Read The Key To the Kingdom Online
Authors: Jeff Dixon
The Key To the Kingdom (13 page)
T
HE METAL SECURITY GATE
silently swung open as a cast member provided Hawk and Kiran their escape from the Disney Hollywood Studios. Without saying a word they moved along the sidewalk toward the parking areas. After clearing and putting a safe distance between them and the last security checkpoint on the concrete path, they stopped. Hawk tried to read what Kiran was thinking as she looked off into the night sky. Having moved beyond the brightly lit confines of the theme park, they now stood under a magnificent Florida sky. The black velvet of the evening was enhanced by the twinkling glimmer of starlight. A poet would have called the sky romantic, but in this moment, with the events of the past few minutes, romance was not on Hawk’s mind. He waited, knowing she would gather her thoughts and eventually tell him what she was thinking. The waiting gave him time to both process what had happened and try to anticipate her reaction.
Hawk realized he had told Kiran too much when she had caught him in Walt’s office. Under pressure he had revealed far more to her than he normally would have. He’d rationalized that it was necessary to prevent her from calling security and having him arrested. With more time to think, he would have been more guarded in his disclosure. Hawk also wasn’t sure what to conclude from her quick jump into his search. For Grayson Hawkes this whole evening had been one of high risk. In a matter of impetuous moments he had been willing to risk his integrity, his security, much of what he had tried to build professionally, and what he valued relationally. The thing he valued the most was not compromising his relationship with Jesus. Whether Jesus would have chosen to do what he had done this evening was something he would ponder later—and more than likely struggle with.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Kiran interrupted his thoughts.
“It has been quite an evening, hasn’t it?”
“Look, Hawk, I’m not sure what to think of your story, your key to the kingdom, or your breaking into the attraction. I’m not sure why I didn’t call security on you when I found you.”
“Kiran, I . . .”
Kiran raised her hand for him to be quiet. He decided it was better to let her continue.
“I think I didn’t call security because there was something about you that I found attractive.” She hesitated and Hawk felt his face blush a bit. He hoped the dim lighting hid this from Kiran. “And I liked what you said when you were preaching. Perhaps I was hoping you were different than other people I knew. I think that’s why I was hoping the story you told me about Farren Rales, the Dwarf Cottage, the key, and everything else was true. After we found the stuffed Mickey, I had about decided you were just another crackpot. Then it called you by name!”
“That was a bit odd.”
“It was more than odd, Hawk! It was bizarre. This whole evening has been something out of a movie, or nightmare, or something. . . . I don’t know what to call it.”
“I’m not sure what to think about it either, but I’m glad you didn’t call security,” he graciously offered.
“Look, Hawk, like I said, I’m not sure why I didn’t call them, but this is the end of the line.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is it. I don’t know why you ended up with that key to the desk. But you got a chance to open it and you got your souvenir. My advice would be for you to go home and figure out why your friend sent you on this scavenger hunt. If you ask me, we’re both lucky we didn’t get caught.”
Kiran turned and stalked away toward the cast member parking area. Hawk watched her for a moment and then trotted after her. Cast member parking was the Television parking area of the Studios. As she passed underneath the pleasantly smiling face of Minnie Mouse, he drew close enough to get her attention.
“Kiran, wait,” he called softly, and she turned back toward him. “I really appreciate your help tonight. Thank you so much. I need some time to figure out what really did happen and what it’s supposed to mean.”
“Hawk, didn’t you hear me?” she asked tersely. “We were lucky tonight; it isn’t that tough to figure out. There isn’t any deeper meaning than that!”
“It’s just that I need to get a little perspective on it, that’s all. Let’s figure out a time tomorrow to talk about what happened after we think about it awhile.”
“Think about it all you want, I don’t need to help you.”
“I know you feel that way right now, but we were supposed to get together tomorrow night at seven o’clock. Meet me where we planned on Front Street,” he attempted to convince her.
“No, I don’t think so,” she answered too fast. “I think the time we spent hanging out together tonight was memorable enough.” She turned and again headed deeper into the cast parking area.
Hawk stood firmly planted in place as she left. She finally disappeared from his line of sight without looking back. Certain she was not returning, he began making his way toward his car, his footsteps echoing across the concrete. He tried to decipher the events of the evening. Stopping at his car door, he placed the Pal Mickey on the roof of his car, facing him. He slid his hand into his pocket and removed the skeleton key, the key to the kingdom, and held it up. Placing his elbows on the roof of his car, he leaned against it, staring at the
key and at Mickey Mouse. Mickey had told him they were going on the adventure of a lifetime . . . whatever that meant.
