Kingdom Keepers VI (9781423179214) (18 page)

The door from the companionway to the Health Center waiting room groaned open. Maybeck's room was to the left, and the person entering eased open the door, slowly, silently. This intruder saw the back of a person sitting in a chair facing Maybeck: a narrow-shouldered white medical coat, a man's bald head.

A robed figure stepped into the examination room. She wore a golden crown. A starched white collar rose up from her shoulders behind her head, hiding her face.

“Haame-lo-lo,”
spoke the woman.

The head and lab coat shrank to less than half their original size, the head bouncing on the floor and splitting into brains, ears, and nasal passages.

A plastic head. A physician's demonstration human skull Finn had found on the counter and mounted to look like Maybeck's guardian.

Finn stepped out from behind the partially open door, the twin fabric patches from a HeartGo defibrillator raised like a weapon. He pushed them against the Evil Queen's left arm and fired an electric shock. She literally flew across the small room and rammed into the counter. The device hummed, regaining its charge. Finn came forward; remarkably, the Evil Queen wasn't down, only stunned.

What is this creature? he thought. The beeping defibrillator's main box dragged on the floor behind him. He willed it to reach full power—one more shock, and the Evil Queen was going down. They could lock her up; it would be a big setback for the OTs!

Struggling to hold herself up, she hooked her elbow on the countertop and turned to face Finn. Her eyes were either bloodshot or glowing. She looked like she was in pain.

Finn took in her beauty, and his breath caught. He tried to look away, but couldn't. His hold on the patches loosened. He wanted to touch her face, to kiss her ruby lips. He felt himself drawn into her eyes; iron shavings to a magnet. Who could harm a woman so lovely? So…perfect?

He pulled closer to her, easing the wired patches lower. The battery box continued its low-toned beeping, not yet charged.

The Queen's lips moved.

Finn thought himself privileged that one so precious would bother to speak to him at all. It never occurred to him that she was attempting to cast a spell.

The box emitted a single piercing beep.
Fully
charged.

The Evil Queen knocked the patches to the floor.

Finn suddenly saw her for what she was. A witch, drunk, or sick, half asleep.

She reached with long fingers for Finn's throat and locked her hands around his neck. He wrestled to break free, throwing her against the near wall as he managed to turn his back to her.

She pushed him into the cabinets, smashing his face into the safety glass. It cracked into a spiderweb but did not break.

Through the glass, Finn spotted the syringe on the metal tray.

Finn pushed her back, stunned as she threw him forward, his head smacking the glass for a second time. He managed to pull open the drawer, fingers groping for the key card to the cabinet. Only then did he realize he'd watched the nurse in a reflection, a mirrored image. Wrong drawer. He knew what it meant: he had to endure yet another blow to the head.

He heaved back.

The Queen shoved forward.

Finn cracked the cabinet's safety glass for a third time. He pulled open the drawer to the left, and there was the key card! Seizing hold of the key card, still wrestling with the Queen as she managed to get his neck fully in her grip again, he swiped the card next to the cabinet. It unlocked.

After the three collisions with the glass, Finn's head was beginning to go spongy. Colors floated before his eyes, blinding him. He felt his knees give out. He sank lower as his left hand found its way into the cabinet.

“I came for the other, but you are the prize! You will do nicely for our little sacrifice, my friend!”

“I don't like to be overlooked.” Maybeck's voice. A hand appeared on the Queen's shoulder and spun her around.

The sound of Maybeck's voice gave Finn strength, a strength so unfamiliar, he was still learning how to use it. He stood, broke her grip, and looked Maybeck in the eye. He'd come out of the coma; Philby had returned him!

The Evil Queen looked as if she'd seen a ghost. She tried to speak, but her eyes rolled back in her head, flickering open just long enough to see the syringe still inserted in her arm. She spoke, but her words came out at half speed.

Maybeck sagged, losing strength.

The Evil Queen fell to the floor, weakened but still conscious. He would not be able to capture her.

