Chapter 18
Dizzy, Ana, and Travis ran to Fantasyland and stopped in front of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Dizzy expected to see Big Red laughing with Justin in line, both of them looking through the autograph book, but they were nowhere to be found.
“Are you sure we are at the right place, Diz?” Travis asked. “I’m surprised we are here alone.”
“This is all I could think of,” Dizzy answered. “Maybe they are already on the ride?”
The three of them entered the line to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The line was short so Dizzy didn’t bother to use any of his Fast Passes.
“Toward the end of the ride,” he explained to Ana and Travis, “the judge is going to declare us guilty. We go through a door and suddenly we are in Hell.”
“Oooh, bad word!” Ana said, correcting her brother.
“It’s not a bad word. We literally go to Hell. The temperature is turned way up in that room and there are demons and pretend flames all over the place. Maybe that is where we find the next combination and the last clue.”
“That makes sense,” Travis said. “I still can’t believe a ride in Disneyland sends the guests to Hell though. That’s crazy.”
Dizzy heard a familiar voice shouting from near the King Arthur Carousel.
“I got it guys! The fire is the old settler’s cabin on the river. Fire spots!” It was Justin calling to his friends who were standing in line for the carousel. He had been looking at his phone, searching for information of fire spots at Disneyland.
Travis looked at Dizzy.
“Is that it? Are we at the wrong place, Diz?” Travis was ready to jump out of line and race to the Mark Twain Riverboat that cruised past the old cabin.
“Just wait,” Dizzy said. “I don’t think he knows we are in here.” Dizzy was looking closely at Justin. He had napkins on his lap with writing on them, some words had been scribbled out. He didn’t see Ana’s autograph book anywhere.
“Let’s get him,” Travis said. “I'm sure he has our book.”
“Just stop a second,” Dizzy said, standing in his way. “We want them to leave, trust me.”
“Why?”
“Because the fire spots he thinks they’re going to see have been out for a few years. They repaired the old burning cabin when they redid Tom Sawyer’s Island. Now it is just a settler’s cabin, no flaming arrows or fire spots anywhere.”
Travis laughed. They watched as Justin’s friends jumped over the railing to exit the line. There was no sign of Megan. Justin and his friends began running toward the Big Thunder Trail on their way to the Mark Twain Riverboat.
“Good, so maybe we are on the right track? Do you think this ride has the fire spots from the clue?”
“Fire spots, stops fire. Stop fire spots stop.” Ana was making up another nonsensical song. Dizzy looked down at her.
“What did you just say?”
“Oh nothing, just singing.”
“I don’t think this is it,” Dizzy said, backing up through the line. “Ana had it right. It isn’t ‘fire spots.’ It’s ‘stops fire.’ The fire station on Main Street!”
Dizzy began excusing himself as he made his way past the guests in line behind them. Travis and Ana were following closely behind as they ran through the bottom of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and back toward Main Street.
“I feel like our day would have been better spent if we just stuck around Main Street the whole time,” Travis said as they ran. “Every clue has brought us back here.”
As they approached the Disneyland Fire Station, they were shocked to see the line to submit the vault’s combination had over 50 people in it. Mr. Pegg read the next group’s combination over the microphone as he had done before, turned to the vault, and spun the dial. He gave the big handle a pull and it didn’t budge. He gave the group a friendly thumbs down and accepted the next group’s guess.
“55, 18, 26,” Mr. Pegg called into the microphone.
“Looks like the secret is out about the first number being 55,” Travis said.
The three kids entered the Fire Station through the giant front doors. Inside the station was a mini museum of antique firefighter equipment. Old axes and helmets, black and white photographs, fire hoses, oxygen tanks, and an old pair of boots decorated the station. In the middle of the room was an antique red fire wagon.
“Look for anything permanent,” Travis said quietly. “This is the fourth place. The second combination and the next clue will definitely be here somewhere.”
“Why something permanent?” Dizzy asked, inspecting the photographs on the wall closely.
“Just like the carving for the first combination and the second clue. They had to put the clue somewhere permanent so someone couldn’t take off with them.”
“Right,” Dizzy said. “Do you see anything yet?”
Travis was inspecting the fire wagon, hoping to find an engraving somewhere. Ana was playing on the fire pole in the corner, trying to climb up it.
“Where does this thing go?” she asked.
“Walt Disney used to have an apartment right above this fire station,” Dizzy explained. “He would stay here overnight and wanted to watch people as they entered the park. This fire pole was his way down from the apartment.”
“Cool,” Travis and Ana said together.
“Do you think the clue is up in that apartment?” Ana asked.
“No,” Dizzy answered. “Remember what Mr. Pegg said? All clues would be in normally accessible areas. Walt’s apartment is off limits.” Dizzy walked backwards away from the poll. He tripped over some rubber fireman boots that had been cemented to the ground.
“I’m OK,” he said, trying to act cool. “I knew those were there.”
Travis and Ana laughed and began pulling Dizzy to his feet. Just as he was about to get all the way up Travis let go of his arm, dropping Dizzy back to the floor.
“You aren't going to believe this!” Travis was looking down into the boots. Dizzy crawled over and joined Travis over the boots. Engraved into the bottom of each boot in tiny writing was the next clue.
Chapter 19
Dizzy read the clue quietly:
The Disneyland Quest Page 19
