SPRING, 2002

“Holy Crap!”

Ducking into an empty stall in the men’s room, Adam hurriedly locked the door. Silently apologizing for the ruined cushion and his impromptu hiding place, he pulled the leather-bound book out of his shorts. It was old leather, cracked with age, the black color having faded to a dark gray. There was no embossing or markings on the outside cover, front or back. The binding was about three quarters of an inch thick, but the way the front edges came together showed some pages were missing.

His heart—which still hadn’t returned to its normal beat—pounded harder as he opened the stiff cover. Immediately he saw what he had guessed was correct: There were numerous pages that had been ripped out of the front of the book. The first four yellowed pages proved to be blank. He slowly turned through these empty pages until he found writing. His eyes widened as he began reading the first page.

“Holy Crap!”

FOUR HOURS EARLIER

Seated in the Fantasyland Theater that early Sunday morning were two hundred and twenty participants this year’s Mouse Adventure—a unique and rambunctious romp through Disneyland by dozens of teams in what is fondly described as a cross between a scavenger hunt and a car rally—only on foot. The enthusiastic participants were already divided into seventy teams for this spring’s running of the race. The vast majority of runners were Disney aficionados, people who immersed themselves in all things Disney. The Mouse Adventure was a sort of proving ground to tout their knowledge—and subsequent bragging rights for those who won their divisions. The majority of the teams came from Southern California. However, the event drew many avid fans from all corners of the country.

The teams began gathering right after Disneyland opened at 8 a.m. to scope out the competition and impatiently wait for the race to begin. Off to the side of the stage was Mickey Mouse dressed in safari gear. A group picture was attempted at 9 a.m. And at 9:15. It proved difficult to get two hundred and twenty people all facing in the same direction at the same time and not talking. At 9:30, the emcee, Steve, welcomed them as quest packets were passed out. The quests were divided into two levels: Beginner and Advanced. First-time questers were encouraged to start at the Beginner level. Returning questers usually did the more difficult Advanced level.

Steve quickly ran down the rules, reminding the teams that they had until 3 p.m. to run as many quests as they could. They could only use the Disneyland Park souvenir map given to all the guests entering at the main entrance turnstiles for reference—no hand-held devices, notes or cell phones. Team members had to stay within ten feet of each other at all times. There would be no asking the Park’s cast members for help—as they have been known to give out wrong answers. Yes, there were Mouse Adventure people throughout the Park to watch for any breach in the rules. Steve reminded them to have their answer sheets turned in at the Opera House on Main Street before the 3 p.m. deadline because the doors locked at 3:01.

The teams were already leafing through the twelve pages of quests, plotting their strategy, and Steve knew this would be a good, competitive year. However, his eyes kept going back to a team off to the side. Teams were allowed four people maximum. Here was a group of five—four women and one man. The women had on identical bright blue T-shirts with Team Bad News Canoes screen-printed on the front. The man, in a brown polo shirt, was obviously not on their team. Steve made one last announcement:

“Just a reminder, people, that there is no fraternizing between the teams, either…. That means you, Team Pecos Bills. Last warning.”

When he heard his team’s name mentioned, Adam Michaels’ head shot up from the quest he was reading. “What the……” His race partner, Lance Brentwood, was not next to him. The pile of papers Adam had given him to sort sat on the bench untouched. Half-standing from his bench, Adam tried frantically to locate his partner. He finally spotted Lance as he was ambling back to his seat.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Adam’s words came out in a hiss when Lance was close enough to hear.

Lance looked totally unrepentant. He grinned over at the group of women who were still blushing furiously. Whether it was from being singled out for the warning or from whatever Lance had just said to them, Adam had no idea. Lance gave them a final wave as he sat back down and picked up the Trivia page. “Did you see that redhead?”

Adam cut him off. “Are you trying to get us kicked out of the race before it even starts? Sheesh, Lance, I....” Adam glanced back at the women and, more specifically, the redhead who easily stood out. “Wow, she is cute.” He sounded almost apologetic.

“Got her number.” Lance reached for a piece of paper he had stuffed in his shirt pocket.

Adam stopped his arm. “Leave it. We’re still being watched.”

Lance shrugged, unconcerned, his focus already back on the race. “Hey, it looks like we get to go into Club 33 and Walt’s apartment this year.” In almost the same breath, he changed the subject. “Do you know how many carrousel horses there are?”

