“But what? What are you thinking?”
“But, what if we were attacked because we worked for Disney?” Her eyes were wide as she spoke this aloud. “Is that too weird? We can’t possibly be the only ones who can travel through time. What if we were targeted?”
Wolf was silent again as he thought about her supposition. There had been a lot of strange things that happened in his travels. He had met Merlin a couple of times throughout the centuries. And, then there had been that battle with…. His mouth fell open as his past ordeal with helping Aurora came back to mind. Way before Aurora’s lifetime, his opponent had been known as Merlin’s apprentice Nimue. She had lost a valuable piece of jewelry Merlin had given her. Once she knew where it was and who had it, she wanted it back. And that had meant many centuries of trouble and many name changes as she traveled. In Aurora’s time, she went by another name, one that struck terror into those who whispered it. Wolf and his friend Wals had taken Aurora home and ended up in a battle with the evil fairy. She had enchanted all her followers—including Wolf—and turned them into a snarling pack of wolves, herself being the largest, most powerful. “But I defeated her. She was too weak to do any more. Merriweather told me it would be a long time before she recovered. But it’s only been seven years.”
“Who are you talking about? Who did you defeat?”
Wolf snapped back to the present, not realizing he had spoken out loud. He wanted to think about this and analyze it in private. If she was somehow involved, the effects could be far-reaching—and devastating. Aware Omah’s eyes were on him, intently staring as she waited for his explanation, he knew she would have to wait. There wouldn’t be one just yet. “Sorry. I hadn’t expected your reasoning.”
In spite of the seriousness of what they were discussing, Omah gave a slight grin. “What? That I can reason or that I might have a point?”
“Both.” Wolf rubbed a hand over his face. “I need time to think this through. Can we get back to what we originally planned to do? We can discuss this again later.”
“Oh, we will. You can depend on that.”
“So, how do you travel? What do you do to get where you want to be?” In an effort to change the subject, Wolf waved a vague hand around the clearing. “You obviously don’t use portals.”
“I just think of a happy thought.”
“And then you can fly?”
They both laughed and some of the tension drained away.
Omah shoved all the unanswered questions to the back of her mind. Yes, she and Wolf would have another long discussion. But, obviously, not now. She allowed Wolf to distract her. “To me, now, it’s just about that easy. At first, I did use portals like that. Terrifying things….”
More relaxed now and keenly interested in what she might show him, Wolf was all ears. “How did you realize there was a different way to travel? How did you figure it out?”
Omah gave a small laugh as she thought back. “I came out of a portal—much like what you just put me through at Disneyland—only I was dumped on top of that mountain,” she pointed to the far north at a tall, snow-covered peak, “not here with my family. In case you’re wondering, that range has snow all year. And, yes, it was freezing.”
Wolf shrugged, not seeing the connection. “I’ve made mistakes, too. I wanted to visit Walt and ended up back in Marceline when he was nine years old. Scared his little sister Ruth so badly that you can probably guess where the song ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf’ came from.”
“Well, this mistake almost killed me. I wasn’t prepared for the cold and there was no way down without starting an avalanche.”
“What did you do?”
“Got mad.”
Wolf chuckled. “You? Really?”
“Yeah, hard to believe, right? Anyway, I started fuming, which, by the way, helped keep me warm…. Anyway, I started yelling that I didn’t want to be there and I wanted to be with my family. And, suddenly, I was.”
Wolf thought he must have missed something. “Wait, back up. What?”
She shook her head slowly side to side as the wonderment of it came to her again. “That’s all it took. I was so focused on where I wanted to be—and with whom—that I was instantly transported there.”
“As a wolf or as a woman?”
“That’s a good question. At first, since I was traveling from our current time, I was a woman and I arrived in the snow as a woman. But, when I came off the mountain, I was a wolf. I couldn’t figure that out for the longest time.”
“What did you figure out?”
