claytontoldhimself.CatchingthisstowawaywascertaintomakehimastarintheeyesofUncle

Bob and the company. Clayton Freeman was hungry for advancement. Thisstowawaywashistickettobedirectorofsecurityonashipofhisown.

He bit back his impatience andwaited for the electronicweb to signal acatch.

***

It tookFinnaminute to realizehismistake:by trying toprotect thecomatoseMaybeck,hehadalsosethimupfortrouble;bygivingthenurseamomentoff,hehadinvitedanattack.TheOvertakershadbeenwatchingtheship’shospital,waiting for just thismoment.And nowFinn had put himself andMaybeck inharm’sway.

The door from the companionway to the Health Center waiting roomgroaned open.Maybeck’s roomwas to the left, and the person entering easedopenthedoor,slowly,silently.Thisintrudersawthebackofapersonsittinginachair facingMaybeck: a narrow-shouldered white medical coat, a man’s baldhead.

A robed figure stepped into the examination room. She wore a goldencrown. A starched white collar rose up from her shoulders behind her head,hidingherface.

“Haame-lo-lo,”spokethewoman.Theheadandlabcoatshranktolessthanhalftheiroriginalsize,thehead

bouncingonthefloorandsplittingintobrains,ears,andnasalpassages.Aplastichead.Aphysician’sdemonstrationhumanskullFinnhadfoundon

thecounterandmountedtolooklikeMaybeck’sguardian.Finn stepped out from behind the partially open door, the twin fabric

patches from a HeartGo defibrillator raised like a weapon. He pushed themagainst theEvilQueen’sleftarmandfiredanelectricshock.Sheliterallyflewacross the small room and rammed into the counter. The device hummed,regaining its charge. Finn came forward; remarkably, the Evil Queen wasn’tdown,onlystunned.

What is this creature? he thought. The beeping defibrillator’s main boxdragged on the floor behind him.Hewilled it to reach full power—onemoreshock,andtheEvilQueenwasgoingdown.Theycouldlockherup;itwouldbeabigsetbackfortheOTs!

Strugglingtoholdherselfup,shehookedherelbowonthecountertopandturnedtofaceFinn.Hereyeswereeitherbloodshotorglowing.Shelookedlikeshewasinpain.

Finntookinherbeauty,andhisbreathcaught.Hetriedto lookaway,butcouldn’t.Hisholdonthepatchesloosened.Hewantedtotouchherface,tokissher ruby lips.He felt himself drawn intoher eyes; iron shavings to amagnet.Whocouldharmawomansolovely?So…perfect?

He pulled closer to her, easing thewired patches lower. The battery boxcontinueditslow-tonedbeeping,notyetcharged.

TheQueen’slipsmoved.Finnthoughthimselfprivilegedthatonesopreciouswouldbothertospeak

tohimatall.Itneveroccurredtohimthatshewasattemptingtocastaspell.Theboxemittedasinglepiercingbeep.Fullycharged.TheEvilQueenknockedthepatchestothefloor.Finn suddenly saw her for what she was. A witch, drunk, or sick, half

asleep.ShereachedwithlongfingersforFinn’sthroatandlockedherhandsaround

his neck.Hewrestled to break free, throwing her against the nearwall as hemanagedtoturnhisbacktoher.

Shepushedhimintothecabinets,smashinghisfaceintothesafetyglass.Itcrackedintoaspiderwebbutdidnotbreak.

Throughtheglass,Finnspottedthesyringeonthemetaltray.Finnpushedherback,stunnedasshethrewhimforward,hisheadsmacking

theglassforasecondtime.Hemanagedtopullopenthedrawer,fingersgroping

forthekeycardtothecabinet.Onlythendidherealizehe’dwatchedthenurseinareflection,amirroredimage.Wrongdrawer.Heknewwhatitmeant:hehadtoendureyetanotherblowtothehead.

Heheavedback.TheQueenshovedforward.Finncrackedthecabinet’ssafetyglassforathirdtime.Hepulledopenthe

drawertotheleft,andtherewasthekeycard!Seizingholdofthekeycard,stillwrestlingwiththeQueenasshemanagedtogethisneckfullyinhergripagain,heswipedthecardnexttothecabinet.Itunlocked.

After the threecollisionswith theglass,Finn’sheadwasbeginning togospongy.Colorsfloatedbeforehiseyes,blindinghim.Hefelthiskneesgiveout.Hesanklowerashislefthandfounditswayintothecabinet.

“Icamefortheother,butyouaretheprize!Youwilldonicelyforourlittlesacrifice,myfriend!”

“Idon’tliketobeoverlooked.”Maybeck’svoice.AhandappearedontheQueen’sshoulderandspunheraround.

ThesoundofMaybeck’svoicegaveFinnstrength,astrengthsounfamiliar,he was still learning how to use it. He stood, broke her grip, and lookedMaybeckintheeye.He’dcomeoutofthecoma;Philbyhadreturnedhim!

TheEvilQueenlookedasifshe’dseenaghost.Shetriedtospeak,buthereyesrolledbackinherhead,flickeringopenjustlongenoughtoseethesyringestillinsertedinherarm.Shespoke,butherwordscameoutathalfspeed.

Maybecksagged,losingstrength.TheEvilQueenfelltothefloor,weakenedbutstillconscious.Hewouldnot

beabletocaptureher.Whatisthiscreature?Finnthoughtforasecondtime.Thedosewasmeant

forMaybeck,whoweighedagooddealmorethanthisslightwoman,andyetsheremained partially awake. She’d said, I came for the other. Had she meantMaybeck,orhadFinn,byusingCharlene’sIDtag,ledtheQueenhere?

Hisplantokidnapherfoiled,FinntookMaybeck’sarmaroundhisshoulderandhelpedhimoutof theexamroomand into thecompanionway, leaving theEvil Queen groaning and cursing in some strange language while a plasticdoctor’smodelofahumanhead,itsbrainsmissing,staredbackather.

CLAYTON FREEMAN’S IPAQ signaled that the radio frequency tag in theunaccounted-forlaundryhadleftthelounge.Hewasbackonthetrail.

Aminutelaterhewasfollowingawide-shoulderedboywithbuzz-cutredhair.

The level of sophistication of the boy’s violations suggested moreorganization than a high school kid was capable of.More sinister as well. Itwouldbeprettystupidtosteponasingleantonlytorealizetoolatehe’dmissedthecolony.Freemanintendedtostaywithhim.

Freemanwas thewizard ofDisneyDream’s security office.WhenUncleBobhadgiventheImagineersawishlistofsecurityupgradesforthenewclassofship,allthetechnicalideashadcomefromClayton.Theseincludedtheuseofradiofrequencytagsforpassengeridentification,stateroomentry,theOceaneerClub, tracking laundry inventory, and the inventory of security-sensitiveequipment, including closed-circuit video surveillance—CCTV. The shippossessedfourhighly-encryptedprivateWiFisystems.Night-visionimagingoncertaindecks.

Intheend,ClaytonFreemanwantedasafership,butnotashipthatinvadedanyone’s privacy—all of which required a great deal of forethought,compromise, and planning. With the upgraded wireless networks came theability to transmit security video to the handheld devices, a functionality hefinally got the chance to test now, as he dropped back from the subject yetremainedabletofollow.

When the suspect entered the forward tunnel,whichenclosed the joggingtrack,Foremanhurried.He’dlosttheboyhereoncebefore.

Nosignofthetwo.Nada.Nothing.Zilch.Zero.Vanished.Sameaslasttime.Freemancouldenvision threeexplanations:1)He’dused theCREWMEMBERS

ONLY door immediately to Freeman’s right; 2) Their hideaway was right hereunderFreeman’snose;3)Hewasahologramandhadwalkedthroughthewall.

ThislastpossibilitycameundertheheadingTopSecret.HeandUncleBobhad, for severaldaysnow, realizedsomethingextraordinarywashappeningontheirship.Onethingseemedclear: ifhewenttoUncleBobwithonlytheorieshe’dbelaughedat.Theoldermanwasstartingtoquestion,buthewasn’tsure.ClaytonFreemanwouldneedproof.Hardevidence.

FreemanopenedtheCREWMEMBERSONLYdoor.Nothing.Hepulleditshutandpacedthejoggingdeck.He was in the exact location at which the cameras had lost the double

Mickeythefirsttime.Allhesawwasalineofstainswheresomepassengerhadspilledsoda.

Therewasahidingplacehere.Somethinghewasmissing.

***

TherewasbarelytimetocelebrateMaybeck’scomingoutofthecoma.Standingina crowdedareaby thegangwayonDeck1,Charleneattempted tohideherreliefathavinghimback.

Finnandtheothersfeltasenseofhope.TheyhadnotexactlydefeatedtheOvertakers,buttheyhadcausedthemtofail,andthatwasalmostthesamething.

Justbeforenoon,asecurityofficerquietedthethirtypeoplegathered.“Passage ceremony personnel are now cleared for disembarkation. Please

haveyouridentitycardsouttoexpeditetheprocess.”LedbyCaptainCederberg,whowasfollowedinsuccessionbyofficersof

rank,aparadeofVIPscrossed the temporarygangway.TheKingdomKeepersbroughtuptherearbehindCaptainsMickeyandMinnie.

Maybeckwasindecentshape.They’dteasedhimaboutbeingwell-rested.But once on Panamanian soil, Philby and Finn stood on either side of

Maybeck,readytohelpprophimupifheneededit.TheKeepersunderstoodthehonorofbeingpartoftheinauguralfestivities,

of being in the presence of the cruise line executives. The event had beencarefullyscripted,soitsurprisedeveryone—mostofalltheKeepers—whenthebiggestcheer,biggereventhanforMickey,aroseastheycrossedtheplank.

Mickey came back and patted each Keeper on the head, winning everlouderapplausefromthecrowd.

The president of Panama spoke briefly, followed by Captain Cederberg.There seemed to be more journalists and photographers than Panamanians.Cameras flashed.Photographerssignaled theship’s representatives to lookoneway,thentheother.

JodidirectedCaptainCederbergwithhandsignals.Andyandhiscrewwereamongthosefilming.

“Excuseme…youcan’t…”Asecuritymanontheshipsideofthegangwaywastryingtostoparobed

woman fromdisembarking.Laughing horribly,Maleficentwalked through theman’soutstretchedarms.

“Red—”“Alert,”saidPhilby,finishingoffFinn’sthought.“Hologram,”saidWilla.Seeingthedarkfairy,thecrowdcheeredallthemoreloudly—everyonebut

the ship contingent. Jodi and theother companyexecutives and ship’sofficerssteppedoutofMaleficent’sway.

AllbutCaptainCederberg,who,judgingbyhisexpression,hadhadenoughofMaleficentandherintrusions.

“I’llaskyoutoleave,”CaptainCederbergsaid.“Here,catch,”Maleficentsaid.Finnsawitinslowmotionbutreactedinrealtime.Aballoffireformedin

Maleficent’shand;itlefthergrasp;CaptainCederberg’snaturalreactionwastoputhishandstogetherinordertocatchsomethingthrowntohim.

Finn covered his face and took the ball of fire in his chest, immediatelydiving to thepatchofgreengrass—sod, laid just for thisevent.Hedidso twofeetinfrontofthecaptain,sparingthemanathird-degreeburn.

Finnscrambledtohisfeet,thefrontofhisshirtburned,hisskinpink.Thecrowd on the decks of the ship and the shore was in a frenzy. The chant of“King…domKeep…ers!”startedup.

ItoccurredtoFinn:HowdothePanamanianshaveanyideawhoweare?Securitymen rushed to tackleMaleficent, but ran smack into each other,

knockingthemselvestotheground.Maleficent wasn’t there. Only her hologram, which continued to cackle

evilly.CaptainCederbergfirstlookedtoFinn,thensawhismencollide.

“Blindher!”Finncalled.Toolate.Maleficentwalkeduptothelectern.Withnowaytopullheroff,

theyhadnochoicebuttolistentoher.OnlyPhilbysawawayaroundthissituation;hetookoffforthesoundboard

underasmallwhitetenttotheleft.“This is indeedanhistoricmoment!”Maleficent turnedbacktoFinnas if

hewere part of her plan. “We inaugurate not only a ship’s passage through aterritoryoncebelievedtobeinhospitabletoman,butthepassingfromtheoldtothenew.Theoldcanal”—shewavedvaguelyoverhershoulder—“andthenew.”She indicated theDream. “The old,wearymice”—she pointed toMickey andMinnie;Mickeyputhishandsonhishipsindignantly—“forthealmightyCherna—”

Thenamediedintheair.Philbyhadyankedthemicrophonecordfromitssocket.FuryburnedintheeyesofMaleficent’sDHI.Sheraisedherhandshighoverhead.

Acloudformedabovetheminthecenterofthebluesky,growingoutward,darkening, and becoming increasingly ominous at a phenomenal pace.Withintheboilinggraycloudanimageappeared.Aface.PartMinotaur,partbat.

“Thisisnotwithinherpowers,”Willacried.Spinning around, the four Keepers scanned the ship for someone…

anyone…“Twoo’clock,”saidMaybeckweakly.TiaDalmawaspositionedonaflatroofnearthebackoftheship,anarea

off limits to all but the crew.She, too,heldherhands toward the sky;but theexpansionofthecloudappearedsynchronizedwithhermovement.

Chernabog’s ghoulishmaw yawned open as he licked his chops.His sliteyessquinted.

“Everyonebackontheship!”Finnhollered.Chernabogblewdownonthem.Awet,foulsmellingwindstirredthetrees.Slowlyatfirst—justabreeze—

itincreasedinforce.Thecloudsrolled,castingcrazyshadowsontheground.TiaDalmasummonedalightningstrike;theboltslammeddirectlyontothelectern,anditexplodedintoflames.

In the midst of the chaos, Bob and Finn exchanged a look. Bob’s eyesseemedtosay,Okay,sonowIbelieveyouabouttheblue-skylightning—though

perhapsFinnwasimagininghiscapitulation.Bob herded the group toward the gangway, making sure that the top

executives and Captain Cederberg were at the front. But the captain steppedaside,calmlyusheringothersonboardaheadofhim.

“Justasmallsquall,”hesaid.“Wegetthemallthetime.Shametorainonourparade.…Watchyourstep.…Griptherail.…Mindthegap!”

Inasurprisinglyorderlymanner,thethirtyDreamrepresentativesreturnedtotheshipasthecrowdsscatteredinanalarmingmobscenebehindthem.Thepresidentwasrushedtoawaitinglimousineastwomorelightningboltsstruckwithearthshakingforce.Raindropsthesizeofgolfballsfell;piecesoftentsandflagswentairborne,smashingtobitsagainstthestandsthathadbeensetupfortheevent.

Then,asthegangplankwashauledaboardandthehatchwasjustabouttoshut,thestormstopped.Thecloudsmeltedfromtheskylikehotwax.

Itwasover,leavingwhatlookedlikeawarzonebehind.“Iwantanswers!”FinnoverheardCaptainCederbergshoutingtohisteam

astheyhuddledpastsecurity.Finnknewthetruth:therewerenoanswersCaptainCederbergwouldlike.

Even fewer that he might believe. If Chernabog’s rise to power had alreadyhappened, why had the Queen been in pursuit of Maybeck or Charlene onlyminutesbefore?Maleficenthadseizedaninternationalmediastagetomakeherstatement, reaching the biggest audience possible, perhaps signaling otherOvertakersaroundtheglobethattheirtimehadcome;buttheChernaboginthesky––amileacrossbyamilehigh––hadbeennothingbutanimageconjuredbyTiaDalma.IftherealChernaboghadbeenempowered,whynothavehimmakeanappearance?

The answer seemed obvious:Chernabog remained in torpor, awaiting thesacrificialoffering.

If they could protect Charlene—and they had to!—perhaps they couldpreventthebat-godfromgainingpower.

***

Ameetingwas hastily arranged later that nightwhen a handful of texts fromAmandademandedthatshebecrossedovertotheshipASAP.

For Finn, it was a collision of confusion. At the time, he’d enjoyed the

flirtingwithCharlene.Ithadbeenharmlessenough.Buthe’dsoonfeltbadaboutit. He wouldn’t have told Charlene she looked pretty if Amanda had beenpresent.ButAmandahadn’tbeenpresent,andAmandahadn’tbeennicetohimfor awhile now.Was itwrong to flirtwithCharlenewhenAmandawouldn’tgive him the time of day?He knew the answerwhen he felt guilt-stricken athearingAmandawascomingaboard.

The rendezvous, the companionway outside of Animator’s Palate, wasalwaysbusyaroundmealtime.Butnotlateatnight,whichwaswhyithadbeenchosen.

After midnight, the ambience aboard the Disney Dream changeddramatically.Bandsofolderteensandsmallgroupsofbarhoppingadultsroamedtheship.Romanticssatinadeckchairsobservingthenightskyandthemoonlithighlightsonthewater.Itwasarestful,quiettime.Anofficermightbeseenincrispwhites,strolling,handsbehindhisorherback,contemplative—thecloseofanotherlongseaday.

Charlene tookup sentryduty in the longport-sidecorridor leading to therestaurant.Shelaydownontherecessedframeofoneofthemanylargeportholewindows that ran from theAtriumall theway aft toAnimator’sPalate.WillatookwatchonDeck2, justbelowtherendezvous,whileStoreyMing took thesamelocationonDeck4.

AllfoursentrieshadenteredtheirlocationinatextmessagetoFinnaheadoftime,readytosendwiththepushofabutton;thiswouldtellhimfromwhichdirectionthetroublewascoming,andthereforeinwhichdirectiontoflee.

Philby took command in theRadioStudio, controlling the2.0 server thatwouldallowAmandatocrossover,andtoreturnherifnecessary.TheirDisneyDHIs had been discontinued at ten o’clock, following the stage show in thetheater.

Finnlikedcreepingaroundtheshipatnight,justasheenjoyedbeinginsidetheDisneyparksafterthegatesclosed.Heremainedkeenlyawarethatsecuritycameras were watching, and that crew members who served as securitypersonnel might recognize him. Being recognized—which, he’d come to findout,wasthepriceoffame—wasnotalwayssuchagoodthing.

Althoughmostofthepassengershadgonetosleep,thecrewhadnot.FinnapproachedfromDeck11,thewarmPanamanianwindsblowingacrosstherail.Theshiphadpassedthroughthenewcanalwithoutanotherincident;thecaptainhad come over the public address explaining and apologizing for the “freaksquall.”Theopendeckareathatfeaturedswimmingpoolsbydaywaslinedwith

pool furniture facing theFunnelVisionscreen.Everythingshipshape,neatandtidy,notasoulinsight.

Finnmoved slowly between thewood cabinets that housed fresh towels,usingthemasscreens.Hefeltexposedandatriskouthere.He’dalreadygoneovertherailonce.Hehadnointentionofeverdoingsoagain.

Atallfigurepassedfaronthestarboardsideoftheship,headingforward.Finnrecognizedtheman’sclothingasthatofaCastMember—khakishortsandawhitepoloshirt.ItfeltstrangethattheCastMemberdidn’tacknowledgehim,didn’tlookinhisdirection,notevenonce.Typicallytheyweresooutgoing.Hewantedtosaythisguywasjustattheendofalongday,butitdidn’tfeelright;hefoundhimselflookingbackatthemanandwalkingfaster.

Deck11hadbeenastupidchoice.ItrequiredhimtogothroughanemptyCabanas restaurant to reach the stern stairs. Being inside the closed cafeteriagaveFinnchills.HesawOTsjumpingoutfromeveryshadow.Bythe timehefinallydescendedtheaftstairs,hewasanervouswreck.HecaughttheeyesofStorey Ming at the landing of Deck 4—only the eyes, peering out of theshadows.Thatdidn’thelpthingsany.

WhenhearrivedonDeck3hefoundhimselfalone.Ittookhimaminutetosettledown.Animator’sPalateoccupiedmostofthestern.ThelandingonDeck3formedakindofroom,withcloseddoorstotherestauranttostarboardandanarrowcorridorleadingtobathroomsandtherestaurant’smainentrancetoport.Hewaited,checkinghisWavePhoneforthetime.

One of the port-side doors opened. The girl with the red highlightsappeared.

“Inhere,”shesaid.Finnhesitated.Atrap?Theplanhadbeentostayonthestairwaylanding,

givingthemplentyofoptionsforescape.“I’mwaitingforsomeone,”hesaid.Thegirlswungthedooropenwider,revealingAmanda.Amandasmileda

bituncertainlyatFinn.Foramoment,hisCharlene-guiltoverwhelmedhim.Hewanted to run to her, to apologize for something that she didn’t even knowabout.Buthecaughthimself.Notthetime.Helookedaround—howcouldhetellthe others theywere going off plan?He entered the dark restaurant. The girleasedthedoorshutquietly.Itclickedintoplace.

Animator’sPalatewas cleverlydivided into adozen smaller areas almostlikerooms,eachwithseverallargehi-deftelevisionsmountedonthewalls.The

televisionswere the only source of light: theywere likewindows into the seaaroundtheship;bluebubblingwaterwithschoolsofanimatedfishandthegiantseaturtle“dude,”Crush,swimmingabout.

Thethreesatatatablerelativelynearthesidedoor.Finn andAmanda saidwith their eyeswhat both of them hadwanted to

hear:they’dmissedeachother.Finnfeltlikehecouldbreatheagain.Hedrankina deep lungful of air and felt stress dissipate. Amanda didn’t show anythingmore—justthatonelook,butshecouldn’ttakeitback!

“ThisisMattieWeaver,”Amanda’shologramsaid.“Youknowher?”Finnasked.“We’re friends fromBaltimore,”Mattie said, extendingherhand toFinn.

Theyshook.“AFairlie?”Mattienodded.“JessandIaskedhertobeontheship.Tohelpyouguysout.”Finn lookedat the twogirls.“Youknoweachother,”he repeated, feeling

stupidforhavingdoneso.“WhenJessandIrealizedwecouldonlybehereas…this…”Amandasaid,

indicatingherhologram,“wethought—”“Howisshe?”Finninterrupted.“Issomethingwrong?”MattieaskedAmanda.“An accident,” Amanda said. “We haven’t much time; let’s keep to the

point.”“Which is?” Finn found himself pulled to the action in the television

screens.Thepeacefulnesstherebeliedhisinternaltension.“I’ve been…watching you all,”Mattie said. “As Jess andMandy asked.

TryingtohelpwhereIcould.”“The journal.And the note.”He considered the various times she’d been

spotted.“Buthowcouldyoupossibly…DoyourealizewethoughtyoumightbeanOvertaker?”

“Weaskedhertostayinthebackground,”saidAmanda.“Wedidn’twantanychanceofherbeingassociatedwithyou,with theKeepers.She’sofmorevalue to us all that way. The only reason we’re even meeting tonight isbecause…because…” Amanda’s hologram seemed about to cry; Finn wasn’tsurethatwasevenpossible.

“HowmuchdoyouknowaboutBaltimore?”thegirlaskedhim.“TheFairlies?Alittle,Iguess.Notmuch.”“Howmuchofwhatyoudoknowdoyoubelieve?”“Let me put it this way: a couple of years ago I would have thought

Amanda and Jesswere psycho.Seriously damagedgoods.But, youmight saycircumstances have changed. For me, I’m talking about. For the other DHImodels.Meaning that there isn’tmuch that can shockme anymore, not that Iwoulddaretrytoexplainanyofthistoanormalfriend”—hethoughtofDillardCole—“forfearsomeonewouldhavemelockedup.ButtheFairlies?Honestly?Youguysarewayeasiertobelievethanmostofthestuffwesee.Somekidsbornwithweirdpowersorwhateveryouwanttocallit?Seriously?Imean,Ihadtoread about theSalemwitch trials inmiddle school.Am I supposed to freak ifsomegirlcanmoveabookacrossadeskwithouttouchingit?Idon’tthinkso!”

“Doyouknowthewordempathy?”Mattieasked.“Likesympathy.Sure.”“Notexactly.”“Feelingbadforsomeone.”“Actually,it’sfeelingthesame.Anabilitytoshareafeelingwithsomeone.

Likesomethingyouhaveincommon.”“IguessIdon’tgetwhatyou’resaying.”“Bynow,half theU.S.military isprobably looking forme,”Mattie said,

“becausetheydon’tgetiteither.Butthey’dliketounderstanditbetter.”“You’reempathetic?”Heheardhermaskingherconcernwithhumor,and

wasremindedonceagainaboutalltheriskseveryonewastaking.“Iam.”“I’msorry…Igettheempathypart…butwhat’sitmean,exactly?”“Youknowfortunetellers?”“They’reallcrazyladies.”“Most.Nearlyall.Butnotabsolutelyall.”Crush, the turtle, stopped and stared at them through the fish tankof flat

panel displays. Something about that bothered Finn. Come on. He couldn’tbelievehewasgettingbadfeelingsaboutananimatedturtle.Hewasreallytired.Maybeck’sillnessandthefightwiththeEvilQueenhadexhaustedhim.

“What’soneof thefirst thingsafortune tellerdoeswithaclient?”Mattie

satforward,hereyesfixedintenselyonFinn.“HowwouldIknow?I’veneverbeen.”Shereachedacrossthetable,herhandsaskingFinnforhis.Buthewasn’t

playing.Hemovedhishandsintohislap.Theturtleswamaway.“Theytouchyou,”Mattiesaid.“Waitasecond…”Finngaveherasidewaysglance.“That’s right: that’s all it takes. I touch someone, and I hear them. The

longer the contact, the further back the ‘conversation’ goes.” She drew airquotes.

“Thatmustgetkindofcreepy.”“You have no idea. I wear gloves. Long pants when possible. Any skin

contact…presto…allyoursecretthoughts.”Finnwas glad his handswere in his lap. EspeciallywithAmanda in the

immediatevicinity.HecontemplatedthepowerthiskindofinsightgaveMattie,andachillwentdownhisspine.

“Aspy.Thegovernmentwantsyouasaspy.”Shesmiled.“Youknowthem.Theyseeallsortsofusesforme.Troubleis,

theydon’tseemtocarewhatI’dliketodo.”LikeAmanda’sandJess’s,Mattie’s“gift”wasmoreofaburden.Finnfelt

badforher,feltworsethatshe’dbeendrawnintotheirintrigues.“Andyou’reheretonightbecause…?”FinnlookedoveratAmanda.Amandadidn’t answer. ItwasMattie, instead. “Because I connectedwith

thebigguy.Thebulldog.”“Luowski.When?”“Thisafternoon,duringtheceremonies.HewasoutonVibe’sdeck.”Finnfeltanaggingneedtolookbackattheflat-panelaquarium.Hereacted

without meaning to: a shark’s wide head filled the screen, its jagged teethshowing.

“Now,that’sugly,”Amandasaid.Finn lowered his voice. “You know how this place works, don’t you?

Animator’s? Crush talks in real time to people at the tables. The guests haveconversationswitha flatpanel.Theycando thatbecause the Imagineershavehiddencamerasallover theplace.Hiddenmicrophones.Making this theworst

placeintheworldforasecretmeeting.Whydon’twetakeitoutside?”Hedidn’taddthattheKeeperswereinpositiontohelpprotectthemoutside

butwouldbeoflittlehelpinhere.“MattieisabouttotellusaboutGregLuowski.”“I’m just saying…maybe in the hallway?” Finn’s eyes pleaded with

Amanda’shologram.Whatdidshehavetoworryabout?hethought.It’snotlikeherDHIisvulnerable.

