The Curse of the Radiant Opal (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780578091877)

While on a casual trip through Australia before settling down as a high school teacher in Minnesota, Anskar Thorston stops at an outback village, Wallagulla, where the rarest, most beautiful gemstone in the world is found. He is just passing through but finds a small, insignificant opal by "noodling" in the old tailings. Then another, and decides to stay a day or two. Then a week or two. So strong is the enticement of the black opal, which he had never heard of, that he, like the other miners, is ready to fling his future into a hole in the ground in pursuit of these gems. The Aboriginals believe these stones to be the eyes of the half-devil, half serpent, Ooluhru, who lives in a hole and lures men with flashing colored shafts of evil magic and has the power to dominate, curse and destroy, but Anskar does not believe this superstitious nonsense. He settles into the outback world, first sleeping on the ground, then in a tent, surrounded by the most poisonous snakes in the world, two inch ants that bite and sting, numerous insects, poisonous centipedes, kangaroos that come and go in waves and beautiful birds that serenade even in temperatures of 130+. He has many encounters as he meets the locals, some of whom have the wallies (outback crazies) and some, like Two Bob Bobby, who succumb to the curse, which lures them into a delightful suicide. But not for him. He is not superstitious and is fanatical in the pursuit of his stone, his Radiant Opal, known as the "fatal" stone, which once possessed, possesses the possessor. "You will die with it in you hand," says the professor, a loquacious outbacker. Then, in the midst of his opal obsession, he encounters Helga, a young woman who works in the Swedish Embassy in Sydney and is quite taken with her. They are both of ancient Viking descent and she is on a quest of her own, a female family tradition, to rescue and heal a wounded Viking. "Come with me," she says, but he is not ready. He must find his Radiant Opal. They part, but he dreams of her under the loneliness of the outback stars. Our protagonist has many more encounters with greed, animosity, threats, covetousness, lust, kindness and friendship. Join Anskar as his passions take him from the height of ecstasy to the gates of madness. http: //www.thorstonbooks.com Author's email: jethorston@comcast.net

Author: Jack Stuckmayer,Anskar Thorston
ISBN-10: 0578091879
ISBN-13: 9780578091877
Publisher: Jack Stuckmayer
Language: English
Published: 11/18/2011
Pages: 324
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.73d