But he had no chance to say more. At Lady Maeve’s signal, guards hustled Derek out of the courtroom.
“Now,” the sorceress said with relief in her voice, “I’ll take care of Prince Derek.”
She turned back to the Seven Sleepers then. “You have been found guilty of treason and will be executed! Take them away!”
Two guards escorted Prince Derek down the hall.
“Take me to my quarters,” he told them.
The guards seemed uncertain, and Derek understood. This was the prince of the realm, and yet he had been condemned by Lady Maeve. And everyone knew what happened to those who opposed her will …
With some relief, one of the guards said, “That’s what we will do—for now. We will take you to your rooms. We will be forced to lock you in, though.”
“That’s fine with me.”
As soon as the guards had shut the door, Derek ran to his bed. Reaching under it, he pulled out the length of rope that he had put there for this very occasion. Next, he tied it firmly to a massive bedpost, dropped the coil out the window, and looked down. It was three stories to the ground, but Derek was strong and athletic. Quickly he lowered himself, hand over hand. It appeared that no one saw him.
He turned to look back at the castle one more time before leaving the grounds. “Lady Maeve, you haven’t won yet.”
When Lady Maeve learned of Derek’s escape, she screamed. “Kill the guards that let him escape! Kill their families! Kill their servants!” For a time, she seemed to lose all sense of reason.
She finally brought herself under control, however. “He can’t go far,” she muttered, clenching her fists. “He’s on this island somewhere, and at least we still have the Seven Sleepers.” She called a guard. “The dungeon where the Sleepers are—have it kept guarded day and night. Use every man you have.”
“Yes, Lady Maeve. It shall be done.”
“Now we shall see. These Sleepers may have escaped others, but they will not escape Lady Maeve and the hangman’s noose.”
14
Two Princes Meet
King Leo was slumped in a chair in the royal chambers when Lady Maeve came in.
“I am sorry to inform you, my lord, that your son has escaped.”
The king hung his head sadly. “I can’t believe all this is happening,” he muttered.
“It is indeed grievous, Your Majesty,” Lady Maeve said smoothly. “But we will hope to capture him. If the prince would only submit himself to my care, I’m sure I could help him.”
At that moment Cosima appeared at the door. She appeared to be highly upset. “Father, have you heard?” she cried. “They’ve made a criminal out of Derek.”
“No, no, you don’t understand, my dear,” the king said heavily.
“I understand that Derek is no traitor. He loves you, Father. Don’t you know that?”
Quickly Lady Maeve stepped to the princess’s side. “I’m afraid these things are too difficult for you, my dear. Come along with me. I think there is a ball planned.”
“I’m not interested in a ball!”
The queen arose then and went to her daughter, saying, “It will be all right. Come with me, Cosima.”
“But, Mother, don’t you understand? They have orders to kill Derek if they find him!”
The king stirred himself, and his eyes went wide. “That is not true!”
“It is true!” the princess said. “Ask her. She gave the orders.” Cosima pointed dramatically at Maeve.
“There is a misunderstanding here, Your Majesty,” Lady Maeve said.
But for the moment the king had been shocked free from the daze that the drug Soma had brought on him. He glared at her.
Lady Maeve must have seen the anger in his eyes. “I will go at once and make certain,” she said.
“Make sure that it’s clear. For if my son dies, then you will answer for it!”
Maeve bowed before him. “I will see to it at once, Your Majesty.”
As soon as the woman left, Cosima said, “Father, something’s terribly wrong.”
“I know. I know. The world is falling to pieces about us.”
Cosima and the queen knelt side by side before him. “Please don’t take any more of the medication that woman gives you,” Cosima begged. “I have learned. It does make a person feel wonderful for a while. But then one behaves so … so foolishly.”
Quietly the queen said, “I think our daughter is right, Leo.”
The king sighed heavily. “You both may be right,” he said and saw them exchange glances.