ButamI?Finn had felt different ever since his hologram had been shocked by

electricityintheDream’sengineroom.Fordaysnow,he’dbeenfeelingstrongerandfasterthanbefore,apowerthatcameinstrangeburstsofadrenalinethatlefthim exhausted and confused. He’d also started having dreams that seemedterrifyingly real. In that moment, sitting in Animator’s Palate, he addedpresciencetohislistofnewqualities.

Only seconds after he’d voiced their vulnerability, two chefs appearedacross the dining room. Even from a considerable distance, two facts wereapparent: thechefshadbrightgreeneyes,andeachwascarryingaboatloadofknivesandcleaversunderhisarm.

Without thinking,Finnheavedup the table, forming abarrier, andpulledMattiebehindit.AChinesecleaverslammedintothetableandstuck.

Acarvingknifepassed through thechestofAmanda’shologram;hadshebeenpresentintheflesh,itwouldhavekilledher.

“Youknowwhatcolor thispalate ismissing?”calledoneof themeninathicklySlavicaccent.

“Red!”hispalanswered.“WecancallitDeadRed.Aniceaddition,Ithink.”Finn peered around the edge of the upright table. A knife whizzed past,

removingaclumpofhishair.Strandsfloatedtothecarpet.“Tothedoor,”hesaid,grippingthetable.“Alltogether.”Thwack!Aknifelodgedinthecarpetedfloortoeitherside.Finncrouched,

wavingMattie andAmandaover to him; he had to keep the table lowor riskhavinghisfeetdiced.

“Thisismine,”Amandasaid.“No,”Finnobjected.“Theycan’thitme,”sheremindedhim.

“Just don’t try anything…else,” Finn hissed, looking at her. They bothknew what he meant—use of her ability to “push” would weaken hersubstantially,perhapsresultinginthefailureofthehologram’simmateriality.

“Don’ttellmewhattodo!”Amandastood.Acleaver flew throughherheadandclattered into the far

wall.Theharshsoundofbreakingglassfilledtheroom—oneoftheflatpanels.“Amanda,no!Stop!”ButFinnwastoolate.Amandapickedupachairlikealiontamer.Shehastobesolidtotouchit!Finnthought,hystericalfearsurginginhis

chest.Andifshewassolid,thatmeant—Knives banged against the chair asAmandamarched steadily toward the

twochefs.“Goon!”sheshouted.Reluctantly,FinnandMattiemovedtowardtheexit

doors, the table held before them like a shield.With all attentiononAmanda,onlyoneknifeflewintheirdirection.Itslammedintothewallbythedoors,andhungthere,shiveringviolently.

Amandacrouchedandcalledout loudly, “I’mcounting to three.Youwillputdownyourknivesorpaytheprice.”

“Oh!Listentoher!I’mterrified!”oneofthechefssaidtotheother.“One…two…”FinnknewthetimingwasmeantforhimandMattiemorethanthechefs.“Three!”Amandadroppedthechairandshovedheropenpalmsatthetwochefs.The

menwere lifted off their feet and crashed into thewall.Onewasnickedby aflyingcleaver.Bloodstreameddownhisneck.

“Criminy!”theotherchefcalledoutinanAustralianaccent.“Go!”Finnsaid,shovingMattieoutthedoor.He then surprised himself by picking up the table and throwing it as

effortlessly as aFrisbee across thedining room.Likepulling the carpet in theauditorium.Again,thedemonstrationofstrengthshockedhim.

Thechefssawthetablecomingfast,aimingtodecapitatethem,andslippeddown flat on the floor.The table struck, punching a hole in thewall over thechefs’heads.

“Suchsweetchildren!”theAussiesaid.Heandtheothermanscurriedon

handsandkneesbackintothekitchen.Amandalimpedforthedoor,drainedofenergybyheruseofherpowers.Finnreachedforher—she’dlostherhologram—andhelpedherthroughthedoorway.

Hetextedanemergencycode.In seconds, Charlene andWilla converged, rounded them up like Secret

Serviceagentshandlingdiplomats,andrushedthethreeupstairstoStoreyMingwho, pointing to starboard, led the way. Theywere in the District, the ship’swarrenofnightclubsandbars.Unliketheorderlylayoutoftherestoftheship,the District’s few hallways were curved, and clubs phased into each other,further confusing the visitor. The kids ran past a grouping of single-occupantrestrooms.Storeyskiddedtoastopandusheredallofthemintoone.Sheclosedthedoorandlockedit.Itwasasmall,crowdedspace.Storeykepthereartothedoorandafingertoherlips.Sheheldupherpalm,likeatrafficcop.

Footsteps could be heard. Then the thunk of a nearby bathroom doorclosing and locking.Storey nodded, as if to say,Okay.Quietly unlocking andopeningthedoor,shecheckedbothwaysandsignaledforthemtofollow.

Hurrying through the687Lounge, theydrewimmediateattention.All theship’s bars were Adults Only. A Cast Member with unfocused eyes and anawkwardgait approached from the far sideof the lounge, clearly intending tointerceptthem.AnotherOTzombie.

As a group, the Keepers jogged into the neighboring District Lounge.Having violated the age rule there aswell, they had two crewmembers afterthem—onezombie,Finnthought,onenot.Itwastoodarktodeterminethecolorof the crew members’ eyes, but the Keepers weren’t sticking around for anyclose-ups.

Finncouldno longerholdon toAmanda’shologramarm,but realizedasshe jogged beside him that she was back to full power. They reached theDistrict’sforwardentrancewhere,unfortunately, theyencountereda thirdcrewmember.

“We’regoing!”Storeycalledouttotheladyguard.“Holdonasecond!”thewomanshouted.“We…want…to…talk—”Shetookoffafterthem.Thekidsbrokeintoasprint.“Whyarewerunning?”Willapanted.“What arewegoing to do, tell thema couple chefswere practicing their

knifethrowingonus?”Finnsaid.“Thatwouldgooverbig.”Rule#1:Kidsarefasterthangrown-ups.

Rule#2:Disneycrewmembersaren’tgrown-ups,inthegrown-upsense.“I knowwho you are!” shouted the crewmember, now only amatter of

yardsbehindthem.“You…don’t…know…who…I…am!”Amandachargedthewoman.Finn and the others kept running. The crewmember crossed her arms in

preparationforafull-speedcollision.Amanda’sDHIpassedthroughher.Slack-jawed,thewomanstaredatthehologramindisbelief.“Wow.”“Pretty cool, huh?” Amanda stepped through the wall and out onto the

joggingtrack.Shewavedbackatthegawkingcrewmemberfromthefarsideofoneofthehallway’slargecircularwindows.

The woman’s fellow staff members arrived, out of breath. Two of themlookeddowntheemptyhall,andsawthekidsweregone.

“Must…pursue,” one of them said in a strangemonotone—like someonewho’dbeenhypnotizedonstageduringoneofthemagicshows.

“For the record?” the woman said to the two. “I don’t even care aboutlosingthekids.WhatIjustsaw?Thatwastotallyworthit.”

Nooneacknowledgedher.Thetwomentookoff inabizarre,stiff-leggedrunthatmadethemlookmorelikepuppetsthanpeople.

***

TheCastMemberbeautysalonwas likeapropshopforahorrorshow.Alongthetopsofthecabinetsthatsurroundedtheroomandthesixwell-paddedsalonchairswereplasticheadswearingwigs—SnowWhite,Cinderella,Belle,andadozen others—aswell as latex prosthetics like noses, ears, chins, cheeks, andbald caps. The salonwas a special effects laboratory possessing the theatricalcosmetics and technology needed to turn an ordinary Cast Member into anextraordinary Disney character—one who looked nearly identical to thecharacter’simageinaDisneyfilm.

Dillard Cole and Kenny Carlson entered the empty salon on top secretorders, received from Wanda Alcott by encrypted e-mail. They’d been toldwheretofindthesalon:forwardonDeck2throughalockedCastMember–onlydoor;thesalonwaspartoftheWaltDisneyTheatre’slower-levelbackstagearea,shared by the stage productions and the character appearance groups. They’dalsobeenadvisedofthesafesttimetobethere:onehourpasttheconclusionoftheCanalcelebration,aresttimeforthedozensofcharactersinvolved.

Dillardsteppedthroughandlockedthedoorfromtheinside.“Findahidingplace.I’mgoingtoputachairbythedoor.Ifitopens,we’ll

hearthechairslide.Wehearthat,wehide.”Kenny found a closet of hanging crinoline petticoats; there was space

enoughtotuckinbehind.Itwasthebestspotinthesmallroomforaboysotall.Dillardwasable to squeeze intoadarkareaunder themakeupstation farthestfrom the door; thus hidden, hewas nearly invisible to the naked eye.A riskyspot,butonehelikedbecauseitaffordedhimaviewoftheroom.

With their hiding places planned, they followed procedures outlined inYouTubevideosshowingvarioustechniquesandpracticesofpeopleworkinginsalons.They’dmemorizedmostofit.

The hair was not the problem. Both boys had previously bookedappointmentsintheSensesSpaandSalonandbroughtmagazinephotosofthehaircutstheydesired.ItwasnothingnewtotheexpertsinSensestoworkfromsuchphotographs—kidsoftenwantedtolookliketheirfavoritefilm,television,orrockstar.

The challengewas the choice of, and application of, the latex prosthesesthatwouldtransformtheirfacesasWandahadrequested.Theytriedavarietyofdifferentnosesandcheeks, finallygluing themintoplace,eachboyservingastheother’sbeautician.Dillardhadtoshaveoffhiseyebrowsandusestick-onstomatchcolorand shape;Kennywasable tousehis frecklesand redhair tohisadvantage.Twentyminutespassed.Thirty.Bitbybit, theboyssawthemselvesslowlytransform.Thecoloringandapplicationofmakeupwasadifferentmatter.

“Thisiswayharderthanitlookedinthevideo.”“Idon’tgethowmuchtimethismusttakeforgirlseverymorning.Whatdo

theydo,getupatfourorsomething?”“Idon’tthinkthey’reasslowasweare.”“Youlooklikesomeninety-year-oldgeezerwithbrightredcheeksandfake

eyelashes.”“You’retheonedoingthistome.”“AndI’mreallysorryabout that,butyou lookuglyandancientanda lot

likeagirl.”“Getittogether,wouldyou?”“I’mtrying.”“Tryharder.”

Dillard had done a good job onKenny, but the reversewas not true.Nomatter how many times Kenny cleaned up Dillard’s face—itself a time-consuming job!—and reapplied the cosmetics, Dillard looked only slightlybetter,andstillnothingclosetothepersonhewassupposedtoresemble.

“It’sgoingtowork,butIneedmorepractice,”Kennysaid.“Yeah,you’reprettypatheticatthis.”Dillardcouldn’tkeepitinanylonger.

“WeshouldtellFinnwhatwe’redoing.”“Wandasaidnotto.”KennytriedadjustingDillard’slatexnose.“Heneedstobetold.”“Youworshipthatguy,”Kennysaid.“Donot.”“Dotoo.”“We’reneighbors.I’veknownhimsincefirstgrade.”“So what? You are so weird about him. It’s like he walks on water or

something.”“Shutup.”“Youshutup.”“He’stheleader.Heshouldbetold.”“Wayne’stheleaderandWanda’shisdaughter,andshesaysno.”Theyleftthesalontenminuteslater,stillarguing.

***

The new Keeper stateroom, 9603, was another unoccupied room that StoreyMing had found. An internal cabin, it had no windows to the water. But theImagineers had once again outdone themselves: a high definition circularportholeonthewallplayedlivevideooftheviewaswouldbeseenthroughanyotherstateroomwindowontheninthdeck.Theresultwasasenseofthehorizonandtheweather;youdidn’tfeellikeyouwerelockedupinawindowlessroom.

Butthecabinwassmall,andwiththefiveKeeperscrammedintoit,smallerstill.The twogirls satupagainst thebed’sheadboard.Maybeckwas stretchedoutsidewaysattheirfeet.FinnandPhilbystood.Amanda’shologramsatonthefloor by a recycling can. Mattie Weaver sat on a plastic trash basket turnedupsidedown.Shelookeduncomfortable,knowingonlyAmandawell.

“I know where he’s hiding,” Mattie said, speaking of Luowski. “And Iknowwhathewastoldtodo.”

“You see their memories.” Professor Philby studied her like she wassomethingunderamicroscopeforhimtopickapartwithstainlesssteelprobes.

“Their thoughts, sometimes their feelings. I get glimpses, because somepeoplethinkvisually.Igetpicturesinmyhead.”

“LikeJess,”Willasaid.“Except she sees the future. Notme. I suppose I see the past some, but

mostly it’s thepresent thought, I think. Idon’tknowexactly. Iget feelings.Asenseofthings.”

“AndwhataboutLuowski?”Finnshiftedfoottofootlikearunnergettingreadyforarace.Nerves.

“Turmoil. Worry. Concern. He’s horribly conflicted. If I touch someonewho’s happy, I’m happy.When I touched him I nearly passed out. He’s thisangryjumbleofmixed-upemotions.Heistogetoneofyouforthem.”

“Thesacrifice,”Finnsaid.“Who?”Willabarelygotthewordout.Mattieshookherhead.“Hedoesn’tknow,butheknowsitmeansdeath.A

horribledeath.Heseesaknifedrippingwithblood.”Silence,followedbyMaybeck.“Thehyenakilling.”“Idon’tseethepast,”Mattieremindedthemall.“Hefearsthatknife.The

blood.He’sterrified.Hewasoutthereonthedeck,butnoneofhisattentionwasonthecelebration.He’sworried,forhimself,andforoneofyou.”

“Sacrifice,”Philbyrepeated,makingitsoundlikeahomeworkassignment.HesaidtoWilla:“Thejournal.”

FinnaddressedAmanda’shologram.“Jess’sdrawings.”Amandameteyeswithhimbutsaidnothing.Shelookedfrightened.Mattiesaid,“Theguyishaunted.”“Thinkhowwefeel!”Maybecksaid.EveryonebutPhilbylaughed.“Anyimages?”Philbyasked.“Thereweremetalstairs.Darkness.ButIwouldn’tputtoomuchintoit.”“WehavetoprotectCharlene,”Maybecksaid.“AndWilla,”Philbyadded.“It’sgirlstheywant.Willa,yousaidso.”“That was fifteen hundred years ago, FYI.” Willa contemplated the

gathering.“Itcouldbeanyofus.”“I think he’s afraid it may be him,”Mattie said, winning their attention.

“Thathebetrayedthemsomehow.”“Whenhewarnedus,”Maybecksaid,remindingFinnagain.“Couldbe,”Finnsaid.“IfMaleficentfoundout—”“Thatotherguywasthere,”Maybeckremindedthem.“Dixon.”“Andhe’sa total zombie,”Charlene said. “Hewasoneof the stagehands

WillaandIraninto.”Philbywaitedfortheresultingchattingtosettledown.HeaddressedMattie.

“Canyoumakecontactwithhimagain?”Mattiesaid,“Somepeoplesensewhenthey’retouched.It’slikewhenyou

gocoldallofasuddenfornoreason.Luowskifeltmedoingit.”ShelookedfirstatPhilby, then theothers. “Themore times it’sdone, themore thepersoncansenseit.I’mbasicallystealingtheirthoughts.Theyfeelit.”

“AndLuowskiknew,”Willasaid.“Couldthathavebeenwhathewasafraidof?”

“Idon’tthinkso,”Mattiesaid.“It’spossible,Isuppose.”Finn withdrew the printout of Amanda’s e-mail and passed it to Mattie.

“Didyou‘see’anythinglikethis?”HepassedittoMattie.“No.ButasI’vesaid,Idon’tseethefuturethewayJessdoes.”“We thought it wasAruba,” Finn told her. “Even though it came a little

late.”“It doesn’t look like a cave,” Mattie said of the drawing. “More like a

tunnel.Thewallsarestraightandsmooth.”“Butthatdoesn’tfitwithwhateveryousaw.”“No.I’msorry.”Shepasseditback.Finnreturnedittohisbackpocket.“We’re scheduled to guide the zip line group tomorrow,”Maybeck said.

“It’stheperfectplaceformoreblue-skylightning.”“Doyouwanttostaybehind,”Charlenesaid,“afterwhathappenedtoyou?

We’vegotnoproblemwiththat.”TheKeepersallmumbledagreement.“Ididn’tsaythat.WhatImeantwas—”“Weknowwhatyoumeant,”Philbyinterrupted.

Finnsaid,“Charlene,it’syouwhoshouldstaybehind.”“Safety innumbers,”Charlene said. “Andbesides, I’mprobably saferoff

theshipthanon.”“IfIsignedupforthezipline,”Mattiesaid,“ifIcouldmovethroughthe

passengersontheexcursion,Imightsensesomething.”“You have no documentation,” theProfessor pointed out. “Besides, those

excursionswerefullybookedalongtimeago.”“Thegathering spots,”Finn said. “All excursionsmeet as a groupon the

shipandleavefromthere.Mattiecouldcruiseamongthepassengers,passingoutpencilsorsomethingsoshehastheexcusetotouchthem.”

Philbynodded.“Couldwork.”“But theproblemis,wedon’tknowifLuowski’sordershaveanything to

dowiththeziplines.Hecouldbeplanningtotossoneofusoverboard,forallweknow.”FinnmovedtostandnexttoPhilby,addressingtheothers.“Ourrulehas always been to pair up. That’s kept us safe so far. So we’ll pair up, buteveryonekeepsaneyeonCharlene.Anythingweird,andwegethertothebus,orwhatever.Wekeephersafe.”

AlltheKeepersnodded.“Okay,”Finn said, “sowe’ll pair upwherepossible.Mattie, you’ll let us

knowwhateveryoufindout.”“Where do we find you, anyway?” Charlene asked. “Where are you

sleeping?”“Ifyouneedme,juststayafteroneofthemoviesintheBuenaVista.When

you’resurethetheater isemptyandtheCastMembershaveleft theprojectionbooth, call out, ‘Mad Hatter.’ I’ll meet you in Shutters Photo Studio a fewminuteslater.”

“Andifyoudon’tshowup?”Philbyasked.“ThenI’meitherouttryingtomakecontactwithotherpeoplelikeLuowski,

or…”Shehesitated.“Orsomething’shappened.”

THESHIP’SDLOUNGE,thegatheringplacefortheCostaRicanziplineexcursion,wasknownforitsnightclubdecor,dimlighting,anddancefloor.Butunderfulllightatseveninthemorning,itwashometoalargegroupofguestswantingtohang in a harness and fly across steel wires in the mountains of a foreigncountry.

“Something’s different about Finn,”Charlene said toWilla. “AndPhilby,forthatmatter.”

“It’sseveninthemorning.Wesaidwe’dpairup,andthey’repairedup.Wealsosaidwe’dstayawayfromeachother,andthey’restayingawayfromus.”

“DoesPhilbylooktallertoyou?”“He’sacrossaroomfilledwithahundredpeople.HowshouldIknow?”“He looks taller to me,” Charlene said. “And Finn looks…heavier.” She

paused,thensaid,“Idon’tgetwhyyouandPhilbyaren’tgoingout.”“Itmightbebecausewe’rebarelyspeaking.”“‘This,too,shallpass.’Youneedperspective.WecouldaskMaybeckabout

perspective.He’stheartist.”Charlenescannedtheroom.Charlene was looking forward to the excursion. She loved a good

adrenalinerush.Liketheothers,she’dseenJess’sdrawing,butunliketheothers,she didn’t think it looked anything like her. She knew shewas a cute—somemightsayadorable—olderteenwhowouldmakeforaterrificsacrifice;shejustdidn’t happen to believe even someone as cruel asMaleficentwould resort tomurder.Everyonewastakingthisthingwaytoofar.

“We stay in pairs,”Willa reminded her, ever the one to go by the rules.“Andthepairsstayapart.”

“Youevernoticetheboysmaketherules?”“Notalways.”“Justabout.”“Ihadn’tthoughtaboutit.”

“Youshould,”Charlenesaid.“BecausetheylistentoAmandaandJess,butnotsomuchtoyouandme.”

“Youthink?”“I know. Come on, Willa, when do they ever actually ask us for our

opinions?”“Whyareyoudoingthis?We’reagoodteam,thefiveofus.”“It’snotateamiftwoorthreepeoplemakeallthedecisionsforeveryone

else.”Charlenerosetohertoes.Maybeckenteredtheloungeinbigstrides,hisshoulderssquare.Arockstar.

Wraparoundsunglasses.StoreyMingathisside.Charlene’s fullattention fixedonMaybeckandStorey,whonowheld the

attentionofatleasthalftheroom.YoungerkidsrecognizedMaybeckandbrokeaway from theirparents toadorehim.He lovedeverysecond.Storeyheldherown, playing the part of Maybeck’s sidekick and possible girlfriend—a roleCharlenesawasbelongingtoher.

“Whoputherincharge?”sheaskedWilla.“Down, girl. We all have roles to play. Don’t blame her for doing hers

well.”“Oh,butIdo.”“Maybeckistakingtheattentionoffus.”“Offofme,”Charlenesaidbitterly.Shedidn’tlikebeingtheonebabied.“It’swhathedoes,”Willasaid.“Yeah,well,Storeydoesn’thavetolooksointoit.”“Ofcourseshedoes.Relax.We’reactingoutroleshere.Nothingmore.”“Tell that toStorey,”Charlenesaid.“Shehardlylookslikeshe’sworking!

She’senjoyingthis!”“Hi!”Ayounggirlwithbouncybrownhairandsomuchsuntanlotionher

skinshoneaddressedCharlenewithtrepidation.“Hi.”“You’reCharlene,right?”“Yes.”Charleneofferedherhandandthegirlshookit,clearlythrilled.“MyfriendsawyouguysonTV.”Keeperfansblurtedoutthiskindofthing

all the time. Tongue-tied and believing Charlene a celebrity, a kid would saywhatevercametomind.“Shee-mailedmeaboutit.”

“I’mglad,”Charlene said, unsure how to respond.Although theKeepershadshotaDisney365ayearearlier, itseemedunlikely theChannelwouldbeairingitagain.Itwasanoddcommenttobesure.“Wehavealotoffunshootingthosethree-six-fives.We’reshootinganotherontheship.”

“Idon’tthinkitwasaDisneythree-six-five.Shesaiditlookedreallyscaryandawesome.Anyway…Ithinkyouguysaregreat.”

“Thankyou.”ThegirlaskedforanautographandofferedCharleneapentosignherT-

shirt.Thegrouporganizercalledoutagreetingandthenranthroughthelogistics

ofgettingofftheshipandintothebus.Legalformshadtobesignedbecauseoftherisksassociatedwiththatactivity.Everythingseemedtobegoingsmoothly.CharleneandWillatooktheirplaceinline,andCharlenefoundherselflookingbackatthefan.

“Whatwasthat?Sincewhenareanyofourthree-six-fivesscary?”“Iwasn’tlistening.”“Thatwasabizarrethingtosay.”“Maybe they’re running some kind of new ad or something. One we

haven’tseenyet.”“Weseeeverythingbeforeitgoesout,”Charlenesaid.“Isuppose.”“Nosupposingaboutit.”Charlenefollowedthegirlwithhereyes,wanting

tocatchupandaskmorequestions.But right thena leader shoutedout to thegroupandtheroomwentsilent.

***

GregLuowskiwasbotheredbythelowlightingintheDLounge.Thefacesofthetwoboyswerealreadyshadedandhiddenbyballcapsandsunglasses.Notright.Ifthiswasgoingdown,LuowskiwantedtolookFinnWhitmanintheeye.

Whathewasabouttodowasn’teasy.Anditwasn’tsafe.Sohedidagut-checkandthenwalkedrightupbehindthetwowhentheopportunitypresenteditself.

“Don’t turn around,Whitless. You either, brainiac.” The boys’ shoulderstensed.Heknewhehadtheirattention.“Listentomeandlistengood,’causethis

is theonly timeyou’regonnahear it. Idon’t likeyou,Whitless. Ineverhave.You’reajerkandyou’retoocoolforschoolandjerkslikeyoudeservewhattheyget.ButIdrawaline,okay?”

Philbystartedtoturnhishead.Luowskismackedhim.“Stay,DogBreath.Donotmove!Thesepeople…sheesh, theyaren’teven

people. I don’t know what they are. But they’re taking this too far. Youunderstand? Too far. And it’s bad. Real bad. You…the five of you…all ofyou…noneofyoucangetoff thisboat.Notever.AndifIwasyouIwouldn’tleavemy roomeither.Oneofyou…Idon’tknowhow it’sgoing tohappenorwhen, but it’s going to happen.You got that? It’s going to happen unless youkeep it fromhappening. If you don’t disappear, they’re going to find you andmakeyou.Okay?AndI’mtalking,like,forever.”

He’dworkedhimselfup;hewasshaking.Hislowvoicetrailedoffinadrywhisper.

“Asin:forever.”He turned and hurried into the crowd. It wasn’t hard in such an excited

group.Hejustkepthisheaddownanddidn’tstopwalkinguntilhereachedthelongcorridoroutsidetheDistrict.

Once there,hepushedhisbackagainst thepaneling, shaking likeababy.Somethinghadhappenedtohimoutonthedeckduringthecanalpassage.Itwaslikeadrainplughadbeenpulledandsomeofthebadhaddrainedout.Hedidn’tknowwhatitmeant,orhowitworked.

But anotherpart of himknew thatwhatever these things had planned forWhitlessandhisgang,itwouldbemuch,muchworseforhimifthatgreenthingcametounderstandhehadwarnedthem.

It’s the last time, he told himself—the two voices inside him battling forcontrol.

Ifthiskeptup,hewasgoingtogoinsane.Agirlwitharedtintinherdarkhairsweptpasthim.Whydidshelookso

familiar?

***

Theair-conditionedbusbounceddownadirt roadon the last legof the forty-five-minute drive. Instead of jungle, theCosta Rican landscape on either sidewasbrown, sun-bakedgrassandshrubs interruptedby theoccasionalcopseof

trees and outcropping of rock. A power line hung loosely between concretepoles,lookinglikeitwouldcomedowninastrongbreeze.ThebusslowedandpassedthroughafenceandgatedelineatingtheMountainAventuraResortandCampground.ThenamewaspaintedinblackasasubtitlebeneathbrightgreenSpanishwords.

“I’minsecond-yearSpanish,”Willasaidtoherseatmate,“andIhavenoideawhatthatsays.”

“Istilldon’tgetwhyhewon’tevenlookatus,”Charlenesaid.InanefforttoignoreMaybeckandStorey,she’dspenttheridefixatedonFinnandPhilby,whosattworowsfromthebackofthebus.

“Chill,”Willasaid.“BynowTerry’sfreakingbecauseyou’vebarelylookedathimonce.”

“They’re never like this. And I don’t like it when people change for noreason.”

“Youmean:youdon’tlikeitwhenboysstoplookingatyou.”“Ouch.”“Sorry.Thatcameoutwrong.Thatwasmeanofme.”“DoyouthinkI’mlikethat?”“No.”“Seriously!AmI?”“Maybealittle.But…verylittle!”Charlenewentquiet,herhandspressedbetweenherknees,herheadhung.“Iupsetyou,”saidWilla.“Whatdoyouthink?I’mavain,shallowpersonwhoneedstobethecenter

ofattention—butonlyjustalittle.”“Ididn’tsaythat!”“Yeah,actually,youdid.”“Well,then,Iapologize.”“Right.”“They’reboys.Single-minded,sociallyincompetentcreatures.Likeme,for

sayingthattoyou.”“Tellmehowyoureallyfeel.”“TellmeI’mwrong.”“Thesetwoboyshappentobeourfriends.Friendsdon’tignorefriends.”

Willa lowered her voice. “We went over this. It’s their plan. They arestickingtotheplan.”

