Kingdom Keepers: The Return Book Two: Legacy of Secrets Read Online Free

were great gaps between attractions that new ideas would fill. But the streamers and flags made it so American and wonderful. And authentic. The signs were hand-painted wood. The music was from real bands, not recordings. Disneyland on opening day looked a little like an Old West town with carnival attractions, raw and ready for the years of growth that lay ahead.
    “All this, despite the problems,” Wayne said, innocently enough.
    “Problems? What problems?” Philby asked. All the Keepers leaned in slightly toward Wayne, collectively aware of what problems in the parks often implied.
    “The stuff Mr. Linkletter didn’t tell the people watching TV.”
    “Such as?” Willa inquired.
    “Well, for one thing, in case you didn’t notice, the place was packed. You want to know why? Mr. Disney invited seven thousand members of the press from all around the world. That’s what today’s opening was supposed to be: reporters, radio people.”
    “And?” Charlene said.
    “Are you kidding? There were over twenty thousand guests today. Twenty, not seven! No one was prepared. Food service, you name it.”
    “How’d that happen?” Philby asked.
    “I heard it was counterfeit tickets. Fourteen thousand counterfeit tickets. The public outnumbered the press two to one. It was a nightmare.”
    “It seemed all right to me,” Willa said.
    “Well, that’s good, isn’t it? That’s the way Mr. Disney wants it. But it could have gone very badly. Very, very badly. And think of the reviews we’d get if it had.”
    The five kids looked back and forth between them. Finn spoke for the group. “So the counterfeiting could have sabotaged the park, made it look bad, hurt its reputation.”
    “It could, still. We haven’t read the reviews yet. And there’s tomorrow to think about. Opening Day for the public, and a VIP reception at the Golden Horseshoe. That had better be Fat City.”
    The idea of a world without CNN and Twitter and Instagram, without instant news and constant feedback, took some getting used to. “But it was on live TV. The biggest live show ever telecast,” Philby said.
    “The newspapers come out in the morning. Mr. Disney may get copies later tonight. I have no idea. My fingers are crossed for good reviews.”
    “You said ‘problems.’” Willa’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Plural. We know of some of them, but can you refresh our memories, please?”
    “Well, gee whiz! There was the drinking fountains!” Wayne shook his head. “The water union went on strike late last night. They cut our water supply in half. At 7:30 in the morning, Mr. Disney had to choose between water in the toilets or water in the water fountains. He picked the toilets, thank goodness. Think of the reviews we’d get with no working toilets! And then there’s the asphalt.”
    “The asphalt,” Charlene said.
    “We hit a whole bunch of delays. A lot of the asphalt wasn’t laid until late Friday, and we’ve had very hot days. Did any of you happen to see the women getting their high heels stuck in the asphalt? Thank goodness most all of the reporters are men or we’d really be in trouble.”
    “You mentioned delays. What other kinds?” Philby asked. He saw in the faces of the other Keepers the same concern he felt: sabotage. Someone had tried to ruin opening day for the press—it couldn’t all be put down to coincidence and bad luck.
    “I’ll clue you in: the company kept telling us they couldn’t deliver the asphalt.”
    “So, to recap,” Finn said, catching Philby’s eye, “some-one counterfeited and gave away fourteen thousand tickets; the water union just happened to go on strike the night before the park opened; and the asphalt company had repeated ‘delays’? Is that about it?”
    “Can anyone spell ‘Overtakers’?” Maybeck asked.
    “I beg your pardon?” Wayne said.
    “I think,” Willa said, “that it’s time I share something.” Her calm tone won everyone’s attention. “When Philby and