Flashback — Disneyland — 1958

A satisfied expression on his face, Walt looked over the array of artifacts he had brought back from Europe. It had been an extensive, productive trip. On the same table, slightly apart from the relics pulled from sunken ships, was a lovely item he had gotten as a surprise for Lillian.

His eyes lost their sharp focus as he thought back on the trip. It hadn’t been easy to buy the strand of pearls without her knowledge, but he managed to pull it off. When she had wandered to a far corner of that little antique shop in Zermatt, Switzerland, Walt quickly paid the clerk for the pearls he had spotted when they first walked into the shop. Safely hidden in the deep, overflowing pocket of his jacket, he had smiled broadly when she came back to join him.

“What are you so happy about, Walt? Find something interesting?” Lillian fully expected to see a suit of armor or an antique piano with his name and California address on it. However, there didn’t appear to be anything in particular that had been set aside.

“Oh, nothing, really. Just happy to be here with you!” He took her by the arm, waved a cheery good-bye to the shop owner, and together they had strolled out into the bright summer day.

Fingers lightly resting on the pearls, cool to his touch, his memory of their driving tour through Europe was interrupted by the ring ring of the entry bell to his apartment. Knowing whom he had sent for, he called out, “Come on in, Blaine.”

“Hi, Boss. You have everything you wanted to show me?” Blaine had been deep into his work of sculpting the mermaids for the new Submarine Voyage set to open next year. His responsibilities also included over 14,000 beads, jewels, and treasures that would soon be placed all over the seabed floor in the sunken ruins and shipwreck section of the ride. Aware of his deadline, Blaine really didn’t want to be interrupted. But, knowing his boss as well as he did, he figured Walt probably had something new for him to do.

“How’s everything going?”

It seemed like a normal question a boss would ask an employee, but this was Walt Disney. He knew every facet of the work being done and its exact progress. Not only was work being done on the Submarine Voyage, but also the Matterhorn Mountain was being built, and the Alweg Monorail system was scheduled to open at the same time. This was going to be a tremendous expansion for Disneyland. Blaine gave Walt a half smile. “We’re all on point. Everyone’s on overtime, as expected.”

Walt’s eyes strayed back to the brass items spread out over the table as a big grin came over his face. “Did you see those two postcards I sent from Switzerland to the Model Department?”

Blaine had to laugh. “Yeah, everyone did. When the first one came, we weren’t sure if you were serious or not. When the second one arrived, we knew to get busy.”

“Well, we had an ugly Skyway tower on Holiday Hill to cover up and we all wanted a thrill ride anyway, so I thought it was the perfect solution. I was already in Zermatt to check on the progress of Third Man on the Mountain, and there it was.”

“It” had turned out to be the Matterhorn Mountain. Enraptured by the majestic peak, Walt found two postcards of the Matterhorn and mailed them to California. On the back were just two words: “Build this!”

“You like the design of the Monorail?”

When Walt changed the subject, Blaine realized he wouldn’t be getting back to work any time soon. He leaned his hip against the table and folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah, I like the wraparound windshield and the bubble for the driver to sit in. Sure a lot better than the way Bob described the first monorail he saw when you sent him to Germany.”

At the reminder, Walt started to laugh. “That was priceless! ‘An ugly loaf of bread with a slot in the bottom sitting on a stick.’ Glad he had background in car design.”

“Yeah, that and being a fan of Buck Rogers. The Mark 1 might have looked really different if he hadn’t.” After a subtle glance at his watch, Blaine pointed to the things on the littered table next to him. “Did you want me to work these things into the Submarine Voyage?”

Walt had seen his glance and hid his smile. He knew Blaine would stand there all day if he was asked to, but decided to let him off easily. “Yeah, I love these brass portholes and ship’s bells. I found an anchor, too, but the museum just wouldn’t sell it to me.” The expression on his face showed Walt was still annoyed at being told no. “I know everything you’re doing is made out of Duraflex, but I think it would be nice to have a few real artifacts on the seabed floor mixed in with your sculptures. Even if they tarnish, it will just make it all look more authentic. These old silverware pieces and plates could have come from the Captain’s Quarters.” His eyes got that dreamy, far-away look. As the finished product came into sharp focus in his mind, he was already working on how to improve it.