“Yeah?Well, I don’t like the plan.” Charlene snorted. “Not that anyoneasked.”

“Youdidn’tobjectearlier.”“Ididn’tknowitwasgoingtofeellikethis.”“Boysdon’thave feelings.Theyhaveplans.Theyhave teams, schedules,

andmeals.You’regivingthemmorecreditthantheydeserve.”“Youareinafunkymood.”“Igetcarsick.Iwantthistripoverwith.”Willapaused,thinkingcarefully

beforeshespoke.“Truthis:IusedtolovebeingaKeeper.Butnow?I’mnotsosureit’sabadthingiftheyreplaceus.”

“Youcan’tbeserious.”ButWilla’sexpressionsaiditall.Thebus’sairbrakeshissedand itcame toastop.Headsrockedbackand

forth.Charleneusedthetintedwindowasamirror tocheckherface.“Vainand

shallow.”“I did not say that!”Willa stomped her foot in frustration. “I am sooooo

sorry,Charlene.Canwepleasejusterasethepastfiveminutes?”Charlenenodded.Butshedidn’tmeanit.

***

Theziplinetrainingwasdoneingroupsoften.TheDreamteamwassplitintotwo.WillaandCharlene’shalfheadedupthemountainonachairlift,followedbyahiketothesteeperregionsofwhatwasnowforest.Thetrailendedat thefirst zip line platform and a beautiful view of a long, treed ravine with whatlookedlikepowerlinesstretchedacrossitatoddintervals.

The team leader repeated all the safety instructions, and one by one theadventurerswereclippedontothepulleysthatwouldcarrythem.Thefirstoftheeleven lines was the longest—one thousand feet across—and the fastest: youwouldflyatspeedsapproachingtwenty-fivemilesperhour.At thefarendtheline rose to the distant platform;working against gravity slowed the zip liner.Adventurerswerecautionedtoremainmotionlessneartheendandtonotpullon

the brake for fear of coming up short and requiring help to reach the uphillplatform.Butofcoursemanypeopledidnotlistentotheinstructions.Thefirstfewpeople stopped shortof the farplatformandhad tobehauled in, slowingdowntheprocess.

FinallyitwasCharlene’sturn.Sheclippedinwiththehelpoftheplatformleader, tuckedherponytail intoherT-shirt tokeepitoutofthepulley,grabbedholdoftheropeasinstructed,andliftedherfeet.Sheflew,windsinginginherears.Astheworlddroppedoutfrombeneathherfeetshescreamedwithgleeandexcitement.Thiswaswhatbirdsmust feel like,akindof freedomshe’dneverexperienced.The two pulleyswhined on the doublewires overhead;Charlenebrieflyclosedhereyes,andthenlookedoutfeelinglikeaneagle.Assheslowedandstretchedher toes toreachtheplatformshecriedoutagaincelebratinghersuccess.

Themanhelpinghersmiledwidely.“Youlike?”“O…M…G!”was all she could say. She couldn’t wait for the next line.

Charlenefollowedthepathhackedthroughthewoods,descendinglowertowardthemountain. The path twisted and turned past rocks and trees, and suddenlythereappearedasecondlaunchplatformwithanattendant.Thehelmetedpeopleinfrontofherwerelinedupastheytooktheirturnsclippinginandriding.Therewereagreatmanysmiles,includingherown.

Willa arrived from behind, equally wide-eyed and thrilled. “That wasamazing!”

Following the second zip lineCharlenewaited forWilla. The forest pathwas dark, despite the sunshine blazing into the ravine. Shewaited not for herown sake, but forWilla’s, who was more of a thinker than an action figure.Charleneknew that if somethinggaveher the creeps, itwould terrifyWilla—althoughWillawouldneversayso.

WhenWilla arrived, the gloomypath stole all conversation.Theymovedalong, looking in all directions, jumpingat the slightest snapof a twig.Weirdbirdcallsandanimalsoundsfilledthewoods.Thepathstretchedon,turningandtwisting.

Afteranotherminute, itwasclear toCharlene thatsomethingorsomeonewasstalkingthemfromuphilltotheright.ShehopedWillahadnotpickeduponit.She testedher theorybyslowingdownandspeedingup.Thesoundsstayedrightwithher.

“Ihearit,”Willawhispered.“Whatdowedo?”CharlenewaitedforWillatocatchup.“Youaregoingtorununtilyoureach

thenextplatform.”“I’llneverkeepup.”Willawasnotaparticularlyfastrunner.“Isaid‘you,’not‘we.’I’mgoingtoprovideadiversion.”“Meaning?”“Allyouneedtodoisstayonthepath.”“We’re supposed to stick together.” Willa added, “I’m supposed to be

protectingyou.”“Whoever, whatever that is, I’m faster. And I want to know what’s up

there.”“Areyoucrazy?”“Colormecurious,notcrazy.”“Don’tleaveme!”“Onthree.One…two…”Charlenetookoffuphill,immediatelyswallowedbytheforest.Willahadneverrunfasterinherlife.Charlene ran toward the last place she’d heard sounds. She believed she

would findGreg Luowski tromping through thewoods. Itwasn’t going to beMaleficent or the Evil Queen running through a forest in pursuit of them. ItmightbeMattieWeaveroroneof thevolunteerDHIsWaynehad recruited tohelp. Itdidn’tmatter;shewasn’tafraid.Herconfidenceresultedfromherownphysical prowess—she could run faster, jump farther, climbmore quickly andhigherthanmostboys.Letsomeonetrytocatchher.

Shemovedassilentlyasahuntress,dashingthroughthetreeslikeawraith,pausingeveryfewyardstolistenattentively.Who?What?Where?

Finally, Charlene stepped out from behind a tree, took two steps, andcollapsedtotheforestfloor,rollingupagainstarottenlog.Allherheroicdreamsofallowingherselftobechasedwerequashedbythedistantsightoftwofiguresapproaching.CostaRican,judgingbytheirdarkskinandhair.

But it wasn’t their hair or physiques that frightened her; it was thecamouflageclothingtheywore.Itwastheirbentposturesastheyparalleledthepath.Butmostlyitwasthemilitaryfacepaintthattoldherthiswasnogameofcatch-me-if-you-can.

Thesetwowerehunting;andtheyweren’tafteranimals.Charlene laypushedup against the log, hoping theyhadn’t seenher.She

listened for the soundof their footfalls, but the annoyingprattle of an excitedadventureronthemainpathblanketedherears.

“Thatwasamazing!”Oneofthecamouflagedfigures—awoman—mockedinheavilySpanish-accentedEnglish.

WillahadsaidthistoCharleneonlyminutesearlier.Theotherfigure—aman—shushedher.Bythistime,thetwoweredangerouslynearby.IfCharlenetriedtorun,she

wouldgivethemtheadvantage;ifshestayedandtheydrewevencloser,shewasgivingherselfover.Sheheldherbreath.

ThewomansteppedoverthelogandcrushedCharlene’shand.Charlenebitback the cry that wanted to escape. The man passed below her. The womandidn’tfeelthebonesbeneathherboot;shetrudgedonwardthroughtheforest.

The two crunched ahead, ten yards past. Now twenty. Charlene couldn’tknowforcertainwhattheywereupto:banditspreparingtorobtourists?Agentsof the Overtakers? Security for the company running the mountain activities,protectingtheirguests,notstalkingthem?

Shedidnotdaremoveuntiltheyvanishedintothetrees.Thenshegraduallyfollowed,stayingwellback.Followed,evenasthetwocaughtaglimpseoftheship passengers currently on the path and broke into a jog. Clearly they hadwantedtoseeonlythetwogirls—CharleneandWilla.ButCharlenerevisedthisopinionas theyhunkereddownbehindagiantupendedroot-ball froma fallentree,nowwithaclearlineofsighttothepath.Theywereawaitingsomeoneelse.

Charlenebackedupgingerlyandfoundherwaybackdown.Shewaitedfora family to comealong and took the far sidewhere the twowhowere spyingwould not be able to see her clearly. She moved in unison with the family,averting her head as they neared the section of trail she believed was underwatch.

Tenminuteslater,shecaughtupwithWilla,whowaswaitingbythethirdziplineplatform.

“Ithought…Idon’tknowwhatIthought,”Willasaid.“Ithoughtsomethinghadhappenedtoyou.”ShesaidittooloudlyforCharlene’scomfortzone.

“Let’sgetacross,”Charlenesaid.“Theycan’tfollowusthatway.”“They?Who?What’dyoufindout?”“Later,”Charlenesaid.Onceacrosstheravine,Charleneexplainedwhatshe’dseen.

“Sotheyworkhere?”“Whoknows?Somekindofsecurity,maybe?”“There’salotofforestouthere,”Willasaid.Themountainswerenothing

but green. “They couldhave crossedonto theproperty.They couldhavebeenhiredtocomeafterus.”

“Bywho?”Somefellowpassengersapproacheddownthetrail.“Later,”Willasaid.Two hours later, smilingDream passengers boarded the bus back to the

ship, buzzing about their adventures on the zip lines. Theirmood festive andexcited,theysharedphotosandstories,laughterandcheers.Creaturesofhabit,mostpeoplesatinthesameseatsthey’doccupiedearlier,includingCharleneandWilla.Frombelowcameloudnoises—coolersandequipmentbagsbeingloadedontothebus.

CharlenecriedoutasWillagrippedherarm.Givenallthenoiseandchaos,hardly anyone took notice but Charlene, who felt as if a tourniquet had beenapplied.

“That’snotPhilby.”Willa releasedherholdasCharlenepriedher fingersfree.

TheboywhoboardedthebuslookedsurprisinglylikePhilby,butwasn’t.Itappeared tobeacleverdisguise.Comingdown theaisle, thisboykepthishatbrimlow.

Willacameoutofherseattoconfronthim;Charlenepulledherbackdown.Theboysatintheseatimmediatelyacrossthenarrowaisle.Thehatbrimliftedslowly. Both girls covered their mouths to stifle their shock. It was KennyCarlson,thevolunteerDHI,hisfacemadeuptolooklikePhilby’s.

“Ican’tfindhim,”Kennysaid.“Iwaited,buthenevershowedup.”“Who?”Charlenesaidsharply,notwantingtheanswershefeltcertainshe’d

hear.“Dillard.”“Dillard?”Bothgirls,simultaneously.“PlayingFinn.”“Playing?”Theywaitedfortwoolderpeopletopushpastandfindseats.

“Wayne’sorders.We…DillardandI…kindofdetainedFinnandPhilbyandtooktheirplaces.”

Charlene exhaled a sigh of relief, only to hate herself for it. Finn’s gainseemedtobeDillard’sloss.

“We’vegottotelltheCastMemberincharge!”Willasaid.“I did. That’s why we’re delayed. We were supposed to board thirty

minutes ago. The staff is supposedly running all the trails looking for him. Iguessithappensoftenenoughthattheyhaveasystem.Twistedankles.Thatsortofthing.ButIknowwhereIlosthim,andthey’realreadypastthere.”

“Afterthesecondline,beforethethirdplatform,”Charlenesaid.Willagrippedherarmagain.“How’dyouknowthat?”astunnedKennyasked.Thegirlssharedpanickedexpressions.Willawhispereddryly,“They’renot

goingtofindhim.”Charlenesaid,“We’renotleavingwithouthim.”“Thesameguytoldmeit’shappenedbefore,”Kennysaid.“Peoplegetlost.

Whentheyfindthem,theydrivethemtotheship.”“They’renotgoingtofindhim.”“Don’tsaythat,Willa!”Kennycomplained.Charlene jumpedupandfought theoncoming traffic to reach the frontof

thebus.WillaandKennywatchedasshespoketothecrewmemberleadingtheexcursion.Theexchangegrewheated,Charlene’sfaceturningscarlet.Charlenetried to leave the bus, but the crew member stopped her, turned her around,leanedinandspoketoherprivatelyforwhatfeltlikeaminute.Charlene’sbodylanguagechanged—hershoulderssagged,herheadrockedforward.Shetrudgedbacktojointhem.

“Wecan’tstaytolookforhim,”shesaid.“Theparkisclosing,andwe’renotallowedinside.Ifwemissthebus,wemisstheship.Itleavesassoonasweboard.”

“SowejustgiveuponDillard?”Kennysoundedreadytocry.“Iwouldn’t say that.”Willa closed her eyes, trying tomake sense of the

planalreadyforminginherhead.Shesmiledwryly.“We’vebeeninotherparkswhenthey’reclosed.”

“YOU’REBORINGMEwithall this techstuff.”Charleneshifteduneasily fromthecouchoftheunusedstateroom.“Canwe,orcan’twe,crossoverandtrytofindDillard? And no more about DHI shadow and projectors and the differencebetween1.6and2.0.Please!”

TheDisneyDream shouldhavebeenmovingsmoothly through the three-footseasupthePacificcoast.Therewerestilldaysatseaahead,withstopsinMexico,andfinally,LosAngeles.ThePanamapassagewasnearingitsend.

ButtheDreamwasstill tiedtothedockinCostaRica.Thepeopleinthisroomknewwhy:CaptainCederbergdidn’twant to leavewithoutDillard.Thetimewasfastapproachingwhenhewouldbeforcedtosetsailinordertomakethe next port on schedule, but for now he awaitedword from his shore partyaboutthemissingboy.

“It’scomplicated,”therealPhilbysaid.“I still can’t believe you guys went along with the switch,” Willa

complained.“Wedidn’tgoalongwithanything!”Finnsaid,tooloudly.“Theylockedus

inaconferenceroom!Theytrickedus.”“BecauseWaynetoldthemto,”Philbysaid.“Whywouldhedothat?Howcouldhedothat?Howcouldhepossiblyput

Dillard—ofallpeople,Dillard!—inasituationlike—”“Becauseyou’remorevaluable,”Philbysaid.“Dillard’s a person!” Finn pounded the bed with his fist. “No person is

morevaluablethananother!Waynewouldneverdothat!”Philbylookedsmug.“Hedidit.Soweneedtogetpastthis.Weneedtofind

Dillard.”Finn spit out a word he never used. A hush hit the room. None of the

KeepershadeverheardFinnswear.Heblushed,butdidn’tapologize.“WearenotleavingDillardbehind,”Finnsaid.

“Ofcoursewe’renot,”Philbysaid.“So!Before youget started,”Maybeck said, cuttingPhilbyoff, “canyou

possibly give us the DHI-for-Dummies version? Charlie’s right: theMission:Impossiblethingisboring.”

“It comes down to this,” Philby said, looking disap-pointed andembarrassed.“Icancrossusoverhereontheship.WewillwalkofftheshipandintoDHIshadow.”

“Sowe’llbeinvisible.”Finn’svoicerangwithimpatience.“Thatcouldbegood.”

“Correct.Butit’salsotricky.Thenetworkdownherewillnotsupport2.0,sowe’ddefaultdownto1.6.Wecan’tjustrandomlygowhereverwefeellike;wehavetostaywithinrangeofmodemsandcamerasinorderto—”

“B…o…r…i…n…g!”Maybeckmadethemalllaugh.“It’sdangerous,okay?”“Andthat’ssupposedtobesomethingnew?”“Technicallydangerous.Notphysicallydangerous.There’sadifference.A

moving ship.A dicey Internet connection.No decent projection system. I hadabouttwentyminutestoresearchthis.Ineedacoupleofdays.”

“Wedon’thavethat,”Finnsaid.“Weneedtomakethedecision.Go,orno-go?”

“I’m going,”KennyCarlson said. “I let this happen.Noway I’m sittingaroundhere.”

“Icouldbeofhelpaswell,”saidStoreyMing.“You’dhavetobeinthesystem,”Philbyinformedher.“You’dhavetobe

programmedintothesystemandthatcantake—”“Iam.”“TheDHIserver,”hesaid,“nottheship’spassengermanifest.”Shegavehimalookthatcaughtandwontheattentionofeveryonepresent

intheroom.“You’vebeenprogrammedasaDHI,”Philbysaid,doubtingher.“Twopointoh.”The silence that hung over the room was oppressive.Wayne having the

foresight to program someone the Keepers had never met into the newestavailable system gave weight to the idea that the Keepers were going to be

replacedbynewermodelsatsomepoint.In fact, with Storey’s announcement, that point suddenly seemed much

closerthananyoftheKeepershadbelievedpossible.“Weneedyoutoo,Amanda,”Finnsaid,tryingtochangethesubjectwhile

knowinghemightbeaccusedof favoritismor teased forhischoice. “Becauseyoucanpush.”

“Andyou,”Willasaid,“becauseofyourfreakishstrength.”NoonehadmadeabigdealaboutFinn’snewfoundabilities;he’dbeenglad

for that, because even he did not understand them.He didn’t have control ofwhateveritwas;hedidn’twanttopromisesomethinghecouldn’tdeliver.

“Idon’tknow,”hesaid.“Finn’s not going.” Philby stood, arms crossed; defiant, anticipating an

objection.“Andno,Maybeck,notyoueither.”Healloweda fewseconds for this to sink in.Ragewashed throughFinn.

Philby,takingoverastheleader.Again.Hewantedsodesperatelytoobject,butkepthimselfincheck.

“Finn’snotgoingbecausewhoeverdidthisjustkidnapped‘him.’We’renotgoingtogivethemtherealthing.Theyalsowentafteryou,Maybeck.Asgoodasyouareinafight,you’regoingtositthisoneout.”

“We’regoingforDillard,”Finnsaid.Enoughwasenough.“AndI’min.”“Youarenot.Yes,wearegoingfindandrescueDillard.ButIproposethe

following.First,Charlene iscritical to themission;shesawthe twohunters inthewoods.Second,Mattiewill gowithher—she’s a stowaway to beginwith;shewon’tbemissed.IfCharlenecanidentifyeitherofthetwopeopleshesaw,MattiemaybeabletotouchthemanddrawoutinformationaboutwhereDillardis.”

“Mattiedoesn’tseethefuture.”Finntriedtogaugethemoodintheroom.ItseemedliketheotherswerebuyingintoPhilby’splan;hedidn’twanttoobject,beoutvoted,andlookweak.

“No, but if Dillard, a.k.a. Finn, is mentioned, maybe this guy’ll thinksomethingaboutwhereDillardis,andthat’sallwe’dneed.”

“Makessense,”Willasaid.Finn tensed.Hewas losingground. “It’s abogusplan.Theothers canbe

returnedandrejointheship.MattieandDillardcan’t.They’renotDHIs.”“True,” Philby said. “But Wayne can get us around that problem.” He

looked directly at Finn, who was steamed to hear of yet another secretconversation.

“Wayne has arranged for money to be left at the front desk.Mattie andDillardaregoingtomeetusinMexico.Thefishingboatthey’llbeonmakestheDream look like a sea slug. Finally, as Finn suggested, Amanda is the thirdpiece.Herabilitytopushcouldcomeinquitehandy.Threegirls.Ihatetosoundsexist, butDillard’s kidnappers are also unlikely to see them as hostiles. Thatshouldgivethegirlsatleastafewsecondstogetthejumponthem.”

ThelackofevenamurmurofdiscontentshockedFinn.Usuallyaplanwaschallenged up and down before acceptance. What did the apparent universalagreementmean?

HisresentmentofPhilby—sorecentlydormant—builttowherehewantedtosaysomething—anything—tomakePhilbylookbad.Buthecouldn’tthinkofathingtosay.Theurgepassed,thefiredied;butthecoalslingered.

“Anall-girlmission,”Charlenesaid,makingnoattempttomaskherprideandjoy.“Ilikeit.”

CHARLENE’S HAND FLICKEREDanddisappeared.Whenshe tappedMattieWeaveronthe leg, thegirl shrieked,and then fakedasneeze tomollify thesurprised taxidriver.WhatcausedMattie’sshriekwas theemptybackseat;amomentearlier,there had been two other girls sittingwith her.With no technology to projecttheirholograms,CharleneandAmandahaddisappearedintoDHIshadowamileawayfromtheship.

Philbyhadexplaineditall—highspeedmodems,securitycameras,laptopsequippedwithvideo.Charlene’s focuswasnotwhenorhowsheandAmandamightbevisible,butwhatcamenext.Shewastheappointedleaderofthistrio;itdidn’tescapeherthatthiswasanall-girlmission,thefirstinaforeigncountry.She’donlyhadoneyearofSpanish.Aboy’slifehunginthebalance.Successorfailurehungonher,fairlyornot.

Itmade her think of Finn and all the times he’d led theKeepers, all thetimeshe’dcarried thiskindofpressure soeffortlessly.UntilCharlenehad felttheweightonhershoulders,she’dhadnoideahowheavyitwas.HeradmirationofFinntransformedintoajealousyofAmanda,theinvisiblegirlsittingnexttoher.

Thetaxijostledandbumpedalongthesamepoorlysurfacedroadsthebushadtraversedearlierintheday.

Bynow, theDreamwasout to sea, leavingMattie landlockedandonherown. They all understood that if the holograms failed completely,Mattiewasgoingsolo.

“You all right?” Charlene asked, but no sound came out of her mouth.They’dhopedtobeabletousecellphonetechnologyfortheirvoices.Perhapstheywereoutofcell rangeaswell.Was themissionoverbefore itbegan:oneFairlie against the foreign Overtaker force that had kidnapped Dillard?WhatchancedidMattiehavewithouttheirhelp?

“Daa—a—ng it!” she said. Her voice! It sounded digital and supremelyelectronic,butitmirroredcloselywhatshe’dactuallysaid.

ThedriverrattledoffsomethinginSpanish,swivelinghisheadtowardthe

backseat.Hiseyeswentsowidetheyappearedreadytofalloutoftheirsockets.Hehadpickedupthreeyoungladies.Buttherewasonlyonegirlinhisbackseat.Thetaxiswervedtowardthelitteredshoulderoftheroad.Hegainedcontroljustin time, fishtailing the vehicle back onto the asphalt. Speaking a blue streak,whichnodoubt includedagooddealofcursing,heaimedtherearviewmirrorlower. Then he crossed himself, fetched amedallion hanging on his necklace,andkissedit.

Charleneunderstoodwhy:shecouldseeherhandagain.Herarm.Herlegs.InallherDHI2.0hi-defbrilliance.ShehadPhilbytothank,buthowhadhe…?

Hereyewasdrawntoasmallvideocameramountedon the insideof thewindshield,aimedintothebackseat.Ifsomeonetriedtoroborharmthedriver,theywouldberecorded.Philbyhadcaughtthenumberontheircab,hackedthetaxi’ssecuritysystem,andhijackedthecamera’sbandwidthtoprojectbothherandAmanda,whonowsatnexttoher,lookingequallyreal.

Thedriver—poorman—appearedtobesufferingastroke.Charlene spoke the first thing that came to mind. “How much longer,

please?”ShetriedagaininSpanish.Whatsheactuallysaidwas,“Timeislong,please.” But the driver got the message. He answered by pointing to thedashboarddigitalclockandseemtoindicatetwentyminutes.

Charlenesmiledandleanedback.She’dhavetoremembertothankPhilbyifsheevergotbacktotheship.

***

ThetaxidroppedthemoffwellshortofAventura’sgate.Charlenedidnotwantto announce their arrival. Mattie, who carried Charlene’s iPhone, input thedriver’snumber,makingarrangementstobepickedupinthissameplaceifandwhenshecalled.All threegirls thought thesame thingat thesame time:Withanyluck,we’llhaveonemorepassenger.

Charlene’sandAmanda’sDHIshadvanishedandreappearedseveralmoretimes in the back of the cab. Their imageswere fairly strong at themoment,thanks to the securitycameras inuseby thepark.Thiswasconfirmedas theyducked behind a rock to discuss strategy, and the two girls went into DHIshadow.Theirvoicesremained.

“Wehavetwopossibilities,”Charlene’svoicetoldMattie.“Thelodgehereatthebottomofthemountain,andthecabinatthetop.”Philby’sGoogleEarth

reconnaissance had revealed only the two nearby structures for a very longdistanceinanydirection.IfDillardhadbeennabbed,heshouldbefoundinoneofthem.Ifinjured,orsomehowleftbehindbythegroupandmissedbythestaffthathadsearchedforhim…well,thatpossibilitydidn’tseemtoolikely.

AccordingtoPhilby,thevariouscamerasinusewerenotmonitoredinrealtime. Instead, theywere connected to aVCR that dated back to the 1980s. Ifanyonebrokeintothecompound,theywouldbecaughtonvideotape,ingrainyblack-and-white.Fortunately, the samevideo systemwasbeingused to recordtelevisedCostaRicansoccergames,whichhadgivenPhilbyawaytodrillintothetelevision’ssatellitesystemtodetermineitsstatusandhijackthecameras.

WhatitmeantforthegirlswasthatnosecuritypersonnelweresittingatavideomonitorinthemiddleoftheCostaRicanhillcountryawaitingabreak-in.Thegirlswerefreetoapproachthecompoundhowevertheywanted.

Entering proved easy. Charlene’s DHI passed through the chicken-wirefence. Finding the front gate chained and padlocked, she located a side door,removedthewoodencrossbarusedtolockit,andletinMattieandAmanda.

They faced three structures: two side buildings, small and dark, used forstorage;thethird,themainlodgewhereAventuravisitorsatelunchandshoppedin the gift store. Big enough to hold several hundred people at picnic tablesbeneatha thatchedroof, itsopen-airwindowscurrentlyglowedwiththebluishflickeringlightofarunningtelevision,afactconfirmedbytherapid-fireSpanishofasportsannouncer.

A crouching Amanda stood cautiously and peeked inside. She held up asingle finger as she sank back down, her back to thewall alongsideCharlenewhothensignaledthemtothedistantstoragehut.HerDHIpassedthroughthewall and inside. She unlocked the door and quietly handed out four zip lineharnessesandfourpairofgloves,takenbyMattie.

“Helmets?”Mattiewhispered.“Please,”Charleneanswered.Whilethiswashappening,Amandawentthroughthewalloftheremaining

hut.NoDillard.Charlene panicked at the thought Dillard might have already been

sacrificed.Theyhurriedtothebottomofthetrailthatclimbedthemountain.Normally,

parkvisitorsascendedtothetopbychairlift.Thegirlswereinforalong,steephike.

“What’swrong?”CharleneaskedMattie.“Icouldhavehelpedbackthere.IfI’dtouchedthatguard…”“Thenhe’dhaveknownwe’dbrokenin.Unlesswe’dclubbedhimonthe

head or something—not me! thank you—he’d have called or radioed orwhatever,andwe’dmaybeneverseeDillardagain.Havenofear;youmaygetyourchanceyet.Butfirstwehavetofindthisotherplaceandseewhat’supwiththat. If there’s nothing there, then we go back to that security guy and dowhateverwe’vegottodo.”

“These guys have done this a lot,” Amanda toldMattie. “They’ve got aplan.”

“It’sjust…onetouch,andthethingsIknow.ThethingsIcantellyou.”“As in, if a boy likes us?” Charlene asked, looking directly at Amanda

whilethinkingofFinn.Mattielookedatthetwocompetinggirls.“Let’snotforgetIspenttwoyears

livingwithMandyandJess.”Thedarknessof the trailquieted them.Itwasdifficult tosee,andusinga

flashlightwasoutofthequestionforfearofbeingspotted.Thejunglewasfilledwithunfamiliar sounds—hootsandhowls,buzzingand flapping—that terrifiedallthreegirls;butnoonewasgoingtobethefirsttoadmitit.

Soon, Amanda and Charlene passed into DHI shadow, their images firstsparkling, then vanishing all together. Their voices changed quality, but theycouldcommunicatewithMattie, reassuringher that theywere right therewithher.Overthehour-longclimb,theytooktwobreaksforMattie’ssake.Oneofthebenefits of being a DHI, Amanda explained, was that projections didn’t getmuscle tired, need water, or get hungry. Sleep fatigue overtook them if theirhumanselvesgotexceptionallytired—theresultofslowedbrainfunctions—butotherwisetheyweremadeformarathons.