“All will be well, my dear,” the queen said. “The Seven Sleepers say Goél has never failed them and that he will not this time.”
Deep in the dungeon, Josh and the rest were listening to Reb tell about a hunting dog that he once owned back in Oldworld.
“That dog could track anything,” Reb said brightly. The light of the lantern threw its yellow beams across his face. Like the others, he was whittled down by the lack of food and fresh air, but he still had a cheerful spirit. “One time he tracked a pack of ducks across the sky. I shot enough ducks that day to feed the whole town.”
Wash managed a little laugh. “That was some dog.”
Reb looked around at all the sad faces. “We’ve got to pull ourselves together, folks,” he said. “It’s never over till it’s over.”
Josh grinned feebly. “You’ve got a good way of looking at things, Reb, but we’re in a mess this time for sure.”
“We’ve been there before,” Reb agreed. “We’ll get out of this one. Goél will do something. He hasn’t let us down yet. You wait and see.”
Sarah was sitting close to Josh later on, and she said, “Reb has such a good attitude.”
“Better than mine. I’m supposed to be a leader, and here is Reb, having to cheer me up.”
“We all need cheering up at one time or another. But Reb’s right. We haven’t seen yet what Goél will do. He’ll get us out of this fix somehow.”
“And I keep thinking that maybe he won’t,” Josh muttered. “As far as Goél knows, we’re here enjoying a vacation.”
“I think he knows more than that, Josh.”
“You’re right, of course,” Josh admitted. “I heard once how somebody defined faith. The man said, ‘Faith is trusting somebody so much that you believe a thing is so when your head tells you it ain’t.’”
Sarah giggled and pinched him. “That’s as good a definition as I ever heard. Now, see if you can sleep awhile.”
* * *
Derek knew part of Pleasure Island very well. Other parts of it were not so well fixed in his memory. While in the city, he managed to hide himself by dodging through alleyways, but he narrowly escaped capture. Desperation came over him. “The guards are out,” he muttered. “And if they find me, that’s all of it.”
Then he thought, If I could just get out into the country, I’d have a better chance. He thought about getting his horse, Thunder, but that would make him very conspicuous. Practically everyone on the island knew Thunder, and he would be spotted at once.
Another problem was his clothing. He was wearing princely silk garments, and he knew that was a dead giveaway. He passed by a poor man’s cottage where clothes were hanging on a line. Fortunately one of the dwellers seemed to be about his size, so he took them, leaving five pieces of gold on a stone in exchange.
I doubt they’ll report that to the authorities, he thought grimly. He ducked into the bushes, put on the worn and faded garments, and hid his own. Fortunately, a floppy hat had been airing on the line, and that would help conceal his face.
By nightfall he had made his way into open country, and he felt safer. Then he began hearing the roar of the sea, and he went down to the beach. Here he could walk and think, he decided, but all his thinking seemed to produce nothing.
A full moon cast its beams down on the green waters. It made the wedge-shaped pattern that Derek’s people had always called the Whale’s Way. For a long time he walked along
the shore and finally realized that he was cold and hungry. He began to look for shelter.
He was afraid to go to any home. He was quite sure that there was a reward out for his arrest. But then he came to a farm with a deserted shed. Half of the roof had fallen in, but at least the place would give him shelter while he slept.
Derek went inside, wishing he had thought to bring food, but he had been thinking of other things.
For a long time he lay awake in the moonlit shed. His mind ran to and fro as he tried to come up with a way to help the Seven Sleepers. “They’ll be executed,” he muttered. “There’s no way out. Maeve will kill them in the arena, no doubt.”
Finally sleep did come, and he slept fitfully for some time. He never knew exactly how long, but he did know that he came awake suddenly.
Someone is in the shed with me! Derek grasped the sword lying at his side and sprang to his feet. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“A friend.”
