The Seven Crystal Balls
The story began serialisation in ' under the title of ' on 16 December 1943. However, Hergé's health declined, as he was afflicted with flu, sinusitis, and ear ache. This was accompanied by general exhaustion, depression, and fear that upon the imminent collapse of German administration, he would face retribution as a collaborator; many accused of being collaborators had already been killed by the Belgian Resistance. Experiencing a breakdown, he took a hiatus from producing "The Seven Crystal Balls" between 6 May and 6 July 1944, during which a message was posted in " stating: