Temptations of Pleasure Island by Gilbert L. Morris Page A

blinked. “You don’t want to free that man!” he cried. “Sylvan is the most notorious con man on the island! He’s swindled countless people out of their life’s fortunes.”
    “I did not ask for your opinion, warden. Take me to him.”
    He bowed. “Yes, Lady Maeve!”
    Minutes later she stood in a dank prison cell. Straw was on the floor, and the only light was a single candle. A man sat across from her—on a bed complete with a plush mattress and quilt. She stared at him intensely, and he stared back.
    “What do
you
want?” he muttered.
    The sorceress moved a step closer. “I want to take you out of this place, get you cleaned up, get you good food. Anything you want.”
    Sylvan grinned, revealing amazingly white teeth. Despite his prison uniform, he was a dapper looking man. He was well over six feet tall and had a manicured mustache and beard.
    “You must want something rather important—and illegal—done to promise me that.”
    “And will that stop you, Sylvan, if I ask you to do something illegal and dangerous?”
    “Let me out of this place—” Sylvan smiled grimly “—and I’ll poison the king himself.”
    Lady Maeve smiled in spite of herself. “It hasn’t come to that—yet. I want you to become head of the new national gambling game.” She knew that Sylvan had himself operated various gambling schemes that cheated people, including animal races, sporting events, and gambling casinos.
    Now the man stood up, apparently keen to hear her offer.
    “What is it you want, madam?” he asked graciously.
    “I want to expand on these mild little games of chance. I want the people to be offered the opportunity to bet everything, everything they own. I want to call this game ‘You Bet Your Life.’ If they win, they capture a great prize. If they lose, they belong to me—and the salt mines.”
    Sylvan, the criminal, grinned and nodded. “I’m your man, Lady Maeve. A little slavery never hurt a kingdom.”

9
The Salt Mines
    T he Fletcher household had become a second home to Josh and Sarah. Sarah was very fond of Lalita, the six-year-old daughter, and she spent hours with her. It proved to be a relief to play simple games with the child instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of activities that seemed to engulf the entire island.
    Josh enjoyed the company of Jacob and Mark. The man was like a father to him. Jacob was kind and patient and witty, and he seemed to delight in Josh’s company.
    Mark undertook to teach Josh something about wrestling and was very patient with him. Wrestling with Mark, of course, was always a one-sided contest. The young man was fully developed, tremendously strong, and faster than a striking snake. However, he did manage to teach Josh a few of the fundamentals of the sport.
    As the two of them were practicing one day, Mark said, “It’s not strength so much as it is speed, Josh. Strength is important, of course. But the strongest man in the world would be helpless if he were trapped in a bone-breaking hold. Here, let me show you.”
    Josh listened carefully to his friend’s instructions. Although he was aware that Mark was allowing him to control the situation, it gave him a thrill when he was able to send Mark over his head to land on the mat that they were practicing on.
    “You see? And I outweigh you by seventy-fivepounds. So you could use this hold successfully on practically anyone except another professional wrestler.”
    They took time out then, just long enough for a short break. When they went inside the house, Mark’s mother offered them some delicious little cakes she had just made. Josh happily began eating his as fast as he could.
    Lalita laughed at him. “You can have all the cakes you want, Josh.”
    “They’re just so good I can hardly stand it,” he said. “I can’t help gobbling.”
    Lalita said, “Mama and Papa don’t like it when I eat like that.”
    “That’s right. And you listen to them. Don’t use me for your model,