Her blue eyes filled with amusement. “Apparently in my ranting, as I thought back on what I had said, I had said something about wolf fur would have been welcome for once. I must have mentioned that right before I said I wanted to go to my family. So, apparently my wish was granted—or whatever prompted it—and I was a wolf when I arrived.”
Wolf found his heart was beating faster in his chest. If what she said was true, if this is what it took to travel like she did…. This could make his life so much easier, so much more enjoyable when he traveled. His father…. Wolf recalled when Merriweather had allowed him to travel one time as a man to see the Shaman. It had been the first time since he was a young boy that his father had seen his face. He had never seen his father cry before. “I want to do this.”
“Of course you do. That’s what this is all about.”
“No, I mean right now. I just think where I want to go? Is that all?”
“All?” Omah didn’t know whether to be insulted or amused. “There’s no ‘all’ to it. There’s more to it than that. Haven’t you been listening? And don’t growl at me. It’s not becoming.”
Wolf had to take a deep breath to keep from becoming irritated at her again. She was quite capable of refusing to help if he kept pushing her. “Sorry.”
“Oh, that sounded sincere.”
“Listen….” Wolf bit back the rest of his words and lowered the hand that pointed at her. “Sorry. I’m just intrigued and anxious to try it. Can’t you understand that?”
“Yes, I can. Once I first learned how to do it right I traveled all over the place! But, it can still go wrong if….”
“So it won’t go wrong.” Wolf interrupted her to keep from having to listen to a lecture. “I want to try it now.”
“I’d rather take you somewhere myself the first time so I can talk you through it and you can see my process.”
“I don’t need that. You’ve already shown me the results a few times.”
Omah kept her mocking thoughts to herself. If he wanted to do it himself alone, fine. She’d be here waiting when he came back. And then she’d show him the right way. “Since I can’t seem to stop you, go ahead. Think of where you want to be, and with whom. Let the power do the rest.”
Wolf had to stop and think. Where did he want to go first? Who did he want to see? “Since I don’t know how long we’ve been gone, I should probably check in with Lance and Kimberly. If it’s been too long, they might be worried.”
Omah gave an indifferent shrug. “Then you have what you need.”
Wolf closed his eyes and concentrated on his friends and fellow Guardians.
Fullerton — Current Day
A shrill scream suddenly pierced the air. Startled, Lance dropped his full coffee mug and bounded up the stairs two at a time to the master bedroom. Heart racing, he started yelling for his wife. “Kimberly? Where are you? Are you all right? Honey?” He could hear the water was running in the bath and then the shower door slammed.
Wrapped in a towel hastily thrown around her body, an embarrassed, angry Kimberly rushed out of the steamy bathroom. “Where is he? Where’s….”
Lance threw his arms around her to keep her from rushing out of the bedroom. “What happened? Why did you scream?”
Once she realized Lance was holding her, Kimberly relaxed her rigid posture. As she pushed a dripping strand of hair out of her face, her eyes darted around the empty bedroom. “It was Wolf! Wolf go
t in the shower with me! Where is he? I want to….”
Lance held her at arm’s length so he could look into her face. “What? How could Wolf be in your shower? We haven’t seen him in weeks. He certainly isn’t here. Look around. I would have seen him, wouldn’t I?”
“Well, he certainly saw me!” Kimberly jerked the towel tighter around her body, her face a bright red. “You don’t believe me! I know what I saw, Lance.”
“I’m not saying you didn’t. But, there wasn’t any lightning or wind, was there? That’s what we usually see when he…travels, shifts, whatever it is he does. How could he just show up like that?”
“I don’t know. It was like he just appeared next to me and then he was gone.”
Lance was trying very hard not to break out laughing. He didn’t figure it would help right now. “Did he say anything? Was he a wolf?”
“No, he wasn’t a wolf. He...he was a man.” The red began to creep up her neck again. “And, no, he didn’t say anything. To be honest, he looked about as surprised as I was.”
