Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1943. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. QUEEN OF THE FLAMING DIAMOND by LEROY YERXA * * * * * [Sidenote: _There it was, in a night club, the biggest diamond in the world. Why was it here when a whole race depended on it for existence?_] The Owl Limb Night Club was crowded with smoothly gowned women and paunchy men as Owner George Lardner approached the hanging "mike" to announce the midnight attraction. At Lardner's appearance "Puffy" Adams nudged his well-dressed boss in the ribs and whispered thickly. "Come on, Jim. Let's get out of here." Jim Drake lifted a tousled head from the smooth linen. He gazed at his right hand man with a washed-out expression. "Huh?" "Puffy" Adams stood up slowly. His coat was wrinkled and creased across his powerful back. He pulled it down impatiently and rubbed a warm hand across his face. Looking down at the unsteady figure of Jim Drake he grunted. Three crooked teeth that seemed at odds with the world, appeared coyly against "Puffy's" lower lip. He was accustomed to this old routine. Placing both hands under Drake's armpits he lifted. Jim came to his feet with a surprised gurgle. "Wait a minute," he protested. "Wanta' see dance." Puffy Adams pushed a thick arm around Drake and steered him across the floor between the tables. "Special feature tonight--diamond of mystery...." The night club owner was still talking, his voice drowning the murmur of voices and tinkle of glasses across the big room. "Sylvia Fanton--girl from nowhere--!" Puffy struggled onward under the almost dead weight of his boss. Drake was trying to hold back. "You gave me orders to take you home at midnight," Puffy protested, "and, 'Cinderella' Drake, home you go." He succeeded in dragging his charge up the three low steps that led toward the coat room. A silvery crash of music drowned out Puffy's voice with the suddenness of striking lightning. He dropped his arm from Drake's waist and pivoted, surprise on his broad face. Something weird and lovely about the sound turned them both toward the stage. His chin dropped in delight. This wasn't Lardner's usual nightly feature. [Illustration: She went into a weirdly sensuous dance....]