MYSTERY ISLANDS

                                                     

"There's a group of men outside, father, and they seem to he wanting to speak to you. I see them beyond the outer courtyard."

The Young Prince Thazi, turned away from the window and walked slowly towards the King, a puzzled look in his large, dark eyes.

"Don't worry, Thazi," his father said, holding out his jewelled hand to him. "They know I won't speak to them. They just want me to be aware that they are there. One of them can apply to the minister's secretary and he can see them in a few weeks' time. Come, drink your coffee. Don't let people worry you."

Thazi joined his parents at the coffee table and drank with them out of the tiny, solid gold cups.

His mother was looking at him anxiously and he smiled reassuringly, happy that he could evoke a softness in her eyes and an answering, brilliant smile.

"One day you will be King," his father said.

"You must in all respects and at all times think as a King, behave as a King, and not get upset or worried about the complaints or dissatisfactions of your subjects."

"Don't talk about that time, father. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to be King, because being King will mean that you won't be here any more."

A far-away look came into his father's eyes and then it faded, to be replaced by a look of anger.

"None of my enemies will get to me," he said, at last. "The Kingdom of GeHaz is stronger than they will ever be."

His voice softened.

"You may go back to your lessons, Thazi, I know you enjoy them. Vardiz is a good teacher, a wise and clever young man. Even though his blood is mixed with that of foreigners, he is someone who is loyal to the Kingdom."

ISBN-13: 978-1470190781 (CreateSpace-Assigned)
ISBN-10: 1470190788
BISAC: Fiction / Jewish    188 pages

The Zanger children are on holiday in the small coastal town of Shipston. Shortly after their arrival there is a massive storm. The next morning they find a bottle with a note inside it in a rock pool on the beach. This leads them into an exciting and breath taking adventure where they explore some mysterious islands and rescue a kidnapped prince. 
 

This story appeared in serial form over many editions of Concord Magazine, England

CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/3817811

They walked slowly across the sand, examining and collecting the shells and old pieces of sea-worn glass and the more beautiful strands of seaweed. Levi looked suspiciously at a jelly-fish. Those things were supposed to sting!

They climbed over the rock pools, looking at crabs and small fish and pretending to detach the shellfish from the rocks.

Esty was prodding around one of the pools with a stick. It hit something hard.

"What's this?" she said, bending down to examine it.

"Someone has thrown a bottle into this pool. It is half submerged under the water and sand... I wish people wouldn't throw their rubbish around!"

Esty drew out the bottle from the water and was about to throw it away when she saw a piece of paper inside it.

"Someone has put a note in this bottle and put it in the pool," she said in wonderment.

She put her fingers into the bottle to try to take out the note, but she couldn't do it. It seemed to have writing on it but they could not read it through the bottle and all three of them struggled to get it out.

They made their way back to the holiday cottage, still struggling with the note.

They visited a beautiful holiday island.       

BUT THEY ALSO VISITED ANOTHER ISLAND.

"I have a strange feeling about this island. There is something unfriendly and sort of sinister about it, as if..."

A shot rang out!

The two boys stood as if electrified. Neither of them said a word for at least a minute. And then -

"Do you think Ari is all right?" asked Meyer.

"Yes, yes I am sure," said Levi a little uncomfortably "This means that we have a probably come to the right island. Something is going on here."

"And Ari," said Meyer again. "We'll find Ari," said Levi.

"What do we do now?" asked Meyer.

"We’ll keep on saying Tehillim," said Levi. "Thank goodness I know some off by heart. And we must carry on. What option do we have? But I think we should walk alongside the path, not directly on it. I think we should not make it obvious to any one that we are here."

"What about the shooting? And what about Ari?" asked Meyer.

"We’ll find him," said Levi. "I know we will."

They started to push their way as quietly as possible through the undergrowth, hardly daring to whisper.

Suddenly they heard a noise. Within seconds they were face to face with a man , a dark, foreign looking man who had apparently been waiting for them. They realized at once that he could not speak English and he signaled to them to follow him. His manner, though commanding, was not aggressive, but the boys noticed a gun in his belt which didn't make them feel very comfortable. They had no option, however, but to follow him and he seemed not to have doubted at all that that was what they would do.

But at last everything comes right.

Putt ... putt… Ben's engine started up and they moved away from the rocks which surrounded the island and they were soon in the open sea.

It was a warm, sunny day, and the sea was friendly and calm. The Prince's eyes shone, and the boys thought about the terrible ordeal he had been through at the hands of his countrymen and yet, he had not been harsh with them.

They agreed that he would one day make a good and just ruler.

As they approached Shipston, the Prince started to cry and Dr. Zanger asked if he was feeling ill.

He said that he was feeling much better, but he had not been able to cry in front of the rebels because he was the Prince, but he felt he could cry in front of his friends.

"That's fine," said Dr. Zanger. "You have been through a lot and you have been very, very ill."

"I don't want to go away from you to the hospital, " said the Prince.

"We will take you to our cottage and contact your father," said Dr. Zanger.

"I think you might not have to go to hospital after all."