Nearingthetop,Mattiesquealedasshewalkedthroughathickspiderwebthatstucktoherfaceandhair.Shecaughtherselfmid-cryandstopped,fightingoffthestickythreadandfeelingitlikeanetoverherskin.Sheswattedateveryitch,fearingtherewassomegiantspidercrawlingonher.

“Waithere,”Charlene’svoicesaid.“I’mgoingtoscoutahead.”“Thatwasloud,wasn’tit?”Mattieaskedinawhisper.“Itwasn’tquiet,”Amandasaid,“butthere’ssomuchweirdstuffouthere,I

doubtitwouldbenoticed.”“I’msorry.”

“Ihatespiders.I’mrighttherewithyou.”“Itwassomuch.Ohmygosh,it’sdisgusting.”Mattiecontinuedtopickat

thestickywebgluedtoher.“I don’t evenwant to think aboutwhat’s out here, animal-wise.Did you

hearthatthinggrunting?”“Thesnortingthing?”“Exactly.”“Iaboutscreamed,”Mattiesaid.“Whatwasthat?”“Idon’tknow,butitsoundedbig,andwild,andwaytooclose.”“Itcan’thurtyou,right?Noneofitcanhurtyou.”“No.Butsometimes inshadow,youcanstill touchstuff.Do things.Even

Philbyhasn’t figured that oneout yet.Everything changedwhen theydid thisupgrade last year. Technically, we’re still in beta. The Imagineers, the peoplewhoinventeditall,areconstantlychang-ingthesoftware.Wecallit2.0,butit’smorelike2.6orsomethingbynow.They’regettingthebugsout.”

“Ihopethatincludesspiders.”Thegirlslaughedtogether.“I’veneverthankedyouforcoming,”Amandasaid.“Nobig.”“Itwillbeifyou’recaught.”“Notreally.Everyone’sterrifiedofme.Allthedocsandthosesoldiertypes.

TheymakemewearthesameglovesIworewhenyouwerethere.”“Theonesthatlock.”“Yeah.Andtheycovermyface.Allmyskin.Theyhavetoomanysecrets,

right?Theyknowanycontactwithme,andI’llknowitall.Itfreaksthemout.That’sthethingweshouldhavefiguredoutbackwhenyouandJesswerethere.Howmuchtheyfearus.Wehadallsortsofpoweroverthemthatweneverused.It’s like you guys, the Keepers. By yourselves, maybe not so much—buttogether?Forgetaboutit.Iknowthatnow.IftheFairliescouldcometogether,ifwecouldgetpastall thestupid jealousiesabouteachother’spowersandworktogether, there’snoway those idiotscouldkeepus lockedup.Weareway toopowerful.”

“Well,youwon’thavetoworryaboutthat.”“Won’tI?”

“Mrs.Nashwilltakeyouin.She’sacontrolfreak,butmostlyshe’sokay.”“You’renotgettingit,Mandy.Iwanttobecaught.I’mgoodwithit.”Silence.“Thatfreaksyouout,”Mattiesaid.“Well,yeah.”“If I’m caught…when I’m caught, I’ll be returned to Baltimore. To the

facility. I can save those guys. I see that now.Until you, Jess, theKeepers, Ididn’tunderstandwhatwehave.”

“You’re saying Jess and I should come, too. That we should all allowourselvestobecaught.”

“I’mnot.Justbecauseit’srightformedoesn’tmakeitrightforyou.”“Ineverwanttogoback.”“It’sgoodyouknowthat.”“But it never occurred to me that we could break everyone out. They’d

catchus.Theyalwayscatchus.”“Theyhaven’tcaughtyou.”“I’mprettysure theyknowwhereweare.Mrs.Nash threatens tosendus

backallthetime.”“Justbecausesheknowsaboutthefacilitydoesn’tmeanthefacilityknows

aboutyou.YouandJessprovedit’spossible, togetout, tobefree.Andifyouthinkaboutit,youknowwhy.”

“Becausewestucktogether.”AmandaunderstoodMattie’sdreamthen.Herfantasy.ButCharlene’sarrivalsilencedanyfurtherspeech.

“It’sawaysup,”Charlene’svoicesaidfromthedarkness.“AndIpassedasignthatmarksthepark’sborder.”

“It’snotpartofthepark?”“No.It’sjustabighouse.Stoneandwood.Somescreened-inporchesand

screensonthewindows.It’shuge.Andit’s,Idon’tknow,kindoffancyinarun-downway.Likeitwasfancyalongtimeago.Thereweremen’svoices.Four?Five?More?”

“Wereyouvisible?”“Oh,yeah.Philby’sgotuspoweredupandprojected.Securitycameras, I

think.We start showing up maybe a hundred yards away. Really clear prettysoonafter.Ididn’tpressit.Allforone,andallofthat.”

Her comment drove homewhatMattie had been talking about—that theKeepers worked as a team. Amanda thought of the five teens as individuals,hadn’tgiventheteamconceptalotofconsideration,buttherewasnodenyingit.The Keepers did everything, big or small, as a group. Typically, the realproblemsarosewhentheywereoffontheirown.

The invisible Charlene led the way for Mattie, with Amanda on guard,bringinguptherear.Atthetop,theypassedtheplatformloomingoutovertheravine—thestartofthefirstandlongestzipline.Itfelthaunted,duetotheloudjunglesounds.Theconstancyofthebuzzingandhummingofnightinsectsmadeallthegirlsjumpy.

When Charlene’s hologram began sparking and reappearing, Mattie fellback several yards, slightly afraid.The samephenomenonovertookAmanda’sDHI.Piecesofthetwogirlsappeared,disappeared,andreformed.Anarm.Alegfromthekneedown.Atorsofloatinginspace.Thenanarmattachedtothetorsoand legs grew out of it, and there was the complete girl, walking, butshimmeringindistortedsquaresofcolorlikeatelevisioninathunderstorm.

“Thatisso…awesome!”“Ithoughtyouwerefreaking.”“Noway!Wickedlycool.”“Quiet!”Amandasaid.“We’retooclose!”Theyhuddledontheirknees,stillfiftyyardsfromthebuilding.“AmandaandIwillgo first.You’ll stayhereandwait formysignal. I’m

going to try togeta lookat themsoIcanmaybesee ifeitherof the twowhowereinthewoodsareinthere.Iftheyare,wesignalandyoujoinus.Remember,theycan’thurtAmandaorme.Theycan’tcatchus.Butyou?Differentstory.Sothefirstthingistokeepyousafe.Ifeverythinggoesaswehope,thenwe’llgoin.Ormaybewecanlureoneoftheguysoutsoyoucantouchhim.Thethingis,you’vegottobeverysmartaboutthis,Mattie.You’vegottoknowwhentotakeoff. Head for the first platform and get going. Don’t wait. Call the taxi rightaway.”

“Butwhatifyouneedyourphone?I’llhaveit.Besides,whatifthere’snotimetotellyouwhatI’vefoundout?”

“Okay.Goodpoint.Sowe’llhaveacode.Onceyou’vereadthisguy,youwilluseoneoftwowords:Here,orGone.That’sallMandyandIneed.Youcanfill us in on the deets later.” Charlene held up a finger and listened. Junglesounds. Shewhispered. “Maybewe’ll haveDillard.Maybe not.About amile

downtheroadthere’sasignadvertisingthisplace.Bringthetaxibythereeveryhalf hour, but stay way away the rest of the time. Don’t stop. Just drive by.You’llseeusifwe’rethere.”

“Areyouokay?”Amandaasked.“I’mtalkingtoapairofhologramsintheCostaRicanjungle.DoIhaveto

answerthat?”“We’vegotthis,”Charlenesaid.“The Keepers have faced way worse, believe me,” Amanda said. “Like

Charliesaid,you’vegottobeverysmartaboutgettingoutofthere.”“If there’sa reason foryou togo in in the firstplace,”Charlene said. “If

not,nomatterhowbad itgets,don’tplayhero.Amandaand Ican trick them.Don’tfallforthat.”

Mattie nodded. Charlene turned toward the house, about to head thatdirection.

“CanIjustsaysomething?”Mattie’svoicewasnolouderthanabreezeinthebranches.

“Goahead.”“IfIhadfriendslikeallofyou…”Shedidn’tfinish.AmandaplacedherhandonMattie’sshoulder.Mattietwitchedbecauseshe

couldfeelherselfbeingtouched.“Youdo,”Amandasaid.

***

Thehousewasaone-storyhaciendawith terra-cottaSpanishroof tileandpalestuccowalls.Theopen-airwindowswerewood-trimmedandscreened.Alargepropanetankwasconcealedbyathicketofbushes.Solarpanelsreflectedfromtheroofintheintermittentmoonlight.

Charlenecrawledonhandsandknees,followedcloselybyAmanda.Beingprojections,theirDHIsshoneclearly,makingthemeasytospot.Butwithoutthetelltaleblueoutlinethathadaccompaniedthe1.6software,thetwogirlslookedperfectlyreal.Theonlywaytotelltheywerehologramswouldbeforsomeonetotrytotouchthem,somethingtheyhadnointentionofallowing.

Placing her back against the stucco wall, Charlene rose slowly until herheadwasalongsidethewindow’sopening.Itamazedherthatinthiscondition,

she still felt everything as she normally would: sweat trickling down her ribcage,heartracing,breathingrapidandshallow.Shemovedjustenoughtopeerinside,thendroppedquickly,shakingherhead.Thetwogirlsmovedtothenextwindow. Charlene tried again. She held up two fingers—two men. The nextwindowshowed thekitchen;empty.Theydropped to theirbelliesandcrawledpastabackpatiowithtwosetsofslidingdoors—alivingroomandabedroom.

Through the bedroom window, Charlene recognized the Costa Ricanwoman from thewoods, though shewasn’twearingher camouflage.Charlenedropped down alongside Amanda and closed her eyes to try to regain hercomposure.SheputherlipstoAmanda’sholographicear.

“WatchingTV.It’sher.”Amandawhisperedback.“Doorclosed?”“Yes.”“Justherintheroom?”“AllIsaw.Whoknows?”“Dillardcouldbeinoneoftheserooms.”“Iknow.Howeasywouldthatbe?”“Tooeasy,”saidAmanda.Charlenenodded.Nothingwasevereasy.Shetriedtothinkupaviableplan

togetMattieinphysicalcontactwiththewoman.TheproblemwasthatifMattiemade physical contact, then the alarm would be sounded, making it moredifficult,ifnotimpossible,torescueDillard.ButwithoutMattiemakingcontactwithsomeonewhoknewDillard’swhereabouts,itwasawild-goosechase.

“First,” she said, “we’ll circle the house checking all the rooms. If noDillard,thenbackherewithMattie.”

“Thereisanotherway.”Charlenegesturedforhertogetonwithit.“Icouldpushthiswoman,”Amandasaid,“andholdherwhileMattiereads

herandfindsoutwhereDillardis.”“You’d waste your energy because she’d scream, and we’d be

outnumbered.”“Not ifwegot her gagged, shewouldn’t.You coulddo that, because the

pushwon’taffectyourhologram.”“It’lldrainyou.”CharlenehadwitnessedtheeffectsofAmandaunleashing

hersupernaturalforce.“Whoknowshowlongitcouldtakeus tofindDillard?

Andbesides,wemightneedyoutorescuehiminthefirstplace.”“It’sanoption,”Amandasaid.“Okay.Anoption.”They circumnavigated the house, window by window. It took them ten

minutes.TheyreturnedtoMattieinthewoods.“Nothing,” Charlene told her. “No sign of him.” She laid out the plan.

Mattiewouldstayback in thewoods,awaitingCharlene’ssignal.AmandaandCharlenereturnedtooutsidethepatiobedroom,where,onceagain, thewomanoutlawwasseenwatchingTVfromthebed.

CharlenewavedforMattietojointhem.Mattiebelly-crawledandreachedthemwithout incident.Amanda tookMattie by the hand and the two of themmoved to the sliding glass door, the curtain pulled on the inside. Charleneslippedupthewallandgainedaviewofthewoman.

Charlenenodded.Amanda meowed. Extremely convincingly. She paused, and tried again,

slightlylouder.Charlenewatchedthewoman—five-feetsixinches,incrediblyfit,darkskin

andshortjet-blackhair—slipoffthebedandapproachthepatiodoor.Theclickofthelock.Thedoorslidingopen.

Mattiereachedinside,grabbingthewoman’swrist,andheldontightly.“Theboy,”CharlenesaidincrudeSpanish.Amanda raised her right hand, palm out, while lowering her head. She

staredwithacrazedexpression.Amanda’spushdrovethewoman’schinupandclenchedherteethsothathercryforhelpcameoutlikesomeonechokingonafishbone.Mattiereactedphysically,asifelectricallyshocked.Sheletgoofthewoman’swrist.

Thatprovedtobethegamechanger.Amanda’spushingusedenoughforceto keep thewoman’s jaw set; but onceMattie released thewoman, that sameforce was enough to throw the woman off her feet and onto the tile. In thatinstant,Amanda’senergywasnolongeraimedatthewoman,whomanagedtocallout.

“Dillard’sinherthoughts,”Mattiepanted,“butIdidn’tseewhere.”Aman burst through the bedroom door.Amanda threw her push at him,

pinninghim.Butasecondmanfollowed.ThewomanguarddoveandtrippedupMattie,whotumbledbackontothepatio.

Amanda’senergyhadtobetapped,Charlenethought.Ifshepushedagain…Charlene attacked the woman guard, pulling her off Mattie. The guard

swung at Charlene, and froze as her hand swiped through the hologram.Charlenehadwitnessed this reactionbefore: the stunned incredulity thatmadeno sense in a physical world—a fist did not swing through a person. It wasimpossible. The brain cannot process such information. It requires a secondattemptbeforesettlingonahypothesis.

Asthewomanwounduptothrowasecondpunch,Charlenetookherbythethroatandpinnedhertothetile.

“Where’smyfriend?”Theguard foughtagainst agirlmadeof light. Itwas toomuch.Hereyes

rolledintothebackofherhead,andshepassedout,unconsciousfromfright.Amandathrewthesecondmanagainstthewall,butlostthefirstmaninthe

process.“Totheleft!”Charlenecried.Amanda released the two inside, and—with a strength Charlene could

hardlybelieve—pushed toher left, into thedarknessof thepatio.AmanonlyCharlenehadseenliftedtohisfeetandflewawayfromthem.Amandareturnedtheforcetoinsidetheroom,justcatchingaguardrunningather.Shestaggered,nearlyspent.

“That’shim!”CharleneshoutedtoMattie.“That’stheguy!”Mattiedisplayednervesofsteel.Shestoodandmarchedthroughthedoor.

Amanda redirectedher force,knocking themandown.Mattiegrabbedholdoftheman’sankle;herbodyshook.

Amandacouldn’tdoeverythingatonce.Charleneranacrossthepatioandshoved the guard as he attempted to stand.He kicked at her, but his feet didnothingbutflopintheair.Sheshovedhimagain.Hestruckhisheadonastonein the path and was dazed, blinking furiously to maintain consciousness.Returning to her friends, she arrived in time to see Mattie release the man’sankle;thenMattiefellbackontoherbottom.

“Oh…no…”Mattiesaid.“Wegottagetoutofhere.”“Run!”Amandashouted,asshegaveonefinalpush.Bothmenandallthe

furnitureintheroomliftedoffthefloorandflew,slammingagainstthefarwall.AmandaturnedandfollowedCharleneandMattieintothewoods.

Charleneledtheway,hopinghersenseofdirectionwasgood.Theguardswouldknowtheareafarbetterthanthey.Itwasafootracenow,andalltheyhad

wasthelingeringhopethat theguardswouldnot thinktobringharnesseswiththem.

“Dillard?”Charlenecriedout,tormentedathavingfailedintheirmission.“He’sonthebus,”answeredMattie.“Themanwasthinkingaboutazipper

onaduffelbaggettingstuck.Aboywasintheduffelbag.Thewoman…shewasthinkingabouttheduffelgettingtotheship.”

“What?”“IthinkDillard’sbackontheship.”“Butwhy?”“Don’tknow.Stones.Atunnel.Likethedrawing.Amonster.Different,but

similar.”She ran fast and easy.TheyhelpedAmanda,whowasdragging.Thekidnapperswereclosingfast.

“Similarhow?”Amandaasked.“Bloodanddeath.Themonster.Thesomeonewho’sgoingtodie?It’sgoing

tobe…Finn.”Both Amanda and Charlene skidded to a stop at the same instant. They

staredatMattie.Thesoundoftheguardsgrewlouderandcloser.Mattieranpastthem.

“Comeon!”The other two girls started running again. The platform for the first line

cameintoviewasanangularshape.Thendetailscouldbeseen:stairs,thetwoplatforms. The girls hurried up. Charlene fumbled as she attempted to clipMattie’sharnessin.Ittooktoomuchtime.

“Go!”ShepushedMattieofftheplatform.Thegirlflewoutacrossthedeepravine,herflailinglimbslikespiderlegsinthedullglowofthemoon.Finally,shecollectedherselfandmovedevenfasteronthepulleys.Thelinewhirred.

Charlene clipped Amanda to the line. Looking behind them, Amandadeclared,“Notime.Holdon.”ShereachedaroundCharlene’swaist,andherarmpassedthroughthehologram.“Ineedyousolid!”

Charlenewastoodistractedbytheapproachingguard.ShepushedAmandaofftheplatform,onlytorealizeAmandawasright:notime.

Charlene dove off the platform, out into open space. The dark ravineyawnedbeneathher.Sheflew,lightasafeather.AsshestretchedforAmanda,her friend sparked, spit photons, and disappeared. DHI shadow. Charlenewitnessed her own arm dissolving before her. But she hit something soft and

clungfasttoit.Amanda’sthigh.Anunseenarmscoopeddownandheldtoher.Behindthem,thefirstguarddrewapulleyintoplace,andwithoutaharness

jumpedofftheplatform,clingingtothepulley.Heracedtowardthem.CharlenerealizedthatsheandAmandawereslowingdown.“Our holograms don’t weigh anything!” Charlene cried out. “We’re not

heavyenoughtocarryalongtheline!”In fact, as the pulley and harness reached the halfway point on the

thousand-footstretchofcable,itglidedtoastop.Behindthemthecablepointedslightlyuptowardtheplatformthey’dleft;infrontofthem,itpointeduptowardtheplatformthatwastheirintendeddestination.Theywerestuck.

Theguardflewtowardthematbreakneckspeed.Hewasgoingtocrashintothegirls.

AmandasqueezedCharlenetighter.“Holdon!”Theguardneversawthem.Evenifhehad,therewasnothinghecouldhave

doneaboutit.Thecollisionhithiminawayitdidnothitthegirlsbecausehe’dhad no warning. The pulleys clashed. The guard lost his grip on the pulley’schain.

Hefell.Allthepulleysstartedmovingnow,drivenbyhisaddedweight.Charlenereached,practicallydove,andgrabbedholdoftheguardwithtwo

hands.AmandaheldCharlene,bothinvisible,bothupsidedown.ThemanrattledoffsomethinginSpanishthatmusthavebeencursing.Seen

fromadistance,hewassuspendedinmidair,aboutthreefeetbelowthezipline.That’swhat his fellow guards saw from the platform. They began screaming.More than one crossed himself. Thewoman fell to her knees and clasped herhandsinprayer.

Charlene tightened her grip as the man’s wrist began to sweat. He wasslippingfromhergrasp.

“Ican’tholdhim,”shesaid,hervoicecellularandelectronicsounding.Theman looked terrified. First, hewas being held from his death by an

angel. Then the angel spoke. English! He’d always thought angels spokeSpanish.

The two girls rearranged themselves invisibly. Charlene slipped her legsaroundAmanda’smiddleandlockedherankles.“I’vegotit,”shesaid.

“Yousure?”“Youcanletgo.”Carefully, Amanda released her hold on Charlene, feeling the girl’s legs

tightenaroundher.Withherhandsnowfree,Charlenereacheddownand tooktheman’sotherarm.Togetherthegirlsgruntedandpulledhimhigher.Charlenetransferredhergriptohistorsoandwaist.Atlast,helungedandgraspedthezipline.Hehooked an elbow in thedangling chain, and released a lungfulof air.Saved.

Hiseyesshut,hislipsranthroughalitanyofprayer.The girls began pulling themselves uphill on the zip line. Without any

physicalweight,thepulleymovedeasily.After a moment, the guards on the platform began hollering at their

companion. He came out of his prayers, saw the pulley moving of its ownaccord,shuthiseyes,andbeganprayingagain.

Thegirlsclimbedsteadilytowardthewaitingplatformontheothersideoftheravine.Theyunclippedandhitthedown-slopingtrailatafullrun.Arrivingatthesecondstation,theysawtheziplinebouncing.Mattiehadcrossedwithinthepastfewminutes.Theyclippedonandsailedacross,stillinDHIshadow.Butagain,withoutanyweight, thepulleystopped in themiddle, requiring them topullthemselveshandoverhandtotheexitplatform.Ittookalongtime.

Theguardshadgottenovertheirprayers.Theywerebackonthehunt.AsCharlene unclipped her harness, one of the guards was already flying towardthem.

“Iseeyou!”Amandaexclaimed.Charlenelookeddown.ThenatAmanda.Theywerefullyprojectedagain.“RUN!”Theysparked inandoutofDHIshadowontheirwayto the thirdstation.

Moreinthanout,givingthemanbehindthemahardtarget.ArockthesizeofafistflewpastCharlene’sface.

Flewfartoofasttohavebeenthrownbyamortal.Overtakers?shewondered.Shestolealookbehindher.Aslingshot.Notthekindboysplayedwith—

surgicalrubberstrungbetweenanaluminumY—butthecloth-and-stringvarietythatremindedherofHerculesandBiblestoriesandtheRomanColosseum.Theman slung another. It came at them as fast as a rocket and passed through

Amanda’shead.HadshenotbeenaDHI,she’dhavebeendead.They talked as they ran at a full sprint, bounding over clumps of roots,

skiddingatturnsinthetrail.“He’stryingtokillus.”CharlenewasanOlympicrunner.“Inoticed,”Amandasaid.“Youneedtopushhim!”“I’mnotsureIcan.”“You’vegottotry.”“When?”Amandaasked.“When I say!Once you do, head down through thewoods. Thewaywe

cameup.”“Butthe—”“I’lltakecareofthezipline,”Charlenesaid.“I’mnotleavingyou.”“Mattieneedsyou.I’llberightbehindyou.I’llbefine.”“I’mnotleavingyou!”Amandashouted.“Listentome,Amanda.Pushtheslingshotdudeandgodownonthisside

of the trail. Nomore zip lines.We need to reachMattie. She’s ahead of us.”Theytooktwoturns,likeanS.“Iftheygether…She’stheonlyonewhoknowswhat’s going on with Dillard. I’m a hologram. What’s the worst that canhappen?”

“Theywantyou,”Amandasaid,remindingherofJess’sdrawing.“YouandI…theycan’ttouchus!I’mfine!”They reached the platform sooner than expected. Charlene slowed. She

glancedbackatAmanda,tryingtosaywithhereyes:Nowornever.Amanda turned,waited, and then threwout bothpalms.The approaching

guardliftedlikeakiteandflewaway,crashingdeepintothejungle.“Now, go!”Charlene scaled the platform.Amanda staggered off into the

darkforest.Charleneslippedtheharnessoff,clippedittothepulley,androckedthe pulley back and forth, releasing it with all her strength. The pulley anddanglingharnesssailedoutacrossthebottomlessravine.

Acrunchingbehindhertoldherthepushedguardwasreturning.Notimetogetofftheplatformbythestairs;she’dbeseen.

Shelookedofftheedgeoftheplatformthatfacedtheravine.Itwasstraight

down.Aboutthirtyfeetbelowwasarockyoutcropping.Ifshemissedthat…Charlenetookadeepbreath.Shejumped.Thelastthoughtbeforeherfeetlefttheplatform,athoughtthatshouldhave

comeabeatearlier,was:Oneofyouwilldie.

***

Amanda’shologramwasfullyresolvedbythetimeshecaughtuptoMattienearthe bottom of the trail. She looked perfectly human; her voice was clear andcapableofexpression.

“Stop!” she called. PullingMattie off the trail shewhispered, “Theywillhavetoldtheguarddownhereaboutus.He’llbewaiting.”

“Butthegate.It’srightthere.”Indeed,thewayoutwasonlytwentyyardsaway.

“He’shiding.He’swaiting.”“Youdon’tknowthat!HecouldbeintherewatchingTV.”“He’snot.”Mattiewas pale and trembling. In a state of shock. “What am I going to

do?”Theshiphadsailed.Therealityofhersituationregistered:Dillardhadbeen

smuggledbackaboardtheDream.OnceAmandaandCharlenewerereturnedbyPhilby,Mattiewouldbeonherown.

“We’regoingtoworkthisout.”“Youare,sure!Butwhataboutme?”“Ineedyoutocalmdown,Mattie.Thesethings…Onestepatatime.You

getaheadofyourselfandyougetintrouble.”“Easyforyoutosay.You’regoingbacktotheship.”“Rightnow,I’mgettingoutofthisplace.That’sallthatmatters.That’sthe

nextstep.”“WhataboutCharlene?”Amandalookedbackup the trail.“Noonefollowedus,soshepulledoff,

tricking them.She’saDHI.She’ssafe.”Amandadidn’t soundconvinced.“Bynowthey’reworkingtheirwaydowntheziplines.It’lltakethemawhile.Alot

longerthanittookustogetdown,that’sforsure.”“Butwhereisshe?”“She’llbehereanyminute.”“Andifsheisn’t?”“Shecan’tbemorethantwoorthreeminutesbehind.We’vealreadyspent

mostofthattalking.Wego,whethershecatchesupornot.”“You’dleaveherbehind?”“DoIwantto?No,ofcoursenot.ButaslongasshegetsherselfoutofDHI

shadow,she’llreturnwithme.She’llbefine.”“Butwewon’tknowifshe’soutorin.Right?Notwithoutseeingher.”“Mattie,Ireallyneedyoutocalmdown.Takeadeepbreath.Chillout.We

allmakemoremistakeswhenwe’rewoundup.”“You’renotmymother,Mandy.”“No,I’myourfriend.AndI’mCharlene’sfriend.”Mattienodded.Shedrewadeepbreath,helditandletitoutslowly.“Better?”Mattierepeatedtheexercise.“Sorry.”“Ithappens.”Amandaglancedbackupthetrail.“Comeon!”shewhispered

aloud,notmeaningto.“You’reworried.”“I’d rather we leave together. Of course I would. But we can’t wait any

longer.We’regoingnow.”ShesaidthisforherownbenefitasmuchasMattie’s.She knew it made sense, but it felt wrong; and with things between her andCharleneandFinnbeingthewaytheywere,itcouldlookwrong,too.Mattiewasright:Keepersdidn’tleaveKeepersbehind.

“You’reworriedabouther.”“Charlie’s strong.Andclever.She’llbe fine.”Amanda tookone last look

upthetrail.“Yes.I’mworried.Okay?Butwe’releavinganyway.”AmandaledMattiebackontothetrail.“We’regoingtocirclearoundtotheright.”