Derek did not believe this for a moment. By the bright moonlight flooding through the broken roof, he saw a man standing across from him. It frightened him that he had not heard the man come in. He could have killed me while I was asleep! he thought wildly. “Who are you?” he repeated.
“I have many names. But I know your name. You are Prince Derek.”
“If you’re out to get the reward, I warn you I won’t be taken alive.”
“Perhaps—if you would put your sword down—we might talk.” The voice was calm and moderate and somehow warm.
But Derek was still distrustful. “Why should I talk to you?” he asked.
“Because, my son, you need a friend.”
The words “my son” struck a chord in Derek. He could not tell why, but somehow he knew that this man indeed was not an enemy. He sheathed his sword and said, “If you know me, then you know that there’s a price on my head.”
“I’m aware of that. The whole island is being scoured, looking for you.”
Derek slumped back against the wall. He could not think of a single encouraging thing. “Everything’s gone wrong,” he groaned. “Everything.”
“When that happens to us—I’ve always believed—then our faith has an opportunity to grow.”
Derek listened as the stranger began to talk.
“You see,” the man said, “faith trusts in spite of circumstances. When the sun is shining, any fool can believe that all will be well. But when the clouds are over us, that’s another matter.”
“You’re right about that, whoever you are. But my faith’s not getting bigger. It’s getting smaller. Besides, I don’t know who to trust.” Derek groaned. “You just don’t know what’s been going on here.”
“I know a little about it. I know your father,” the stranger said.
“You know my father, the king?”
“Very well. And your mother too.”
“Who are you?” Derek demanded. “Tell me your name!”
“My name is Goél.”
A chill ran over the prince. It was not a chill of fear or disgust but rather of joy. He had heard his parents speak of Goél and the wonderful things he had done in other parts of Nuworld. Derek eagerly stepped toward him. “Goél, have you come to help me and my family?”
“I would always like to think that I give help when I can. I am one you can safely trust.”
“Then you can save this kingdom. It’s gone mad!”
“Tell me about it,” Goél said. “Leave nothing out.”
For a long time Derek poured out his story. He indeed left nothing out. When he was through, he said, “That woman is a witch, Goél. A sorceress. I don’t know what else she is, but she holds some power over my father.”
“I have known Lady Maeve for a long time but have never heard anything good of her behavior. No, she is a servant of the Dark Lord,” Goél said sadly. “She had great potential, but she turned herself over to him, body and soul.”
“Is there nothing that can be done? The Seven Sleepers will die, Goél! And I know they are your friends.”
“They are indeed. And so are you, Prince Derek, if you would have me.”
“If I will have you?” Suddenly Derek knew that this was somehow a turning point in his life. Everything seemed to stop. And as he looked into the face of Goél, he saw indeed someone to believe in. He fell on his knees and bowed his head. “I am yours, sire, if you will have me.”
The hand of Goél touched Derek’s head and remained there.
Time ran on, and Derek felt all doubts leaving him. Strength and courage began to build. When the hand was removed, he came to his feet. “Command me, sire!” he cried eagerly. “Anything!”
“You must rally your people, Prince Derek.”
“They will not listen to me.”
“You are the prince,” Goél said sternly. He smiled then and added, “I too am a prince, so I know the power that lies in you.”
“Then tell me exactly what to do, and I will do it,” Derek promised.
Goél began to tell him, and the prince, who felt he had suddenly grown up to be a man, listened eagerly.
15
The Arena
Abigail was sobbing softly, hoping that no one would hear her. She and Sarah had been given one corner of the dungeon, where they could have some privacy. Three days had passed since the sentence of death had been pronounced upon them, and Abbey felt at the end of herself emotionally.
“Now, Abbey, don’t cry.”
Abbey felt an arm slip around her shoulder, and she looked up. Sarah had come to sit down beside her. Just the warmth of Sarah’s arm made her feel better. With tears running down her cheeks, Abbey said, “I’ve made such a mess of things, Sarah!”
