An old man asks Kay to look after his Box of Delights, a mystical device with many magical powers. Unbeknownst to Kay, the two clergymen are in the employ of Abner Brown, an evil man who seeks the Box of Delights for himself, and although he finds their behaviour odd, he has no reason to suspect their real intentions...
Under the guise of the respectable Reverend Doctor Boddledale, Abner arranges the kidnapping of several high ranking clergymen from the area in an attempt to put a stop to the forthcoming 1000th Christmas service at Tatchester Cathedral. Hawlings is also kidnapped, but Abner is unable to find the Box of Delights, and the old man refuses to tell him where it is.
Hiding behind Abner's skirting board, Kay overhears the real reason behind Abner's search for the Box. Cole Hawlings is actually several hundred years old, having taken an elixir of eternal life from Arnold of Todi, the creator of the Box of Delights, and it is this elixir that Abner seeks.
Miss Maria returns and tells Kay, Peter and the others about the details of her abduction. She claims to have been taken to Chester's College. Kay and Peter then decide to go to Chester's to check out her story.
With Kay and Cole locked in dungeons underground, and betrayed by his allies, Abner finally realises that he will never own the Box of Delights or the elixir of life, and decides to wreak revenge on the old Punch and Judy man. Opening the floodgates, he abandons his prisoners to the fury of the floodwater.
As midnight approaches, Abner unleashes one last assault on Tatchester, sending demons to inflict horrendous weather on the surrounding area. However, even this is no match for the determination of Kay and his friends, and the Box is called in to help one more time.