The ringing of his phone interrupted his thoughts. After finding out who was on the line, Walt halted the call and put his hand over the mouthpiece. With a nod of his chin toward the table, he dismissed the artist. “Take everything with you, Blaine. I’ll check on your progress in a couple of days. I’ve got to take this call.”

Blaine hesitated as his eyes landed on a beautiful strand of pearls. There would be pearls on the mermaids, of course, but these…these looked real. “Everything, boss?”

Walt had turned his back to resume his conversation. Slightly irritated at the interruption, he gave a slight glance over his shoulder. “Yeah, I said everything. You’ll have to see yourself out.”

With a shrug, Blaine gathered up all the items, leaving the table cleared. The door to the apartment shut with a low click behind him.

As soon as the call was finished, an upset Walt grabbed his hat, jammed it on his head, and rushed out the door. It would be over a month before he was able to return to his little hide-away over the Fire Station.

The Great Northern Plains

Using his newly-acquired skill, a worried Wolf soundlessly appeared in the disorganized den of Omah. He had pictured her just the way she looked when the sun hit her brilliant red hair, the golden highlights gleaming in the light. His memory had been so sharp he felt he could have reached out and touched the silky strands.

The cave was empty. Shocked that his new method of travel didn’t work, Wolf wandered into the dark interior. The mess was still there, but there was an air of neglect. It felt as though she hadn’t been back in a long, long time.

Unable to figure out why Omah wasn’t there, Wolf eventually picked up a pile of pictures from the floor. As he thumbed through mementoes of her past, an uncommon feeling of loss swept over him. Not wanting to face the implications of what it might mean, he pushed the emotion to the back of his mind as one photo in particular caught his attention.

“That must be why I came here.” It was a picture of Omah in an open meadow, standing in the sun, her face turned up to the warmth. After another long look, he slipped the picture into a pocket in his deerskin pants, the only garment he was wearing. “Now what do I do? If this didn’t work, how do I find her?”

With a groan, Wolf knew he would have to talk to her tribe if he was going to find out what happened to Omah. Most of the tribe had only seen him as a huge black wolf. Her sister, though, had seen him as a man when she watched the cave. He would have to try and talk to Kiaayo. He just hoped she wasn’t armed with her spear this time.

As he approached the encampment, he was greeted by a chorus of barking dogs. Alerted that there was a stranger in the camp, he was quickly surrounded by both the snarling dogs and the braves. “Kiaayo.” He made his voice commanding and sure, as the son of the Shaman should.

The men could see the stranger was unarmed and unafraid. With a gesture, they led him to a large tent near the edge of the camp. When the redhead emerged to see what the commotion was all about, her eyes widened when she recognized Wolf. “Sumanitu Tanka.” When he acknowledged his name with a nod, she gestured for him to sit. With the sign language common to the Plains Tribes, she asked why he was back.

“I am looking for Omahkap’si.”

“Why?”

It took Wolf a moment to figure out her question. Then it took him longer to figure out the answer. “She suddenly left me and I was worried about her.”

Kiaayo looked down to hide a small smile. When she spoke, it was from the experience of growing up with a headstrong sister. “If Omahkap’si doesn’t want to be found, she will not be found.”

“I wondered if she came back here to say goodbye.”

That confused the woman. “Why would she say goodbye? She leaves and she comes back. Probably the same as you do.”

Why would she say goodbye? Even if she does what I think she’s going to do, she would still be a sister to Kiaayo. That wouldn’t change. How do I explain this? Wolf ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in frustration. “When did you see Omah last?”

Now it was Kiaayo’s turn to look distressed. “It’s been a long time. She usually visits more often. I’m afraid something might have happened to her.” She turned away from Wolf. “If you don’t know where she is, I don’t think I can help you.”

Wolf glanced around to see who might be close enough to know what they were saying. Once the newness of Wolf’s appearance wore off, the members of the tribe had drifted back to what they had been doing. They were alone by the entrance to her tent. “Can you tell me anything about where she lives when she is not here? Has Omah ever mentioned another house or….” He broke off. He wasn’t sure how the word apartment would translate.

