The Dark Star

A pastor's daughter is inadvertently involved the heist of the famous Dark Star gem. Is there a prince who can save her from ruin and recover the stone? THE DARK STAR a dragon into which her creative fancy had so often transfonned it. Reassured, she continued to explore the contents of the wonder-box-a toy she preferred to her doll, but not to her beloved set of water-colours and crayon pencils. Some centuries ago Pandora's box let loose a world of troubles; Herr 'Vilncr's box apparently contained only pleasure for a little child whose pleasures were mostly of her own invention. It was a curious old box, made of olive wood and bound with bands of some lacquered silvery metal to make it strong-rupee silver, perhaps-strangely wrought with Arabic characters engraved and in shallow relief. It had handles on either side, like a seachest; a silver-lacquered lock and ha.sp which retained traces of violent usage; and six heavy strap hinges of the same lacquered metal.