“We do? Wow, I’ve never been in either of them!” Adam’s head jerked up towards the stage. “Wait a minute, what did Steve just say?”

“‘Have fun’,” Lance quoted, his eyes on one of the Word Jumbles.

“No, before that. I think he said something about Walt’s apartment.”

“Dunno. Hey Adam, look at this.” Lance pointed at a two-word jumble. “Trust Sora. That has to be Star Tours.”

The two men looked up when a rousing cheer broke from everyone around them. It was 10 a.m. The Race was on!

With no set pattern, the runners could do any quest in any order. As the crowd surged out of the Fantasyland Theater, some turned left and headed for either ToonTown or the Disneyland Railroad station. The majority turned right and headed toward Matterhorn Mountain. The mountain would be the dividing place for the rest of the Park. Those going to Tomorrowland would go left around the mountain. Fantasyland was off to the right. Main Street was straight ahead. Frontierland and Adventureland would veer off to the right from the Main Street Hub.

Adam and Lance were speed-walking toward Sleeping Beauty Castle. “How about Critter Country first? There’s a multiple-choice question there and a Canoe Quest where we ride the canoes and collect a token to turn in with the answer sheets. It’s worth eighty points. It might be a good idea to get the canoes out of the way early and not have to go that far into the Park later in the day.”

Passing Ariel’s Grotto and the Main Street Hub, Lance had a grin on his face. “Want to do Walt’s Apartment before we head to the canoes?” He was watching a particular group of bright blue shirts heading down Main Street.

A lot of racers headed in that direction, moving against the flow of Disneyland guests coming up Main Street from the entrance. Adam quickly shuffled through the papers and looked over that quest. He grunted and shook his head. “Well, they only let in two teams at a time. We’d probably have to wait a long time. Let’s come back later.”

With a good-natured shrug, Lance took the Canoe Quest sheet from Adam and looked it over, reading aloud the questions: “How many seats in a canoe? How many riders can a canoe hold? The canoes have been in how many different lands since they started running? Name them.”

“So, do you count the canoe guides or is it just passengers?” Adam led them through the Frontierland stockade gate and past the Shootin’ Exposition.

“Probably a trick question. I’d include the guides.” They were now passing the Golden Horseshoe. Unlike the thousands of guests who visited the Park, Adam and Lance barely took notice of their surroundings. To their right, the Mark Twain Riverboat was loading passengers for her trip around Tom Sawyer Island. The large white Disney icon sat pristine at her dock, paddlewheel rotating slowly to maintain the mooring ropes tight as people embarked. The Sailing Ship Columbia, with three tall masts and authentic rigging, was berthed just beyond the old Keel Boat dock and would come out later in the day if the Park became busier. This full-scale replica of the first ship to carry the American flag around the world was an afterthought of Walt’s. Looking over the busy river with his Frontierland manager, the manager thought Walt was going to criticize the number of objects moving people around Tom Sawyer Island: the Mark Twain, two keel boats, six canoes, and three Tom Sawyer Island rafts. Instead, Walt had insisted that what the river needed was “another BIG boat.”

Adam and Lance moved quickly along the riverfront, avoiding the growing line in front of Pirates of the Caribbean and dodging families taking pictures along the river. The smell of popcorn permeated the air as the men passed the brightly-painted cart just past the French Quarter restaurant. Lance was tempted to stop and buy some as his slender frame was just a front for a voracious appetite.

To their right, laughter came from a canoe half full of sporadic-paddling guests as they splashed by on the Frontierland river—also known as Rivers of America. Four of the passengers, two seated in front of the other two, all teenage girls, were engaged in a water fight with their paddles. Smiling to himself, Adam glanced at the sky. It was a beautiful spring day. The low morning coastal clouds were in the process of burning off and the temperature would probably settle around a warm eighty-degree high.

Bringing his mind back to the quest, Adam thought about the canoes. “What about the different lands?” He saw that Lance was reading a different quest. “The canoes are in Critter Country now. It was called Bear Country before that,” Adam ticked off on his fingers. “That’s two. What was it before Bear Country?”