Kiaayo knew what he meant but shook her head. “No, she never talked about that part of her life. No one here would be interested. We live now.”

At that point, Wolf realized there was nothing more to learn. As he stood to leave, he turned back to the curious redhead. “If you see your sister, would you tell her I’m looking for her?”

“I can do that. And if you find her, let her know I miss her.”

Rather than create a spectacle by disappearing in front of the tribe, Wolf decided to walk back to the cave. Touching nothing, he just stared into the darkness. His mind whirled as he thought about his last conversation with Omah and what it might mean. He hadn’t yet decided what he would do. And there was no way to know what Omah was going to do. Or what she might have already done, he reminded himself.

After one last look around, Wolf decided to go ahead with something he had planned to do with Omah. Even if he couldn’t find her, he could still make that part right.

His glance happened to fall on what he was wearing. A droll smile on his face, he knew he’d have to make another stop first. While it would be amusing to appear dressed only in deerskin trousers, he wasn’t sure enough of his new-found ability to be certain of his exact landing spot. It would be better to be dressed more appropriately. Not as funny, but more proper.

Disneyland — 1966

“Walt, you have a minute? Wow, what happened in here? The maid quit?”

Distracted, Walt looked up at Wolf. The apartment looked like a tornado had hit it. “I didn’t hear the bell. Come on in, Wolf. Oh, I guess you’re already in….”

Wolf didn’t know if he should be worried or amused. Usually unflappable, Walt seemed distracted and was visibly upset. The security guard picked his way around the cushions that had been thrown from the couch. “Redecorating?”

Walt stood after thrusting his arm down the back of the sofa. One hand on his hip, the other slowly scratched the top of his head. “I just can’t find them. I’ve been searching everywhere.” He waved one arm around in a circle. “This is just my big, last-ditch effort before I forget it forever.”

“What’d you lose? Anything important?” From the look of the apartment, it must have been something Walt really wanted to find.

“You remember that trip Lillian and I took to Europe?”

Wolf smiled. “Which one?”

“What?” The question seemed to stump the already-distracted Walt.

“Which trip to Europe? There’s been a few.”

The irritation at not being understood faded from Walt’s face. “Oh. Right. The driving trip we took in 1958.” At Wolf’s nod, he threw another exasperated look around the room. “I had bought something for Lilian, something special as a gift.” He glanced over at Wolf and gave a small smile. “You know, for putting up with me for so long!” As expected, Wolf didn’t comment on that. “Anyway, I had brought it here to hide until the right time to give it to her…and I still can’t find it.”

As soon as he arrived Wolf had glanced at a newspaper sitting on one of the tapestry chairs and had seen the current year. “It’s been eight years, Walt. That’s a long time for something to be lost. How come you never mentioned it before? I might have been able to help back then. What was it, anyway?”

“I know it’s been eight years!” Irritated at himself, Walt let out a sigh as he bent over to pick up one of the cushions. After tossing it back into place, he sat down on the couch and shrugged. “I don’t know. I always expected it to just turn up. You know, behind the sofa, or in the back of one of the drawers. A closet.” Walt paused before he continued, his brow creased in concern. “I’d hate to think someone broke in here and stole from me. Things happened before, but I can’t think of anyone who would do that again.”

“You still haven’t told me what it is that’s missing.”

Walt turned from staring out the window over Main Street to look at Wolf. Before he could answer, a confused expression came over his face as he looked his friend over from head to toe. “What are you dressed in? That’s not the uniform the security guards are wearing now.”

Wolf glanced down at his outfit. In his hurry to change out of the deerskin pants and get going, he had overlooked that little point. “Uhm….”

His problem forgotten for the moment, a big smile spread over Walt’s face. “Ah, I get it. You aren’t really here. I mean…you’re here on a visit from the future, aren’t you?” Fascinated, he got up to scrutinize the uniform. “I like it. Very neat and official looking. Should I make notes?” The smile faded a little. “Wait a minute. The other times you…uhm, visited…you were a wolf. Scared the dickens out of the dogs at home. This is the first time you’ve come back as a man. Isn’t it? Unless I missed something another time.”

