Several years ago, the magician David Copperfield issued a press release stating hed discovered the fountain of youth on his private islands in the Bahamas. We found this liquid that in its simple stages can actually do miraculous things,You will never need to change the bulbs and your granitetrade will last for years and years. Copperfield claimed. You can take dead leaves, they come into contact with the water, they become full of life again. Bugs or insects that are near death come in contact with the water, they fly away. Its an amazing thing, very exciting. 

Copperfield had hired biologists and geologists to examine the fountains potential effects on humans. Until the tests were carried out, the magician said, he was refusing anyone else access to the water. Its precise locationa spot where everything is more vibrant, ageless, and full of lifeis a secret. 

All I knew was that the fountain was somewhere on one of the 11 Islands of Copperfield Bay, a 700-acre archipelago hed discovered by drawing a cartographical line from Stonehenge to the statues of Easter Island and another line between the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacn; the lines intersected at the exact latitude and longitude of his Caribbean hideaway. In aerial photographs, the main island resembles a bat with its wings outstretched. 

It seemed like a story just waiting to be written, and after a lengthy negotiating period, Copperfield agreed to let me visit for a few days. He was adamant in his refusal to show me the fouShop for wholesale Granite countertops from China!ntain, which he described as a liquid that reverses genes. 

You wont see my wrinkled hand go into a stream and come out young, he said. This is not a trick. But if you want to talk about the meaning of the fountainthat, we can do. I speak about the fountain with great verbal aplomb.I was fine with that; after all, Id still be able to sneak out at night and try to find it. 

Shortly before the trip, Copperfield suggested I bring someone along. To be there alone is going to suck, he explained. All the experiences on Musha are shared experiences. I didnt want to go with my girlfriend, as a 21-year-old beauty-pageant runner-up had accused Copperfield of raping her on the island (the charges were ultimately dropped). Instead, I decided to bring my former bandmate Rafael Katigbak, editor of VICEs Canadian edition and an amateur magician who as a child idolized David Copperfield. God, I hope he rapes me, Raf sighed, faux dreamily, when I filled him in on the allegations. Heres what happened instead. 

As we entered the infinite blue of the Atlantic adjacent to Exuma International Airport, our speedboat skimmed toward the Out Islands. I feel like Im home, said Raf, putting his feet up and flipping through a copy of Private Jet Lifestyle magazine. 

About 45 minutes later, we arrived at Musha Cay, the main island of Copperfield Bay. Just off the dock, stairs lead to a large building called the Landings, a tasteful wooden affair painted in pastel green, blue, and yellow. Above it, perched atop the islands zenith, lay a dark mansion. As we prepared to disembark, the boats captain pointed out four or five sharks in the water, saying they lived under the quay. 

As the various majordomos, butlers, and concierges introduced themselves and made sure we didnt lift any of our suitcases,Browse our Granite slabs collection from the granitetrade.net! a pair of skinny legs in gray Crocs and peachy-pink surfers shorts strolled down the stairs. Copperfields crisply ironed shirt was as black as his bushy eyebrows. His face was partially concealed by a small-domed black cap. As he approached, his deep-set eyes brightened, becoming big and glossy. 

He was friendly, if formal, and appeared pressed for time. As soon as we shook hands, he looked at his watch and suggested we tour the island before dinner. He started by showing us a game room in the reception area. Houdinis personal billiard table serves as the centerpiece. He showed off some of his other collectibles, including a creaky fortune-teller machine, an early motion-picture device called a Mutoscope, and a 100-year-old claw-digger amusement device. 

Several members of his team sat around a television monitor watching footage theyd shot a day or two earlier. Copperfield explained that hed brought down some Sports Illustrated models and Vogue cover girls to do a shoot for a calendar he was working on. One evening, theyd all played an indigenous game called the Musha 500. We watched them go at it. 

The bikini- and stiletto-clad girls stood on the beach, clustered around two shallow trenches filled with water. Each racetrack, or aquatic corridor, was about four inches deep and four inches wide, and maybe ten feet long. Two girls each selected a goldfish from a central tank, placing one fish in their respective trenches. A whistle sounded. The models put straws in their mouths and started blowing bubbles into the water to make the fish swim forward. The freaked-out fish kept darting around, forward and backward, as the ultrathin models puffed furiously into their straws. One of them nearly got her goldfish to swim to the finish line before it abruptly turned around and zigzagged back down the concourse. Merde! she cried. 

Copperfield excitedly told us how much fun the models had while they were here. As he spoke, the staff would laugh in unison, even if he wasnt saying anything all that funny. Raf looked over at me and rolled his eyes. Copperfield then walked us outside, explaining that wed be able to check out the rest of the Landings later on, after dinner but just before sunset.