Temptations of Pleasure Island (13 page)

“I wear no mark!” Maeve protested, her face pale.

“You do not wear an outward symbol, but I see it in your eyes. And your deeds are evil, even as his are evil. Your Majesty, you once were loyal to Goél. I beg you to rid yourself of this woman.”

Instantly Lady Maeve stood. “The Seven Sleepers are enemies of the state, Your Majesty! They must be treated as such. Guards, get them out of the council room!”

The guards advanced at once, and the Sleepers were forced backward toward the door.

Now the queen stood. “Leo, stop them!”

King Leo stared at his wife and said, “What are you talking about, Tamsin?”

“The young man is right. This woman
is
evil.”

At once Maeve stepped behind the king and touched his shoulder. “The queen is unwell also, sire,” she said.

Something appeared to come over the king at that moment, and Sarah knew with sickening certainty that there was power in the woman’s touch. She was able to control the king just by putting her hands on him.

“Have them all confined,” Lady Maeve ordered.

The king tried to protest further, but he seemed helpless.

The Sleepers were herded outside.

Lady Maeve said when the Seven Sleepers were gone, “Your Majesty, I must ask you to retire. See that the queen is cared for in her room.”

Queen Tamsin gave her husband a panic-stricken look but she had no time to argue. Two guards came to her at once and gently led her from the room.

As soon as the door was closed, Maeve said, “Your Majesty, it must be clear what we must do.”

“What must we do?” the king asked. His face was confused and troubled. “I can’t think clearly.”

“Then I will think for you until your mind returns,” Lady Maeve said smoothly. “The council and I have agreed that the queen and the prince must take medication.”

“You mean Soma?”

“Yes. It is for their own good. They are troubled in spirit, and a heavy dose of Soma will take away their disturbances.”

The members of the council gave each other wary looks. It was the first they had heard of such a scheme, but Lady Maeve well knew that no one dared challenge her.

The king bowed his head. He did not answer, and Lady Maeve took this for an affirmative. “It will be done then.”

The prince had been taken out by other guards and confined in his rooms. He could not believe what had happened, and he walked back and forth trying to think of a way to get to his father.

Then the door opened, and he looked up to see Linor, one of the king’s attendants and the prince’s own dear friend.

“Linor, what’s happening?”

“It’s very bad, Your Majesty,” Linor said, his face filled with pain. “Maeve has forced your father to agree
that both you and your mother will be put on the drug Soma at once.”

Derek stood stunned. At first he seemed unable to think clearly. But then an idea came. “Will you do me a very great favor?”

“Anything, my prince!”

“I want you to take a message for me. Carrying it may be dangerous, but I must ask you to do it.”

The prince scribbled out a message as Linor watched.

Linor listened to his instructions and said, “At once, my prince.”

“Use your best speed, Linor,” the prince said desperately. “I do not think that woman will wait long to get her revenge on me.”

T
he knock at the door was quiet but insistent. Josh looked up and said, “Reb, would you see who that is? Maybe it’s Sarah.”

Reb ambled to the door and opened it.

Looking past him, Josh saw a small man dressed in the uniform of the court. “I seek Joshua Adams,” the man said quietly.

“Josh, a fellow wants to see you,” Reb said. “Come on in.”

Stepping inside, the man said at once, “My name is Linor.”

“I’ve seen you before, Linor. You’re an attendant of the king,” Josh said. “Why do you want to see me?”

“I have a message for the Seven Sleepers … but I see only two here …”

“There are indeed five others. Obviously, they are not with us right now. What is your message?”

Taking a deep breath, Linor said, “I have been loyal to King Leo all my life. I have spent years serving him. And what I do now may seem wrong to some, but I feel I must do it.”

“What is it, Linor?” Josh asked.

Reaching into an inner pocket, the man pulled out a folded slip of paper. “This message is from Prince Derek. He asked me to bring it to you.”

“Being the prince’s messenger could be a little dangerous these days. I hear he is not in good favor with the Lady Maeve.”

“That sorceress!” Linor almost snarled with contempt. “She has brought nothing but disaster to our island.”