Having just passed the Haunted Mansion, Lance’s attention was drawn to the screamers on Splash Mountain. A log was just starting its fifty-two-foot plunge with the riders either holding their hands up in the air or holding on for dear life. “I’m not sure. Did the Indian Village count as a land?”

“No, that was just part of Frontierland.” Intent on the quest, Adam was oblivious to the plunging log of screaming guests. “Oh, I guess that’s the answer. Frontierland would be the first actual location. I’ll write down 3.”

The entrance into Critter Country was striking with the reddish orange rockwork of Splash Mountain on their left and the granite façade separating Fowler’s Harbor on the right. Years ago, this area was the entrance to Bear Country. Before Splash Mountain was built, the area had been the low-key area of the Park with most guests only entering the land out of curiosity or for the musical attraction, The Country Bear Jamboree. Now closed and boarded up with a new attraction being built inside, Adam knew the Jamboree was still a popular attraction at Walt Disney World on the east coast. Adam felt a wave of nostalgia as he had enjoyed the show when it was operating.

No other teams were seen as they entered the ramp going down to the canoe dock. Lance looked over longingly at the two-story Hungry Bear Restaurant just beyond the exit of the ride. “Fries?” Always hungry, always hopeful.

“No time. Didn’t you eat breakfast?”

“Yes, but I might give out on the trip around the island. Paddling’s a lot of work, you know,” he tried beseechingly, all the time knowing his big brown eyes and dimples had no chance of swaying Adam away from his determined path. That tactic usually only worked on his female friends.

“Poor baby.” Adam was unimpressed. “You’re taller than me. Look over the people in line and see if you can count the number of seats in the canoes.”

While they waited in the short line for Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, Lance counted the number of seats: twelve. When the full canoe pulled away, the first seat behind the front guide was purposely left empty, so there were eighteen guests and two cast members as ride operators. Lance totaled the two lines and filled in the final answer as twenty riders before he grabbed a paddle and got into his assigned seat. Because of his 6’ 2” height, he was positioned in the back near the cast member steering the canoe. Adam was a few rows in front of him, the race papers stashed in a protective cover.

Using the tow ropes, the two guides pulled the canoe to the end of the loading dock and gave the passengers a quick lesson in paddling. “Raise your paddle over your head, flat end over the water…not over your partner’s face….” The front guide drew a few laughs as he demonstrated how to cup the end of the paddle with one hand and where to place the other hand near the business end of the paddle. “On the count of three, reach forward, pulling the water toward the back of the canoe…and not into the lap of the person behind you!”

Away from the dock, they floated slowly past the lower level of the Hungry Bear Restaurant where guests were enjoying an early lunch. When a French fry flew over his head, Adam looked over at the tables. Three laughing young women, probably in some sorority, were hurling French fries to the smiling, encouraging Lance. About half of the fries hit their intended destination; those that fell short of the canoe—and Lance—were fought over by the flock of well-fed black mud hens and mallard ducks that always hovered around the restaurant. Kids hanging over the rope railing were enamored by the ducks. The three women were more interested in Lance. Adam just shook his head. He had to admit Lance had his ways.

Once they got out of throwing range of the women and Lance remembered they were on a race, he dug in with his paddle. The canoe shot forward. Mike, the guide in the back, chuckled at Lance. “I like it when you Mouse Adventure guys ride. Less work for us!”

They rounded the first bend, nearing the Settler’s Cabin. Tony, the front guide, was standing, facing the guests. “Off to our left,” pointing out a solitary Native American sitting on a spotted horse, “is Chief Auto Parts. Looks like he traded in his old bronco and got himself a new mustang.” Next they slid past the Settler’s Cabin. “We’re now approaching the dangerous Keel Boat Rapids.” Adam gave a sigh at the name of the rapids. Don’t go there. Don’t look at the cabin, his mind warned him. Focus! Guide Tony continued, with dead-panned, mock seriousness. “Careful we don’t hit any rocks ‘cause we might just keel over and somebody might get keeled!” They rounded the bend in the river across from the Pinewood Indian Village—“because that’s what they are made of—Pine Wood” and the riders were given a break from paddling. After floating past the wrecked Mine Train on the left, they dug in again—much to the delight of the people on Tom Sawyer Island who were shouting helpful suggestions. “Stroke!” one teenager yelled. “You’re going to have a stroke!” His buddy next to him added, “Take the Mark Twain next time! You see the same stuff!”