He always was too sharp. Should have thought about the uniform before I just jumped here. “Yeah, you’re right. I…I’ve learned a new way to travel. If I keep doing it correctly, there shouldn’t be any more storms and lightning.”

Walt was intrigued. He knew about Wolf’s special abilities, but now there was something new. “How did you learn? Did someone teach you or did you figure it out?”

Oh, great. “Someone showed me.”

“Who?” It was said more like a demand than a casual question.

“Omah.”

“The mermaid Omah? She was just here. Well, a couple of days ago.”

Wolf had to stop and think for a moment. Walt didn’t look at all surprised by the identity of his teacher. He wondered how much his boss actually knew. “So, you know about her….”

“Her ability to travel like you do? Yeah, I’ve known about it for a while.” Walt went over to retrieve the other cushion. “I thought she might possibly work with you. I was going to get you two together after her test, but….” He let the sentence trail off. That clue search ended badly and she had been sent away. Any future hopes for Omah had been cut short. It hadn’t helped when she came back with the mermaid, frantic and wild-eyed.

Wolf’s mind was quickly going through the timeline he knew about. If Walt had already sent her to Florida, then she possibly could have already returned to him after confronting Peter. “You said she was just here. Which time?”

Walt gave a smile. “Only you would know to ask a question like that. She suddenly appeared here, like you just did, with the lost mermaid in her hands. She seemed to think it would make a difference.”

“But it didn’t.”

“Well, it was already over. Your young friend already finished the quest, thanks to you. There wasn’t anything else to be done.”

Wolf removed his hat and ran a hand through his thick hair. “Walt, did you plan on her being a Guardian?”

“Getting a little territorial, are you?”

“No, I need to know. There are…things…going on in my time where it would be good to know.”

Walt gave a half smile. “From our dealings in the past…using the term literally…I know I shouldn’t ask you when that would be.” He was amused by the wary look that came over Wolf’s face and he held up a hand to divert what he knew would come. “No, no, I’m not asking. It’s just intriguing. You have to understand that. But, to answer your question, yes, I was planning on bringing her into the fold as a Guardian. Until her breakdown, that is….”

Wolf now had his answer. He knew he could bring some mental peace to the woman after all this time. If he could just find her…. “Well, thanks for clarifying that for me, Walt. It means a lot. And, I hope you can trust me to make things right for you. Initially you really weren’t wrong about her. She has some strong…emotions…she has been working through.”

Walt’s eyes narrowed as he thought about Wolf’s words. “Hmmm. It’s intriguing that you seem to know her, even though I can only imagine how much time has passed. But, I do trust you.” He walked across the room to his loyal friend to pat him on the arm. “Now if you could just go back in time and find my pearls.” He paused before he resumed fixing the room, his face lighting up. “You could do that, couldn’t you?”

His thoughts on Omah, Wolf stared unseeingly out the patio window. Just half-listening to his boss, his head suddenly whipped around. “Did you say pearls? Is that what you’re looking for? When was the last time you saw them?”

“Now why does everyone ask that? If I knew, I would look there….”

Wolf had to smile. “No, I mean what was going on around then? And don’t tell me you can’t remember. You remember everything.”

“Everything except where I put the pearls….” Walt quit mumbling as he thought back. “Well, that was the time of the huge Tomorrowland expansion. We were working on the Matterhorn, the Submarines, and the Monorail at the same time. I know the pearls were in this room. Why are you smiling?”

“You said the magic word: Submarines. I think I know where your pearls are, Walt.”

“You know who stole them?”

“Oh, I don’t think they were stolen.” Wolf now had the answers to two mysteries. Not bad for a day’s work. “I have to make a trip to get them back for you.”

“Present or future?”

Again, only Walt could know to ask that. “Future, and, no, you can’t come with me.”

“You and Omah always tell me no. I don’t like being told no.”

“Sorry, Boss. I’ll see you soon.”

Walt seemed to be thinking back and he stopped Wolf from leaving. “I had wanted to give those pearls to Lillian back when the new Tomorrowland opened. You know how the mermaids on the float threw fake gems and pearls to the guests along the parade route? I was going to have one of the girls throw Lillian my pearls. Can you arrange that?”

