Katie pulled the keyboard in front of her and typed Carousel of Progress into Google and then clicked on Images. She selected one which displayed the Christmas scene from the attraction. “What if that dog is looking in a particular direction or has something written on his collar? Maybe there’s a dog food bowl with something etched in it. I don’t know, Jake. Shouldn’t we at least go check it out? How far is Disney World from here?”
“Only seven hours or so,” Carol answered enthusiastically.
Jake shook his head contemplatively. “There are a lot of unknowns.”
Katie sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.
“I haven’t seen that pouty look before,” he commented. “It’s kind of cute in a scary sort of way.”
Carol chuckled. “Jake, like it or not, I think you’re going to Disney World this afternoon,” she said. “Now if you could use a chaperone, I wouldn’t mind tagging along. We can take your new car.”
“That sounds like fun,” Katie replied.
Knowing he was outnumbered, Jake dropped his head and pointed toward the garage. “OK kids. Everybody load up. We’re going to see Mickey.”
41
On their drive down, Jake placed two phone calls. He was able to get three room reservations at a Walt Disney World Resort, which would put them close to the Magic Kingdom Park where the former world’s fair attraction was located. His second call was to an old college friend whom he had not spoken with in several years. After two summers as a part-time Disney employee, Will Varner had accepted a permanent position with their Resort Development Office after graduation. Though a bit confused by Jake’s request, he had agreed to meet them at the park entrance and give them access to the attraction afterhours.
When they pulled into the parking lot of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, everyone was weary from the long drive, especially Jake and Katie who had been on the road for most of the day. After checking into the hotel, Carol announced that she was skipping the park excursion in favor of a late dinner at Boma, one of the hotel restaurants that offered an acclaimed African buffet. Jake and Katie agreed to check back with her when they returned and hopefully tell her what they had discovered.
Outside the hotel, they found a taxi parked beneath the thatched roof portico. In less than fifteen minutes, they arrived at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Katie’s eyes showed her excitement as the well-recognized architecture of Cinderella’s Castle came into view. It was also near the park’s closing time and a fireworks show was bursting overhead.
“Not a bad welcoming for two weary travelers,” Jake offered.
“I’ve always wanted to see this,” Katie said as they stepped from the cab. “We had a Disney picture book at the orphanage when I was a little girl. I looked at it every day.”
Jake put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “When all of this is over, I promise to bring you back here.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Now let’s see if we can find our Imagineer,” he said.
“Imagineer?” She wrinkled her forehead.
“That’s what Disney calls their engineers. It’s kind of goofy.” He smiled. “Pardon the pun. I think it was something that Walt Disney came up with.”
“I bet this would be a fun place to work,” Katie giggled.
“It would at least be safer than our present occupation.”
After negotiating through the crowd of park visitors trying to catch their resort buses, they followed the S-curved ramp past the ferry dock and up to the security checkpoint. Beyond the guards, Jake spied his friend, predictably wearing his trademark Hawaiian shirt. Trimly built with thick, well kempt brown hair, Will Varner stood with a broad smile on his face.
“Bookworm Evers,” he greeted with an exaggerated handshake. “I never thought I’d see you on vacation. The world must have run out of unexplored wastelands.” He turned to Katie and extended his hand. “And you brought a date. This is going to require a thorough explanation. You’re not like doing your bucket list or something sad like that.”
Jake shook his head in mock disgust. “You’ll never grow up.”
“That’s what my wife keeps telling me, but there’s no future in it. Besides, the kids like me better than her.” He made a grimacing face. “She’s only about chores and homework and stuff.”
“Katie Petrovich,” Jake introduced, “meet William Varner.”
Katie was smiling broadly at his antics. “So you’re the one I need to ask if I want to find any dirt on Jake.”
“You’ve come to the right place,” he replied. “As painful as it will be to hear, I can tell you the boring history of this man’s early life.”
Katie laughed at his wry sense of humor.
“Another time perhaps,” Jake said. “We are actually here on business, sort of. You said that you can get us into the Carousel of Progress, right?”
“No need,” Will stated with a serious look.
Jake tilted his head and frowned. “Why not?”
“You want to examine the mutt from the Christmas scene?”
They both nodded.
“That scene has been changed several times since ’64. I’m afraid the original dog is no longer there.”
“Great,” Jake sighed in frustration as he turned to gauge Katie’s expression.
“However,” his friend added with a disarming smile. “Just like the billboards say, this is the place where wishes come true. I found out what happened to the dog. Animatronics are not cheap, and we never throw anything away.”
“Is it here?” Katie asked excitedly.
“Right this way, little lady. Man’s best friend awaits us.”
Jake rolled his eyes but got in line behind them as Will escorted Katie into the park. Once inside, his friend began an informative lecture as they walked, explaining the park’s history and the colorful people who had made it happen. Katie was obviously enjoying his talk and continued to ask questions as they turned left at the end of Main Street and entered the Adventureland section of the park. After passing numerous shops selling every imaginable item a Disney tourist could want, they came upon a multi-arched terracotta colored building.