“Butthat’stheoppositedirectionfromwherewecamethrough.”“Andit’snotadirectroutetothemaingate,”Amandasaid.“Wecan’thave

twoplans,Mattie.”“Okay.Totheright.”“I’llbefocusedonwhat’sinfrontofus.Youwillstayclose.Youwillcheck

behindus.Butdon’tgetdistracted.Ifyouseesomeone,youdonottalk.Youtapmeonthebackandthenduck.”

Amanda’s hologram made no sound on the trail floor. Mattie snapped astick,but fromthenonwalkedperfectlysilently,gauginghereverystep.Theycamearound the far sideof the twostorage sheds.Amandapeeredaround thecorner,facingthepavilionnearlystraightahead.Themaingatewastoherright;thechicken-wiredoorthey’dusedtoenterinfrontofher.Itwasthirtyyardsovertothedoor,allofitacrosswide-openspace,withonlyafewclumpsoffloweringbushesinbetween.

She turned, tapped Mattie on the chest, and pointed to the ground,signaling,Youstayhere.

Mattieacknowledgedwithabriefnod.Amanda slipped out of her zip-line harness and quietly eased it to the

ground.She raisedher finger toher lips tosilenceMattieandstepped throughthewalloftheshed,disappearing.

Mattienearlychokedtryingtokeepquiet.Amandamovedthroughtheinsideofthewell-organizedshedandpausedat

thecorrugatedmetalwall.Sheeasedher face forwardahalf inchata time. Ifyou’dbeenstandinginthepavilion’scourtyardpicnicareaandhadhappenedtolookoverattheshed,youwouldhaveseenanosesuddenlyappearthroughthewall.Itwasfollowedbyagirl’sforeheadandeyesandchin.Thefacestopped.Itlooked as if it belonged to a ghost. Her eyes tracked right to left. The facedisappeared.

Amanda sawhim.Hewas sitting at the end of a picnic-table benchwithwhatlookedlikeastrange-lookingcaneonhislap,justoutofviewofwherethepath entered the courtyard. Had Amanda and Mattie not gone the long wayaround,theywouldhavewalkedintothisguard’strap.No,tooshortforacane.Withathickrubberhandle.Whyrubber?Insulation!Itwasacattleprod.Hewassettozapwhoevercrossedhispath.

ThatmadethingstrickyforMattie—evenforAmanda.Ifshehappenedtobereachingforhimwithasolidhandandtheshockhither,itwoulddisruptherhologram.Maybeevenfryher.

Amanda stepped through the wall and rejoined Mattie. Her voice wasquieterthanabreeze.“Waitforme.I’llcallforyou.Comewhenyouhearme.”

Mattienoddedagain.Herfacewaswhite.Amandareenteredtheshed.Shepickedupapairofsparepulleys,moved

closetothesheddoor,andrattledthemloudly.Paused.Rattledthemagain.Sheheardthedoor’smetalhaspclick.Themomentthedoorcrackedopen,Amandastepped through the wall and into the courtyard, now behind the guard. Sheshovedhimfrombehind,throwinghimintotheshed,threwthehaspintoplace,andclickeditshut,trappinghim.

“Now!”shecalled.Mattie came running around the corner and into the open. The trapped

guardwasgoingnuts,tryingtoshakethedooropen.Thegirlsreachedthegateandranoutintothedrivewayasfastastheycould.

“Youcalledthetaxi?”“Yes!”“Whereishe?”“Late?”“That’sbad.That’sverybad.”TheycontinuedrunningasfastasMattie’sfeetwouldcarryher.The sound of an explosion causedAmanda to look back.Not exactly an

explosion:theguardhadkickeddowntheshed’sdoor.Hespuninafullcircle,spottedthegirls,andhurriedforthegate.

“We’vegotcompany,”Amandasaid.“Ididn’tneedtohearthat.”What Amanda didn’t confess was how much the multiple pushes had

drained her. Shewas running low on energy.As if tomirror her feelings, herhologramflickered.

“Don’tleaveme!”Mattiepleaded.“I don’t have a lot of choice about it.” Her left arm vanished. Her head

disappearedandreappeared.Themanchasingthemskiddedtoastop,stunnedbyAmanda’svanishing.

Inthatmoment,Amandafeltakindofpowerswellinsideher.Shepossessedaquality that could intimidate an adult she found terrifying. She tried to seeherself:noarmsorlegs.DHIshadow.Again.

“I’mrighthere,”shesaid,hervoicecellularqualityagain.Theguardranstraightforher,eyeswidewithfearandrage.“Keeprunning,”AmandacalledtoMattie.Sheliftedherinvisiblearmsand

pushed.

Nothing. She’d missed. She was about try again when he closed thedistance.

“Boo!”sheshouted,justashewasgoingtorunherover.Theman flew off the ground, screaming.He turned an ankle as hewent

downandslammedontothehardroad,itsdirtsurfacecompactedtocementbyendlesstourbuses.

Mattiewasnowa smalldot in thedarkdistance.Theman rolledaround,grippinghisankleandmoaning.

Amandadidn’t knowmuchSpanish, but sheknewa fewkeywords.Shesneakeduponthewrithingmanandwhisperedharshly,“ViveelDiablo!”TheDevillives!

Heholleredagain.Rolledawayfromherandofftheroadbed,nowtuckedintoafetalposition.Hewasgoingtoneedtherapy.

Farawayonthemountain,agirlscreamed.Charlene!Theyshouldhaveneverleftherbehind.

***

Duringthesixo’clockhour,halfthepassengersattendedthemusicalintheWaltDisneyTheatrewhiletheotherhalfateinoneoftheship’sthreediningrooms.

AmongtheKeepers’cruiseresponsibilitieswasrotatingeachnighttodinewithadifferentfamily.Tonight,Finnhadbeenassignedatablewithamom,adad,andten-year-oldtwinboys.Atthenexttable,Philbywaswithtwosetsofparents and twogood lookinggirls abouthis age.Someguysgot all the luck,Finnthoughtbitterly.WasthisWayne’sdoingaswell?

During the appetizer course—soup for Finn—a Cast Member, a youngwoman,arrivedathistable.

“FinnWhitman?”Shepassedhimanenvelope.“What’s this?” Finn asked, accepting it. Typically, any notewas left in a

holderoutsidethedoorofyourstateroom.Ahanddeliveryhadtobespecial.Shewascollegeage,alittleheavy,withsad,listlesseyes.Notyourtypical

CastMember, Finn thought, though it had been a long day for everyone. Sheshruggedandheadedoff.

Finnopenedtheenvelope.Insidewasatypedorcomputer-printedcard.

THEDIRECTOROFSECURITYREQUESTSYOURPRESENCEAT6:30PM,

PERYOURRECENTACTIVITYINANIMATOR’SPALATE.

Finngulped.Peryourrecentactivity…As in: throwinga tableacross theroomanddestroyingawall?

The exchange had caught Philby’s attention. Finn leaned out of his chairandpassedhimthenote.

“MindifIcomealong?”Philbysaid.“Iwasjustabouttoask.”

***

Withpassengersdividedbetweeneatingandenjoyingtheshow,theshipwaslikeaghosttown.AsFinnandPhilbydescendedthestairwaytoDeck1,thestaircaselightssputtered,flickered,anddied.

When the lights came back up a moment later, they were at half theiroriginalbrightness,agloomyamber.

“Doyoualwaystravelinpairs?”Theyrecognizedhervoiceimmediately,theknowledgefollowedbyawave

ofdreadandterror.Maleficentrarelyshowedherself,andwhenshedid…FinnandPhilbyhadtoomanybadmemoriesofthosemoments.

Exchangingalook,refusingtoglancebackandseetheevilfairy,theboyscontinueddownthestairway.Theywerecarefulnottorun,nottoinstigatesomeaction fromMaleficent. She was powerful, but they’d beaten her before; shedidn’tscareFinnthewaysheoncemighthave.Theywantedtoreachthelandingwheretherewouldbemoreroomandmorechoicesforescapeoreven—didhedarethinkit?—victory.

Belowthem,ontheDeck1forwardlanding,asecondfigureappeared:theEvilQueen.

Awitchsandwich.“NoChernabog,”Philbywhispered.“That’sinteresting.”“Onlytoyou,”Finnsaid.“Butnowthatyoumentionit…”Maleficentraisedbotharms,liftingherrobe.Shelookedlikeagiantpurple-

and-blackraven,butwithagreenface,pointedchin,andalongnose.“Therecomesatimeineveryriteofpassage,”theevilfairysaidinherclear

but icy voice, “when one must confront one’s demons. This is the momentbetweenyouthandadulthood.Thedarkpassage.Butyouwillneverreachthatpassage,FinnWhitmanandDellPhilby.Foryourtimehascome.”

“Yourmagicispowerful,”saidtheQueenfrombelow.“Childrenshouldnotplaywithfire.Sadly,youareneitherchildrennorofage.Youliveinthemiddlekingdom,whereviewsareneverclearandtrust isnevercertain.Ienvyyou, iftruthbetold.Ipityyouaswell.Forintheend,itcomesdowntotheperson.Thesoulofthematter.Wehavetransitioned,havewenot?Fromonesidetothenext.Fromthere,tohere.Andnow,dearones,youtoowillbegiventhishonor,sothatwemayunderstandyourmagicbetter.”

FinnandPhilbyweretrapped.Onanyothersectionofstairway,theycouldhavevaultedthebanistersandescaped.Butthefinalflightofstairsdidnotofferthatchoice.

“We need only a tiny favor,” Maleficent said. “So much easier if youcooperate.”

“Somucheasier,”theQueenechoed.Philby spoke calmly, like a man twice his age. Finn marveled at his

composure.“Beauty such as yours, fair Queen, should not be hidden. This wretch

behind us—hideously foul, don’t you think?—does not deserve to share thesameairwith loveliness suchasyours.Whatdoesshewant fromyou,doyouthink? Equality? Her? You may slay the two of us—helpless children—butbewaretheenemywithin.”

Finnspottedtheopening.Justforaninstant,Philby’sappealtotheQueen’svanity,hishintsaboutcompetitionfromMaleficent,madethewitchtotakehereyes off the prize: she looked beyond the boys to the winged woman on thelanding above. In that moment, Philby dove, a swan dive aimed at the witchbelow.

He heard the flutter of wings too late. Diablo—freed from his kitchenprisoncell—struckPhilbymid-flight.ThesmallishbirdsmashedPhilbyintothewall.He slid limply to the floor; theEvilQueenput her polished shoeonhisneck and pressed down. Hard. Philby’s face went red. She eased up, but notmuch.

“Returnofthejournal,”Maleficentsaid.“Now!”“I…ahh…”“NOW!”

Finnlookedbetweenthetwowomen.TheQueenincreasedthepressureonPhilby’sneck.Hewasshakinghisheadno.

Oneofyouwilldie.“Okay! Okay!” Finn said. He gently slipped his Wave Phone from his

pocketandcalledMaybeck.Butallthewhilehewasthinking:Iftheyneedthejournal,iftheywanttokillus,thentheydon’thaveChernabogyet.

“Listen up,”Finn said nervously. “The safe combination is four-two-one-two.” He gathered his courage. He would have to talk incredibly fast. Hewonderedifhisnewfoundspeedandabilitieswouldtranslatetohisvoice.“Takethejournaltothejoggingtrack.Holditovertherail.Waitforus.Dropitifwe’renot—”

Hehaddoneit:spokenfasterthanthoseguysattheendofradioads.ButMaleficent hadhimoff his feet, heldby the throat, her hand as cold as liquidnitrogen.

“Fixit,”shewhispered.Finn could barely breathe—his throatwas starting to freeze shut—but he

managedtodropthephone.Itbounceddownthestairs.“Curse you!” Maleficent cried, dropping him like a sack of sand. Finn

collapsed to the stairs. “Youobstinate,wretched little—”She raisedherhandshigh,clearlypreparingtoendhim.

Finnclosedhiseyes:Oneofyouwilldie.“Stop! You fool!” the Queen thundered. “We need him. We need that

journal!”Maleficent turned a darker, hideous green as she blushed, clearly not

accustomedtobeingscolded.“Up,”theQueencommanded.“Bothofyou.”ShetookherfootoffPhilby’s

throat.Herubbedhisneckandsuckedforair.SheaddressedFinn.“Wewillgoalongwithyourplan,youngman,butifI

sensetheslightestdeceit,believeme,youwillwishyouweredeadandburied.”“Ibelieveyou,”Finnmuttered.DiablolandedonMaleficent’sshoulderandstaredcruellyatPhilby.Minutes later, they were on the jogging track, the evening wind driving

warmseaairacrossthedeck.Afewstraypassengerslinedtheraillookingout,somearm-in-arm.

Onepersonwasnotstudyingthesea,butstaringatthetwowomenandtwo

boyswhocamethroughtheamidshipsdoorway:Maybeck.Abird tookflight fromthe tallerwoman’sshoulder,startlingafewof the

passengers. They immediately took this to be part of the evening’sentertainment.Whisperswentdowntherail.

Ignoringthem,Maybeckheldthejournalovertheside.“Whatnow?”saidMaleficent.SheheldFinnbythebackoftheneck.“Youreleaseusandyoubothkeepyourhandsatyourside.”“Youtellher,Finn!”apassengershouted.Afewapplauded.“He’llputthejournaldownonthedeck,”Finnsaid.“Finnwill joinhim,”Philbysaid, takingover.“Istaywithyou.Theywill

backaway from the journal.When theQueen is close to the journal, youwillreleaseme.Irun.TheQueengetsthejournal.”

Maleficentconsideredtherules.“Agreed.”Philby caught Finn’s attention and threw his eyes to thewall, where the

shuffleboardequipmenthung.Philbywasadeviousboy;itwaseverythingFinncoulddotostopfromsmiling.

“Youhearanyofthat?”FinncalledtoMaybeck.Theboyshookhishead.“Journalgoesonthedeck.Youkickitundertherailiftheydon’tletusgo.”Maybecknoddedandsetthejournaldown.Finn,whowantedtoswitchroleswithPhilby,knewbetterthantoprotest.

HewalkedtowardMaybeck.TheQueenfollowed,afewstepsbehind.Their audience grew significantly—the passengers seemed to be coming

outofthewoodwork.Tothem,it lookedlikeanimprovisationonanOldWestshootout.

TheQueenwasnowastepfromthejournal,practicallydrooling.MaleficentheldtightlytoPhilby,hergripcruel.“Releasehim!”Finncalled.HeandMaybeckdidthefox-trot;theytooka

stepbackandanotherawayfromtherail.“Donotmove,”FinnwhisperedtotheQueen,whoseemedreadytopounce.

MaleficentreleasedPhilby.Hebackeduptowardthedoorslowly.Itwasafive-persondancenow.MaybeckandFinneasedclosertothewall;

theQueen bent toward the journal;Maleficent eyed the three boys, expectingtrouble.

Finn didn’t disappoint. He jumped for the wall, jumped farther than anOlympian,grabbedholdofashuffleboarddisc,squatteddown,andshotitacrossthedeck,knockingthejournalbeneaththerail justastheQueen’slongfingersreachedforit.

Philby and Maybeck rushed through the door, followed by Finn, whosespeedmadehimnearlyimpossibletosee.Hewasthelastthroughthedoor,hiseyesalightwithvictory.

TheQueenshrieked,“KILLTHEM!”ButMaleficentmadenomove.Shewassmiling—redlips,greenskin,white

teeth.Ahorrorshow.Likeanangel rising,herecameDiabloabove the rail, the journal’scover

clenchedinhisbeak,therestofthepagesdangling.TheQueenwounduptothrowaspell.Finndoveinside,cametohisfeet,

andran.“They got the journal!” he shouted as the three boys bounded down the

stairs.“Diablocaughtit!”AtDeck3theyhurriedtowardthebowandtheforwardstairs.“Wherearewegoing,anyway?”Maybeckasked.“Security!”repliedPhilby.“They’reexpectingus.”

***

Poised precariously on a rock ledge thirty feet below the zip-line platform,Charlene dared not move, for fear of being seen. Having jumped from theplatform,she’dalsojumpedintoDHIshadow—invisibility.

As she reached out from where she was hidden, several of her fingersreappeared.Fortherusetowork,everylastguardwhohadpursuedthemhadtoridetheziplinetothefarside.Onlyoneguyhaddoneso.Aftercollidingwiththeemptyharnessthatshe’dsentaheadhalfwayoutacrosstheline,thismanhadshoutedsomethingbackinSpanish.Whoeverwasontheplatformaboveher—ifanyone—hadfailedtofollowdowntheline.

What anyof itmeant,Charlenewasn’t sure.Shewas currently tucked inbehindaplantwithgreenleavesthesizeofbeachtowels,herbackagainstrock.

The ledgewas nomore than four feetwide. Ten feet belowwas anotherledge,and thirty feetbelow thatyetanother, likestair steps leadingdown into

thedark slashof ravine.Her onlyhopeof catchingup toAmanda andMattiewas the trail on this side.But if shewere seen taking it, shewould lead theirpursuersstraighttoherfriends.

The only way to reach the trail from the ledge was to climb up to theplatform,anduntilthemanlefttheziplinehewouldspotherifshetriedtodothat.Presently, she sawhimhand-walkingback towardher,his anklescrossedovertheline,movinglikeaninchworm.

Whatnow?Charlenethought.ClimbingnearlystraightuptherockshouldkeepherinDHIshadow,butif

not… Charlene wasn’t overly concerned about her own safety; she was fast,strong,andaprojectionoflight,impossibletoharm.ButMattiewasvulnerable.Ifshewerecaptured,theKeeperswouldbemissingtwooftheirteammembers.

Decisiontime.Thelongershestayedhere,thelongerAmandawouldwait—nomatterhowdetrimentaltothebiggerplan.AmandawasjusttooAmandatoleavewithouther.CharlenefacedtherockandbeganclimbinglikeSpider-Man,alertforbothhandholdsandtoeholdsaswellasherDHIreappearing.

Behindher,theguardcontinuedpullinghimselftowardtheplatform.Tenfeetfromthewoodenstruts,Charlenestretchedherhandtograbathick

rootstickingoutofthemudwallandherhandsparkledtolife.Shequicklydrewit downout of projection.The inchwormguardwas close behind andmovingfast.

She waited, holding on for dear life, the toe of her running shoe barelycaught on a small jutting rock, her left hand clinging to a vine. She formed aplan.

Astheguardnearedtheplatform, twoofhispalssteppedforwardtohelphim,theirfeetattheplatform’sedge.

Charlenetimedherclimbcarefully.Asthetwoleanedout,reachingfortheman,shemovedfuriously,herDHIreappearing, first fuzzy, thensolid.Oneofthetwomenleaningoutspottedher,but toolate.Shegrabbedthefirst legshecouldreachandpulled.Thismanfell fromtheplatformandwrappedhisarmsaroundtheguardinchwormingonthezipline.Thesecondmantriedtoholdhispartnerback,buthe,too,waspulledoffbalance.Withtheaddedweight,thezipline pulleys began to roll, and the threemen, screaming for help, raced awayover the ravine. Charlene hooked a knee, pulling herself fully up onto theplatform.

Thewoman from the bedroom—fit as a ninja—stood there, blocking the

stairway.ShesaidsomethinginSpanishthatdidn’tsoundparticularlynice.Charlene’sDHIpassedthroughher.Thewomanfainted,collapsingontothe

platform.Charlenetookoffrunning,herDHIdissolvingandreforming,thedarkness

of the jungle engulfing her and driving her down, down, down the trail evenfaster.Withanyluck,shecouldreachAmanda,Mattie,andthetaxiintime.

THEBOYSSPOKEATONCE.UncleBobtiltedbackinhischair.Themonitorsrunningbehindhimshowedviewsofaquietship.

“First,”Bobsaid loudly,shutting themup,“Ididnotsendyouthisnote.”Herubbedthebackof thecardandtosseditontohisdesk.“Itwas typedonatypewriter,not a computer.Thereare a totalof two typewriterson this ship—they’reonlyhere in case the computersgodown.Whoever sent this toyou…well, it can’t be many people. I can look into it. But, bottom line, you weretricked. So nowweknowwhowas inAnimator’s Palate.This is your secondvandalisminthreedays.Thecompanyisgoingtotakeadimviewofthis.”

Philby held up a hand to stopMaybeck and Finn. “Youmust have it oncamera.”

“We have three kids on camera—Finn and two girls, onewho plays liontamer.Wehaveaknife-throwingcontest.Youallarelivingontheedge.”

“It’snotagame!”Finncried.“Theywere trying tokillus!Yousawwhowasthrowingtheknives,Ihope!”

“Offcamera.”“Ofcourse!”Finnshouted.“Quietdown,son.”Finnglared.Hewasabouttousethe“dad”linePhilbyhadused,butPhilby

cuthimoff.Again.“Youhavecamerasonyour stairways. I’msureyoudo,”Philby said. “In

caseoflawsuitsoverpeoplehurtingthemselves.”Bob’sfacerevealednothing.“So,checkoutDeck1forward,maybethirtyminutesago.”Bobpursedhislips.Barelylookingathiskeyboard,hecalledupadifferent

fourimagesonhisscreen.Theupperrightwasblack.“Thatyourdoing,too?”hesaid,pointingtotheblankquadrant.“Oh,perfect,”Finnsaid.“Dotheymakeanymistakes?”

“Andthejoggingtrack,fifteenminutesago?Thesamething?”“Samething,”Bobconfirmed.“Andyouthinkit’sus?”Philbysaid.“I’mtoldbythemostreliableauthoritiesthatyou,Mr.Philby,canhackjust

aboutanything.Someunsecuredvideofeeds?Child’splay,Iwouldimagine.”Theroomwentquiet.Maybecksat forward inhischair.“Okay, socheck itout: Iget friedbya

boltoflightning.MyboysgetinajamwithMaleficent—therealMaleficent,nottheprettyone.We’renotaskingyoutobuythis,becausewe’renotselling,we’retelling. There is stuff going down. Some of your own crew have beenhypnotized.They’rezombies.Badzombies.”

UncleBobnoddedeversoslightly.Maybeckcouldn’ttellifhisspeechwashavinganyeffect,butcontinueddeterminedly.

“They’re sending us fake notes. They’re threatening our lives. Now,supposedlythefiveofus,asDisneyHosts,representsomeseriousfinancialsforthecompany.Whyelsewouldtheyinstallusonyourship?Giveusafreecruise?Wemakethemmoney:asguides,withmerchandise,videogames,books.”

“We’rewaitingforthemovie,”Finnadded.“Andyou’renotgoingtodoanythingaboutthesethreats?”Maybecksaid,

sittingbackandcrossinghislegs.“Seriously?”AveininBob’sneckwasdoingtheMacarena.“This is all going in an e-mail tonight,” Maybeck said. “Maybe five e-

mails.”“Are you expecting to turn your acts of vandalism into something I just

excuse?Forgive?”“We know you found the balloon, because you told us,” Philby said. “It

wasn’tus.”“Animator’sPalatewasus,butinself-defense.Iswear!”Finnsaid.“Just now…maybe tenminutes ago…theOvertakers stole something that

belongstothecompany—”“Thatwasinourcare,”Finnsaid,interruptingMaybeck.“Andweneeditback,”addedPhilby.Bob raised his hand. “Settle down, boys.” He studied their faces one by

one.“Whatdoyouknowaboutastowaway?AndIwantthetruth.”

“Noideawherehe’shiding,”Philbysaid.“Buthe’stheonewhoguttedthehyena,”Maybecksaid.“Thewhat?”“The…nevermind.”“Youstoletheprotein-spillcart,”BobsaidtoMaybeck.“Borrowed.Yes,sir.”Bobnodded.“Takesnervetobehonestwithme,boys.Irespectthat.”“Thankyou,sir,”Finnsaid.“Notwhatyou’vedone.Notthedamageyou’vedone.”Finnstartedtoobject,butPhilbystoppedhim,allowingBobtotalk.“Asforyoursafety,youngman,”BobsaidtoFinn.“Itisandshallremain

mytoppriority,justasthesafetyofeverysoulaboardthisshipismypriority.Asfor your…escapades, yes, I’m in contact with Wayne periodically. Am I a‘believer’?No,Iamnot.ButI’mwillingtogiveyouandhimacertainamountofleeway,becausewhenyouworkforthiscompanyaslongasIhave,well,youseethings,hearthings,thatmostpeoplewouldthinkimpossible.Also,becauseIdohappen tobelieve inyour cause:protectingDisney,keeping the experience‘magical,nottragical,’asWayneonceputit.”Hegrinned.“Wayne’sclearanceisabovemine.I’mnotonetoargueuptheladder.”

Theman’sexpressiontoldthemhe’drevealedtoomuch.Hespokequicklytocoverhimself.

“I’mgoingtogiveyouapass.We’llscratchtheslateclean.I’malsogoingtoendeavortokeepaclosereyeonyouallandmakesureyouremainsafe,sinceyou’reofsuchimportancetothecompany.”

PhilbyglaredatMaybeck.“Butforthis,I’mexpectingalittlequidproquo.Alittletit-for-tat.Meaning

I want to hear from you before you go destroying my ship again. Do weunderstandeachother?”

Finnspokeforthethreeofthem.“Understood.But—”“Donottellmeyouhavetohavethelastword,becausethatisnotgoingto

happeninmyoffice,youngman.”Finnshuthismouth.“Doyouhavesomethingtosay?”“No,sir.”

“That’lldo.”Bobmotionedtothedoor.

“WHATDIDYOUSEEwhenyoutouched?What,exactly?”

Thegirlswereridinginthebackofadifferenttaxi,theAventuraparknowsafelybehindthem.Orsotheyhoped.Apparentlythedriveroftheoriginaltaxihad been too freaked bywhat he’d seen to return. Their current driverwas aCostaRicanwomanaboutthesameageasCharlene’shighschoollibrarian.

“I told you guys, it’s more a feeling. Quick little pictures sometimes.”Mattie’s face twisted in disgust. “You would not believe what people arethinkingmostofthetime.Someofitisdisgusting.WhatIpickedupfromthatguywashisbeingalluptightaboutazipperonaduffelbagnotclosing.Therewasaboyinside.”

“Dillard,” Charlene said. For all the excitement she’d felt, the burden offailureownedher.Leadingamissionwasn’teverythingshe’dthoughtitwouldbe. They were going home empty-handed. No matter what they would say,PhilbyandFinnandMaybeckwouldviewherasafailure.“Dillardwasintheduffelbag.”

“Beingputonabus.I’mprettysureitwasourbus.Thegirlwasallworriedabouttheship.Andtheguy,morejungleandrocks.Hewasdesperate.Afraid.Itwasdaytime.Peoplespendalotoftimeimaginingwhat’scoming.Don’taskmewhy,sincetheycan’tchangeit.Buttheydo.”

“WasDillardthere?”“It’snotamovie.Ireadtheirfeelings,Charlene.There’salotoflove.Way

toomuchhate.Hunger.Worry.Fear.Anger.Peoplewastealotoftime.”The taxi snaked along the two-lane road; the girls sat in silence. Pretty

soon,Charlene’sandAmanda’sDHIshit interference,sputtered,andvanished.Mattieclosedhereyesandtriedtonap.

Itwasimpossible.Withcellcoveragerestored,aninvisibleAmandaspoke.“WhyhideDillardontheship?”FrustrationpunctuatedAmanda’sdigitally

manipulatedvoice.“IftheywantedFinndead,theywouldhavejustkilledhim.”

“Well,that’sacheerythought,”saidCharlene’s.Mattie’s head tracked left to right to left like she was watching a tennis

match.“Maybe not,” saidAmanda. “They brought him back to the ship. If they

haven’talready,atsomepointthey’regoingtorealizeit’snotFinn.Thatcan’tbegoodforDillard.”

