Pagoda

"FOLLOW THE SACRED DIRECTIONS -- OR BE DOOMED."

The wizened merchant's words echoed hollowly in Carl Holton's mind as he carefully carried the pagoda through the crowded bazaar in the heart of Burma. When he had first discovered the teak miniature, he was enchanted: it was exquisitely carved and adorned with jade, gold and ivory. He knew he must not be deceived by its beauty, for though the most precious secrets of life were trapped inside, the pagoda housed a great evil, an evil capable of destroying the world. Those who followed the ancient path would be rewarded beyond imagination, but those who strayed would suffer a damnation more terrible than the fires of hell...