I
T WASN’T YET SEVEN THIRTY,
and after a sleepless night, Hawk was the first to arrive in the friendly and familiar confines of his office.
Logging onto his computer he immediately put into action the plan born in the midst of his insomnia. Hawk had determined to understand better how Pal Mickey worked; his first stop would be at the Disney World Trivia forums. In moments his screen filled with a number of links loaded with information about Pal Mickey.
Relaxing and rocking back in his desk chair he reread what he found. The design of Pal Mickey began in the year 2000 as Imagineers began to flirt with ways that wireless devices could be used to enhance the guest experience in the theme parks. This technology would allow the guest to receive practical and helpful information but also allow the Imagineers to communicate some of the rich stories and details that were such an important part of the design of each unique park. Throughout the Walt Disney World Resort hundreds of hidden infrared transmitters emit information to the toy. The end result is a transponder network designed to keep the Pal Mickey constantly receiving and able to dispense information. The computer system that runs the emitters as well as the computing power inside the doll itself is one that builds and stacks the information so it becomes a genuine interactive experience. The small, protected transponder in the hard plastic nose acts as the receiver and behind the eyes is the speaker system that enables the user to hear all the information. Hawk also found that the Imagineers were only just beginning to experiment with the technology and that the future of what they could do was unlimited. Already prototypes of new receivers, transponders, and emitters were being tested. Pal Mickey had been the rollout of the first wave of this technology and it had worked. There would be more applications to follow, and as Karin had said, the Pal Mickey system would have to be turned off and shut down. But in spite of that, Hawk now possessed a plush pal that still worked. He reached into his bag and brought out the Pal Mickey he’d freed from Walt’s desk last night.
Since this particular Pal Mickey had addressed him by name the night before, Hawk felt it safe to assume that this was one of the new prototypes he had read about. The technology behind it was impressive and obviously one that the Imagineers had mastered. It reminded him of Kiran’s explanation of the technology behind the parades in the Magic Kingdom. Since Farren Rales had his hand in many things the Imagineers were working on, it would not be a stretch to think he could have his hand in this type of technology as it was developed and implemented. It was also fairly reasonable that Rales would be involved in whatever the next progression of this technology would become.
“Is it possible that Rales could have set up a system designed to communicate with just one receiver?” Hawk asked aloud toward Mickey.
It seemed to be the only reasonable explanation for the surprising sayings from the stuffed animal last night. Rales had wanted him to find the desk and the very special Pal Mickey. Rales also had intended for the interactive stuffed tour guide to talk directly to him. Beyond that, if he was thinking correctly about those things, then the key to the kingdom unlocked the desk and an even bigger mystery. This was something that Hawk hadn’t been anticipating. His assumption was that the key itself would give him an answer to what the key to the kingdom was. Instead the key had merely served to open up more questions. Running his fingers through his hair he realized it was not over as Kiran had suggested. Instead he felt compelled to pursue this even further. If what he had done the night before was only the beginning, he shuddered to think what he might have to do next in order to solve the mystery.
The ringing of the phone shook him out of his cloak-and-dagger moment. Reaching to grasp the handle he hoisted it toward his jaw and spoke.
“Hi, this is Hawk.”
“Hawk, this is Nancy Alport.”
“Nancy, have you heard from Farren?” Hawk was hoping for good news.
“No, that is why I am calling,” she said.
“I was hoping . . .” The statement was truer than he wanted to admit. Despite his suspicions that Rales had masterminded a grand mystery for him to solve, he was growing concerned. He could not ignore the way that Farren’s disappearance, the key, and this puzzle all seemed to be interconnected. If Farren were around, perhaps he could shed some light on some of the things Hawk was thinking and of course bring some clarity to the mystery.
“The sheriff’s department was just here. We couldn’t find anyone who has seen Farren for the last three days. Since he doesn’t have any family locally and he has never just missed work or meetings without checking in, this is serious.”
“I agree, it is serious.” Worry knotted Hawk’s stomach.
“I wanted to give you a heads-up that I gave them your number and told them who you are.”
“You did?”
“Yes, I hope that’s okay. They wanted to know who his friends were and who he might have talked to before he disappeared. You’re one of his best friends and you were one of the last appointments he had on his calendar when he met with you and your staff.”
“Sure, that only makes sense.” He was glad the late-night appointment they’d had was apparently not on Farren’s calendar. “Not a problem at all. Did they say they would be coming by?”