“That’s all over now. You made a mistake, but when you make a mistake and apologize, you don’t make another one by reminding yourself of it.”
“How can I help it? I was so foolish to believe in Maeve and to take that awful drug!”
Sarah squeezed the smaller girl’s shoulders. “No one is holding that against you except yourself, Abbey,” she said quietly. “It’s time to put it behind you. You said you were sorry, and we’ve forgiven you, and that’s all anyone can ever do. So no more tears.”
Abbey wiped her face with a soiled handkerchief and tried to smile. “You always make me feel better, Sarah.” She looked around then at the still-sleeping forms of the boys. “It’ll be today, won’t it?”
“Yes, I think it will.”
“And you aren’t afraid, are you, Sarah?”
“Yes. I am.”
The answer surprised Abbey. “You are? I can’t believe it!”
“Why should it surprise you that I’m afraid? You don’t think I’m Supergirl, do you? We’re all afraid. Even Reb. Just ask him.”
“He doesn’t show it. You don’t show it.”
“Well, that’s part of a person’s training, I guess. Learning not to give way to your fears outwardly. So don’t feel that you’re the only one that’s thought about that arena and what will be waiting for us there.”
“Dave feels worse than I do about getting everyone into this—if feeling worse is possible.”
“I know. But Josh has talked to him, and I’m sure he’ll get over it. So will you.”
“I’m not sure we’ll have time. Before this, Goél always appeared to one of us and helped us. But he hasn’t come this time. He hasn’t come!”
“It’s never too late for Goél to act, Abbey,” Sarah said, apparently with as much strength as she could put into her voice. “And now try to get a little sleep.”
Josh was exhausted, and he knew the other Sleepers all were as well. They had been given somewhat better food recently, but life in the dungeon wore one down. Living in half-darkness, in a horrible setting, was part of the punishment that Maeve wanted them to know. He was sure of that. She won’t get me down though, he thought with determination. I’m not giving up.
Time wore on, and the Sleepers had no way of knowing whether it was light or dark o
utside. Their watches had been taken from them, and, without sight of sun or moon, all times were the same in the gloomy prison.
Finally Josh heard the sound of many footsteps coming.
“All right,” he said, getting to his feet. “I think this is it. Remember now, we may be afraid, but we can’t let any of these people see it.”
“Right you are,” Reb said. “Keep a stiff upper lip.”
The door clanged open, and the warden announced, “Came to bid farewell to all of you. We won’t be seeing you again here. Have a nice time in the arena.”
“We’ve enjoyed our stay,” Josh said pleasantly. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Yes, the food has been excellent,” Sarah said. She gave the warden a forced smile and added, “We’ll be sure to recommend your place to anyone looking for lodging.”
The warden’s face froze, and then anger burst out of him. “Go ahead and joke! You’ll be dead in an hour! Get them out of here!”
Josh guessed that it was late afternoon when the Sleepers were herded from the prison. The sun was low and the sky a red wafer. It blinded him as it had before. Like the other Sleepers, he kept his eyes covered as much as possible with his hands. The guards hurried them along, prodding them with the staff end of their pikes from time to time.
The streets, Josh saw, were lined with people who had come out of curiosity to watch them. However, many of them called out encouraging words.
“Don’t let them get you down, Reb!” a voice cried out. “You rode worse horses than this one!”
“You’re mighty right, friend,” Reb said, waving his hand. “Thanks and just keep on cheering.”
Some of the voices jeered, but not many. Josh finally decided, These are the poor people. They’re on our side. They don’t have any power, though, so they can’t help us.
And then he could tell they were approaching the arena, for he heard the muffled roar of many voices. Once there, they were driven inside, where they were marched into a large holding room.
As the guards locked the door behind them, Josh looked around him. The room was empty except for several coffins stacked in one corner. On one side were two great closed doors. From the other side of those doors sounded the roar of the crowd.
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