Original page of 'The Seven Crystal Balls'
An alternate version of the scene near the end of "The Seven Crystal Balls": Tintin accidentally sees General Alcazar who informs him of Chiquito's disappearance. Click on the image to enlarge.
The absence of captain Haddock is strange. Unlike the final version, where Gen. Alcazar states that Chiquito has never talked to anyone other than him (correct me if I am wrong), here he names 'Fernando Ramirez', the major exporter of Guano (fertilizer) as a frequent visitor of Chiquito. We of course remember the bags of Guano on the pier where Pachacamac is supposed to dock in 'Prisoners of the Sun'.
Herge had published the story in "Le Soir" newspaper during 1944 under German occupation. With the end of the war, Le Soir stopped publishing and Herge started his famous "Journal Tintin" after a short while. He continued the story there. This is the last page published in "Le Soir".
