Kingdom Keepers the Return Book 3
Page 29
“We extract the data—”
“—and we then have code that is a Version 1.6 of Wayne. We can return him.”
“Get on it!”
“I’m on it.” Brad seemed to be floating. “Just one thing. We’re going to have to match his age to his same age of the data we have.”
“At the rate he’s aging, that’s only a matter of days.”
“Yeah.”
“Can we do it that fast?”
“We have to, right?” Brad asked.
“Yes, we have to!” Joe heard his voice tremble.
“Then we’ll do what we have to do.” He reached out and the two men shook hands.
“Yes, we will. We absolutely will!”
LATE ONE NIGHT, slightly chilly winds blew out of the north stirring the palm fronds like long hair held out a car window. For over three weeks the Keepers and Fairlies had been soaking up their bedrooms—their real bedrooms at home in Florida. Their books. Their posters. Their music.
Jess and Amanda, guests of Charlene and her mom, shared a room as they always had and hopefully always would. Like sisters.
No one could remember whose idea this night had been. Philby’s probably, though Finn was more sentimental, more likely to think of the group.
But here they were, a small team of DHIs, bigger than the five who had started. Alone in the Magic Kingdom. Surrounded by darkness, empty streets, and silence. They rode attractions like Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, remembering a time years before.
They stole glimpses of characters like Mickey, Minnie, and Elsa, spying on them, giggling, and then darting away. “The Children of Light!” the characters gasped as they encountered the group.
The Kingdom Keepers were famous. Celebrities to what many believed were fictional characters. The whole thing seemed upside down.
As DHIs the Keepers, Fairlies, and Dillard watched as Finn approached the Goofy bench outside the Exhibition Hall and the older man sitting there. A man with a wide smile and wise eyes. White hair and red nose. A man to whom they owed everything. All the extraordinary experiences they’d lived for what felt like an eternity. One man. One dream.
He patted the bench and Finn sat.
“Remember?” Wayne asked.
“Like it was yesterday. Yes, sir, I do.”
“You didn’t believe.”
“I did not.”
“You do now.”
“I do. Yes.”
“And you, all of you, have had a good night?”
“The best ever. We’ve been on most all of the rides. Telling stories. Remembering. I couldn’t go on Small World, couldn’t bring myself to do it. The others did. I’ll have to take their word for it that the dolls didn’t come alive.”
“Good times,” Wayne said.
“Not that one! But, yes. Yes, sir. Exceptional. Extraordinary. The best.” Finn’s throat tightened and he looked up at the night sky to keep Wayne from seeing the tears in his eyes. “I don’t want it to end. None of us wants it to end.”
“It’s not as if they’re destroying the technology.”
“They’re destroying the Keepers software. That’s the same as destroying us.”
“You have college ahead. You have lives to get on with, son. No one can take away what you’ve had. But we need to take away your thinking it’s going to go on forever.”
“But it is.”
“No, your job is done here. The kingdom, the characters owe you all…well, everything. We owe you everything.”
“I’m sorry to contradict you, sir. But we…owe…you everything.” His stupid throat wouldn’t let the words out smoothly.
The other Keepers stood right in front of the bench now. Finn had no idea for how long they’d been standing so close, how much they’d heard. But their wet eyes answered that for him.
“A real fairy tale has no ending,” Wayne said, looking at each one of the kids. “You all remember that. Hold that in your hearts.”
The kids nodded.
“So, who’s it going to be?” Wayne opened his clenched fist. In it, a small plastic fob, like a garage door opener. Small and unassuming. The Return. No one wanted to touch it.
Finn carefully took it from Wayne, studied it, and handed it to Philby.
“I suppose you’ll be an Imagineer someday,” Finn told his friend. “Seems only right that you be the one to end this chapter.”
“Or start the next,” Philby said, accepting the Return from Finn. “Are we ready?”
Finn stood to join his friends.
“You’ve been ready for a long, long time,” said Wayne, wiping the corners of his old blue eyes. “And I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“To the best ride ever,” Philby said, raising his hand, holding the fob to the sky. The other hands joined his, like a sports team ready to start the game.
“The best ride ever,” the group echoed.
And he pushed the button.
To all the wonderful Keepers, another series comes to an end! Thanks for Keeper-ing the dream alive. Brooke Muschott as my Keeper of the Keepers Encylopedia, for her edits and patience. Jessica Kim and especially Jen Wood for driving the readership to new heights.
Chris Ostrander and Tim Retzlaff for all the connections within Disney and help getting the word out. Becky Cline and Kevin M. Kern for not only allowing me access to the Disney Archives, but for holding my hand through the process. Kim Irvine and all things Disneyland. The Imagineers, including Alex Wright.
Nancy Zastrow, Jen Wood (yes, again!), Miranda McVey, and Brett Ellen Keeler for their behind-the-scenes work with me in the office—their tolerance and patience. Tanner Walters, David and Laurel Walters—copyedit and editorial.
Marcelle Pearson for stepping so gracefully into a new role as my go-to office partner. Mary Ann Zissimos for building great book tours. This is KK book ten, perhaps the last, and each has been an unbelievable ride. I’ve been so lucky to live in this world.
Ridley
St. Louis, October 2016
ALSO BY RIDLEY PEARSON
Kingdom Keepers—Disney After Dark
Kingdom Keepers II—Disney at Dawn
Kingdom Keepers III—Disney in Shadow
Kingdom Keepers IV—Power Play
Kingdom Keepers V—Shell Game
Kingdom Keepers VI—Dark Passage
Kingdom Keepers VII—The Insider
The Syndrome
The Return—Disney Lands
The Return—Legacy of Secrets
Steel Trapp—The Challenge
Steel Trapp II—The Academy
WITH DAVE BARRY
Peter and the Starcatchers
Peter and the Shadow Thieves
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon
Peter and the Sword of Mercy
The Bridge to Neverland
Escape from the Carnivale
Cave of the Dark Wind
Blood Tide
Science Fair
For a complete listing of Ridley’s published books visit www.ridleypearson.com
RIDLEY PEARSON is the award-winning author of the bestselling Kingdom Keepers series along with forty other novels for adults (suspense) and young readers (adventure), including Peter and the Starcatchers, cowritten with Dave Barry. Ridley spends a good deal of his time sneaking around the Disney parks and aboard the Disney Cruise Line ships, all in the name of research.