“I don’t get it,” Charlene said. “Why bother with all this?Why not justcaptureFinnontheship?”

Mattie said, “Because if it happens off the ship, it’s someone else’sresponsibility.Noone’sgoingtosearch theshipforsomeonewhodisappearedofftheship.”

“Theywantedthecruisetocontinue,”Amandasaid.“Wedon’tknowiftheystillthinkit’sFinn.”Charlenesoundedexcited.“If

we’re lucky––ifDillard’s lucky––thedisguise is stillworking.And thatmeansFinncan’tbeseenontheship.Iftheydiscoverthey’vebeentricked,thatwon’tbegoodforDillard.”

“Mattie,”Amanda said. “We need to sendPhilby a text usingCharlene’sphoneandhavehimtellFinntostayinthestateroom,outofsight.Hecan’tbeseenbyanyone.We’llhavetosmugglehimfoodandstuff.”

“Theboyintheduffelbag…hewasalive,”Mattiesaid.“Dillardwasalive.”Charlenesaid,“Let’shopewecankeephimthatway.”Mattietookoutthephoneandbegantotypeoutatext.

***

The partingwas not easy.Mattie repeatedly told them she’d be okay, but shedidn’tbelieveit.Ateenagegirlinaforeigncountry,headedfortheboattotakeherup thecoast toPuertoVallarta.Willa’spassport.Charlene’s iPhone.A fairamount of cash, and a credit card Philby had “borrowed” from his mother’spurse.Hismotherwouldn’tlookforthecarduntilsheneededmorecashfromanATM.Shedidn’tuseherplasticinforeigncountries.

Butitwasstillrisky.MattieandWilladidn’tlookperfectlyalike,butinanoddwaytheredstreakinMattie’sdarkhairhelped.IfyoutookWillaandmadeherGoth,therewasenoughofasimilaritybetweenherandMattietobelieveafour-year-oldphoto.

Amanda discovered that her DHI could not cry tears. But still, feelingherselfcryingwhileaDHIwasjustanotheronalonglistofthingsthatsurprisedherabout thehologramexperience—likenot feelinghumidityand temperaturechange in thesameway,andrarely ifever feelinghungry.Butherheartcouldache,as itdidnow,as shestoodona streetcornerbeneatha tropical tree, thesoundofcarhornsinthedistancelikecoyotescryingbeneaththestars.

“Doyouthinkthepassportwillwork?”Charleneasked.“Ithinkthat’stheleastofherproblems.Youknowhowfaritis?”“Butshe’llbeatusthere?”“Supposedly.Butwhoknows?”“Havealittlefaith!”Amanda found Charlene’s gung-ho energy annoying. She was all for

optimismandcourageinthefaceofdanger,butalongboatrideupthecoastforasixteen-year-oldgirlcarryingsomeoneelse’spassport?Wasitbetterthanevenoddsthatthey’deverseeMattieagain?AndhowwouldtheyfeelifshefailedtomaketherendezvousinPuertoVallarta?Whatthen?

“ItwassupposedtobeherandDillardtravelingtogether.Thatmadealotmoresensethanhergoingitalone,”Amandasaid.

“Everythinghappensforareason.”“Butnotalwaysagoodreason!”Amandahadhadaboutenough.“Sincewhenareyouaglass-half-emptytype?”Amandareachedoutherhand.TheReturnwouldbeaneasiertransmission

iftheirhologramsconnectedintoasinglegraphicsfile.“SheshouldberequestingthereturnfromPhilbyany—”Amandafailedto

getthelastwordsout.SheawokeinherupperbunkinMrs.Nash’shouse.Beforeshefullyopened

hereyes,sheachedtobebackaboardtheDisneyDream…withFinn.

INFORMEDBYUNCLEBOBof theboys’visit tohisoffice,ClaytonFreemanwalkedwith Rafina, a fellow security member from Rwanda. The breakthrough hadcomeonlymomentsbeforeBob’scall.Achildhadspilled lemonadeata tablewithaviewof themammothFunnelVisionscreen.Claytonhad jumpedup tohelpcleanit,buthadstoppedinthemidstoflayingnapkinsacrossthespill,hismemory jogged: a string of successive drops stained the decking in a straightline.

Thepatternwaseerilyfamiliar.Andthen,likeajolt,hehadit:he’dseenthejoggingpathstainedinasimilarpattern.

Armedwith two Taser stun guns, he andRafina approached the forwardjoggingpath’sstarboardcurve,thespotwheretwicebeforeFreemanhadlostthestowaway.

Freemanhadtakenaforensicscourseincollege.Fluidsplatterhadreceivedtwo weeks of intensive study. These stains on the jogging track, like thelemonade,formedperfectlittlesuns.Meaningthey’ddrippedstraightdownfromoverhead.

Freemanlookedup.Agroupoflargepipesranoverhead,interruptedbytwolargemetalcubes

suspendedfromtheceilingendtoend,eachnearlythesizeofarefrigerator.ThecubenearestFreemancarrieddarkstainsrunningdownitsside.

“Whatisthat?”Rafinaasked.Thiswasn’tthefirsttimeFreemanhadstudiedtheupperareaofthedeck’s

tunnel;notbyanymeans.Butitwasthefirsttimehe’dnoticedagapabovetherefrigerator- size boxes. He wasn’t sure of the purpose the large steel boxesserved—water tanks?––but theywere clearly fixtures, permanent piecesof theship.

Thespillswerenotoilorpinkhydraulicfluid.Notbirddroppingsorrust.Itlookedmorelike…

Soda.

For Rafina’s sake, Freeman mimed his drinking from a can. He thensignaledforhertobequiet,andshenodded.

Freeman concentrated on every detail of his surroundings. A slight scuffmark—faint scratches on the varnished wooden handrail—said it all. Hemotioned for Rafina to climb the wall, using the handrail as a leg up. Heindicated his own eyes, wanting her to look into the narrow space above thepiece of steel overhead. She nodded. Hemade fists, indicating she should beprepared for confrontation, pointed to himself and then the deck: he wouldremaindownhere.Sheunderstood.

Litheandcatlike,Rafinaascended thewall. Inorder to reachaparticularhandholdsheneeded toadjusther left foot—itperfectlycovered the scratchedareaonthehandrail.Atthismoment,Freemanknewhewasright.

Hissearchforthestowawaywasabouttocometoanend.As Rafina’s head came even with the top of the steel box, pages of

newsprint tookflightfromtheoppositeside, falling towardFreemanlikegiantconfetti.Hebatted themaside.Foodwrappers followed,aswellaspapercupsforsoda.Alargeboycrashedtothedeck.Freemantackledhim.

Rafinashouteddowntohim,hervoiceechoing.“There’s another one, on drugs or something,” Rafina called down. “His

eyesareopen,buthe’snotmoving.”“It’snotdrugs!”theotherkidsaid,appealingtoFreeman.“Theydidthisto

him.Zonedhimoutlikethatbecausehewarnedthekids.”“Whois‘they’?”Freemanasked.“Ifyoudon’tknowthat,”thekidsaid,“I’dbettertalktoyourboss.”

WILLAMISSEDTHEMEETING,unabletogetawayfromhermom’sstateroomatsuchalatehour.Mostof theparentshadbeenoffontheirownfor thecruise.Willa’skeptacloseeyeonherlateatnight.

Philbykeptlookingaround,asifexpectingtoseeWilla.Maybeckhadbeenexperiencingheadachesandhadgonetobedatelevento

getreadyforthefollowingdayatPuertoVallarta.TheDream,“runningbehindschedule”duetodelaysinCostaRica,wasset

todisembarkgueststhreehourslate,attenthirtyinthemorning.“Three steps,” Finn said, holding up the copies of the pages from the

journaland repeatingwhathe’dsaidonlya fewminutesbefore.“Thewitch—thatwouldbeTiaDalma.Stepone.”He raisedone finger. “Thekey flower—MaybeckandStoreysawTiaDalmadoingaceremonyoverbeforeshepickeditin the cave.”A second finger. “And nowDillard. Just asLuowski andMattiewarned.Asacrifice.‘Oneofyouwilldie.’”

Charlenewormed her hands between knees, tightly pressed together. Shelookedreadytocrawloutofherskin.

“It’snotyourfault,Charlene,”Finnsaid.“Easyforyoutosay.”“IfwecombinewhatJessdrew,” theProfessorsaid,comingtohisfeet in

the small inboard stateroom, “withwhatMattie felt up on themountain, theyprettymuchmatch.Stone.Maybeacave.Somethingdangerous.”

“Chernabog,”Finnsaidflatly.“You’d think.” Philby picked at a fingernail. Itwas a nasty habit he had

recently developed. “I suppose no one’s going to tell us if they found himbackstageandlockedhimuporsomething.Butiftheyhad,let’sfaceit:Waynewouldknow.Waynewouldhavetoldus.”

“So,weknowwhattheyhaveplanned,”Charlenesaid,herfacepointedtothefloor.“Whatarewegoingtodoabout it?”Charleneseemedverydejected.

Therealityofthesituationhadsunkin.The sound of defeat in her voice was so foreign, Finn found himself

concentratingon thefact that itwasreallyher.Sheblamedherself forDillard,whichdidn’tmakeanysense.

“We’regoingtostopit,”Finnsaid.“He’snotacat,”Philbycountered.“Hedoesn’tgetninelives.”“He’samonster,”Charlenesaid.“Somaybehegetsmore.”Philbysnorted.“Iftheygetusthinkingwe’rebeatbeforewereallyare,then

theywin.”“Lookwho’sthecheerleadernow,”shesaid.“They’vegotDillard,”Finnremindedhim.Philby countered, “They think they’ve got you. Kenny said the disguise

wasn’tperfect,butgiventheclothesandthefactthey’veneveractuallyheldyoucaptivebefore,theymaystillbelievehe’syou.”

Finnthought:Thenhe’sdead.Kennynoddedfromthecorner.Helookedlikethekidgoingtodetention.

“Itcouldgoeitherway.”“So they have a hostage,” Finn said. “And we know what they’re

planning.”“‘Someonewill die,’”Charlene repeated. “I really don’t thinkwe should

haveleftMattie!Thatwasabadplan.”“Itwastheonlyplan.”Philbysoundeddefensive.“Itdidn’twork!”“It helped!” he shouted. “Mattie empathizedwith twoof them.Weknow

morethanwedid.”“Yeah, right! She helped us, and now she’s alone. Some friends we are.

Someteam!”“The oneswho are hurting,” Finn said, “areAmanda and Jess. They got

Mattietocomehereinthefirstplace.”“Do you ever stop thinking about her? Feeling sorry for her?” Charlene

raisedherheadjustlongenoughtomakeFinnfeelherscorn.“So,whatnow?”PhilbyaskedFinninamockingtone.WasFinnsupposedtocapitulateandletPhilbydirectthenextstep?“They’regoingtogetofftheship,”Finnsaid.“EitherinPuertoVallartaor

Cabo.UnlesstheserocksandcavesareinDisneyland, thenithastobeoneofthenextstops.”

“Agreed.”Philbyseemedtobetauntinghim:BeassmartasIam.“They’ll head to this place, whatever it is. They’ll take Chernabog and

Dillard.Theybroughtme—orDillard—backtotheshipbecausetherewasmoretodo.”

Philbynodded.Hecouldbesoannoying.“TheriseofChernabog,”Charlenesaid.“That’ssuchadrama-queenwayofsayingit,”Philbysneered.Charlenestuckhertongueoutathim.“ThebestmoveisforourDHIstofollowthem.Ifwecanevenfigureout

whenandhowthey’releavingtheship.”“They’re creaturesofhabit,”Philby said. “Theywill leaveby the sideof

theshipawayfromthedock,theforwardgangway.Therewillbeaboatwaiting.JustlikeinAruba.Trustme.Butitcan’tbeourDHIs.”

“Noprojectors.”“Goldstar.”“We’resupposedtoguidethekayaktrip.Allfiveofus,”Charlenereminded

Philby,eyesmovingtoFinn.“Ifwe’reano-show,theexcursioncrewwillcomelookingforus.”

“Yes,”Philbysaid.“Butoncewedisembark,we’llbeloggedofftheshipbythecomputers.Securitywillbeabletodeterminethatweleft theshipwiththefirstpassengers.”

“AndiftheOvertakersleavetheshipbeforewe’reallowedoff?”Charleneasked.

“Thatwouldbe smart of them, andbad for us,”Philby conceded. “Goodthinking,Charlie.”

Finnraisedafinger.“Wecanassumetherewillbeprojectioninthetown,justnotoutinthejungle.”Philbydidnotcontradicthim.“WesendStoreyoutasaDHI.Shecanjumpthroughthehull,won’tneedtogothroughsecurityatthegangway.Onceout,shedropsarope—”

“Aline.”“—orfindsaladderonthepier.Weleavethroughtheaftgangwaydoor.We

swimfor it.Storeyhasfiguredoutawayforus togetoutof thewater.Thosedocksaresohigh,there’snowaywecandoitwithouthelp.”

“When the aft gangway door is opened, itwill send a signal to Security.They’llcheckcameras.They’llseeus.”Philbysoundedsoconfident.

“Butnotifyoucanrigitsotheydon’t.”Finnwastestinghistheory.“Correct,”Philbysaid.“You understandwe have only a slight idea of what the OTs are up to?

Sacrifice.RebootChernabog.Charlene?Dillard?Wealsoknowtheymaywant2.0 and one of us in order to figure it out.We can’t give them that. Stoppingthemisnotanoption,it’sarequirement.Ourpurpose,”Finnfinishedsoftly.

The only sound in the room was the faint hum of the ship’s powerfulengine,aslight,worryingvibration.

SURPRISINGLY,THINGSWENTaccordingtoplan.

ItwasalmostasifSecurityservedituponaplatterforPhilby.Heworkedoutanelaborateschemetolurepeopleoutoftheofficessohecouldgetinsideashis DHI and defeat the aft gangway alarm—only to watch an apparentemergencyvacatetheplacelikeitwasonfire.Philbyoverrodethecamerasandthealarmeasily.FinnandPhilbyhurriedtotheaftgangwaydoorwheretheymetupwithMaybeck,Willa,andCharlene.

Having left all electronics behind, but keeping their IDs on them, theyslippedintothewaterandswamtoshorewhereStoreyhadleftalineforthemtoclimb, ingeniously located behind a large sign listing immigration policy forarrivingpassengers.TheKeeperspulledthemselvesuptothedock,rolled,andhidbehindthesign,undetected.

Thepierworkofunloadingtrashandloadingmountainsoffoodbyforkliftkeptthecrewandlongshoremenoccupied.Philbypeeredaroundthesign,gaveathumbs-up,andthefiveKeeperswalkedcalmlythroughthewarehousetotheirfreedom,avoidingtheimmigrationstation,whichhadn’tevenopenedyet.

FinnandPhilbytookupalocationbyanATMthatofferedaclearviewofDeck 11 andwaited.Maybeck headed into the streets of PuertoVallartawithCharlene,whileWillastayednearataxistandupthestreetwithaclearviewofthetwoboys.

Thirtyminutesfeltlikeseveralhours,butfinallyStoreyappearedalongtherail.Shewavedherarms.Philbywavedback.Shepointedforward.

“Herewego,”Philbysaid.“TheOTsareonthemove.SameasAruba.”Storey’sfinalsignalwascradlingherarmsandrockinganinvisiblebaby—

thesignthattheOTswerecarryingsomething:Dillard.“They’vegothim,”Finnsaid.“Notforlong,theydon’t,”Philbysaid.Thesoundofapproachingmotorscaughttheirears.Theylookeduptosee

MaybeckandCharleneridingscooters.Thetwopulledtothecurbandindicated

thesparehelmetsclippedtotheseats.“Noway!”Finnsaid.“Howcouldyoupossibly—?”“It’sMexico,”Maybecksaid.Charlene said proudly, “He told the guy renting them that hewas twenty

andIwaseighteen.”“Turned out it didn’tmatter,”Maybeck explained. “You can rent them at

fifteenorover.Wehavethemfortheday.”“WhataboutWilla?”Philbyasked.“She’lltakethetaxiasplanned,”Maybecksaid.“Yougoingtoclimbon,or

what?”“Youlookstupidinthathelmet,”Philbysaid.“Waituntilyouhaveyourson,Romeo.”Finn teamed up with Charlene; Philby with Maybeck. They rode up to

Willaandfilledherin.WhilehereyesbetrayedherdesiretobewithPhilby,sheneithercomplainednorobjected.Toworktheirmissionsmoothly,theteamworkrequiredofeachofthemovercametherest.

WillapointedoutarustedwhitevanparkedawayfromtheDreamon thenextpier.“I’mguessingthat’stheirride.”

“Got to be,” Philby said. “So one bike in front, one behind; and the taxikeepsthevaninsightbutnevertooclose.”Headded,“Okaywithyou?”

Asmallboatpulleduptothepiernearthevan.Noneofthemhadnoticedthecraneuntilitloweredaslingtowardthewaitingboat.

“They’reoffloadingsomethingheavy,”Philbysaid.“Somethingbig.”“Him.”ForFinn,theonewordrangoutlikethesoundofastartinggun.

***

AnhouroutsideofPuertoVallarta,Willarealizedshe’drunoutofmoney.Thetaxidriverdroppedherbythesideoftheroad.Onthescooter,CharlenehadlostsightofMaybeckandPhilby,thewhitevan,andthetaxi.

“Hey,”Finnsaidintoherear,holdingontoherfrombehind.“Isn’tthat—”“Willa’staxi!”“Empty!”Charlenespedupthebike,believingthey’dreachedtheirdestination.When

they foundWilla on the side of the road, their spiritswere crushed.Not onlywould they now slow down further due to having three on the bike, but anychance of closing the distance on Maybeck’s bike and the white van weredashed.

“We’velostthem,”Finnsaid.“Maybe not,”Willa countered. “The driver spoke some English. And by

‘some,’Imeanverylittle.Hesaidtheonlythingouthereisastonequarryandsomeancientruins.There’satrailhead.Hesaidmaybetenmorekilometers.”

“Thequarry?”“End of the road. Another five kilometers past the trailhead. The early

nativesusedthequarryfortheirtemplerock.Theybuiltalimestoneroadfromthequarrytothesite.Itstillexists.”

“I’dsayhisEnglishwasprettygood,”Charlenesaid.“Hehadaguidebook.InSpanish,buttherewerepictures.”“Atouristtrap?”Finnsaid.“Nothardly.Itwasbeingexcavated,buttheyranoutofmoneyalongtime

ago. In the guidebook it’smarked as the highest level of difficulty for hiking.There’snowater,andit’snotpoliced.”

“ThathasOvertakerswrittenalloverit,”Finnsaid.WhenWilla failed to comment,Finngaveher amoment and then turned

towardher.He’dgivenhishelmettoher,sowiththewindinhisfacehecouldn’thearwell.

“What?”heshouted.“Whydoyoulooklikethat?”“It wasn’t just the money that stopped them from digging it up.” Willa

shoutedtobeheardoverthecomplainingmotor.“Thesitewasapparentlyusedforsacrifices.Humansacrifices.Peoplethoughtitwashaunted.”

“Human sacrifice.” Finn made it a statement. He leaned forward toCharlene.“Pleasetellmeyoucanmakethisthinggofaster.”

***

MaybeckandPhilbystayedwellbackofthewhitevan,partbydesign,partbydefault.

Losingthevanontheflatsmultipletimes,theywereabletoregainitonthejungle hills where the van struggled under a heavy load. Nonetheless, it was

somewhatbychancethatPhilbyspottedthevehicleoff-road,penetratingdeeperintothejungle.

He tapped Maybeck on the shoulder and pointed. Maybeck slowed thescooterandpulledtothesideoftheemptydirtroad.

“Whatnow?”Maybeckasked.Philbylookedback:Charlenewasnowhereinsight.“Wecan’twaitforthem,”Maybecksaid.“No. And you and I have to stay together. So pull up to where the van

turnedinandletmehopoffasecond.”Maybeckdidasrequested.Philbyclippedthechinstrapofhishelmettoa

vine,leavingithanginglowwhereitmightbespotted.“Brilliant!”Philbysmiled.“That’swhytheypaymethebigbucks.”It had become a common joke among the Keepers—their parents and

guardianswerereceivingdirect-depositmonthlyperformancefeesineducationalaccountstohelpfundaKeeper’scollegeenrollment;thekidsthemselvesneversawadime.

Awoodensignsaggedawayfromtheroad,itsmessagefadedandcoveredinvines.

“Notsosureaboutthebike,”Maybecksaid.“It’stooloud.”“Theycouldbemilesdownthisroad.”“Agreed.Buttheycouldhearuscoming.”“Thatwouldmakeforanunpleasantwelcomingparty.”“Aslongasthe…path”—Philbycouldhardlycallitaroad—“goesstraight,

andwecanseethevan’stracksoutahead,wecanstayonthebike.We’llgorealslow,soitbarelymakesnoise.Ifwelosethetiretracks,we’llshutitdownandwalkuntilweknowwhat’sgoingon.”

“Gotit.”Theyrodeahead,eyestrainedonthetracksleftbytheheavyvan.“Whoa!”saidPhilbyafterfiveminutes.Thedirttrailnarrowed,thejungle

encroaching.“Nasty.”Theyclimbedoffandwalkedthescooter.Thetrailnarrowedevenfurther,

barelywideenoughforthetwoboyswalkingsidebyside.Theyformedasinglefile, Maybeck in the lead, pushing the bike. The crushed plants and vines

indicated thepassageof thevan; tire trackswereno longereasy tosee. Itwasdarkerhere,thejungleblottingoutthesun.

“I’mstashingthisthing,”Maybecksaid.“It’sapaininthebutttopush.”Theboysleaneditbehindadeadstumpofa tree, fifteenfeet tall,easyto

spotamongtherestoftheovergrowthandwelloffthetrail.“Thisplaceisbizarre.”“It is,” Philby agreed. “I think it’s safe to assume they’re heading to an

ancienttempleorarchaeologicalsite.”“Ifyousayso.”“Therewerewholecitiesintheseplacesathousandyearsago.”“Sparemethehistorylesson.”“I’mjustsaying.”“Well, don’t.We shouldn’t talk. I’ll take the lead,”Maybeck said. “Hand

signalsonlyuntilweknowwhat’sgoingon.”“Yougoingtotakeyourhelmetoff?”“Oh,shutup!”Heunstrappedthehelmetandleftitwiththebike.Ashedid,

hewhispered,“Whatiftheothersseeyoursignalbutdon’tshutofftheirbike?Whatiftheymessthisup?”

“Itrustthem,”Philbydeclared.“Yeah?Wellgoodforyou.Me?I’llwaittomakethatcall.”“Youcan’twaitontrust.Youeitherhaveitoryoudon’t.”“Losetheprofessorthing,wouldyou?We’vegotamonstertotrackdown.

Anddon’tforgetDillard.”“Believeme.Ihaven’tforgotten.”Atthatexactmoment,theskyrumbled.Philbylookedupthinking:Whatnext?

***

“Whatnext?”Finnsaid,hiseyestrainedonthedarksky.“Rain?”Willasaid.Charlenehadspottedthehelmet;Willa,thesign.Finnpointedoutthedepth

ofthesingletrack—thescooter—explainingthatitwouldonlymakesuchadeep

impressionifbothboyswereonit.Theyheadeddownthedirttrail,noticinghowthejungleclosedinfromeitherside,chokingofftheroute.Finally,withthreeofthem riding, the scooter was spinning out too much. They parked it in thevegetation, ditched the helmets, andwalked.When the rain came it drenchedthemlikeafirehose,butitonlylastedalloffiveminutes.Thenthejunglefeltlikeasaunathathadbeenturnedup.Hot,sticky.

Mosquitoeswhinedbytheirears,thegirlsswattingatthem.“Idon’tlikethis,”Charlenesaid.“Noted.”Finndidn’tlikeiteither,butwithheldcomment.Troubledbythe

claustrophobicundergrowthandthelackoflight—itfeltlikemidnight!—hekepthisfearstohimself.

“Thesignsaid somethingabout religion,”Willa said.“Houseof religion?I’mnotsure.”

“Wedon’tknowifit’simportant,”Finnsaid,“untilwegetthere.”“Itcouldbemiles.”“Itcould.SoIsuggestwesaveourenergywithlesschatter.”But itwasn’t long until Finn lost sight of the bike track.He stopped the

girlsandtoldthemtowait.Back-tracking,hefoundwherethetrackledintotheundergrowthand,eventually,theotherbikebehindthetree.

“If this trailgetsanysmaller…”Charlenewhispered.Shedidn’tcompleteherthought.Shedidn’thaveto:theOvertakerscouldn’tbefar.

***

Among the jungle cries, thebuzzof insects the sizeofbats, and thenoisesofhumans extremely close by, Finn picked out a cooing he identified as comingfromPhilby.Philbyhadcared forawoundedpigeon inseventhgradeandhadtaughthimselftocoolikeone,abizarretalentthatonlyhisclosestfriendsknewabout.Andthoughapigeon’scoointhemiddleofaMexicanjunglemighthavecaughttheearofanornithologist,whenmixedintotheongoingcacophony,onlysuchabirdspecialistwouldrealizeithadnoplacehere.

FinntuggedonWilla’ssleeve,stoppingher.They’dbeenusinghandsignalsforthepasthundredyards,havingheardvoices.NowFinnpointedtotheirleft.

Thereitwasagain:coo-coo…Willa tookholdof and stoppedCharlene.The three carefully tiptoed into

theundergrowth,followingthecallofacitybirdalongwayfromhome.Maybeck andPhilby had found a part of an oldwall—avery oldwall—

made of refrigerator-size hand-carved stones stacked with exacting accuracy.Coveredincreepingvines,floweringorchids,andgiantferns,thewallwasn’tawall at all,but thebottomflightof a tieredpyramid temple thathad lost two-thirds of its upper structure to fifteen hundred years of hurricane winds anderosion.

With theirbackspressedagainst themoss-covered third rowof rock, andhidden by the vegetation, the boys held an elevated post looking down into alargeflatareaaboutthesizeofhalfafootballfield.Judgingbythetalllumpsofvegetationenclosingit,itlookedasifitmighthavebeenacourtyard,surroundedbytemplesormeetingplaces.Atitscenterwasamassivestone,waist-highandfivefeetlong,elevatedonaplatformofsmallerstones.Theplatformandtablehad been cleared of vines and weeds. It stood in stark contrast to the wild,uncontrollablegrowthsurroundingit.

Tia Dalma stood by the long flat rock, the journal open in front of her.Maleficent paced nearby. The EvilQueen leaned against the van, scowling, alargeduffelbagatherfeet.Fourmen—shipcrewmenwhoMaybeckrecognizedasOTZombies—struggledwithatoweringhornedgorilla.

Chernabog.Asnasty and terrifying a creature asFinnhad ever seen.Hisskincrawledasthoughhewerecoveredwithleeches.

“He’shuge,”Maybeckwhispered.Given the junglesoundshecouldhaveshoutedandnothavebeenheard.ButChernaboghadstunnedhimtosilence.

“He’sdisgusting,”Charlenesaid.“Eew!Isthatabull’shead?”“Andbatears,”Finnsaid.“Eightfeettallatleast,”theprofessorsaidclinically.“Possiblyten.Aliving

monster.”“We’vegottogetoutofhere,”Willasaid,herwordshanginginthethick

air.“He’s…worsethananythingwe’veeverseen.”“Andthensome,”saidCharlene.“DowereallythinkwecanhelpDillard

againstthatthing?”“Wedon’tleaveyet,”saidPhilby.“Thethreesteps,”saidFinn.“Awitch,akeyflower,asacrifice.It’sabout

Chernabog.Wewereright.”“Yeesh!”Willasaid.“They’regoingtotakehimoutoftorpor!”

