Fighting back nausea, James tries to think of a good reply when Thwack! the strap again scores along his side, creating another red, swollen welt.
“We were casing the place!” Miko yells out from the chair next to him.
Turning his attention toward Miko the man exclaims, “You expect me to believe you are a couple of thieves?” He signals the person behind Miko, and Miko cries out as the strap gives him a less than gentle caress.
“Well?” the man asks.
“In all the confusion of everyone leaving town,” Miko explains, “we thought we could score big.”
Looking at Miko intently, the man considers what he said.
“When we saw that there were people in here, we decided to find another place with no one around and that’s when someone struck us from behind,” Miko continues, trying to sound sincere.
“Perhaps,” the man says. He walks over to a table upon which their bags lay. He reaches into his backpack and pulls out the small amulet that James had picked up in Cardri. He dangles it in front of James and asks, “Then what are you doing with this?”
James has to squint in order to focus his eyes well enough to make out what it is that’s being shown him. “I bought that from a street merchant some time ago,” he replies when he finally makes it out.
Thwack! The strap hits him again, causing him to cry out.
“He’s telling the truth!” Miko exclaims from the chair next to him. “He just bought it to get away from the merchant.”
Thwack! A red welt begins to form across Miko’s chest. “When I want you to talk,” the man says to him, “I will tell you.”
A side door opens in the warehouse and the man looks toward the door. Another man walks in and comes over, quietly talking with their interrogator. Whatever he is telling him doesn’t make him very happy. After a few more moments of exchanging words, their interrogator says to their guards, “Keep an eye on them until I get back.” Then he turns angrily and stalks out the door with the other man right behind.
James leans back in his chair and closes his eyes, trying to relax as best he can, hoping the pain throbbing in his head will go away.
“James,” Miko whispers, “you okay?”
Unable to answer, he just silently shakes his head slowly.
James sits there with his eyes closed for several minutes before he hears a door open and close, then the sound of footsteps coming toward him. Opening his eyes, he’s afraid that it’s going to be ol’ One Eye again. When he sees who it is, he blinks a couple of times and finally decides he’s either dreaming or having hallucinations. For there walking toward him is Mickey Mouse.
He looks to his guards and they appear to not notice the new arrival, even when Mickey walks right past one of them. “I’ve gone crazy,” James moans aloud.
“No,” Mickey replies as he reaches up and removes his head, “you’ve not.” When the head comes off, it reveals the little creature who has already come to him twice before.
James begins to laugh, though he’s not sure why.
“Come on, James,” it says. “Let’s go.”
“You’re rescuing me?” he asks.
“No,” the little creature replies, “just borrowing you for a while.”
“Why?” asks James.
“You can’t stop asking questions can you?” the little creature says to him.
Unsure how to reply to that, he remains quiet.
“C’mon, get up,” the creature tells him.
“I’m tied,” James says.
The little guy looks at him silently, impatiently tapping one foot.
To show the little guy he can’t get up, James tries to stand and before he realizes it, he’s standing.
Putting his Mickey head back on, the little guy turns and motions for James to follow as he returns the way he came and exits through the door.
Following him outside, James stops suddenly and stares in absolute dumbfounded silence. “I know this place.”
“You should,” the little guy replies. “You’ve been here often enough.”
“Mommy, mommy!” a little girl squeals with delight as she runs over to the little guy in costume. “It’s Mickey!” She comes over and gives Mickey a big hug and then turns and poses while her mother takes their picture.
Mickey pats her on the head as she turns to him and says, “Bye, Mickey!”
“This is Disneyland!” James says incredulously, staring down Main Street USA, with Cinderella’s Castle at the end.
“Yeah,” the little guy says. “I love this place.” He begins to walk down toward the heart of Disneyland and kids continue to come up to him, giving him hugs and having their picture taken.
“How do you know about it?” he asks.
“I get around,” Mickey replies. “Besides, those of us who gravitate to what you call good, are drawn to such focal points in the universe.”
“Disneyland is a focal point?” James asks, astonished.
“Think about it,” replies the little guy. “What happens whenever someone mentions it? Those around them feel good, instantly. That makes it a remarkable place, there are few like it anywhere.” He pauses to have his picture taken with several children, their mother simply aglow with happiness.
“Everyone here on Earth knows of it and they continually direct good thoughts toward it,” he explains. “It’s almost a beacon in the night for those of us who can see it.”
“But why bring me here?” James asks.
The little guy pauses and glances back at James before more children requesting a photo op appear. When they are done he asks, “Would you like me to send you back?”
“No, not right now,” James replies hastily. He’s suddenly aware that his headache is gone as is the pain from the welts. Also, even though he is bruised, possibly bloody, and without a shirt, no one seems to give him a second thought.
“Ah, look,” the little guy says as he bends over to pick up something lying on the ground. He holds it up to show James, “Someone’s lost their wallet.” He walks toward one of the many workers and hands it over, saying, “My shift’s not over for a while, can you take this to Lost and Found?”
“Sure, not a problem,” the girl says as she puts the wallet in her pocket and then walks away.
“Sad when something gets lost,” he tells James. “When you lose something, you always hope an honest person will find it and work to get it back to you. All too often though, you never see it again. Such is life.”
“I suppose it is,” agrees James, not sure where this is going.
From up ahead, a group of teenage boys come running around the corner, hell-bent on getting to the next ride before their fast pass expires.
“No running in the park,” the little guy yells at them.
“Up yours, Mickey!” one of them yells as he swings around him and plows right into James.
Pain erupts in his head again and when he moves to get up, realizes he’s back in the chair strapped down. His headache is back though not nearly as intense as it had been. The pain of the welts across his stomach and chest on the other hand still throb painfully with every beat of his heart.
“James, thank the gods you’re finally awake!” Miko whispers with relief. “I was afraid you weren’t going to.”
The room seems darker and there are several lit torches in sconces around the room that weren’t there earlier. “How long was I out?” James asks Miko.
“A couple of hours or so,” he replies. “I’m not entirely sure. Night has fallen.”
“Was it all a dream then?” he muses to himself.
“Was what a dream?” Miko asks.
“Never mind, I’ll tell you later.” Looking around he finds there are still only the two guards that were there earlier. “We need to get out of here before ol’ One Eye returns,” he whispers to Miko.
“I think that would be a good idea too,” he agrees. “Magic?”