Lance had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “I’m sure he was. Maybe something happened while he’s been gone.” Another thought came to mind that put a damper on his mirth. “I wonder if Omah was involved in any way. The last time you saw him he was with her.”
The mention of the woman who attacked her son made Kimberly forget her humiliation. “Omah? Wolf hated her. He wouldn’t work with her. Would he? You’ve known him longer than I have.”
Lance could only shrug as he took her in his arms for another hug. “I don’t know, sweetheart. He’s been gone a long time. Things change over time. Maybe there’s more to it than we know. Plus, you’re dripping all over the carpet.”
Glancing down at the floor, Kimberly saw the large water stain beneath her. With a loud ‘hmmph,’ she stormed back into the bathroom to finish her shower, mumbling all the way. “Just wait until I see him again. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”
Lance waited until the shower door had slammed shut once more. It was only then that he started laughing, his face safely—and wisely—muffled in one of the pillows from the bed.
Flashback — Disneyland 1962
“I can never stand still. I must explore and experiment. I’m never satisfied with my work. I resent the limitations of my own imagination.” It was early in the morning, hours before Disneyland opened for the day. Walt could see a thin layer of coastal mist swirling around the flagpole in the Town Square as a sweeper hurried through the same area to make sure everything was clean and ready for the day. Turning from the window of his apartment, he looked over the men who stood waiting for the daily walk-through of the Park. They were a good group of men, ones who had been with him for years and had shown themselves capable of taking his ideas and dreams and turning them into reality. “You all know how involved the company’s been with the New York World’s Fair coming up in two years. Well, that’s all well and good, but Disneyland can’t suffer while our minds are elsewhere.”
As one they nodded in agreement. “Walt, you still planning on bringing the rides you’re building for the Fair back to Disneyland?”
Their boss turned to shuffle through some drawings on the table before he answered. “Yeah, they’ll fit in nicely. The Lincoln show will be talked about for years to come—once we get all the bugs worked out. Ah, here it is.” A rendering of New Orleans Square was pulled out of the pile. He pointed to the back of the quaint streets and plant-hung balconies. “How’s the work going on putting the train station in Frontierland on the other side of the track and moving the route away from the Rivers of America?”
“Good, Walt. There’ll be plenty of room for your Haunted House. The footbridge that separates Frontierland from New Orleans Square will be removed. The water will be have to be piped and the area paved over.”
“Great.” Walt let the drawing drop back to the table and rubbed his hands together. He always looked forward to this part of the day. “Let’s go do the walkthrough. I want to see the progress in Adventureland, too.”
The men again nodded as they made sure their notepads and pens were ready at hand. If Walt made any comment or observation along the way, it was a cue for them to get busy and fix/repair/enhance/move/replace whatever it was that had just been subtly pointed out to them. Usually he would just say, “Well, let’s go a little farther with this,” or “Let’s change it to something like this.” Sometimes the cue would just be a slow shake of his head as he stood and glared at something.
Their route took them by the turn-of-the-century restaurant Red Wagon Inn on Main Street, There was a beautiful pepper tree that had been planted next to the building. The day before, as they walked by that same tree, Walt had made a passing comment that it seemed a little too close to the curb. Today Walt just smiled to himself as they went by. During the night, the ten-ton tree had been moved back a few feet.
The group rounded the corner and paused at the Tahitian Terrace. Made to look like it just came from the South Seas, it was a marvel in thatch and bamboo. The hardwood floors led inside to a large African coral tree under which the guests would enjoy watching the fire walkers and hula girls while they ate their dinners.
Walt led the way inside, arms folded over his chest as he surveyed the progress. “I’m glad we changed out the tree.”
“Well, Walt, you said the real one we had brought in wasn’t big enough.”