What is this creature? Finn thought for a second time. The dose was meant for Maybeck, who weighed a good deal more than this slight woman, and yet she remained partially awake. She'd said,
I came for the
other
. Had she meant Maybeck, or had Finn, by using Charlene's ID tag, led the Queen here?

His plan to kidnap her foiled, Finn took Maybeck's arm around his shoulder and helped him out of the exam room and into the companionway, leaving the Evil Queen groaning and cursing in some strange language while a plastic doctor's model of a human head, its brains missing, stared back at her.

C
LAYTON
F
REEMAN'S I
PAQ signaled that the radio frequency tag in the unaccounted-for laundry had left the lounge. He was back on the trail.

A minute later he was following a wide-shouldered boy with buzz-cut red hair.

The level of sophistication of the boy's violations suggested more organization than a high school kid was capable of. More sinister as well. It would be pretty stupid to step on a single ant only to realize too late he'd missed the colony. Freeman intended to stay with him.

Freeman was the wizard of
Disney
Dream
's
security office. When Uncle Bob had given the Imagineers a wish list of security upgrades for the new class of ship, all the technical ideas had come from Clayton. These included the use of radio frequency tags for passenger identification, stateroom entry, the Oceaneer Club, tracking laundry inventory, and the inventory of
security-sensitive equipment, including closed-circuit video surveillance—CCTV. The ship possessed four highly-encrypted private WiFi systems. Night-vision imaging on certain decks.

In the end, Clayton Freeman wanted a safer ship, but not a ship that invaded anyone's privacy—all of which required a great deal of forethought, compromise, and planning. With the upgraded wireless networks came the ability to transmit security video to the handheld devices, a functionality he finally got the chance to test now, as he dropped back from the subject yet remained able to follow.

When the suspect entered the forward tunnel, which enclosed the jogging track, Foreman hurried. He'd lost the boy here once before.

No sign of the two. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Zero.

Vanished.
Same as last time
.

Freeman could envision three explanations: 1) He'd used the
CREW MEMBERS ONLY
door immediately to Freeman's right; 2) Their hideaway was right here under Freeman's nose; 3) He was a hologram and had walked through the wall.

This last possibility came under the heading
Top
Secret
. He and Uncle Bob had, for several days now, realized something extraordinary was happening on their ship. One thing seemed clear: if he went to Uncle Bob with only theories he'd be laughed at. The older man was starting to question, but he wasn't
sure. Clayton Freeman would need proof. Hard evidence.

Freeman opened the
CREW MEMBERS ONLY
door. Nothing.

He pulled it shut and paced the jogging deck.

He was in the exact location at which the cameras had lost the double Mickey the first time. All he saw was a line of stains where some passenger had spilled soda.

There was a hiding place here.

Something he was missing.

* * *

There was barely time to celebrate Maybeck's coming out of the coma. Standing in a crowded area by the gangway on Deck 1, Charlene attempted to hide her relief at having him back.

Finn and the others felt a sense of hope. They had not exactly defeated the Overtakers, but they had caused them to fail, and that was almost the same thing.

Just before noon, a security officer quieted the thirty people gathered.

“Passage ceremony personnel are now cleared for disembarkation. Please have your identity cards out to expedite the process.”

Led by Captain Cederberg, who was followed in succession by officers of rank, a parade of VIPs
crossed the temporary gangway. The Kingdom Keepers brought up the rear behind Captains Mickey and Minnie.

Maybeck was in decent shape. They'd teased him about being well-rested.

But once on Panamanian soil, Philby and Finn stood on either side of Maybeck, ready to help prop him up if he needed it.

The Keepers understood the honor of being part of the inaugural festivities, of being in the presence of the cruise line executives. The event had been carefully scripted, so it surprised everyone—most of all the Keepers—when the biggest cheer, bigger even than for Mickey, arose as they crossed the plank.