As the canoe rounded the final bend and headed toward the canoe dock, they passed the rafts crisscrossing each other, taking people to and from Tom Sawyer Island.

“Paddles up!” Tony called as the back guide steered the canoe toward the narrow entrance of the landing. “Watch your hands and fingers; please keep your hands inside the canoe as we approach the dock. We don’t want our pretty dock scratched up.” Tony kept an eye on the younger ones who might not heed his warning.

Climbing out, Adam pulled his wet shirt away from his chest. He had been placed behind an eight-year old who had left more water on him than in the river.

After collecting their race token, Lance grinned at Adam’s soaked shirt. “Well, that was invigorating, wasn’t it?”

Adam gave him a disgusted snort. “I see you don’t have a drop on you.”

“I know how to paddle.”

Adam didn’t bother replying. As they exited the canoe dock, Lance began looking over the various sheets he had protected by sitting on them. Adam was sorting through his quests looking for the Multiple Choice section. “Here it is. Thought I had these in order.… Oh, we need to ride Pirates and Indiana Jones—unless we know the answers. Listen up.” He started reading the questions:

1. In Critter Country, which wooden animal can NOT be found?

a. Tortoise

b. Porcupine

c. Coyote

d. Moose

2. How many rubies are on the Golden Horseshoe Sign?

a. 39

b. 40

c. 41

d. 42

3. As you sail through the Bayou, what creature do you see?

a. Possum

b. Swamp Cat

c. Raccoon

d. Alligator

4. What two animals did the Pirates NOT set free?

a. Cat and Dog

b. Duck and Geese

c. Donkey and Chickens

d. Pigs and Parrots

5. What do the Pirates offer the dog for the key?

a. Bone, Rope, Mug

b. Mug, Ball, Bone

c. Bone, Cat, Rope

d. Ball, Rope, Meat

6. What is Indy’s truck license plate?

a. THX1168

b. NDYJNS

c. WH11204

7. Which bad end does not come to those who stare at Mara?

a. Eaten by rats

b. Stung by scorpion

c. Impaled on stakes

d. Bitten by snake

8. Which pair has wandered into Adventureland?

a. Snow White & Prince Charming

b. Bernard & Bianca

c. Buzz & Woody

d. Mrs. Potts & Chip”

To answer question One, they started looking around for the wooden animals, finding carved statues and seats. There was also the large entry sign to Critter Country to consider. They finally arrived at ‘Coyote’ by process of elimination and Adam circled that answer.

“Should you work on ’Horsing Around’ while we figure out these multiple choice questions?” Lance stopped at the entrance to Critter Country and the two moved over to the side of the walkway next to a wooden railing. “We have some time before going back to Fantasyland.” Adam was handed the sheet as they turned and started walking toward Frontierland. “You’re good at the movie trivia.”

“Yeah, it’s worth 100 points total. Listen to this:

• Name the horse from each of these movies:

1. Sleeping Beauty

2. Hercules

3. Mulan

4. Beauty & the Beast

5. Cinderella

6. Aristocats

7. Mr. Toad

Bonus question — 20 points

• Name the Lead Horse on King Arthur’s Carrousel

Bonus question — 10 points

• How many horses are on the Carrousel?’”

Listening to Adam without looking where he was going, Lance stopped right in front of the Golden Horseshoe. “I didn’t know there was a Lead Horse, did you, Adam?”

“Yeah, I read about it in a magazine. It’s a pretty white one.” Adam couldn’t resist a smug grin.

“They’re all white,” Lance reminded him dryly.

“Just seeing if you’re paying attention.” Adam smiled as he looked up. “Ok, then, how many rubies are on the sign?”

Adam and Lance looked up at the Golden Horseshoe’s ornate sign attached to a second floor balcony of the western food and comedy review saloon. The balcony was sometimes used for mock gunfights before the stage show started. The balcony was now quiet as strains of fiddle music drifted out of the open doors of the saloon. Red rubies were imbedded within the large gold letters spelling The Golden Horseshoe.