“TiaDalma,”Philbysaid.“You give something that…evil even more power,” Willa’s voice was

hollow,“andit’sover.”“SonofFrankenstein,”Maybecksaid.“Dillarddoesn’t possess anypowers,”Charlene said. “Somaybe itwon’t

work.”“We’renotWayne!We’renotgoingtoletthemkillhimtofindout!”Finn

said,tooloudly.TiaDalmaraisedherhead.“Freeze!”Philbyhissed.TheKeepersdidnotmove,didnotbreathe.ItfelttoFinnasifthevoodoo

priestesswaslookinghimdirectlyintheeye,butsomehowshedidn’tseehim.Hecouldfeelherstrainingtohearabovetheconstantsoundsofthejungle.ShecalledovertotheQueen,whoraisedherthinarmsandsteppedoutinto

thecourtyard.Thejunglewentinstantlysilent.Everylastlivingthingstoppedsingingand

buzzing,moving,breathing.Only the leaves,dripping the remnantsof the rainshower,couldbeheard.

Finn’sheartthreatenedtotearaholeinhischest.IfitpoundedanyloudertheOTswouldhear.

Bitbybit,nature’ssoundsreturned.Firstawhisper,thenawind,andfinallyastormofallGod’screatures.

“Iknowthatsymbol,”Willasaidsoftly.Pointingacrossthecourtyardtoanexposedrock,shedrewattentiontoalargefacechiseledintotherock.“It’ssa-ja-la.Technically,itmeanssubordinatelord.”

“Howaboutnotsotechnically?”saidCharlene.“Underlord.”“Asinlordoftheunderworld?”Finnsaid.“More like four-stargeneral insteadof a five-star,”Willa said. “A titleof

importancebutnotthehighestimportance.”“Is that a cave?” Maybeck said, referring to the huge black opening

alongsidetherockinquestion.“Anentrance to the temple,”Philby said. “Possibly, aburial crypt.These

thingshadallsortsofsecretroomsandtunnels,sameastheEgyptianpyramids.”“Square stone tunnel, I’ll bet.” Finn was about to pull the folded e-mail

withthescannedimageofJess’sdreamoutofhispocketwhenhethoughtbetterofit.Itwouldmaketoomuchnoise.

“Lord of the underworld,” Charlene whispered eerily, stuck on Willa’sdefinition.

“Theypickedthisspotcarefully,”Finnsaid.“TheremusthavebeenotherruinsandtemplesinplaceslikeArubaandCostaRica.”

“It’sthetable,”Maybeckexplained.“MyuncleJimworksinaprocessingplant—aslaughterhouse.Theyhave tables like that,only theirsaremetal.Youseethatlineallaroundtheedges?”

“Theborder,”Charlenesaid.“It’snotdecoration.It’sadrainsystem.Seetheholetotheright?Youputa

jarunderthereandcollecttheblood.”“That’sdisgusting!”Charleneprotested.“No,”Maybecksaid. “That’spartofa sacrifice.Kill theanimal,drink its

blood.”“Eew!”Charlenewentshock-white.“Canwechangethesubjectplease?”“Theancientcivilizationsdidn’tkillanimals,”Willasaid.“Theykilled—”“People,”Philbysaid.“Humansacrifice.”Finnspokefaintly.“Wewereright.‘Oneofyouwilldie.’”Hiseyesfellon

theduffelbagattheQueen’sfeet.Whenthey’dtalkedaboutit,ithadfeltmoreabstract.Dillard,posingasFinn,wasinthatbag.Andhewasgoingtodie.

“Are you telling me Dillard’s blood is going to be Chernabog’s powerdrink?”Maybeckhadawaywithwords.“Fortherecord,I’mnowdisgustedaswell.”

“What’swiththesun?”Charlenesaid.“Why’sitsodarkallofasudden?”Finn had noticed the darkness during the brief storm, but Charlene was

right:ifanythingitwasactuallydarkernow.“Ohdear.”Philbysaid,checkinghiswristwatch.“It’sthesolareclipse.”Thefourothersstaredathim.Helookedintoeachoftheirfaces.“What?You’regoing to tellmeyoudidn’t knowabout the solar eclipse?

It’sMaytwentieth.”Helookedforsomesparkofrecognitionontheirpart.“Atotaleclipse.Extremelyrare.ArizonatoPanamaisthebestpossibleviewing.Asin:ajungleinMexico.”Hestudiedhiswatchagain.Fiddledwithit.

“Ineightminutesit’sfull.Atotaleclipse.We’vegoteightminutestosave

Dillard.”

“THEGIRLSWILLCAUSEadistraction.Youtwo,”FinnsaidtoMaybeckandPhilby,“willgrabtheduffel.I’lltrytogetthejournal,sothiscan’teverhappenagain.”

“Whatkindofdistraction?”Willaasked.“Don’ttakeanystupidchances.Justmakeabunchofnoiseandtakeofffor

thehighway.We’llyoumeetyouthere.”“Nothingstupid,”Philbyrepeated.“Areyoutwoonagain?”Maybeckasked.“Shutup!”Willasaid.Butshedidn’tdenyit.“Sixminutes,”Philbyannounced.“One thing to keep inmind,”Willa said, holding everyone together for a

momentlonger.“ThisthingispartMinotaur.”ShemeantChernabog.“InGreekmythology,TheseusleadstheMinotaurintoalabyrinth.TheMinotauristrappedandcan’tfindhiswayout.”

“Gettothepoint!”Maybecksaid.“I’mgettingtothepoint,”Willasaid,pullingalockofhairbehindherear

nervously.“Thepoint is,historianssayitmaynothavebeena labyrinth,butapalace or temple with a lot of rooms.” She was looking at the black holealongsidethesymbolchiseledintotherock.“Ifthat’sanentrance…”

“Theunderlord,”Philbysaid.“Keeperoftheunderworld,”Finnsaid,repeatingwhathe’dsaidearlier.No

onedismisseditthistime.“Ifwe can leadhim in there,”Willa said, “whoknows?Maybehe never

comesout.”“Andmaybewegeteatenalivetrying,”saidMaybeck.“Fiveminutes,”Philbysaid.

***

FinnmissedAmanda.Abouttotaketheriskhewasabouttotake,hefeltaholeinhischestandonceagainregrettedmakingherhatehim,evenforamoment.Thosemoments,hethought,hadbeenwasted.

He’dcircledaround to the sideof thecaveentrance. In frontofhim:TiaDalma,Maleficent,theEvilQueen.

Chernabog.Finn felt woefully ill-prepared to battle such forces. He had gained new

strength—unexplainablestrength—andspeed,buthehadnorealcontroloverit.Itwaslikesteppingintoacockpitwhereyoudidn’tknowwhatthebuttonswerefor.Hewasunpracticed,unpolished.

He wished for Amanda’s ability to push. One shove from her, and thewitchesandfairies,maybeevenChernabogwithhiswetblacknoseandblack,hideous eyes, would be thrown against the rocks. Dillard would be rescued.Theycouldstealthevanandbeontheirway,leavingtheOTsbehind.

ButAmandawasn’there.Buthewashere:wherehe’dneverwantedtobe.InaMexicanjungle,the

survivalofhisfrienddependinguponhim.TiaDalma turned a page in the journal. She nodded and raised her right

hand,thenplaceditacrossherchest.Chernabogwalkedploddinglytowardher.Thegroundshook.Finn’sanimal

instinctstoldhimtorun.This thingwasmore thanamonster. Itwasacreature;abull/batcreature

withhugeeyes,awetsnout,andthepointednoseofabatbrokenbysharpsawteeth.Granted,itbehavedasifdrugged;butifanything,thatenhancedthethreat.

TiaDalmabarelylookedoverat thebeast.Finncouldn’tseeherface,buthecouldhearhermumbling.

The Evil Queen unzipped the duffel bag. In the gloomy darkness of theeclipse,Finnwouldhaveswornitwashistwincomingoutofthebag.

Dillard’s hands were bound behind his back. His eyes were crazed withfear.

Dillard had once begged Finn—begged him—to allow him to become aKingdomKeeper.Finnhadgentlyturnedhimdown.Dillardwasnotcutoutforit.

ApparentlyDillardhadconvincedWayneotherwise.Finnbrieflyclosedhiseyes.HehatedWayneatthatmoment.

Afewmillisecondspassed—morelikeablink.Butinthatfractionoftime,Finn attempted to summon the speed and strength he’d demonstratedintermittentlythroughoutthevoyage.

Caw!Caw!Diablo.Finnknewthebird’sidentitybeforehespottedtheraven,because

like Philby’s pigeon cry, that particular birdsong had no place in a jungle.PerchedneartheEvilQueen,Diabloclungtoavineovertheemptyduffelbag.

ExactlywhereMaybeckandPhilbywerehiding.Maleficentwalkedinthatdirection:towardtheEvilQueenandDillard.Chernabogmarchedforthesacrificialtable.Finn couldn’t breathe. The beast grew bigger with every step. The four

crewmenbackedup,sensingsomethingawful.Wherewerethegirlsandtheirdistraction?Willawasagenius.Ratherthanstandupandshoutordosomethingovertly

obvious,sheandCharleneslippedinandoutbetweentherocksonthefarsideofthecourtyard.Agirl’slegappearedandthendisappeared.

Maleficentsignaledthefourcrewmen,whodashedoffinpursuit.Withany luck,Finn thought, the twogirlsweresprinting toward theroad

bynow.ForamomentitlookedasifMaleficentwouldpursuethemaswell,buthernastycrowcontinuedsignaling—forallFinnknewthethingwastalkingtoher.ShemovedtowardDillard,towardwherePhilbyandMaybeckwerehiding.

Ithadtobenow.FinndartedtowardthestonetablelikehewasgoingfortheprizeinCapture

theFlag.TiaDalma, distracted by sight of the girls andbyMaleficent’s swiftcrossingtoDiablo,neversawFinncoming.Hecareenedintoher,throwinghertotheground.Hereachedforthejournal.

His legs were trembling. But it wasn’t his legs; it was the ground, asChernabog dragged himself toward the table. The beast was clearly at halfspeed;Finndidn’twanttoseehimsupercharged.

Upclosehewasahideouscombinationofwildbull,rabidbat,andhumangiant.Droolleakeddisgustinglyfromhispartially-openmouth,whichwaslinedwithhundredsof triangular teeth.Hiscoal-blackeyes, sobloodshotas to lookotherworldly,lockedontoFinn.Hegrunted,hisnostrilssnortingfluid.

“Hey,buddy,”Finnsaid,backingup,thejournaltuckedunderhisarm.Chernabog swiped out at Finn, his reach extraordinarily long, his black,

bearclawscomingincrediblyclose.MuchcloserthanFinnthoughtpossible.A fireball ripped through the air by Finn’s left ear, sounding like a jet

engineattakeoff.ThesurpriseofitpushedChernabogbackandoffFinn.Maleficent tookastep towardDillard.TheEvilQueensteppedoutof the

jungle, draggingMaybeckwith one hand andPhilbywith the other.The boyswereconsciousbutdazed.

“Stop!”shecalledtoFinn.“Thebook,youngman.Putitbackonthetable,oryourfriendsdie.”

TiaDalmaclawedherselftoherknees.HereyesplayedacrossFinnlikeameatinspector’s.Shewasgoingtoendhim.

Willa andCharlene had broken from the plan, doubling back.Out of thecornerofhis eye,Finn saw themdip into themouthof thecaveentrance thatborethepictograph.

Cacklingevilly,theEvilQueenpulledavialfromhercloakandforce-fedMaybeckandPhilbyitscontents.Theboysslumpedtothejunglefloor.

Dead?Asleep?“Thebook!”shecriedout.Bothfuriousandterrified,Finnreturnedthejournaltothestonetable.But

somethinginhimsnappedasitclunkedtothestone.Heracedtowardhisfallenfriends. Maleficent badly misjudged his superhuman speed. Her first twofireballsmissed.

SeeingmorepowerinFinn’semotionsthananythingwithwhichfirecouldcontend,shewaveacrookedfingeratDillardanddrewtheboytoher.

FinnwasthreestepsfromMaleficentwhenthetwogirlsscreamed.Acloudoffruitbatsflewfromthemouthofthecave.Theywerethesizeof

flying squirrels. They swirled around the courtyard like smoke escaping achimney.Ablackfog,sothickthatwingslickedthefacesofeveryonegatheredthere,forcingthemtorecoil.

All butChernabog,who spread his arms inwelcome. The bats formed afunneloverhisheadandspiraledupintothedarksky.

Chernabog roared so loudlyFinnwouldhave sworn the trees shook.Andthisthing’sathalfspeed?

Maleficent crossed her arms in front of her face to shield herself.Takingadvantageofherdistraction,FinnattackedMaleficent,grabbingherfrombehindandspinningherinthedirectionofTiaDalmajustasthewitchdoctorthrewher

armforward,intendingacurseforFinn.Maleficent buckled over. Finn kicked her to the dirt and kneeled by

Maybeck’sside.A fireball grew from Maleficent’s palm. Finn abandoned Maybeck and

struck the fairy’s arm, sending the fireball in the direction of the EvilQueen,whosecapecaughtfire.TheburningEvilQueendovetothedirtandrolled.

Chernabogroaredyetagain.Themoonslippedfullyinfrontofthesun,blottingoutalllight.ThefallenMaleficent,writhingfromthepaininflictedbythecurse,looked

tothesky.TiaDalmahadDillardbythethroat.Sheproducedalargeknife—boneor

ivory—from her waistband and leveled its blade across Dillard’s throat. Shepulledontheblade,cuttingDillard’sneck,spillinghisblood.

“Stop!”Finnshouted.Hecouldn’tbear it.Couldn’tallowit. Itwasworsethananythinghe’deverimagined.

Tohissurprise,thewitchdoctorpaused.“Me,forhim,”Finnsaid.“Youwouldmuchratherhaveme.”“Bloodisblood, lad,”TiaDalmasaid inher liltingvoice.Shecouldhave

been talking about vegetables in the grocery store. “He,” she indicatedChernabog,“isnotpicky.”

FinnsawanexchangeofsomesortbetweentheEvilQueen,whoguardedMaybeckandPhilby,andTiaDalma.TiaDalma’shand tightenedon theknifehandle.Chernabogbellowedandsnorted,waitingbythestonetable.

Thebatsdescendedinaswirlingblanket,engulfingthebeast.Thevortexofflapping wings shifted across the terrace, throwing up a tornado of dust thatconsumedFinn,TiaDalma,andDillard.

Blinded,Finnshieldedhiseyes.Hefoughtforward,swipingatthebatswithhisbarehands,knockingthemaside.

Theylifted.Tia Dalma was hauling Dillard toward Chernabog and the stone table.

“Coming,mylord.”Shestretchedoutanarmtopulltheopenjournalcloser.Mylord.ThewordsregisteredwithFinn.Finndoveandrolled,leapingtohisfeetintimetocatchTiaDalma’sback-

stretchedarmasshewrestledtoliftDillardontothetable.

AnexcitedChernabogsnortedandstomped.Thegroundshook.Finn yanked Tia Dalma’s arm and knife back a few inches, away from

Dillard’s throat.Thewitchdoctor releasedDillard, leavinghim layinghalf-on,half-offthesacrificialtable.Finnredirectedtheknife,turningherwristsothetipofthebladefacedher,surprisedbyherformidablestrength.

“You…should…have…taken…me,” he said. “I would have gonewillingly.”

“FortheKing!”thewitchdoctorsaid,reversingthetipfullytowardFinn.Anger flashed through Finn, making him ten times as strong. He and

Dillard had played at Knights of the Round Table using palm tree fronds asswords,battlingforthevirtueofprincessesandthevaloroftheKing.Howdaresheknowthat!Howdareshequotethat?

Itgavehimthefinalblastofstrength,thepumpofadrenalineheneeded.Hebentherwrist—snappeditsbones—andplungedtheknifeintoherchest.

Finnrelishedtheshockinhereyes,thewayhefeltherresolveflag.Therewassomethingelseinhereyesashetwistedthebladewithinher:betrayal?Howcouldshepossiblyaccusehimofsuchathing?

Thelifewentoutofhereyes.Thebatsswirled.Dillardsaggedontheendoftheknife.Dillard.NotTiaDalma.Finnlookedatthetable.Thewitchdoctorlaythere,armscrossedoverher

chest,laughingcoldly.Dillard looked down at the knife, then into Finn’s eyes. Betrayal! Finn

should have known! He pulled out the knife. Dillard collapsed and fell, eyesopen.Tearsrandownhischeeks.Ifhewascrying,hewasalive!

“Thebloodshedoffriendshipissomuchthicker,”TiaDalmasaid,off thetable now and catching Dillard before he hit the ground. She lifted Dillard’shand,whichhunglimplyintheair.

“Lifeisbecauseof thegods;withtheirsacrificetheygaveuslife….Theyproduceoursustenance…whichnourisheslife.”

Chernabogleanedforward.“Nooooo!”

FinnpunchedTiaDalmainthefacewithallhisstrength.Herheadsnappedback and she collapsed, unconscious.Before he could think,Finnpivoted andbrokeChernabog’s grip onDillard, putting himself between the beast and hisfriend.He jumped straight up and landed, squatting on the stone table, facingChernabog.Hewavedtheknife.

Thebeastswung,buttoFinnitregisteredasslowmotion.Finnduckedtheblow,butlosttheknife.Herotatedandkickedout,connectingwiththebeast’schest.Itwaslikekickingawall.

Chernabogdroppedhis fist likeahammer.Finn lurchedaside.Theeight-inch-thickstonetablecrackedwiththeblow.

Thebeast’sjawopenedandsnappedatFinn’shead,narrowlymissing.Finnbackedupandfelloffbalance.Hetumbledintothedirt,thetablebetweenhimandthebeast.

Chernabogroared,poundeddownangrilyonthetable,andsplititintwo.Theknifeflewup,spinningtip-over-grip.Thebeastsnatcheditoutofthe

air. It looked likea toy inhishandashebrought it tohismawand licked thebloodhungrilyfromtheblade.

Dropping theknife,Chernabograisedhishead toward theever-lighteningsky. His flesh rippled as he seemed to grow, or swell, or increase in someindefinableway.Achrysalis in catharsis—abutterfly’sdryingwings ready forflight.

Thedemon—nolongermerelyabeast—gazeddownatFinnandcockedhishead.

Finn reacted primordially.He grabbed for the fallen knife and plunged itintoChernabog’sthigh.

Chernabogroaredinpain.Thejunglecanopyshook.Startledbirdseruptedupward.

FinnscoopedupDillardandranforthetunnelentrance.HecouldseedeathflickerbehindDillard’seyeswithhiseverystep.

“Don’tyouleaveme!”Finntoldhim,hisowntearsstartingnow.Dillard’s eyes floatedopen.He staredup atFinn,who couldnot takehis

eyesoffhisfriend.“Don’t…you…dare,”Finnsaid.“‘Ifyoudon’ttakeachance,’”Dillardsaid,aweakgrinsweepinghislips,

“‘youdon’thaveachance.’”

“You’reaKeeper.AlwaysaKeeper!”Dillard’seyesbrightened, theneased shut; andFinn felt the life leavehis

friend’sbody.Itwassickeningandmagical,disgustingandvile.Finncriedout.Chernabog followed the sound, the knife still in his leg. He’d tasted the

boy’sblood.Hewantedmore.Finn caught sight of thewrithingMaleficent, distant now, still under Tia

Dalma’stwistedspell.Thedarkfairymanagedtosquirmtoherknees.“Heawakens!”shecalledout.FinncarriedDillard’sbodyintothedarktunnel.Behind him the jungle erupted in a deafening chorus of savage sounds:

hissing,licking,sucking.Finnfelttheworlddrivinghimdeeperintothetunnel.

***

“Psst!”Finn stopped,but the tremblingofChernabog’s feetpounding theground

frombehindgavehimchills.Therewasfaintlightfloodingthroughjointsintheoverhead stones, just enough to see, but not clearly. Two shadows steppedforward.

FinnrecognizedCharlene’svoice.“Thetunnelsplitsahead.”“Andagainafterthat.It’salabyrinth,”Willasaid,“designedtodefeattomb

robbers.”“LikeEscher’sKeep,”Charleneadded.“You’resayingwecan’tgoin?”“It’sdesignedsoyounevercomeout.”Chernabog plugged the far end of the tunnel. He crouched and heaved

himselfforward,narrowingthedistance.“ButifIcouldfindmywaybackout,”Finnsaid.“IfyoutwotookDillard

andhidinonetunnelwhileIleditdownanother…”“Youcan’t,”Charleneprotested.“Seriously,youcan’t.”“ButifIcouldfindmywayoutandhecouldn’t?”Finnhopedtoappealto

Willa’ssenseofchallenge,toCharlene’ssenseofadventure.Heunderstoodwhatperhaps theydidnot: the fourof themwerenotgettingpastChernabog.They

hadtocomeupwithsomekindofplan.“Ineedastring.Areallylongstring.”Charlenetorehershirtandpulledatthefrayedendstryingtostartarunof

thread,butitwasn’tgoingtowork.“Howareyouwithspiders?”Willaasked.Finncouldbarelyseeherfingerpointingoutadelicatespiderweb.“Idon’tlovethem,”heconfessed.Chernabogwasclosenow—tooclose.“Ifyousqueezeaspidergently,itlaysitssilk.”“Idon’tthinkIwanttoknowthat,”Finnsaid.“Youfollowthesilkback,”shesaid.“He…itisn’tsmartenoughtodothat.”“You’recrazy!”Charleneprotested.“Whatifitbreaks?Orrunsout?”Clomp!Clomp!Chernabogwasnomorethantwentyfeetaway.Finnwidenedhiseyes,admittingmorelight.Hesawthelargeblackspider,

the size of a lemon, at the lower edge of the web. He cringed, thinking ofactuallytakingholdofit.

TheimageofDillard’seyes,ofthelightslowlygoingoutofthem,flashedthroughhismind, strengtheninghis resolve.Finnheldhisbreathand snatchedthespiderfromitsweb.Itwiggledinhishand.Hedroppedit.

WillascoopeditupandreturnedittoFinn.“You’reset,”shesaid.“Protecthim,”Finnsaid.“Go!”Willasaid.“Wecanhandleit.Go!”“Goodluck!”Charleneadded.“Nothingstupid,”Willasaid,quotingPhilby.Finnsqueezedthehairyspider.Hefeltsicktohisstomach.ButWillawas

right—asalways.Thesilkplayedoutlikeawhisperofsilverthread.Finnstucktheendofittothenearestwall.

AgianthunchbackedtrollintheformofChernabogstoodtwentyfeetfromhim.Thedemonsniffedtheair.Andagain.

It had poor eyesight. Finn realized. Chernabog not only didn’t fit in thetunnel,buthecouldseeonlyafewfeetbeforehim.

Finn dragged his running shoe across the stone floor to make sureChernabogfollowedhimanddidnotheadtowardthegirls.Thebeastsniffedtheairagain.IfhesensedDillard’sblood…Finnmadesureheheardhim,madesure

tolurehiminhisdirection.Chernaboggruntedandlungedforwardwithsurpris-ingspeedandagility,

hishand—thesizeofacatcher’sglove—swipingtheairmereinchesfromFinn’sface.

Attaboy,Finnthought.Givingthespideragentlesqueeze,Finntouchedthesilkagainstthewallof

thelefttunnelandcontinueddeeperintothedarkness.Chernabogfollowed.

THECREATUREWASaquicklearner.Hewasmovingfasternowinhispursuit.

FinnarrivedatanotherYinthetunnel—thethirdsincehe’dleft thegirls.This time he faced descending stairs andmore darkness to his left, level andlighttohisright.Hetouchedthespidersilktothewall,anddescended.

Chernabog was no climber. His cloven hooves slipped on the stairs andkicked Finn, sending him flying. Finn held on to the spider, but landedawkwardly,spraininghisrightwristwhileattemptingtobreakhisfall.

ChernabogswipedatFinn,connected,andplasteredhimtothewall.Finndroppedthespider.ItscurriedawaybeforeFinncouldrecoverit.Thebeaststruckoutagain—acattoyingwithamouse.HesentFinntothe

bottomlanding,thensliddownthestairsafterhim.Hisheadaching,Finntriedtonavigatethedarkness.Therewasnolightat

all. It sounded as ifChernabogwas groping around in the dark for him.Witheachblow,thebeastloosenedtherocks.Sandanddirtraineddown.Dustspread.Finncoughed.

Somefaintlightseepedthrough.Chernabog roared. The tunnel shook. Finn covered his ears. Chernabog

loweredhishornsandlungedatFinnbutmissedasFinndovetohisleftintoapileofbatguano.

Finn spit thedisgusting taste fromhismouth and crawled away from thebeastinacrab-walk.Heneededtotakeadvantageofhissmallersize,agility,andspeed;healsopossessedanenormousreserveofanger-derivedstrengtheagertobereleased,apowerthatfilledhimtobursting.

Standing,Finndartedlefttoright,causingChernabogtoslugthestonewallwithhisfistsandgroanwitheachmiscalculatedblow.Theblowsweredeliveredwiththeforceofapiledriver,crackingtherocksandunderminingthethousand-year-oldconstruction.Anoverheadstonedislodgedseveralinches.

In the dim light, Finn sawChernabogmore clearly. If he’d been a childbefore theceremony,hewasamannow.Hisgrotesquehead, allbull andbat,

lookedmassive,apinktonguedanglingfromhisjaw.HekickedoutandcaughtFinn,smashinghimintotheopposingwall.

Finn’s hand fell onto another hairy spider. Grimacing, he picked it up,squeezed,feltforthesilk.

Chernabog pivoted and roared. Finn crawled through the beast’s partedlegs,elbowedthebeastonthebacksofitsknees.Chernabogkneeled,andFinndrovehis right elbow like a spike into thebackof thebull’sneck. Itwas likehittingbrick,butthethingcriedoutandfellforward.Finnkneeditinthespine,forcing it toarch itsback;he thendroppedanotherelbow.Knee,elbow.Knee,elbow.Witheachblow,Chernabogsaggedfartherforward.

FinnWhitman,defeatingagiant.Thebeastthrewanelbowofhisown.Finnhitthewallsohard,hecouldn’t

see. The spider tried to escape. Finn touched its silk to the stone and hurrieddeeperdownthetunnel.Anotherhitlikethatwouldbehislast.

Thistunnelwasnarrowandlow-ceilinged.Finn put some distance between him and Chernabog, but clawing and

scratchingsoundstoldhimthebeastwasmoving.With each lunge forward, Chernabog’s back worked against the ceiling

stones,unsettlingthem.Moresandanddirtraineddown,cloudingtheair.Chernabog’s growls grew increasingly strained and vicious. Finn touched

anotherspotofspiderthreadtothewall,wonderingifhe’dbealivetofollowitout.

Heenteredawidebutlowchamberoffwhichranthreeadditionaltunnels—eachinthecenterofawall,justliketheonethroughwhichhe’dcome.

Thechamber’sfloorwasstickywithmud.Chernabogapproached.Finnfroze.Whichtunnel?Hechosethemiddle,touchingthespidersilktothestone.Inthedark,heranfacefirstintoawall.Trapped.Adeadendtunnelabouttenfeetlong.IfChernabogpinnedhimhere,he’d

betornlimbfromlimbandeaten.Chernabogburstintothechamber,swinginghisclublikemitts.Thechamberofferedhimmoreroomthanadeadend.Finnchargedoutto

facethebeast.Needingbothhands,hedroppedthespider.Itscurriedaway.Finnfeltasharppangofloss.