Mickey came back and patted each Keeper on the head, winning ever louder applause from the crowd.

The president of Panama spoke briefly, followed by Captain Cederberg. There seemed to be more journalists and photographers than Panamanians. Cameras flashed. Photographers signaled the ship's representatives to look one way, then the other.

Jodi directed Captain Cederberg with hand signals. Andy and his crew were among those filming.

“Excuse me…you can't…”

A security man on the ship side of the gangway was trying to stop a robed woman from disembarking. Laughing horribly, Maleficent walked
through
the man's outstretched arms.

“Red—”

“Alert,” said Philby, finishing off Finn's thought.

“Hologram,” said Willa.

Seeing the dark fairy, the crowd cheered all the more loudly—everyone but the ship contingent. Jodi and the other company executives and ship's officers stepped out of Maleficent's way.

All but Captain Cederberg, who, judging by his expression, had had enough of Maleficent and her intrusions.

“I'll ask you to leave,” Captain Cederberg said.

“Here, catch,” Maleficent said.

Finn saw it in slow motion but reacted in real time. A ball of fire formed in Maleficent's hand; it left her grasp; Captain Cederberg's natural reaction was to put his hands together in order to catch something thrown to him.

Finn covered his face and took the ball of fire in
his chest, immediately diving to the patch of green grass—sod, laid just for this event. He did so two feet in front of the captain, sparing the man a third-degree burn.

Finn scrambled to his feet, the front of his shirt burned, his skin pink. The crowd on the decks of
the ship and the shore was in a frenzy. The chant
of “King…dom Keep…ers!” started up.

It occurred to Finn:
How do the Panamanians have
any idea who we are?

Security men rushed to tackle Maleficent, but ran smack into each other, knocking themselves to the ground.

Maleficent wasn't there. Only her hologram, which continued to cackle evilly.

Captain Cederberg first looked to Finn, then saw his men collide.

“Blind her!” Finn called.

Too late. Maleficent walked up to the lectern. With no way to pull her off, they had no choice but to listen to her.

Only Philby saw a way around this situation; he took off for the soundboard under a small white tent to the left.

“This is indeed an historic moment!” Maleficent turned back to Finn as if he were part of her plan. “We inaugurate not only a ship's passage through a territory once believed to be inhospitable to man, but the passing from the old to the new. The old canal”—she waved vaguely over her shoulder—“and the new.” She indicated the
Dream
. “The old, weary mice”—she pointed to Mickey and Minnie; Mickey put his hands on his hips indignantly—“for the almighty Cherna—”

The name died in the air. Philby had yanked the microphone cord from its socket. Fury burned in the eyes of Maleficent's DHI. She raised her hands high overhead.

A cloud formed above them in the center of the blue sky, growing outward, darkening, and becoming increasingly ominous at a phenomenal pace. Within the boiling gray cloud an image appeared. A face. Part Minotaur, part bat.

“This is not within her powers,” Willa cried.

Spinning around, the four Keepers scanned the ship for someone…anyone…

“Two o'clock,” said Maybeck weakly.

Tia Dalma was positioned on a flat roof near the back of the ship, an area off limits to all but the crew. She, too, held her hands toward the sky; but the expansion of the cloud appeared synchronized with her
movement.

Chernabog's ghoulish maw yawned open as he licked his chops. His slit eyes squinted.

“Everyone back on the ship!” Finn hollered.

Chernabog blew down on them.

A wet, foul smelling wind stirred the trees. Slowly at first—just a breeze—it increased in force. The clouds rolled, casting crazy shadows on the ground. Tia Dalma summoned a lightning strike; the bolt slammed directly onto the lectern, and it exploded into flames.

In the midst of the chaos, Bob and Finn exchanged a look. Bob's eyes seemed to say,
Okay, so now I believe
you about the blue-sky lightning
—though perhaps Finn was imagining his capitulation.

