The Evil Pearl

Al, Owen and Hally are in search of more black diamonds for the Scabbard of Invincibility. However, when they travel to the Dragon Blood Islands, instead of landing on Captain Gunner’s ship, the children land in the ocean. When the disagreeable Snotty Nell rescues them, she steals Al’s sabre and scabbard, then dumps the children on Mermaid Island. What she doesn’t realise is that her daughter Grenda has also been left behind. The children manage to find their way to a ghostly town where they are introduced to the Queen, an evil woman who is clearly deathless and, indeed, carries a black diamond around her neck. She has them thrown in a dungeon along with 26 other children, who explain that the Queen, Evil Pearl, was once a pirate who took over the city. Evil Pearl believes she is kept alive by a sea monster and that very day she is to sacrifice thirty children to it. Terrified, Al orders everyone to try to find a way out of the dungeon. They soon find a secret tunnel, but only the young town-children manage to escape. Al, Owen, Hally and Grenda are taken to a dark pool of water where a monstrous giant squid squirms – Evil Pearl insists on feeding them to the monster. Hally, who is wearing the pearl ring that Vicious Victor had once given her, begins to make wishes aloud and, amazingly, her wishes come true! Before they know it, the vicious monster is attacking Evil Pearl, and Al is in possession of yet another black diamond.