Temptations of Pleasure Island

I
t is time for your departure,” Goél said in a quiet voice that was mild and yet at the same time strong. He looked around the small dining room, and a warm light filled his eyes. He put his gaze upon each of the five young men present and then looked directly across the table to where two girls completed the company of the Seven Sleepers.

Their leader did not make a kingly figure. He was dressed merely in a simple light gray robe. The hood was pushed back from his face, and his auburn hair caught the light from the lamp that illuminated the room. He seemed as much a simple workman as anything else, yet every member of the Seven Sleepers knew that this man had powers that could not be explained in natural ways.

Josh Adams, the leader of the Sleepers, sat studying Goél’s face. At the age of fourteen, Josh was tall and awkward. He was still shy, but his entire loyalty went to this one who had saved him and the others from death many times.

“Will you be going with us on our new mission, sire?”

“No, my Joshua. I have another mission, but you will find this task mostly to your liking, I’m sure. At least at the beginning.”

Bob Lee Jackson, always called Reb by his friends, was finishing a drink of refreshing tea from a large mug. He was the tallest of the boys. He was fifteen and
had light-blue eyes that appeared able to bore right through an object. He had removed the tall cowboy hat that he wore everywhere except when sleeping or at the table—and sometimes even then. Reb chuckled and said, “If I didn’t know you better, Goél, I’d think you were joking us. We’ve never had an assignment yet that was just fun.”

Josh knew that was true. The Seven Sleepers had come to Nuworld from the distant past. They had been placed in sleeping capsules by their parents just before Oldworld was destroyed by nuclear war. When they awoke many, many years later, they discovered that most of what they had known was gone. Life was completely different in Nuworld. But they soon gave their allegiance to Goél, who was fighting against the Dark Lord, an evil being who wanted to enslave everyone.

Goél perhaps was remembering this as he nodded. “Indeed, you have been hard pressed many times. You have not had an easy life in Nuworld. But—” he smiled quickly “—as you well know, it is the hard times that make men and women strong. Not the easy times.”

“Well, then, sire,” Jake Garfield put in, “we ought to be strong, because we’ve sure had some hard times.” Jake was a short boy of fourteen. He was of Jewish ancestry, he had red hair, and he had a quick, sharp wit. He was also great at inventing practically anything that he had the materials for. Jake grinned crookedly. “I agree with Reb here. You must be teasing us.”

Abigail Roberts, also fourteen, was the smallest of the Sleepers as well as the best looking. She had fair hair and eyes, blue as the sky. Unfortunately, she was somewhat proud of her good looks. Abbey said, “Is it really true, Goél? You’re going to give us a
vacation?”

Before Goél could answer, Wash Jones—the youngest
Sleeper, a black boy of thirteen—grinned broadly. “A vacation! That’s what I need. I’d sure like to go somewhere where all I had to do was lie on my back and catch fish and then have somebody clean ’em and cook ’em for me.”

Goél laughed aloud. Josh had always suspected that their leader had a special fondness for Wash Jones. “That may be somewhere in your future, Wash. But I can understand why Jake and Josh are a little skeptical.”

Dave Cooper, a tall fifteen-year-old, was handsome enough to be a movie star, if there had been any movies in Nuworld. He had light brown hair and wide-spaced gray eyes. “Lead us to it, sire,” he said. “I’m ready.”

Goél then looked toward Josh’s close friend Sarah Collingwood.

Sarah was small and graceful. She had large brown eyes, very black hair, and was completely devoted to Goél.

“And what about you, daughter?” Goél asked. “Are you tired of fighting saber-toothed tigers and dragons?”

She managed a smile. “I think we all would welcome a vacation, sire, if you’re serious.”

Goél nodded and looked around at his young friends. “I am serious. I am sending you to Pleasure Island.”

“Pleasure Island!” Jake cried. “Is it anything like Coney Island? I mean are there carnival rides and stuff like that?”

The Sleepers began to fire questions at Goél, and Josh noticed that he managed to avoid most of them. He finally held up his hand, saying, “You have been in hard, dangerous places, but Pleasure Island has not yet
been infected by the Dark Lord.” A cloud seemed to go across his features. “I do not know how he has missed it, but no doubt he will find it someday. In any case, you will like the royal family. The king and queen are friends of mine. I should tell you that the king has had some difficulty, and I am hoping that you will be able to be of help to him as well as enjoy a vacation. That is my wish.”

“Is there a princess?” Dave wanted to know.

“Indeed there is. A very attractive one. Princess Cosima.”