They both silently counted and Adam came up with forty. Lance said it was forty-one. Adam said to count again. Adam again arrived at forty rubies. Lance was now talking to a group of girls who asked him what time it was. Rolling his eyes, Adam circled 40 on the answer sheet knowing Lance wasn’t wearing a watch. Trying to be helpful, Adam told them it was almost eleven o’clock—and was completely ignored. “Lance, we need to go. Yo, Lance? Pirates or Indiana Jones?”

Lance smiled his good-bye. “Well, we probably should get a FastPass for Indy and go on Pirates. I don’t know any of those answers.” Lance finally refocused on his partner.

Retracing their steps along the River toward Adventureland, they turned left at Tarzan’s Treehouse, went past the entrance of Indiana Jones, and headed for the kiosks that give out FastPasses. The kiosks were positioned right next to the entry of the Jungle Cruise.

Bypassing most of the queue, FastPasses usually saved guests quite a bit of wait time on the more popular rides. Guests can get one FastPass for each entry ticket but can’t get another one until they used the one they already had. For the Mouse Adventure racers, any extra time saved meant more time finishing quests. Adam and Lance’s FastPasses gave them an entry time in another hour and were good for a window of two hours. Lance stuffed their passes into his shirt pocket along with the phone numbers he had been collecting.

Turning back toward the Treehouse, they followed the crowd under the bridge to get in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. The line moved quickly around the chain maze. Adam’s eyes had to adjust to the dim interior as they entered the building and walked past the squawking parrot. “Let’s see. What animal is in the bayou?” While they still had some light, Adam recounted what they needed as they approached the loading area. “What animals are either still in cages or not in the ride at all? And what do the pirates have in the jail scene? That’s basically it.” They now waited their turn to tell the pirate host how many in their party and find out which row they should stand in to board.

“I know you can hear frogs in the bayou, but you can’t see them. Didn’t they add an alligator a while back?” Lance was thinking out loud.

Adam nodded. “Yeah, that was my first thought, too. Help me figure out the animals on the ride. The jail scene is at the end and we know there’s a dog there.”

The men didn’t pay much attention to the actual ride. They were marking off animals as they were seen. “Did you see that goat?” “Is that a donkey or a horse?” “You’re kidding, right?” “Did you see a cat?” ”Yeah, back in the beginning of the ride.” “What’s left?” “I don’t know.” As they neared the end of the ride, Adam studied the jail scene with the dog holding an old key that dangled from a metal ring in its mouth. “Oh, look, a rope, a bone, and the last guy is holding a cup.” There were audio-animatronic pirates standing or kneeling behind the iron bars, each one begging the dog to bring them the key to freedom.

Their boat passed through the shoot-out between the drunken pirates at the end of the ride and then lurched as it started the steep climb up the waterfall that marked the end of the ride.

They could see the answer sheet now as sunlight streamed in through the ride entrance as they leveled out and settled in the ride flume curving next to the waiting guests. Adam circled answer ‘a’ for question #5 and marked off the animals they saw. Left with only ‘Ducks & Geese’, so he chose answer ‘b’ as their boat drifted around the curve to Lafitte’s Landing where the boats would be guided to the unload dock on conveyor belts. A brief, “Please exit this way,” was directed to the passengers by the pirate hostess on the exit side of the boat.

After the cool, dark interior of the ride, Adam had to squint at the bright sun filtering over New Orleans Square as they exited Pirates. Royal Street was crowded as people pooled from the ride, the shops and the restaurants in the immediate area. Pushing a hand through his blonde hair, Adam wished he had remembered his sunglasses. “What do we have, thirty minutes before we can use our FastPass? Want to go to Fantasyland and finish the Horse quest?”

“Sounds good. Let’s take the short cut behind Big Thunder Mountain. Miss the crowd on Main Street.”

The Mark Twain sounded its whistle as it neared the dock. People crowded the ornate white railings on all three decks as they got ready to disembark and continue their adventures in the Park. Further on, a Big Thunder runaway mine car went screaming past on its train track rails. Disappearing in a dark tunnel carved into the red rock mountain, the train rumbled out the other side as the passengers laughed and got ready for the next hairpin turn. As the two men walked past the mining equipment on the right, Lance looked over at the still mountain lake on the left. The screams from the Big Thunder roller coaster were a sharp contrast to the placid lake complete with jumping fish and white birch trees. “Didn’t this used to be part of the old Mine Train ride? Weren’t there bears in this lake?”

