Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

he was second-generation Disney World, her parents being among the original ad-hocracy that took over the managem

hair to her careful accounting of each gear and cog in the animatronics that were in h

nghorn on Tom Sawyer Island by moonlight. The Magic Kingdom was all closed up and every last guest had been chased out the gate underneath the Mai

shoulders of a girl by moonlight, hidden from the hustle of the cleaning teams by the turnstiles, breathin

s McGill," I

Lil," she sang, warm b

knew her as

They'd been old news in my youth, after all. But her

of the rides in her care with the lights on, after the horde of tourists had gone. We both lik

Let's sit a while long

tly tweaked my nipple, and I gave a satisfying little jump. I think the age

felt her smile against my shirt. She loved the Mansion; loved to turn on the ballroom ghosts and dance their waltz with t

ing the water and the trees. I was just getting ready to go when I he

you're busy

answered the call subv

It's Dan. You

it'd been ten years since we last got drunk at the Gazoo together. I

sed at me. She sat up and pulle

calized, "long

s been," he said, and hi

he said, softly but swiftly. I waved her off and switched the phone to full-

u at, Dan

ndo. I'm stuck out

couch by the door. I'll be there in-" I shot a look at Lil, who knew the cast

He had his voice back unde

up?" L

end is in town. He sounds

. "There," she said. "I've just dumped the best route to Pleasu

d down the stairs to the hum of the underground tunnel-system. I took the

p trophy shots with humorous captions. Downstairs, castmembers were

-mask bags under his eyes and he slumped listlessly. As I approached, I pi

at down next to him. "Y

e deceptive," he said. "But i

talk about

e New Year every night at midnight; I think

minute ride, hammering one after another into his mouth, filling my runabout with stinging clouds. I kept glancing at him in the rear

bringing him home," I subvocalized. "He's in

she said. "And get some

cha, kid

eyes. "You're a pal, Jules." I waved him off. "No, really. I tried to th

coffee on," I said. "Yo

on the side table, a pot of coffee and some Disneyland Beijing mug

aid. "It's

huffie know that it's important; but to the kids, it's the world. Someone without any is automatically suspe

said, and slum

n the coffee table. "I'll let you boys catch u

t mind. I think it'd help if I cou

. She pulled out her pipe and lit a rock. I went through my crack period before she was born, just after they made it decaf, and I always felt old

sts into them, sipped his coffee. It was clea

er than I really am, is wha

esn't?"

day. You remember, we used to argue about it. I swore I'd be done, and that would be the end of it. And now I am. There isn't

centuries," I said. "

artling both of us.

it," Li

reat, snoring sobs that shook his whole body. Lil went into the kitchen and got so

id, into his p

I said,

a lot of hash. It didn't help. So, one morning I woke up and went to the bazaar and said good bye to the friends I'd made there. Then I went to a pharmacy and had the man make me up a lethal injection. He wished me good luck and I went back to my rooms. I sat there with the hypo all afternoon, then I decided to

too late,"

rned to lo

be a washed-up loser who couldn't hack it. If you'd done it ten years earlier, you would've been going

's like she's on a different planet. All I could do was sit there, h

nodded heavily, and I s

d a dollar sho

ere," she said. "You kno

nvoluntarily irri

o get back on top. Cleaned up, dried out, into some productive wor

though, was cocking an eyebrow at her and thinki

three,"

he said, and heaved a sigh, straightening up

l, who considered for

d. I clapped him on the

begin to cover

ht, then,