The Game and the Challenge

What's it going to be – the dice or the gauntlet? If you're game, here are thirteen thought-provoking short stories to challenge you. Rumours of a mad captain's ship stranded in the desert attract men from around the world, each armed with a different theory. Two generals play Russian roulette that's bound to have a checkmate ending. And as for the game of chess, you're in for several surprises as its key moments throughout history are revealed. A bobby treads the London streets where the cobblestones rhyme. An Arabian princess will tell you the story behind her dead lover's eyes. The powerful pull of a macumba moon makes for a ghoulish supper. When the gift of a golden wish turns true, the consequences become dicey. Getting to work in Mexico City turns out to be more than a difficult task, considering the time involved. Read the letters revealing the palindrome nature of a relationship made impossible. Join a confidence game in which the con man gets trapped in his own device. Get an invitation to a hilarious movie pre-production meeting that ends with disaster. Enjoy the memoirs of a self-made scrap millionaire who doesn't shy away from the pleasures in life. And – how would you react if you were handed the world on a plate, with no knowledge of the price tag? Read and decide for yourself – if you're up to the challenge.