“Pirates of the Caribbean?” Katie asked with some surprise.
Will winked and then motioned them inside. “The ride is closed already, but I bet we can find one more boat to take us through. If you dare…” he added in a cheesy pirate voice.
Jake smacked him lightly on the back of the head, causing Katie to laugh.
“Ah, you’ll walk the plank for that one,” Will threatened humorously.
Inside the façade, they wound their way through the corridors and finally entered the loading area where a number of boats were stacked end to end. Will thanked the attendant for waiting on them as they took a seat in the first boat. As they traversed the waterway that extended throughout the ride, Will continued his history lecture, pointing out the various additions to the attraction and explained how they differed from the original. When they neared the end of the ride, he stood and announced that they’d reached their destination.
“All ashore,” he said as he stepped from the boat and then helped Katie out. As Jake followed them off, he examined the scene before them and instantly recognized it. Three animatronic pirates behind bars were trying to coax a dog to bring them the key ring he clinched in his mouth. One pirate held a bone and another a rope with a lariat loop in it.
“That’s the dog?” Jake asked.
“According to our records,” Will answered as he turned his attention toward the darkened section of the room. “There should be an electrical access panel close by. Let me go shut him off.”
Katie knelt beside Jake as they examined the very lifelike animal. It was covered in long, mottled fur and wagged its tail in response to the pirate’s commands.
“Found it,” Will’s muted voice came from behind one of the walls. Suddenly, the dog stopped moving and the overhead lights came on. Will returned and knelt o
n the opposite side of Jake and Katie. “What is it you’re looking for again?” he asked. “I didn’t really understand.”
“We’re not sure,” Jake replied, glancing up at his friend and then at Katie. “We think this dog may be the answer to a mystery. In 1964, a friend of Katie’s grandfather named Peter Jensen visited the World’s Fair in New York. We found a ticket stub and a Life magazine with a strange note on it. If you interpret the note as we did, it seems like someone was telling him to visit the Christmas scene in the Carousel of Progress and look at this dog.”
Will wrinkled his forehead. “For what reason?”
Jake shrugged. “Another message, maybe. I don’t know.”
“Well it can’t be on the outside,” Will commented as he placed his hand on the dog. “I’m not even sure this is the same fur coat as the original. We could look inside, but these animatronic characters are serviced fairly often. If there was some note stuffed inside, it probably would’ve been removed by now.”
Jake looked at Katie and saw the dejected look in her eyes. His friend noticed it too. “But,” Will shrugged, “you’ve come a long way not to at least have a look.”
He reached beneath the dog’s neck and began detaching the fur covering. In less than a minute, the elaborate mechanism that gave the animal its life lay bare before them.
“That’s some machine,” Jake said.
“Not bad for 1960’s technology,” Will replied.
Jake pulled a flashlight from his jacket pocket and began looking beneath the plastic shroud covering the electronics. One thing became immediately obvious to him. Will’s knowledge of the machine’s service record was correct. Although decades old, all of its circuits and mechanical parts appeared to have been recently replaced. The only parts that seemed original were the yellowed plastic shroud and the machined aluminum superstructure.
“I don’t see anything,” Katie admitted. “Maybe it was something in the room where the Christmas scene was originally located.”
“The Carousel of Progress has gone through more upgrades than this dog,” Will said. “Most of the items from the first three scenes are original, but the Christmas scene has been updated at least twice. It’s nothing like the one from 1964.”
“Are these some sort of serial numbers?” Jake asked, pointing to two rows of pencil marks on the largest aluminum band going around the dog’s ribcage.
Will scooted closer and borrowed the flashlight. “Not like any I’ve seen before. Even in the old days, serial numbers were engraved. Could have been left there by the machinists, I guess.”
Jake began reading off the numbers.
44 08 19 N 103 43 40 E GT1
29 05 00 N 83 55 00 E DP
“That’s it!” he suddenly blurted. He grabbed Katie’s arm and pulled her closer so that she could see. “Coordinates. These are navigational coordinates. Take a look at the first one. Do you recognize it? Mongolia. That’s where you found your space capsule.”
“GT1,” she read. “The first Gemini-Titan launch.”
“Exactly. The second one could have something to do with your grandfather. DP might stand for Dmitri Petrovich. Alexi must have found out where the capsule went down and was conveying the information to Carol’s brother.”
“So where do the second coordinates point?”
Jake removed his Blackberry from its holster and typed in the numbers. He rolled the trackball and then pressed the first selection. “Tibet,” he said with no surprise, “close to the border with Nepal.”
“This could be it,” she spoke in a quiet, contemplative voice. “This could be where my grandfather disappeared.”
42
After thanking Will Varner for his help, Jake and Katie went back to their rooms and slept fitfully until early the next morning. When they told Carol what they had learned, she was intrigued and grateful to know more about her brother’s last mission. Unsure of her ability to keep up with them on the next leg of their journey, she wished them the best and told them her plans for the following week. Carol had linked up with an old friend and her husband who lived in Orlando. They had invited her to stay for the week, which allowed Jake and Katie to book their flight to Kathmandu from Orlando International instead of driving her back to Pensacola.
