The Galaxy Builder

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It was a mild spring evening in the palace gardens at Artesia, and Sir Lafayette O'Leary, late of Colby Corners, U.S.A., now the trusted confidant of Queen Adoranne, sat on his favorite bench, at the end of the long mall with a view of the nymph fountain. Beyond stood the glittering bulk of the pink quartz palace itself, its towers atwinkle like the colored lights strung in the gardenia hedges.

Lafayette reached for Daphne's warm little hand. She responded with a squeeze and leaned her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

"Lafayette, honey," she said uncertainly. "Is something wrong?"

Lafayette shook his head and nuzzled the smooth cheek. "It's just that the big gala tonight reminds me of the night we broke up the big affair where that light-fingered no-good Zorro, masquerading as me, was just about to convince everybody that Adoranne and Alain were dead. That lousy Zorro! Tell me, Daph: When that stinker was occupying my body and pretending to be me, did he—that is, did you—did he try to get fresh with you or anything?"

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