Lance’s question brought up Adam’s head from the quest he was filling in. “Bears? Oh, right. Yeah, that tunnel up there in the rocks.” He pointed to a large beam-encased hole carved into the barren hill above the lake. “That lead into Nature’s Wonderland. Old Unfaithful Geyser and all that. I think it was taken out in the late ‘70’s. I don’t remember the ride, but my parents used to love it.”

Leaving Frontierland through a huge stockade gate, they entered the brightly-colored Fantasyland. There was an immediate crush of people. Walking past Dumbo the Flying Elephant, they veered around a jungle of strollers as they made their way to King Arthur’s Carrousel located about in the center of the land. Adam noticed a lovely woman staring in their direction. Not that Lance noticed. It wasn’t that he was aloof—his good nature attested to that. Lance was just totally unaware of the effect he had on the ladies.

“I’ll count the horses, you fill in the blanks.” Lance moved away from Adam and counted as he went.

Smiling to himself, Adam filled in what he remembered regarding the horses named in various Disney movies:

1. Samson

2. Pegasus

3. Khan

4. Phillipe

5. No Idea (he wrote)

6. No Clue

7. Cyril Proud Bottom

8. Lead Horse — Jingles

Lance came back and stuffed a piece of paper in his pocket.

“What was that?” Adam was immediately suspicious.

“Nothing. I came up with seventy-five.”

“Seventy-five? You sure? Shouldn’t it be an even number? Or were you distracted?”

“Then count again. There are four horses in a row. Just count the rows and see.”

Adam came up with eighteen rows on the moving Carrousel. “Eighteen times four equals seventy-two. You agree?”

“Sounds good. So which horse is the Lead? You never said.”

Adam watched the Carrousel as it traveled in its circle. “There, that one on the end of the row, just behind the bench seat. It has flowers in its mane and bells all over…. Glad we don’t have to count the bells.… Anyway, the lead horse is always the most elaborately decorated horse on a carrousel. They named that one Jingles.” Adam pointed at the horse in question as it swung past them for another go-around.

“Fascinating. You really need to get a life.” Lance was always amused by his friend’s depth of Disney knowledge. They both heard his stomach growl. “You hungry? We could get something to eat and work on the Jumbles.”

Glancing at his watch, Adam was amazed it was already lunchtime. “Ok, I’ll have to stand in line with you, but that works. You’re better at word puzzles than I am. Let’s see if we can knock these off.”

Heading for the closest place, they got in line for the fast food at the Vilage Haus Restaurant across from Dumbo. After grabbing a couple of burger and fry combos, Adam and Lance took a seat inside the Danish-themed eatery, taking a corner table away from some rather loud groups of families with young kids.

At ten points each, they worked as fast as they could while they ate:

‘All Jumbled Up’

Unscramble the mixed-up attractions:

1. rigid handlebar tour

2. landslide radio yarn

3. troll was dismal

4. yell troll joy

5. sure uncle jig

6. faint scam

7. ten inhuman soda

8. briar soot rot

9. trust sora

10. mansion teacup

11. dinnertime cook hat

12. repeat bicarbonate fish

13. sandy door millennia

14. teamwork trivia barn

By the time they finished eating, it was after noon. They had only three hours left and eight more quests to do. They had only the following answers to the “All Jumbled Up” attraction names:

1.

2.

3. It’s a Small World

4. Jolly Trolley

5. Jungle Cruise

6. Fantasmic

7.

8.

9. Star Tours

10. Space Mountain

11.

12.

13. Disneyland Monorail

14.

Now they turned their attention to “The Road Rally” that would earn fifty points.

Total up the following:

1. Address of Pieces of Eight Shop

2. Number of pillows in Walt’s Apartment

3. Number of Teacups

4. Number of Fire Engines

5. Number of Flying Elephants

6. Number of Astro Orbitor Rockets

7. Maximum number of guests in a StarSpeeder

8. Number of seats around the large dining table in the main dining room at 33 Royal Street

9. Number of stairs in the first flight of steps around the golden elevator

Still in Fantasyland, they counted sixteen Flying Elephants and eighteen Teacups. “Let’s head past the Tomorrowland entrance and get the number of rocket jets.” Adam was actually referring to the Astro Orbitor but using the name that the jets went by for decades. “Wow! We actually get to go in Walt’s Apartment!” He was still excited by the prospect of going through Walt’s living quarters that he used whenever he needed to stay overnight at Disneyland. “Hopefully the other teams already scoped it out and are gone.”