“What is she like?” Abigail asked eagerly.

“I think she’s very much like … like Abigail. She loves to brush her hair and wear beautiful clothes.”

Everyone giggled at this, and Abbey herself blushed. “We’ll be good friends, sire.” She nodded vigorously. “I just know we will.”

“I trust that you will, indeed. Now—” Goél removed an envelope from a pocket. “Give this letter to the king. He will give you a good reception, I am sure.”

Josh, being the leader, was always trying to think ahead. “You mentioned a problem with the king that maybe we can help with. What is the problem? Is he sick?”

“No,” Goél said slowly. “He is healthy enough. Very strong and athletic in fact.”

“What is it, then?” Josh asked.

“He is subject to fits of discouragement, I’m sorry to say,” Goél told them sadly. Then he straightened his shoulders and added, “But he is a good man. He belongs to the House of Goél, and you will find him kind, I’m sure. Now—” he got to his feet “—come. The ship awaits.”

In a short time the Sleepers were standing on the
shore beside a beautiful ship with the name
Eagle
on the side. The sails were furled, but the sailors stood ready to set them as soon as the passengers were on board.

“You will have a safe voyage, my young friends.” Smiling, Goél went around and shook hands with each of them. He also looked deeply into the eyes of each one.

His gaze somehow made Josh feel that he was being searched. He supposed they all felt that way.

It’s always like that
, he thought after their leader had shaken his hand and looked into his eyes.
I feel as if he looks right down to the inside of me and knows what’s going on. Makes a fellow uncomfortable sometimes. But, knowing Goél, you know he means only good
.

The Sleepers boarded, and the captain—Captain Leland, they learned—said, “Your baggage is all aboard. Are you ready?”

“Let’s go, Captain. Take us to Pleasure Island!” Jake cried.

The captain shouted, “Weigh anchor! Hoist sails!”

Very quickly the
Eagle
caught the breeze and sailed out of the harbor. The Sleepers all gathered in the stern of the ship and watched Goél as they swiftly moved toward the sea. He grew smaller and smaller, and Josh said with a sigh, “I wish he were going with us, Sarah.”

“So do I.” Then she reached over and poked Josh’s arm. “But we’re going to have a great vacation. Our first vacation in Nuworld.”

The voyage on the
Eagle
was pleasant. There were no storms, and day followed day, filled with bright sunshine
and a brisk warm breeze. The Sleepers enjoyed their sea voyage thoroughly.

Jake even rigged a line and managed to hook a shark, which nearly pulled him overboard.

“Let go of that line!” Josh screeched and made a grab for Jake as the shark was tugging him over the rail.

“That’s my shark!” Jake yelled back.

Josh pulled his friend’s hands loose from the line just in time and watched it disappear in the sea.

“That thing would have you for lunch. Let’s bait up again. Maybe we can catch something that’s both good to eat and safe to catch.”

Later they did indeed catch a fine marlin, which proved to be good eating.

The ship was comfortable, but it was small. By the time Captain Leland alerted them with, “Land just off the port bow!” Josh—and everyone else—was eager to set foot on land again.

The
Eagle
drifted into a beautiful harbor.

“Look at that beach!” Josh breathed. “Nothing but white sand as far as you can see.”

“It was like this on the beaches in Florida back in Oldworld,” Abbey said. “My family and I used to vacation there every summer. And see, there are lots of people out on the beach getting tans. I can’t wait! I want to get the best tan I’ve ever had!”

But Josh turned to Sarah. “You’ll have to be careful, Sarah, and so will I. You remember how badly we sunburned when we were in Trabango? And you don’t even burn easily.”

“Yes, I sure do remember,” she said. “We don’t want any more of that.”

The crew made the ship fast to a dock, and the Sleepers soon stood wishing farewell to their captain.

Captain Leland looked around with envy. “Wish I could stay with you. Pleasure Island. Sounds like a good place to be these days.”

“Why don’t you stay, Captain?”

“Under orders from Goél. Got to do my duty. But you youngsters have a great time. From what I hear, you deserve it.”

After the farewells, Josh looked around him and said, “I guess we’d better find our way to the palace. Let’s shoulder this gear.”

“Can’t we hire someone to carry all this?” Abbey said. “We’re on a vacation!”

“You’re right. We’ll do that,” Josh said.

Soon he had hired a man with a large cart pulled by a sturdy horse to haul their equipment. “We need to get to the palace. Do you know the way there?”

“Indeed I do. This way, sir.”

They started inland and soon were all exclaiming over the beauty of Pleasure Island.