Dice roll = 6! Pip is down to 4/25, but makes it back to the ship.
He now sails for the last remaining island:
Cross-eyed navigation roll = 9 (Success)!
It's easy to see how this island got its name. As your golden vessel approaches, you can see the rotting hulls of scores of sailing ships which have run aground all along the rocky coastline. This is a positive ship's graveyard.
Cautiously, you sail around the entire island, searching for a safe inlet. But everywhere seems to be rocks and reefs, white water and smashing waves. The island itself doesn't look too bad: in fact it is positively appealing, with rolling grassland, shady clumps of trees and the pleasant undulations of low, soft hills. But getting to it is a different matter. Getting to it is an invitation to disaster.
Sailing as close as you dare, you search for a passage which, if it would not take your ship, might still allow a rowboat to squeeze through. But there does not seem to be even this. You are just teetering on a decision to call this one quits and seek out another island when the voice of an Argonaut echoes down from the crow's nest:
'Sheep ahoy! Sheep ahoy!'
Sheep ahoy? Surely he means 'ship' ahoy?
'Sheep ahoy! Sheep ahoy!'
He definitely said 'sheep'. Maybe he's a Mexican Argonaut. You scan the ocean, but there is no sign of any ship.
'Sheep ahoy! Sheep ahoy!'
Suddenly you are surrounded by the remaining Argonauts, all of whom seem extremely excited.
'Look, Captain--look there!' says one delightedly. His name is Castor. Or possibly Pollux. (It's impossible to say which, since both are on the crew and both are identical twins.)
'What is it, Castor?' you ask.
'Pollux, actually, Captain. Look--' He points. You follow his finger and see, atop one of the gentle hills of Shipwreck Isle... a golden sheep!
It's definitely a golden sheep all right. Even at this distance, its fleece glints with an unmistakable metallic sheen in the bright sunshine. What a remarkable animal. Heaven only knows what must be in the grass there. But you have heavier responsibilities than gawking at a gilded ewe. As Captain, it is your decision to risk a landing on this Isle or to search for safer havens.
If you decide to try to reach Shipwreck Isle, go to 49.
If you feel it makes more sense to try another destination, go to 37.
In our case, we don't really have any other destination we can reach that we haven't already explored, so let's proceed.
Shocker: for the first time, we actually get to bring one of the Argonauts with us onto an island!'A Golden Sheep, eh?' you nod, narrowing your eyes shrewdly. You glance back towards the wreck-surrounded island where the Golden Sheep has now disappeared from sight. 'This wouldn't have anything to do with the special Quest you Argonauts set yourselves before I appeared on the scene, would it?'
'It would! It would!' shout the Argonauts delightedly.
'In point of fact,' says Jason, 'it is our appointed task to rescue the Golden Fleece--preferably with the sheep still inside--from King Colchis, a fearsome villain we all knew lived around here somewhere, although we didn't quite know where. We feel it our bounden Destiny to bring the Fleece back to Greece.'
'Why?' you ask curiously.
The Argonauts began to giggle. 'Why? He asks why?' they mumble delightedly, one at another.
'Yes, why?' you ask again.
The giggling dies down to be replaced by growing frowns. After a while, Jason says uncertainly, 'I'm not quite sure. That's simply the way it has to be. I think it has something to do with Media.'
'Media?'
'Princess Media. King Colchis's beautiful daughter. You know how these Quests go. Handsome hero. Beautiful princess. Evil enemy. Golden sheep. They all work themselves out eventually and give the people something to talk about.' He gives a shy grin. 'I'm the handsome hero, actually. I suppose--' He blushes. '--the Gods have ordained I shall marry the beautiful princess.'
You place a friendly arm around his shoulder. 'In that case, Jason, we shall definitely have to get to that island and catch the Golden Sheep. I don't think we dare risk the ship any closer, but with luck the rowboat may make it through. I am willing to make the attempt and you, at least, shall certainly come with me.'
'Thank you, Captain! Thank you! Thank you!' And to your profound embarassment, Argonaut Jason kisses you on both cheeks.
'Save that for the princess,' you tell him brusquely. 'Now let's get the boat launched and see if there is some way on to that island.'
Which you do. But now you need to turn to 39 to find out if there is any practical means of reaching the island.
Obviously, there's no point leaving until we find the last golden key. Where do we begin the search?You climb aboard the ship's rowboat and after a brief hassle with Jason about who should be stuck with the rowing (guess who loses?) you pull on the oars and move slowly in the direction of Shipwreck Isle.
At first your initial impressions seem well founded: there does not appear to be a single safe inlet for your craft. But as you draw closer, a strange thing happens. The rotting wrecks, clinging like smashed skeletons to the wicked reefs, begin to shimmer slightly.
'Did you see that?' you ask Jason.
'See what?' asks the Argonaut.
'Nothing,' you tell him, realizing he won't be paying much attention with his head full of golden sheep and beautiful princesses. But you watch the wrecks carefully and no more than a dozen oar strokes later, you can see the nearest of them suddenly disappear. Even more remarkable, the reef on which it was broken disappears as well, leaving a clear stretch of calm sea.
You shake your head to clear it, but the sea in that direction is definitely calm. What's more, several other more distant wrecks are fading out as well, so that after a few moments, you are rowing towards a delightful sunlit isle entirely surrounded by calm, clear seas, with not a wreck in sight. What is happening here? Everyone saw the wrecks and now they are gone! But gone they are, quite definitely. It it not your imagaination for you are now rowing through the stretch where the reefs used to be and rowing with no trouble at all.
Eventually the boat grounds on a white sand beach. 'Oh good, you got us through the reefs,' remarks Jason as you ship the oars. With a deep sigh, you make the boat secure and look around you. This really is a very pleasant island. Beyond the beach, across some rocks, the fertile grasslands begin, studded with copses of fine trees.
You climb with Jason on to the rocks and, with the advantage of height, you can now see a number of well-made roads within quite easy reach. One wends its way to an imposing mansion set almost on the shore a little further down. Another leads to a grimly imposing castle set atop one of the hills. Another passes close by a small farm. Another leads directly into a village where, so far as you can tell from this distance, some sort of activity is going on. Paths branching from the roadways lead towards a deserted cottage, a well of some description and a still, dark lake.
What a choice. Have a little confab with Jason, then decide where you will go.
To reach the mansion by the shore, go to 51.
To reach the castle, go to 61.
To reach the farm, go to 112.
To reach the village, go to 65.
To reach the cottage, go to 120.
To reach the well, go to 97.
To reach the lake, go to 88.
Alternatively, you may simply return to your ship and pick another destination.