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"Did he describe survivors?"

She shook her head "There was never talk of rescue attempts He always said that any man who stepped foot on Gladiator Island without an invitation had a date with Satan"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, the badly injured were murdered and any able-bodied survivor was put to work in the mines until he died No one has ever escaped from Gladiator to tell of the atrocities"

"You escaped"

"A lot of good it did the poor miners," she said sadly "No one ever took my word over my family's

When I tried to explain the situation to authorities, Daddy ht them off"

"And the Chinese laborers working the mines today? How many of them leave the island in one piece?"

Maeve's face was grim "Almost all eventually die from the extreme heat in the bottom of the lower mine pits"

"Heat?" There was curiosity in Pitt's face "From what source?"

"Steah cracks in the rock"

Giordino gave Pitt a pensive look "A perfect place to organize a union"

"I make landfall in about three hours," said Pitt "Not too late to change our minds, skip the island and try for Australia"

It's a violent, unrelenting world," Giordino sighed "Absolutely worthless without a good challenge now and then"

"There speaks the backbone of America," Pitt said with a sure we have just enough light to do the job"