“If it was going to hold all the sound and lighting equipment, it wasn’t. Glad you got it cut in half and raised to the proper height. And, this tree,” as he patted the trunk, “will always be in bloom!” Hands on his hips, Walt then walked over to the right side of the restaurant, nodding hello to the workers who made room for him. Satisfied for the moment, he went back to his group. “That’s a good view into the Jungle Cruise. It’ll give the guests something to watch when the shows aren’t on.”
Glad to hear his work on the imitation coral tree passed inspection, Bill patted his stomach. “I’m looking forward to trying those teriyaki steaks and the raisin ice cream.”
Walt looked over his shoulder at the landscaper and grinned. “Now you’ve made me hungry! Let’s go back to the Red Wagon Inn for a bite. I’m buying!”
Disneyland — Current Day
As Peter and Catie walked down Main Street, enjoying an extra day off from school, Catie paused to look into the window of the Crystal Arts shop. There was a faceted crystal horse with its flying mane in the center of the display. Surrounded by colored gemstones, all lit by hidden spotlights, it sparkled and gleamed, sending out a myriad of rainbows. Catie was quite taken by the piece and stared at it every time she passed the window. “Isn’t it beautiful, Peter? I just love horses.”
Peter, however, wasn’t paying attention to where they were or what she was seeing. “Horse?” He looked around for the horse pulling the streetcar. “What horse? Oh, that. Yeah, pretty.”
Catie gave a slight “hmmph” and turned back to the crystal. “You didn’t even look at it. What’s wrong? You’ve been looking over your shoulder ever since we got here.” A feeling of dread pricked at her stomach. “Are you looking for someone in particular?” She sincerely hoped Lisa didn’t plan on joining them again. After the disaster the first time—even though Peter assured her the girl hadn’t meant it—Catie wasn’t keen on repeating the experience.
Distracted, Peter ran a hand over the back of his neck as he frowned. “No, I’m not looking for anyone exactly. It…it just feels like we’re being watched or something. Like if I turned around, someone would be right behind me.”
“Peter, it’s a Friday. There are thousands of people in the Park. There’s always someone behind you.”
Not wanting to worry her, Peter just smiled and agreed. He felt somehow responsible for her bad treatment a week ago and wanted her to enjoy the new treasure hunt. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Yet, before, their movements had been followed by Omah. That had been a real experience and something he di
dn’t want to go through again. With one last glance, he turned his attention to the window. The huge spun glass Sleeping Beauty Castle with golden turrets in the back was what caught his eye. “Wanna get a corndog?”
“Peter, it’s only nine in the morning.”
“I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry!”
With one last mutter of ‘starve to death,’ they headed for Central Plaza to say hello to the Partner’s Statue of Walt and Mickey.
“I think starving to death will be the least of your worries, boy. If you take any longer to get started on this fool’s errand I’ve set up, you’ll have to deal with my goons. Given the right incentive, they can be quite, how shall we say, creative.” The woman broke off into an eerie, cracking laugh. Mindless of the parents who pulled their children away from her, she majestically strode down Main Street as she kept Peter and Catie always in view.
Sitting in the shade of a jacaranda tree in the Hub, a small bronze statue of Chip and Dale kept watch over Peter and Catie. Heads close together, they examined the Park map they had grabbed at the entry ticket booth. Even though they both knew Disneyland inside and out, it was still helpful to have something printed in their hands.
“I still think we should’ve gone to Disney World.” Peter was doggedly determined that his idea of going to the World Showcase in Florida was correct. Not wanting to admit he might be wrong, he felt today was a waste of time—clue-wise, of course. He would never turn down an opportunity to go to Disneyland.
“That does sound like fun.” She looked up from the map to give him a sly grin. “Guess what I heard? Mom and Dad were talking when they thought Alex and I couldn’t hear. All of us might be going next summer!”
Peter’s head shot up at the news. “To Walt Disney World? Really? Oh, wow! That’ll be great. But, what if I’m right and we don’t find the answer to the clue here in Disneyland? That’s a long time to wait.” Already planning ahead, he figured he might be able to convince them to go during the winter break in three months.
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