Wolf gave him a wide grin. “Now I know why you keep me around. I’ll see what I can do. No promises except that you will get them back.”

Walt said nothing. He knew Wolf.

Fullerton – Current Day

“Wolf! It’s you? Where’ve you been?” Peter was excited to see his friend suddenly show up in his room. “Hey, how’d you do that? Where’s all the lightning and stuff?”

Wolf could see that the questions would just keep coming and held up a restraining hand. “Nice to see you, too, Peter. I, uh, learned something new. Didn’t your mom mention it?”

Peter couldn’t understand why Wolf turned red all of a sudden. “Mom? No, she didn’t say anything. Do you want me to go get her?”

“No!” When the boy looked startled by the sharp way he was answered, Wolf had to lower his voice. “I mean, I’m sure she’s busy and I don’t want to bother her.” Not until we all have enough time to forget it ever happened. “I wanted to see you.”

That perked Peter right up. “Me? Cool! Oh, guess what? I’ve already found the answers to two of the clues! I’m working on the next one now. If I can figure it out in time, we can go back to the apartment tonight and be there in the Park it opens in the morning.”

Wolf had no idea what he was talking about. “What clues? Did you find another Hidden Mickey trail?”

“Oh, that’s right. We haven’t seen you since you jumped out of the window. You’ve been gone a long time. You know that apartment Walt gave me? I found another capsule in there!”

Wolf paused as Peter went over to his desk to dig out the clues he had found so far. Since he didn’t remember any clue search based in that apartment, he wondered if it was another one Walt had done without him. Well, he’d probably have time to ask Walt if he could just get Peter to focus.

When Peter came back with the yellowed papers in his hand, he was surprised when Wolf didn’t seem interested in them. Disappointed, his hand dropped to his side. “Oh, I thought you’d want to see them…and help me with this latest clue that has me stumped.”

Wolf could see the letdown all over Peter’s face. “Sorry, buddy, I’ll have to make it up to you later. I’m on a special errand for Walt. Do you remember those pearls that were on the mermaid you found in the Mansion? Where are they?”

On hearing Walt’s name, Peter instantly forgot the disappointment that Wolf apparently wasn’t going to help him. “Walt? Really? Did you just see him? What does he want you to do? Can I go with you?”

“Peter…”

“Does it have anything to do with Disneyland…. What?”

“The pearls. Do you know where they are?”

“That’s all? Just the pearls? That’s no fun.”

“Peter….”

The excited look on Peter’s face fell. “All right. All right. They’re over…. Turn your back. It’s a secret hiding place.”

Wolf looked at the arm-folded stance Peter had assumed and did as he was asked. Boys. “Fine.” He could hear rummaging under the bed and then a scraping as something was pulled out. A loud click, and then it was shoved back in place.

“Okay, you can turn around. Are these what you want?”

Wolf took the gleaming strand of pearls in his hands. “Yes, I think these are just what Walt was asking about.”

“Are they real? I tried to find out, but didn’t get very far.”

Wolf glanced up at the boy. “What do you mean? What’d you do?”

A blush started creeping up Peter’s neck. It was obvious he wished he hadn’t mentioned it. “Uhm. I called a jewelry store to see if they were real or not.”

“Oh? What’d they say?”

The blush got brighter. “I tried to describe what they looked like. The woman on the phone said she wouldn’t be able to tell from what I was saying. So I tried again. She finally told me they’d have to see the pearls. When I told her I couldn’t do that, and asked if she really couldn’t just tell me, she, uh, told me to hold them up to the phone so she could see them.”

Wolf bit his cheek. “And you did?”

“Hey, I didn’t know she was joking. Just drop it. Are they real or not?”

Wolf let Peter off the hook. “Yes, they’re real. And I need to get them back to their owner. He’s been worried about them for a long time.”

Peter gave a little laugh. “Considering who it is you’re talking about, it’s been a lot longer than he thought!”

“You’re sure right about that, Pete. And, no, you can’t come with me.”

“Aww. Are you coming back soon? We all really miss you.”

That heartfelt admission made Wolf smile. It was nice to be missed. “Yeah, I’ll be back soon. You be good.”

Peter made a face. “That’s no fun. But, I’ll try.”