Howmany times had he crushed a spider?How could he suddenlymissone?

Chernabogfacedhim,panting,lipsstillstainedwithDillard’sblood.Heswiped.Finnducked.Hespottedtheknifeprotrudingfromthebeast’sleg.Lunged

forit.Chernabogcaughthimonthesideofthehead.Finnsawstars.Staggeringto

theside,heplantedhishand into thegooeymud.Anotherblow.Finncollidedwiththewall,thewindknockedoutofhim.Atunnelentrancetohisrightofferedescape,butChernabogmaneuveredtoblockitandtheothers.Thebeastcockedits head, seemed to be consideringwhether to endFinn or toywith him for awhile.

Somewhere inside, Finn knew he still had untapped strength. His headspinning,hischestaflame,helackedthewilltofindit.Inthebattleoftheboyagainstthebeast,thebeasthadwon.Finnhunghishead.

Chernabog’shoofmovedandcrushedthespider.Hisspider.Killedsoeasily.LikeDillard.Itcamefromsomewheredeepinside,likelavatoavolcano,venomtothe

snake.Hismusclesswelled,hismindknotted.Finncharged.Hehitthebeastinthegut,drewtheknifefromitsthighandheaveditoverhishead.AsChernabogbent forward from the pain, the knife entered his chest. The beast roared soloudly,Finn’searsrang.

This time Chernabog yanked the weapon out and threw it across thechamberwhere it shattered against awall. Finn ducked instinctively from theflyingpieces.

Wildwithrage,thebeasttriedtoforceitselftostanding.Atthatmoment,theroofcavedin,unleashingatorrentofwater.Chernabog

slashedattheflow,notunderstandingit.Inlashingoutattheceiling,hefurtherruptured the precarious seam between stones.Water gushed down, filling thechamber.Finn floatedoff his feet, slapping the surface to remainbuoyant.Hespuninthewater.Whichwaywasout?Allfourwalls,allfourtunnelentranceslookedidentical.Hetried torecallChernabog’smovements.Hadn’thecrossedthechamberdiagonally?Wasthatwherehestoodnow,fightingagainstafallenrockthatwaspinninghim?

Onlyonetunnelledouttothejungle.

Finntreadedwaterfrantically.Thepinnedbeastheaved.Morewatergusheddown—arivernow—butChernaboghadfreedhimself.

Finnhadtopickatunnel;therewasnotime.Thenhe spotted it: thewaterwasquietat themouthof twoof the tunnel

entrances—becausetheyweredeadends.Twoothershadwaterspillinginto,andfilling,thetunnels.Oneofthesetwohe’dcomethroughonlymomentsbefore.

Heonlyhadonechance.Heguessed itwas the tunnel immediately tohisright,theonefarthestfrom…

Chernabogstoodbeneaththewaterfallcomingthroughtheceiling,reachingoutandpullingatitasifitwerefabric.He’sscaredofwater,Finnrealized.Thebeastwas fighting thewater, screaming, thrusting his horns into the flow andswinginghisgreatpaws.Hewasconsumedwithfear.

Asthewaterrose,Finnswamunderwaterforthetunnel.ShouldChernaboglookover,hewouldfailtoseewhichtunnelFinnchose.

Echoingfrombehindhimcametheguttural,bubblingsoundsofamonsterneardrowning.

Finnhurtalloverashewalked.Heslippedandfell,stoodagainwithgreatdifficulty.Thespeedofthewaterrisinglessened.Finallyhewasoutofthewateraltogether.

Hecombedthestonesurfacetohisright,desperatetofindthesilkthread.Maybethewaterhadpushedwindaheadofit;maybetheabsenceofsilkdidn’tmeanhewasmovingdeeper intothetunnels.Ifheonlyhadmorelight; itwasdark as pitch in here. Howwas he supposed to see something thinner than ahumanhair?

FinnthoughtbacktoDHIversion1.6,whenhe’dbeenabletobrieflyturnhishumanselfintoahologram.ThatparticularphenomenonhadsurprisedevenWayneandtheImagineers.Theupgradeto2.0hadstrippedhimofthatability;again,nooneunderstoodwhyorhow.

With the water rising again at his ankles, with the sound of Chernabogthrashingintheflood,Finncametoarealization.Thetriggerfor“allclear,”asthey’dcalledthe1.6phenomenon,wastoloseyourfear.Nothideyourfear,notcoveritup,butloseit.Completely.

Whatiftheabilityhadbeenwithinthe2.0upgradeallalong,buttherulesaboutlosingone’sfearhadchanged?Everythingelsein2.0wasenhanced.Whynotallclearaswell?

Losingone’sfearwasn’tenough.Whatwasmorethanlosingone’sfear?

Howcouldlosinghisfearbemorethanlosinghisfearcompletely?Chernabog roared. There was no doubt: he’d freed himself. And he was

comingcloser.“To resist her power is futile. With her you must lose yourself to win.”

Waynehadsaidthatbeforeabruptlychangingthesubject.Notloseyourself,youidiot!Finnchastisedhimself.“Loseyourself.”Youridentity.Yourego.Allsenseof“you.”Adeeperplacethanfear.Heclosedhiseyesandblockedoutallsound—onlytorealizethattoblock

somethingout, he had to be something. If hewas something, hewas self.Hetriedtothinkofaphysicaldescriptionfor“nothing.”Histhoughtjumpedfromthingtoanother;butanythingwasnotnothing:no-thing.Hehadtoimagineno-thing.

Space.Black.Cold.Silent.Nogravity.Finnputhimself there: intospace,consumedbyitsfullemptiness.Itsno-thingness.

Hisheadfeltlight;infact,hedidn’thaveahead.Orarms.Orwetfeet.Heopenedhiseyes.

Hewasglowing.Notlike1.6.Noblueoutlinearoundhishologram,butahologramjustthesame.Andahologramthatemittedafaintamountoflight—justenoughtoseeasinglebluishthreadofspidersilkstucktothewall.

***

Willalookedupatthesteepcavewall,andimaginedeasilyhowshe’dclimbup.Thegrips,thecrux…TheonesportwhereItopCharlene,shethoughtwryly.

“Charlene, I’mgoing tohideupabove.But for the record, I still say thisplansucks.Youshouldn’tbegoingouttherealone.”

“OfcourseIshould.I’mfast.Superfast,asamatteroffact.Youthinkthosemiddle-agedfreakscanpossiblycatchme?”

“TiaDalma swappedherselfwithDillard,you twit!Wedon’tknowwhatthey’regoingtodonext!”

“I’dlovetodebateyou,”Charlenesaid.“Actually,not,becauseyou’dwin.Butwedon’thaveallday.Weneedthevan,andweneedtheboysinthebackofthevan.Doyouhaveaplan?No?BecauseIdo.Sothat’sourplan:mine.”

“Wejustcan’tmessup,”Willasaidsoftly.Withoutmeaningto,bothgirlslookedbackatDillard’sbody,hisbloodless

face haunted her.They had carefully propped him in the shadowof a columnnearthetunnelopening,makingsurehecouldn’tbeseen.

Shaking her head, Charlene stepped into the stone corner near the maintunnelentrancetothelabyrinthandlookedatWillaexpectantly.Willasighed.

“Theminuteyou’reout,I’llclimbup.”“Promise.DoasItoldyou,”Charlenehissed,andpeeredoutside.MaleficentwassquattingalongsidethesittingEvilQueen,whoseclothing

wasstillsmokingbutnolongerinflames.She couldn’tmake her plan too obvious. Thewitcheswere far too smart

andcunningforthat.Ithadtobesubtle,butithadtobequick:Willawouldn’tbeabletoholdherselfforlong,nomatterhowgoodaclimbershewas.

Charlene sprinted across the open terrace and hid behind a rock near thesacrificialtable.TiaDalmastilllayontheground.Wantingtowintheattentionof Maleficent and the Queen, Charlene ran a zigzag pattern toward theunconsciousboys,madeapointofappearingtoreconsider, turned,andheadedbacktothetunnel.

Maleficent threwaweakfireballandmissed.Charleneentered the tunnel.HerfingertipsfoundthecrevicesbetweenthestonesthatWillahadpointedout.

As the two witches entered the tunnel, Maleficent formed a fireball androlleditaheadasatorch.

“My Lord’s prints!” the Queen said, pointing to the cloven hoof marksheadingtotheright.

Maleficentlitanotherfireball;helditatshoulderheight.Theball nearlyburnedCharlene’s face.Bothgirlswerenowstuck to the

ceiling, pressed between the walls, directly above the two Overtakers. TheflamesthreatenedtosetCharlene’sdanglinghaironfire.

Maleficenthurledtwofireballs.Oneintoeachtunnel.In the flickering light, Charlene sawWilla about to fall.Her handswere

ashenwhite.Comeon!Charlenewilledthetwowitches.Move!As if hearing her, Maleficent and the Queen headed quickly down the

tunneltotheright.There had been no hoofprints on the floor of the entrance; Charlene had

scatteredthedustsothatWillacouldbedrawntotheprintsandthenwipeawayherown,leavingonlythehoofmarks.MaleficentandtheQueenwereentering

unchartedterritory.ThetwoOvertakersfirstthrewshadows,thennothingatall.Gone.Willalostherhold,rolledoverintheair,andlandedlikeacatonallfours.

Charlenereleasedherholdandlandedquietly.“Wedidit!”Willachokedoutasawhisper.CharlenecouldnotridherselfoftheimageofDillard’sstillbody.“Dillard,”shesaid.“Theboys!Thevan.”Together,thegirlscarriedDillardintofreshair,fightingbacktears.

***

A shimmering silver thread of spider silk hung from the stone. For Finn, itlookedlikeparadebunting,worthyofabrassbandwithtrumpetsandcymbals.Hethoughthemighthavekissedthespiderifithadstillbeenalive.

Finnfollowedthesilk.Usedhisnewfound2.0allcleartolightuphiswaywhennecessary,hetookacornertotheright.Itgoteasiertoinvokeeachtimehetried.

Attheendofatunneltohisleft—notthetunnelhewasfollowing—hesawyellowflickeringlight.Fire!

Two figures walked past the tunnel’s end, visible for only seconds:MaleficentandtheQueen.

Inaparalleltunnel.Thefirelightgrewfaint.Finnsettledintoallclearandreestablishedhewasfollowingthesilkroad.Tohis left,more light!The twohad turned around andwere headinghis

way. Finn reacted too quickly, stepping back instead of forward. Trappinghimselfinsteadoffreeinghimself.

No.Hewouldnotallowthemtopushhimback thewayhe’dcome.Finnlayflatonthestoneandbelly-crawledacrosstheintersection.Hewasbackonhisfeetandhalfwayupthetunnelwhenagiantshadowformedinfrontofhim:hisown.Maleficenthadrolledafireballasasearchlight.

“You!”shesaid,inavoiceshrillandbrittle.Finnranseveralmorestepsbeforeslidingtoastop.Hespunaround.Me!hethought.

How longwas he going to run fromMaleficent?Howmanyyears had itbeen?Cowering.Afraid.Alwaysonthedefensive.

Now,Chernabogwasontherun.Andafriendwasdead.JustthethoughtofDillardmadeithardforhimtobreathe.Finn could run, or he could stay and stop thiswoman andher kind from

killinghisfriends.Shethrewafireball.Halfwaytohimitslowedperceptibly.Finndodgedit

effortlessly,marchingtowardhernow,oneconfidentstepatatime.

DIABLO FLEW DOWN the tomb tunnel, aimed squarely at Finn’s head. But in hiscurrentstate, thebirdofpreycameatFinnmore likeabutterfly.Finnreachedout, pinched its wing between his fingers, spun it like a stadium towel, anddelivered it into the tunnel’s stone wall. Knocked unconscious, the ravenflutteredtothefloor.

Maleficentwailed,asifsomepartofherhadgonedead.Finncontinuedhismarchthroughthedyingflamesofseveralfireballs.

Iwillnotfearyou.Iwillnotbeintimidated.Bringiton.Maleficent’s eyelids fluttered shut; her lips moved almost imperceptibly.

Her neck began to elongate disgustingly; her arms, held out to her sides,thickened.

Inanormalstate,Finnwouldnotwitnessthestagesofhertransfiguration,onlythechangeitself.Butwithtimeslowedtoacrawl,thewomangrewlimbs,herchestandbodywidenedandgrewscales,her longchinbecameadragon’ssnout.

JustasithadbeentoosmallforChernabog,thestonetunnelwastoosmallforadragon—Maleficent’sangerhadmisguidedher.She’dmisjudged.

Agreendragon,onfoldedknees,pluggedthetunnel.Itscrambledforward,cried,twisted,butcouldnotmove.

TheQueenwashidden.Thedragonopeneditsmouth.Finn’sslow-motionworldallowedhimtoturnanddiveforthefallenraven,

Diablo.Heheld thebirdoutasashield—asacrifice—making sure thedragoncouldseethecrowasheadvancedonecautiousstepatatime.

The dragon wiggled, could not move. It cocked its head, then roared sointenselythetunnel’sstonesshook.Sandfell.

But no fire from the dragon’s mouth. Maleficent would not burn herpreciousDiablo.

AsFinncontinuedhisadvance,Diabloinfront,thedragon’slimbsbegantoshrink,itsheadchangedshapes.Maleficentwasreturningtoform.

But in Finn’s time-shifted world, he charged, dropped Diablo at thedragon’sfeet.

Heclosedhiseyesandwilledawayallthought,droppingintoallclear.Hertransformationcontinued.Sodidhis.He’dnevertriedthisfeat,buttherewasalwaysafirsttime.Dillard’svoice

returnedinhishead.“Ifyoudon’ttakeachance…”Finnspokealoud.“Youdon’thaveachance.”Eyes shut, mind calm, he plunged his hologram hand through the

transfiguringfleshatthebaseofthedragon’sneck.Hiseyespoppedwideopen,andhefelthis“self”—hefeltDillard’sself.

HelosthisDHI,hisarmandhandsolidinsideMaleficent.The dragon wailed, a shrill, deathly cry. Flames rolled down the tunnel

ceilingfromamouthhalf-human,half-dragon.Finnpulledwithallhisstrength,creatingafist-sizewound.Thefireabruptlystopped.Hesteppedbackas thiscreature—half–womanfairy,half–greendragon—

curledinonitself,bloodflowingingreatquantitiesfromitsneck.Asthedragon-woman’seyesbegantopaleinthedwindlingfirelight,Finn

remembered the same light leaving Dillard’s eyes. He cried out in agonizedvictory, turned and walked away as Maleficent choked and coughed wetly,gaspingforbreaththatwouldn’tcome.

The Evil Queenwas a speck of dark, fleeing him, into the tunnel, awayfromanyhopeoffindingtheentrance.

Finnfoundhissilversilkadheredtothewall.Hecollecteditsothatotherscouldnotfollow.

Home…hethought.

ASTONE-FACEDFINNdrovethewhitevan,careful toobeythespeedlimit incasetherewere any police patrolling theMexican back country. They had coveredDillard’sfacewitharag,unabletolookathim.Maybeck’sandPhilby’ssleepingbodieswerestretchedout,thegirlsoneithersideofthem.Willawascrying.

Tia Dalma was gagged and blindfolded, both wrists and ankles boundtightly.Ithadtakenthreeofthemtoliftherintothebackofthevehicle.

Charlenelookedreadytochokethewitchdoctor.They’dcoveredherheadwithDillard’sbloodyshirtsotheydidn’thavetolookathereither,andsoshecouldn’taimaspellatthem.

“Don’tdoit,Charlie,”Finnsaid.“She’sforme.”“Whatarewegoingtodo?”Willasobbed.“It’sliketheSyndrome.Youget

that,don’tyou?BothPhilbyandMaybeckareunderaspell!They’re…gone.”“Dillard’sgone,”Finnsaidinabrutalmonotone.“PhilbyandMaybeckare

stillbreathing.Theycanstillbesaved.”“We’llgetthemontotheship,”Charlenesaid.“We’llfiguresomethingout.

MaybeWaynecanhelp.TheImagineers?”Finn started to speak, but at the mention ofWayne his voice broke. He

shiftedintheseatandwaspokedbysomethinginhispocket.HereachedinandcameoutwithapieceofthebrokenknifebladethatChernaboghadshattered.Ithadfounditswayintohispocketashe’dduckedfromit.Hecouldsuddenlyfeelthe knife sinking intoDillard, the knife he’d held.He stopped the van, rolleddown the window and threw up out the window. His hand was back on thegearshiftwhenWillacalledout.

“Wait!”Finn couldn’t think, he couldn’t feel.Hewanted toblame it ongoingall

clearsoofteninthetunnels.Heknewbetter.Hepocketedthechipoftheblade.Willasaid,“ItwastheQueen,theEvilQueenwhodidthis.”“Sowhat?”chokedoutCharlene.

“TheQueenmadethemdrinkapotion,likewiththeappleinSnowWhite.”Charlenewaswithher.“OMG!SnowWhite.TheEvilQueen.Theapple.”“Andthatmeans…?”Finnasked.“The sevendwarfs driveher to themountaintop.The lightning.Shegoes

overintothe…Thentheprince…Don’tyousee?Truelove’s—”“Kiss,”Willasaid,finishingitforher.Charlenelookedparalyzed.“Fineforyou,butwhatifit’snot…true?”“Thestory,ordoyoumean—?”“Ifit’snotreallove?”“Whatareyoutwosuggesting?”Finnsaid,impatient.WillaaddressedCharlene.“Idon’tthinkithastobeforeverlove,justtrue

love.Reallove.Honestlove.”“Youthink?”Charlenesaidhopefully.“No. I know,” Willa said. “True love isn’t reserved for weddings and

ceremonies.It’sfromtheheart.That’sallithastobe.Alliteveris.”Charlenetriedtocontainthetearsstreamingdownhercheeks.“Wellthen,

wehavetotry.”Anothernod.Finninterrupted.“Whatareyou—?”“Shutup!”Willacalledtothefrontseat.“Notjustanykiss.Ithastobe—”“Real.”“Yes.”Charlene looked into Maybeck’s face. She saw kindness. Felt warmth.

Sorrow. Joy. Laughter. Frustration. Concern. Envy. Light-headed fear at thethoughtoflosinghim.

AsWillaleaneddowntowardPhilby,CharlenebentandkissedMaybeck.

“THEDOCTORGAVEYOUsomethingtowakeyouup,”UncleBobsaidasLuowski’seyes began tracking the two securitymen in the room.That includedClaytonFreeman.

“Weneedyourcooperation,”Freemansaid.“Where…am…I?”Luowskisaid.“AboardtheDisneyDream.”ClaytonFreemancuppedhishandwhispered intoBob’sear.“Youseehis

eyes?IsweartheyweregreenwhenItookhimintocustody.”Bob’sastonishmentborderedondisbelief.“Youcameaboardillegally,”Bobsaid.Clayonshookhishead,tryingtokeepBobfrombeingsosternwiththekid

whowasclearlydelirious.“WewillbemorelenientthantheLosAngelesPoliceDepartment.We’retakingyouofftheshipinamatterofminutes.”

Thekid looked totally lost. “Thewitch,”hemumbled, as if rememberingsomethingforthefirsttime.

“Youareastowaway.Youcangotojailforthat,”Bobsaid.Freeman stepped closer to the boy on the exam table. He talked to him

confidentially.“Thewitch.Whatdidshesay?Whatdidshedotoyou?”“Oh…givemeabreak!”Bobroared,butFreemanquietedhisbosswitha

sharplook.Luowskisaid,“Iwassupposedtogetoneofthemforher.Iwouldn’tdoit.

She…got…me.Instead.”“Maleficent,”Freemansaid.UncleBobwasabouttoburstabloodvessel,hewassomadatFreeman.Luowskinodded.“Biggerthanshethought.”“What’s bigger?” Freeman asked, leaning in. The boy was speaking so

softlythathisvoicewasbarelywindfromhislips.

“There…are…others,”theboysaid.“Who?”“Homeless…”“What?Who?”“An…army.”Thekid’seyesrolledinhisheadandhiseyelidsflutteredshut.“What’dhesay?What’dhesay?”Bobasked.Freemanlookedathisboss,backatthekid,andthentoBobagain.“Ithinkhesaidthere’sgoingtobeawar.”

INTHEBRIGHTSOUTHERNCaliforniasunshine,threeyoungpeoplestoodattherailofVibe’s deck on theDisneyDream—two girlswith a boy sandwiched betweenthem.Charlene,Finn,andWilla.

A moveable walkway connected the amidships gangway leading to theterminal,ferryinghundredsofpassengersfromshiptoshore.

Agirlwithred-streakedhairstoodlessthanfivefeetaway,alsolookingout.She’dbeenaboardtheDreamwhenabanged-upwhitevanhadpulleduptotheshipinPuertoVallarta.Shesmiledatthethreeofthem.

AdroneblimpadvertisingtheDisneyChannelfloatedinthesky.“IfIdidn’tknowbetter,I’dsaythatblimpwasfollowingus,”Finnsaid.“Oh,no!”Charlenesaid.Theothertwolookedather.“Akidinthelounge.ShesaidherfriendsawusonTV.Thatitwasscary…

Ithoughtshewastalkingaboutathreesixty-five.”“Butthoseweren’tscary.”Finnlookedupattheblimp.“That’sexactlywhatCharlenesaid,”Willasaid.“What’sgoingon?”“Twopointoh,”Finnsaid.“RealityTV.”“W…h…a…t?”Willalookedpale.“Remember the new contracts they had us sign when they installed the

upgrade?”“Aformality,”Willasaid.“Mymothercalleditaformality.”“Myparents,too,”Finnsaid.“Butthenthere’s…that.”Hepointedattheblimp.“They’refilmingus?”“They’veturnedusintoarealityTVshow.”“Wedon’tknowthat!”Charlenesaid.“Ah,comeon!”Finnsaid,“We’rethereal-lifeHungerGames!It’llbethe

mostpopularshowever.”“Theywouldtellus!”Charlenecomplained.“Andwe’dstartacting,andtheydon’twantthat.Theywantusasnaturalas

possible.”“Asifthisisnatural!”Willasaid.“No kidding.” Finn took his eyes off the blimp. “Like it matters. We’ll

knowsoonenough.”HepointedoutatLosAngeles.“Well,eveniftheyarefilmingus,it’snotallbad.We’vegottofocusonthe

positive,”Willasaid,attemptingtoencourageFinn.“Maleficentcouldbedead.”“Sheisdead,”Charlenesaid.“Nomatterifsheisorisn’t,they’llneverfindtheirwayout.Chernabogis

trapped,maybedrowned.Theybroughttheirmostevilmonster,andwedefeatedhim.Them.WebeattheOvertakers,Finn.They’refinished.”

“Youknowwhat they say about evil,”Finn said in a gravelly, flat voice.“Youenditoneplace,itpopsupinanother.”

Charlene shot him a disapproving look. Finn’s resulting expression offatigueandsorrowsaiditwouldneverbeoverforhim.

“They’rekeepingDillardonice,”Charlenesaid,“youknow…”“He’sdead,”Finnsaid.“Ikilledhim.”“Youshouldn’thavetoldthemthat,”Willasaid,angrily.“Thatwasastupid

thingtodo.”“It’sthetruth.”“It’sacrime.You’llbedeported.”“Extradited.”“Whatever!TiaDalmakilledhim.Notyou.”“Youthinkajudge’llbuythat?”“Wewon,”Willasaid.“Toogreataprice,”Finnsaid.“There’sanotherpossibility.”Anewvoice.Thethreeturned.PhilbyandMaybeckwalkedoutontothedeck.Thegirls

swallowedtheminleapinghugs.“Whichis?”Willaasked,linkingarmswithPhilby.“Since you’re all so deeply worried,” Maybeck said, interrupting. “We

passedourphysicals.Nosideeffectsfortheseconddayinarow.”FinnproposedhistheoryabouttheblimpandtherealityTVshow.Philby

justlaughed.“Youneedsomerest,man.”WillasqueezedPhilby’shandas thefivelinedupagainst therail, looking

outinthefardistanceattheratherflatLosAngelesskyline.“Whatotherpossibility?”WillaaskedPhilby.“Youeverheardofpleabargaining?”Philbysaid.“Ihavenothingtobargainwith,”saidFinn.“Notyou.TiaDalma.”“Youlostme.”Philby reached intohis pocket andpulledout a crude-lookinghand-sewn

doll.“ThiswasfoundonTiaDalma.”The doll, dressed clearly as a boy, had a pin stuck in its chest. Charlene

gasped.“What if this represents…what if this is Dillard?” Philby said. “You

handledtheknife,sure.ButwhatifTiaDalmahandledyou?”Finnrubbedhisfingerovertheheadoftheimbeddedpin.“Whatifweoffertolethergoinexchangeforherremovingthatpin?”“Lethergo?”Finnwasaghast.“Isthatevenpossible?”Charlenesaidhopefully.“What’stheonethingwe’velearnedfromallofthis?”Philbyasked.Maybeckanswered.“Anything’spossible.Every-thing.”AflickeroflifereturnedtoFinn’sdulleyes.“Youthink?Buthow?When?”“Soon,”Philbysaid.“Butifshe’sreleased,weneedtheteamfull-strength.”Maybecksaid,“Weneedtorelax.Weneedacruise!”Theylaughedtogether,allshakingtheirheadsatonce.“WeneedacoupleofdaysinDisneyland,”Finnsaid.Noonecontradictedhim.“IloveDisneyland,”Charlenewhispered.DownthelengthofDeck11,acrewmanwassprayingtheship’sdeckwith

a garden hose, working the runoff into a channel drain than ran beneath therailing.HepolitelymovedthefiveKeepersasidewithhisspray.

“Hey, there!” an adult voice called from outside the terminal. The kids

looked eleven stories down, each spotting a parent, or inMaybeck’s case, hisauntJelly.FinnsawhismothernexttoPhilby’s.Shewaswavingfrantically,herfacefilledwithjoyandexcitement,hereyesblueinthebrightsun.

Finncoveredhisface,notwantingtheotherstoseehistears.Theblimpturnedtowardtheshipandsailedcloser.“Let’sgetoutofhere,”Philbysaid.“Not justyet,”said thecrewman, twisting thenozzleshut.Thevoicewas

old,butsteady.Eerilyfamiliartoallofthem.Wispywhitehairescapedtheship’scaphewore.Asheliftedhishead,the

cap gaveway to the face beneath its brim, and an all-knowing,white-toothedsmile.

Inunison,theKeepersgasped.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TheKingdomKeepersseriesisateameffort,andacomplicatedonetotrytogetright. For thoseDisney enthusiastswho spotmistakes, they’re entirely onme.Theparks,cruiseline,andpublisherextendtomeeverypossibleresourcetotrytokeepthingsaccurateandexciting.

SpecialthankstoDisneyCruiseLine’sKarlHolz,JodiBennett,ChristiaanAbbott, Sherry Roth, Clayton Lyndsay, and Captain Henry F. Andersson forgivingmeaccesstotheiramazingships.Asalways,toChrisOstranderandhisteam for the Synergy. To Alex Wright and all the Imagineers, including JoeLanzisero,fortheirhelpwithexploringtheshipsandtheImagineers’visionofhowtodothings(atsea)differently!

Moredowntoearth,thankstomyeditorsGenevieveGagne-Hawesand,atDisney Books,Wendy Lefkon; Dan Conaway and Amy Berkower atWritersHouse; Matthew Snyder at Creative Artists Agency; Brooke Muschott, myincrediblyknowledgable intern; andNancyZastrowand JenWood for endlesshelpintheofficeandontheroad.