There were twelve Rockets circling as they went by. “After Walt’s Apartment, we can head to New Orleans Square and hit Club 33 and find the Pieces of Eight address. Then we can ride Indiana Jones.”

Adam and Lance headed around the Main Street Hub with its detailed bronze sculptures of Disney characters perched on short, white pillars in the meticulous flower beds. Heading south down Main Street toward the Park’s entrance, they passed shops constructed to match Walt Disney’s idea of what Main Street in any American city should resemble at the turn of the century—the nineteenth century, that is. Hence the name he had given the main thoroughfare: Main Street U.S.A.

“Did you write down 1 for the fire engine?” Lance gave the air a sniff as they passed the Candy Kitchen. They could smell the butter toffee that was being made inside. Adam put a restraining hand on Lance’s arm to keep him from going inside. “Don’t have time.” Adam pulled Lance from under the shop’s red and white awnings that shaded the interior. A few steps farther, they had to pause, avoiding a group of kids who darted out of the Penny Arcade.

“One fire engine, Lance? Are you sure?” Adam gave him a smug smile. “Now you see why I’m the superior partner. There are two fire engines. There’s one.” He pointed at the red engine chugging down Main Street with a load of guests. “And the one that sits inside the Fire House,” Adam added, pointing ahead to where the Fire House sat directly below Walt Disney’s apartment. “That’s two.”

“I bow to your greatness.”

They rounded the corner in front of the Emporium—one of the largest souvenir shops in the Park—and saw the side gate next to the Fire House was open. They knew the gate hid the steps leading up to Walt’s apartment and was usually shut. The stairway was guarded by a cast member who asked to see their race papers as Adam and Lance approached.

They excitedly climbed the steps to the front door. Neither of them had been inside the apartment before. In fact, few people outside specific employees and supervisors were ever allowed inside. This was actually the first year the Race had allowed the Advanced Teams to enter. The men took a couple of moments to look around. The room had been furnished in the style of early 1900’s to match the theme of Main Street below. They took in the brilliant white walls and dark red accents of the draperies and floral carpet. The seating area was arranged around a red throw-covered pull-out bed, with antique lights and pictures for accent. Six upholstered chairs—with the exception of one red velvet armless seat—were floral-on-white tapestry material. The apartment had two hallways: the entry hallway through which they had just come and a second hallway leading to the small Victorian bathroom on one side and the private balcony on the other. There was a large standing music box between two windows looking over the back area. The small kitchen, usually behind bi-fold louvered doors, was open for all to see with its small chrome toaster and white mini-fridge. The pictures hanging on the walls had been changed since Walt’s time but the hand-painted lamps were the originals. The ivory French Provencal telephone was still there with its rotary dial.

Wendy, the cast member assigned to guard duty all day, had long been inured to the opulent surroundings and the privilege of being allowed in that special place. She was now completely bored by her assignment and had been looking out the front window at the more exciting goings-on of Main Street. After a fleeting glance at yet another set of wide-eyed, hush voiced Adventurers, she did a double-take at Lance. Even though her face turned bright pink, she never took her eyes off him. Lance gave her a friendly smile as he and Adam got started on their quest. Quickly counting the pillows, Lance moved to the bathroom to see if there were any pillows hidden in there. Noticing his shoe had come untied, Adam took a moment to lace up. Figuring Lance wouldn’t have any problem identifying a pillow, he began thinking of their next destination. Momentarily forgetting the Dire Warnings issued orally and in print, subliminally and etched in stone, he plopped down on the nearest chair, which turned out to be the tallest Victorian tapestry wingchair. Sitting on the edge, crushing the cushion as he bent over, he felt something poke him in the behind. Adjusting his position, trying to ignore it, his movement only made the object prod him sharper. Glancing back at Wendy who was still staring wistfully after Lance, he felt gently through the fabric. He could make out a hard, squarish shape. Before he could further his investigation, he heard a startled gasp. Wendy had made a cursory glance around the room to see where that other guy was. What she saw was his two feet below the back of the chair. She was frantic as she ran over. “Oh my god! What are you doing!!?? You can’t sit on Walt’s chairs! Get off of there!”