Bob herded the group toward the gangway, making sure that the top executives and Captain Cederberg were at the front. But the captain stepped aside, calmly ushering others on board ahead of him.

“Just a small squall,” he said. “We get them all the time. Shame to rain on our parade.… Watch your
step.… Grip the rail.… Mind the gap!”

In a surprisingly orderly manner, the thirty
Dream
representatives returned to the ship as the crowds scattered in an alarming mob scene behind them. The president was rushed to a waiting limousine as two more lightning bolts struck with earthshaking force. Raindrops the size of golf balls fell; pieces of tents and flags went airborne, smashing to bits against the stands that had been set up for the event.

Then, as the gangplank was hauled aboard and the hatch was just about to shut, the storm stopped. The clouds melted from the sky like hot wax.

It was over, leaving what looked like a war zone behind.

“I want answers!” Finn overheard Captain Cederberg shouting to his team as they huddled past security.

Finn knew the truth: there were no answers Captain Cederberg would like. Even fewer that he might believe. If Chernabog's rise to power had already happened, why had the Queen been in pursuit of Maybeck or Charlene only minutes before? Maleficent had seized an international media stage to make her statement, reaching the biggest audience possible, perhaps signaling other Overtakers around the globe that their time had come; but the Chernabog in the sky––a mile across by a mile high––had been nothing but an image conjured by Tia Dalma. If the real Chernabog had been empowered, why not have
him
make an appearance?

The answer seemed obvious: Chernabog remained in torpor, awaiting the sacrificial offering.

If they could protect Charlene—and they had to!—perhaps they could prevent the bat-god from gaining power.

* * *

A meeting was hastily arranged later that night when a handful of texts from Amanda demanded that she be crossed over to the ship ASAP.

For Finn, it was a collision of confusion. At the time, he'd enjoyed the flirting with Charlene. It had been harmless enough. But he'd soon felt bad about it. He wouldn't have told Charlene she looked pretty if Amanda had been present. But Amanda hadn't been present, and Amanda hadn't been nice to him for a while now. Was it wrong to flirt with Charlene when Amanda wouldn't give him the time of day? He knew the answer when he felt guilt-stricken at hearing Amanda was coming aboard.

The rendezvous, the companionway outside of Animator's Palate, was always busy around mealtime. But not late at night, which was why it had been chosen.

After midnight, the ambience aboard the
Disney
Dream
changed dramatically. Bands of older teens and small groups of barhopping adults roamed the ship. Romantics sat in a deck chairs observing the night sky and the moonlit highlights on the water. It was a restful, quiet time. An officer might be seen in crisp whites, strolling, hands behind his or her back, contemplative—the close of another long sea day.

Charlene took up sentry duty in the long port-side corridor leading to the restaurant. She lay down on the recessed frame of one of the many large porthole windows that ran from the Atrium all the way aft to Animator's Palate. Willa took watch on Deck 2, just below the rendezvous, while Storey Ming took the same location on Deck 4.

All four sentries had entered their location in a text message to Finn ahead of time, ready to send with the push of a button; this would tell him from which direction the trouble was coming, and therefore in which direction to flee.

Philby took command in the Radio Studio, controlling the 2.0 server that would allow Amanda to cross over, and to return her if necessary. Their Disney DHIs had been discontinued at ten o'clock, following the stage show in the theater.

Finn liked creeping around the ship at night, just as he enjoyed being inside the Disney parks after the gates closed. He remained keenly aware that security cameras were watching, and that crew members who served as security personnel might recognize him. Being recognized—which, he'd come to find out, was the price of fame—was not always such a good thing.

Although most of the passengers had gone to sleep, the crew had not. Finn approached from Deck 11, the warm Panamanian winds blowing across the rail. The ship had passed through the new canal without another incident; the captain had come over the public address explaining and apologizing for the “freak squall.” The open deck area that featured swimming pools by day was lined with pool furniture facing the Funnel Vision screen. Everything shipshape, neat and tidy, not a soul in sight.