Temptations of Pleasure Island by Gilbert L. Morris Page B

Lalita.” Josh grinned at her and took another big bite. “I never did win any medals for my table manners.”
    Jacob Fletcher seemed to hear something then. He got up and went to the window and looked out. He exclaimed, “Why, it’s our friend Feanor!”
    His wife joined him at the window and said, “What in the world has happened? He looks terrible.”
    Raising the window, Jacob called out, “Feanor, come in!”
    Josh and all the Fletchers turned to the door as the man entered. Josh had met Feanor. The man and his wife had three fine sons and a little daughter. They had eaten meals together with the Fletchers a few times when Josh was also there.
    “Whatever is wrong, Feanor?” Mrs. Fletcher cried, going to him. “Is it your wife? Is she sick? Or one of the children?”
    “No. It’s even worse than that.” Feanor groaned.He passed a hand in front of his face, and Josh could see that it was trembling. Perspiration had burst out on his forehead, and he was a terrible ash gray color.
    “Here, sit down, Feanor,” Jacob said. The man seemed almost unable to obey, and Jacob had to help him into a chair. “Now,” he said kindly. “What is it? Tell us. You have friends here. We can help with whatever problem you have.”
    “I’ve been a fool,” Feanor groaned.
    “Well, so have all of us at one time or another,” Jacob said. “We all make mistakes.”
    “Not like this one!” He seemed unable to speak except in a feeble whisper.
    “Just tell us what it is,” Mrs. Fletcher urged. “There’s a solution for most things. We just have to find it.”
    Feanor looked up then, and Josh saw a hopeless look in his eyes such as he had never seen before. He thought,
What in the world can it be?
    “I’ve lost everything,” Feanor finally managed to tell them.
    At once Jacob stiffened. “Feanor! You haven’t been gambling again, have you?”
    “Yes, fool that I was!” Feanor cried. “I know you’ve warned me about it a thousand times. I thought it was a sure thing this time. I thought I couldn’t lose.”
    “There’s no such thing as a sure thing in gambling,” Mark put in. “What did you bet on, Feanor?”
    “The dog races. And I talked to the owner of one of the dogs. He assured me that he couldn’t lose, so I—”
    He broke off, and Mr. Fletcher said grimly, “So how much did you bet, Feanor?”
    “Everything. I had no choice. All the races and contests are now part of the new royal lottery. If youwant the
grand
prize, you have to bet all you own-including your livelihood.”
    “What do you mean, ‘your livelihood?’” asked Jacob worriedly.
    “If you lose, you become an indentured servant of the kingdom for five years—to work for the king somewhere in the salt mines,” answered Feanor sullenly. “Unless you can find some means to pay—and of course you can’t. Even your home is gone.”
    “Not your house too!” Mrs. Fletcher cried. “Surely not that!”
    “That too. Now that I’ve lost, they’ll send me to the salt mines at Borea. And my poor family—they’ll have to live in one of the shacks in the mine workers’ village.”
    Josh had never seen such fear and disgust mingle in a person’s face. Josh truly felt sorry for him. He knew that Feanor was a hardworking man and good to his family. But Jacob had once told Josh privately, “My friend is addicted to gambling. He just can’t keep himself from betting on everything. I fear he is going to run into trouble someday.”
    Now Jacob began to try to comfort his friend. “Well, it is not yet the end of the world, Feanor.”
    “It is for me. I’ve worked for years to have a nice house and a nice life for my family. And now we will live in one of those shacks that don’t even have running water. And you know what it’s like in the salt mines, Jacob. All of us will work from sunup until after dark. I will hardly see my wife and children.”
    Josh sat watching the scene and listening. This was a side of Pleasure Island that he