Startled, his hand between his legs, Adam shot to his feet and dropped his pencil in the process. “Sorry. I was just tying my shoe.” He tried to charm her with his smile. But he wasn’t Lance. When the smile failed, he stepped away from the chair as Lance came back to see what was keeping him. Adam took another step, turning away from the angry cast member and said quietly to his partner, “Lance, I need a diversion. I need to check something,” as another team, Team Yeti, entered the apartment and started their count. They looked over, curious as the other team had obviously gotten in some kind of trouble. Hands on her hips, Wendy never took her glaring eyes off Adam as he pretended to study his race papers. Great, Adam thought, now she watches me.

Lance said nothing as he looked around, pretending to do his count again down the hallway. In five seconds, a piercing alarm went off as he opened the patio door and stepped out onto Walt’s private balcony. Turning pale, Wendy raced down the hall, followed by the other team members who were greatly amused by this turn of events. Adam dropped in front of the chair when he heard Wendy on her walkie-talkie explaining that “some idiot on the race opened the patio door.” She paused, stammered and then added, “No, sir, they can’t hear me.” The walkie-talkie squawked again.

Out of sight of the other people, Adam crouched in front of the chair, pulled the cushion away from the back and felt underneath. He could hear Wendy getting a code to disarm the alarm. Pretty soon the other team would get bored of the comedy episode and move from the hallway to the bathroom to continue their count. He was about out of time when Lance, apparently still on the balcony, suddenly gave a yell. “Hey, look at that!” Over the protest of Wendy, the Yetis now piled out on the balcony with him. Atta boy, Lance. Adam vaguely wondered how many fit out there as his hand worked over the floral pattern. His breath caught as he fingered something hard. Broken backing? A small box? A book? He couldn’t tell. He only knew it shouldn’t be there.

Mouth dry, he now did the unthinkable—he defaced The Sacred. Finding a couple of loose stitches in the back of the cushion, he tugged them apart. Oh, I’m going to burn for this. He slipped his clammy hand through the layers of cotton batting. Hearing everyone coming back in from the balcony laughing at something Lance was saying, his fingers closed around the stiff object. It felt like leather and he barely saw it was a book before he jammed it down the front of his shorts. Heart pounding, he pulled his shirt down and got the cushion back in place just as Wendy herded everyone back into the living room with a stern warning about boundaries and rules. Standing very close to Lance, she seemed to be directing the entire warning at the innocent Team Yeti—who was nevertheless still vastly entertained by all of this. She broke off her tirade when she saw Adam stand up from the wingchair. Her eyes narrowed on the white lint all over the front of his brown shirt.

“Dropped my pencil.” As he stammered with an explanation, he held it up for everyone to see, simultaneously brushing the tell-tale cotton lint from his shirt with his other hand. “Dandruff.” He gave a shrug and managed to look embarrassed.

Exasperated, Wendy told them to finish with their clue and get out. She must have worked on the Jungle Cruise at one time because she amended, “Oh, I’m sorry. That was rude. Please, get out.”

As they headed down the stairs and back onto Main Street, Lance gave a grin. “Why are you walking funny? She wasn’t that cute.”

Adam ignored the crack. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

As he veered off to the Men’s Room right next to the Fire Station, he heard Lance’s parting, “Need more fiber?” as Lance leaned against a post to wait. He waved at the departing Team Yeti as he checked where he had stashed Wendy’s phone number.

Adam unnecessarily washed his hands, stalling until the only other man in the restroom finished at the sink and left. Ducking into an empty stall, he locked the door behind him. Silently apologizing for the ruined cushion and his impromptu hiding place, Adam pulled the leather-bound book out of his shorts. It was old leather, cracked with age, the black color having faded to a dark gray. There was no embossing or markings on the outside cover, front or back. The binding was about three quarters of an inch thick, but the way the front edges came together showed some pages were missing.

His heart—which still hadn’t returned to its normal beat—pounded harder as he opened the stiff cover. Immediately he saw that what he had guessed was correct: There were numerous pages that had been ripped out of the front of the book. The first four yellowed pages proved to be blank. He slowly turned through these empty pages until he found writing. His eyes widened as he began reading the first page.

“Holy Crap!”