Josh opened the paper and quickly read the message. Then he read it aloud:

Then Josh said, “But this is terrible!” He felt appalled at what he’d read. “How did the prince find this out?”

“It was I who told him,” Linor said defiantly.

“Linor,” Josh said, “go back to the prince. Tell him we will help if we possibly can. Tell him not to give up hope.”

“I will take your message—and I trust that the Seven Sleepers will be able to help not only the prince but our poor island.”

As soon as Linor was gone, Josh said, “We’ve got to do something about this, Reb. But what?”

That began a discussion that lasted for more than an hour. It was interrupted when Mark Fletcher came in.

“What’s going on?” he asked. Mark listened as Josh told him the problem and then asked, “So what are you going to do?”

“We don’t have a clue,” Josh said mournfully. “Not yet.”

For a moment Mark stood there, his head down. Then he looked up, and a bright light came to his eyes. “I think I know someone who can help. Come with me.”

“Where to?”

“To my father.”

“How can your father help?” Jake asked as they hurried from the room.

“My grandfather was an herb master. He knew all about potions and drugs—things like that.”

“Could your grandfather help us, do you think?”

“Alas, he is now dead, but he taught my father much. We will tell Father the problem.”

Twenty minutes later, Jacob Fletcher was listening soberly as Josh explained. Jacob then read the letter from the prince. He studied it thoughtfully.

“Do you think you can help us, Mr. Fletcher?”

“There may be a way,” he said slowly. “I cannot promise, but if you like, I will certainly do what I can.”

“It had better be quick,” Reb exclaimed. “If I know that slimy woman, she won’t waste any time.”

“Very well,” Mark’s father said. “I must see what herbs I have. And someone will then have to make his way in to the prince. I could never gain admittance.”

Reb saw both guards examining him as he approached the palace gate. He supposed they had been ordered not to admit any of the Seven Sleepers.

As he had expected, one of them said gruffly, “You’re not welcome here, Reb. Sorry.”

“Why, I’m sorry to hear that, Hector,” Reb said. “And I don’t understand. The princess invited me.”

“She did?”

“Why, sure,” Reb said. Actually, he was not quite comfortable with this statement, though it was indeed true that she had, many times, told him to come whenever he pleased.

“In that case, I will accompany you. You understand,
though, that you Sleepers are no longer in favor at court.”

“I know. You’re just doing your job, Hector,” Reb said cheerfully.

“You keep watch,” Hector said to the other guard. “I’ll see what the princess says. Come along, Reb.”

Reb followed the guard, whistling under his breath.

When Hector knocked at the princess’s door, Cosima’s voice called, “Who is it?”

“Hector, the guard, princess.”

“What is it?”

“The Sleeper Reb is here. He says you want to see him.”

“Oh yes! Of course.”

The door opened, and Reb stepped inside. “Thanks, Hector. See you later.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Reb took a closer look at Cosima. Her eyes were unusually bright, and the first thing she said was something about his accompanying her to a concert.

Shaking his head, Reb said, “I’ve come to ask a favor of you this time, princess.”

“Of me? Why, certainly. What can I do?”

“I need to see your brother.”

Cosima’s face fell. She whispered, “He’s not in good favor with my father. As a matter of fact, he’s being kept under guard—he’s forbidden to leave his quarters.”

“I know that,” Reb said. “That’s why I came to you.”

“Why do you want to see him?” she asked curiously.

“I want to help him, princess,” Reb said simply.
“Maybe you haven’t noticed it, but your family is in big trouble.”

Cosima’s face suddenly crumpled. “I do know it,” she wailed and began to weep. “Everything’s gone wrong! It used to be so wonderful. But now Father and Mother aren’t speaking to each other, Derek is held prisoner, and—oh, Reb, I just don’t know what to do!” She threw herself at him.

Reb patted her shoulder awkwardly and let her have her cry. Then he said, “I know. Life gets kind of rough at times. But, princess, right now you have a chance to do something to help your dad, and your mother, and Derek maybe most of all.”

“Are you going to try to get him out of the palace? To help him escape?” Cosima asked. “That would be impossible, Reb.”

“No. Nothing like that. First, I just need to talk to him—alone.”