With a plan to secure most of their provisions once they landed in Nepal, Jake and Katie boarded the American Airlines 757 with only two backpacks. After nearly 35 hours of travel time with stops in New York and Delhi, they touched down at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. With a quicker than expected trip through customs, they headed immediately to ground transportation and hired a cab.
“Dwarika Hotel,” Jake instructed the driver, hoping that he’d pronounced it correctly. After a contemplative pause, the driver raised an acknowledging finger in the air and pulled out into the flow of traffic.
Although listed as a premiere five-star hotel, Jake had discovered while waiting for their flight to Delhi that the offseason rates were comparable to moderately priced American hotels. Located in the heart of the city, the hotel advertised traditional Nepalese architecture dating back to the 13th century. He had also checked Trip Advisor and found that the Dwarika came with highest marks.
“Wow,” Katie said as they stepped into the grand foyer.
Elaborate wood carvings covered the interior brick façade. Surrounding them, furniture designed for comfort as well as elegance adorned the lobby.
“Looks like a decent place,” Jake said.
“Do you always travel First Class?” Katie asked in awe.
Jake smiled. “I’d like to say yes, especially if it impresses you, but to tell the truth, I’m usually in a tent or some other unaccommodating flea trap. So don’t get used to this. We’re only here long enough to find a guide to take us to the border with Tibet. From there, it’ll be my usually unimpressive tent camping.”
“By the way,” Katie said as she slipped her arm around his, “you don’t have to worry about impressing me.”
Jake looked into her eyes and studied her warm expression, but before he could comment, they were approached by a dark complexioned man wearing the tailored uniform of a hotel attendant.
“Welcome to the Dwarika Hotel,” the man greeted with an Indian accent. “May I be of assistance to you?”
“Jacob Evers,” Jake said extending his hand. “And this is my friend, Katie Petrovich. We have two room reservations that were made online yesterday.”
“It is good to meet you. Please follow me.”
The attendant stepped behind the main counter and typed in their names. “Yes Mr. Evers. I have you in our system. Two Heritage Rooms with a view of our gardens. I believe you will find them to your liking.”
Jake handed him a credit card and after several more keystrokes, they were issued their room keys.
“Will there be anything else?” the man asked. “An excursion perhaps?”
Jake looked at Katie. “We were planning on doing some hiking up in the mountains, close to Lo Monthang, but I’m afraid we’ve come with no gear. Last minute plans.”
“Our concierge can help you,” the man pointed to a desk in the corner of the room. “We offer a number of treks into the Himalayas from here. There is no shortage of temples in Nepal. Are you searching for enlightenment?”
Jake smiled. “Refinement might be a more accurate term.”
When Katie returned to the hotel lobby the following morning to meet Jake for breakfast, she found him sitting with the concierge.
“Thank you for your help,” he said as he rose from his chair and shook the man’s hand. He turned quickly and almost collided with Katie.
“Well…good morning,” she said with her eyes opened widely. “Looks like you’re ready to go.”
“Good morning,” he replied. “Sorry about that. Did you sleep all right?”
“I’m afraid I slept too well. I apologize for being late. I didn’t realize how tired I was.”
“Not a problem. It gave me time to get
a plan together.”
She looked down at the stack of brochures in his hand. “You have a busy day planned.”
Jake leaned down and said in a low voice. “Nice guy, but a little over enthusiastic. Since I couldn’t tell him exactly what we were doing, he took it as an opportunity to plan out our entire vacation. Here,” he handed her a brochure. “Bungee jumping over some gorge. Sounded right up your alley.”
“I’ll pass. Did he know anything about the area where we’re going?”
“It’s north of the Annapurna Conservation Area, a nature preserve that tourists commonly visit. We can reach the village of Lo Monthang from there. I didn’t share with him that Lo Monthang isn’t our final destination. According to the map that Wade sent me, Alexi’s coordinates might push us over into Tibet. I’ve only looked at it on my Blackberry so I can’t really tell where the boundary is. But, if it’s like most border areas I’ve come across, the local patrol really doesn’t care. If they think you’re invading their space, they’re going to arrest you or worse. The Chinese are a variable I’d just as soon not include in this equation.”
“Can we drive to Annapurna?” she asked.
“And beyond. Lo Monthang is accessible by car. If we go any further, it will have to be by SUV or on foot. The concierge arranged for a 4x4 to be delivered here after breakfast.”
“What about our camping gear?”
“Also taken care of. There’s a military surplus store in town. He took my order and said that it would be in the SUV.”
“That’s nice,” Katie observed with a warm smile.
“First class, just like the doctor ordered,” Jake bragged.
43
After a light breakfast of fresh fruit, flat bread, and yogurt, Jake and Katie walked outside the hotel and found their rental vehicle parked near the entrance doors. The tan Toyota Land Cruiser was an older FJ-40, but appeared to be in decent condition.
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