Duke Elric - Michael Moorcock [85]
We have no idea of his involvement with any of the other characters or why he has Elric's shield. You can make this an excuse to give the Taureq his full finery—just a gorgeous picture of a desert knight.
PART SEVEN
THE ART OF IGNORANCE
FROM AFAR, Rose and Kwyll’ directed the Ouled Naf's attack on Elric and his friends …
Elric, Isaak, LEG have withstood the first attack of the Ouled Naf and are dealing with another as Rose & Kwyll’ continue to direct from a distance. It looks as if they're done for when—
Main picture—Tarak-al-Tan-al-Oorn, the Taureq knight, mounted on his magnificent white camel, comes galloping down on the attackers, his scimitar whirling—
Tarak scythes his way through the attackers, spreading concern—
Together Our Trio and Tarak send the remaining attackers packing—
Elric turns to thank the Taureq knight—
ELRIC: “Thanks, stranger, we—”
Tarak gallops past Elric, flinging down the Chaos Shield and the Black Sword as he goes—
TARAK: “If you want the horn, find it in the Valley of the Phoorn—”
We see Tarak galloping off in one direction—Rose and Kwyll’ in another.
TARAK: “Ride south for ten days!”
Elric is mystified as he picks up his sword and shield and inspects them. Rebecca shows an interest in the weapons. The others look to the disappearing Rose and Kwyll’, scratching their heads.
ELRIC: “HOW did he come by these?”
REBECCA: “He seems a good, if mysterious friend.”
LBG: “Scampered off!”
ISAAK: “We'll see them again, no doubt.”
The four are regrouping, tidying their goods and equipment, seeing to their damaged tents, packing what they can onto their horses. Isaak checks his map—
ISAAK: “Did I copy this right? I don't quite know if we go due south or south-east…”
ELRIC: “Due south.”
LBG is amused, looking up from his pack—
LBG: “The return of your weapons has restored your judgment, eh?”
ELRIC: “So it seems.”
South Sahara. August, 1000 AD. Nine days later …
Elric & Co. are close to dying of desert exposure. They lead gaunt horses over the burning sand, their eyes staring almost sightlessly ahead as they tramp on.
LBG: “There's not a drop of water for a thousand miles …”
ISAAK: “Your instincts aren't what they were, my friend—death grows close now …”
Isaak looks with melancholy humour at the sword Elric carries behind him…
ISAAK: “At least for those of us who do not have the means of living off their companions …”
Elric turns his gaunt head, an anguished predator, and glares at Isaak with blazing red eyes, but he says nothing.
The tenth day …
They are all but crawling. The tongues of the horses are swollen and lolling. LEG points to a rise in the far background where two mounted figures pause in their pursuit…
LBG: “The Rose and her shifty consort. Jackals expecting our end …”
ELRIC: “I'm hoping they'll move in soon to finish us off—we could use their energy …”
But the Rose and Kwyll’ were too wily to risk coming close to Storm-bringer when all they had to do was wait…
Then, on the evening of the eleventh day—
Our heroes have reached a rise, almost a bluff, and are looking south as the sun begins to set over a narrow valley—of which we can only see the opening—they are looking at a sight we can't see—a sight so astonishing that all are entranced by it—we might even see the edge of one of the pyramids they're looking at (because in the next episode we'll see it is a valley entirely consisting of pyramids, most of which are the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, arranged in orderly ranks for as far as the eye can see—an impossible building project—but these pyramids, although otherwise identical to that at Giza, have strangely wrought “crowns” at their peaks—bizarre metal-work whose function isn't immediately evident)—Elric looks somewhat relieved that he's arrived at last.
LBG: “Impossible!”
ISAAK: “It is the legendary Valley of the Phoorn. Even I doubted its existence!”
ELRIC: “It's just as I remember it…”
PART EIGHT
SLEEP AND DREAMING
September 3rd, 1000