“All right, then. I can help with that. I can take you to him. Come along.”

Reb walked with the princess down the wide hallway.

When they got to Prince Derek’s quarters, two armed guards were standing at the door.

“I’m sorry, princess. No one can go in,” one of the guards said respectfully. “We’ve been given our orders.”

“It’s all right, Morgan. I can certainly talk to my own brother. You can check with the king if you like.”

“Has Lady Maeve given you permission, then?”

Suddenly Cosima drew herself up. “Is Lady Maeve ruler of this kingdom? Am I not the princess? Must I speak to the king about your insolence?”

“Oh no,” the guard said with a worried air. “No
insolence was intended. It’s just—well, princess, truly we don’t know who to obey anymore. Lady Maeve gives one order, and you give another. The entire guard is confused.”

“It will be all right, Morgan,” Cosima said kindly. “Just let Reb and me in. I’ll make sure that you do not suffer for it.”

The guards stepped aside, Cosima opened the door, and at once Derek was standing before them.

“You came, Reb,” the prince said, when they had closed the door.

“Yep, I did.” Reb then turned to Cosima. “You reckon you could get your mama to come, too?”

“My … mama?”

“Your mother, I mean.”

“Of course. I’ll get her at once.”

As soon as the girl was gone, Derek said, “You got my message, then?”

“Sure. Linor brought it, and we have something we think might work.”

“You have a plan?” Derek said, hope leaping to his eyes. “What is it?”

“Wait until your mother gets in here. I’ll tell you both at the same time.”

The queen’s quarters were on the same floor, Reb knew, so he and Derek had only a short wait. Cosima came back with their mother almost at once. The door closed behind them, and Queen Tamsin stood with the princess as Reb delivered his news.

“Now, Miss Cosima, I know you’re not going to like to hear this, but things are pretty bad.”

“I know,” Cosima said mournfully. “I know. But I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what’s happened.”

“Well, in the first place, you’ve got to face up to the
fact that it’s that Soma that your father’s been taking,” Reb said. “It’s had a bad effect on him.”

“Truly, my husband is not himself, Reb,” Queen Tamsin said.

“I know that, ma’am. And now we’ve heard that he’s going to make you and the prince both take Soma.”

“That in itself shows he’s not himself,” Derek said.

Cosima began to cry. “I wish that woman had never come.”

“Well, if we do this right, she won’t be here long,” Reb said.

“But if she forces us to take that drug, we’ll become slaves, just like Father!” Derek said.

“First, you have to agree to take the Soma.”

“Take it!” the prince cried.

“Yep. But it won’t hurt you.” He reached into his inner pocket and took out a bottle. “Before you go to Lady Maeve to tell her you’ll take Soma after all, drink two swallows of this. It will taste pretty bad, but get it down—both of you.”

“But what is it?” Derek asked.

“It’s something Mr. Fletcher came up with. He says it’ll coat the inside of your stomachs so that the Soma won’t take effect for a while.”

“But what about when it does?”

“No problem. Get away by yourself as soon as you can,” Reb told him, “and have yourself a nice throw up.”

“Oh, I see! That way our bodies get rid of the drug before it has time to take effect. But what about when she wants us to take more later?”

“You’ll just have to fool her. Take the drug from her and pretend to pour it into a glass of juice or something. But instead, just drop it on your sleeve. That’s
the best we could come up with. The main thing is, she’s going to want to see you take it at least once.”

“And what’s the plan for action after that?”

“You’ll have to keep Lady Maeve and the king both convinced that you’re on the drug. That means acting real excited. Gambling a lot. Hollering a lot.”

Cosima bowed her head. “Is that the way I’ve been behaving?” she murmured.

“I’m afraid it is, princess. And I want you to keep on doing the same thing. You’ve been on the drug, so they won’t be watching you. You can just pretend to take it. Nobody will know.”

“All right. I’ll do it. Anything to get out of this nightmare,” the princess said.

“And I will,” the queen agreed.

“I’ve got to get away from here now,” Reb said. “You all have it straight?”

“Yes. And I think the plan will work,” Derek said. He reached out and took Reb’s hand. “Thanks for your loyalty, Reb.”