Elric_ The Sleeping Sorceress - Michael Moorcock [2]
Some of the other pieces in this volume are collected in book form for the first time. The essay on Elric and El Cid, the great legendary champion of Spain, was done to celebrate the publication of the Elric series in Argentina. I have been especially fortunate over the years in having fine Spanish editions published. The original essay from my series Aspects of Fantasy is included because it appeared at the same time as the first Elric stories in Science Fantasy magazine and gives some idea of my attitudes toward fantasy at the time. A slightly more sophisticated version appeared as part of Wizardry and Wild Romance, my examination of heroic fantasy that was originally published in England by Victor Gollancz and in a revised edition by MonkeyBrain Press in 2004. These pieces were originally commissioned by John Carnell. The new introduction to the AudioRealms spoken-word edition of Elric of Melniboné, slightly changed from the original, is included here for obvious reasons, as is my introduction to the First Comics adaptation of the book. I am glad to say that the splendid Elric graphic versions drawn by P. Craig Russell and adapted by Roy Thomas will be appearing again soon from Dark Horse, who also, of course, does those great Conan graphic novels, reprinted the original Barry Windsor-Smith story in which Conan and Elric meet, and recently published the nonfiction Conan: The Phenomenon, for which I was privileged to write the introduction. Like it or not, the scowling barbarian and the mournful prince of a decadent nation are bound together by a destiny bigger than both of them! I hope you enjoy the stories here and that the additional material, carefully compiled by editor John Davey, will give you some idea of the excitement we felt when they were first exposed to the light of day!
Michael Moorcock
The Old Circle Squared, Lost Pines, Texas
September 2007
THE SLEEPING SORCERESS
THE SLEEPING SORCERESS
(1971)
For Ken Bulmer, who, as editor of the magazine Sword and Sorcery, asked me to write this book as a serial for him. The magazine, which was to be a companion to Vision of Tomorrow, never appeared, due to the backer withdrawing his support from both magazines.
BOOK ONE
THE TORMENT OF THE LAST LORD
. . . and then did Elric leave Jharkor in pursuit of a certain sorcerer who had, so Elric claimed, caused him some inconvenience . . .
—The Chronicle of the Black Sword
CHAPTER ONE
Pale Prince on a Moonlit Shore
IN THE SKY a cold moon, cloaked in clouds, sent down faint light that fell upon a sullen sea where a ship lay at anchor off an uninhabited coast.
From the ship a boat was being lowered. It swayed in its harness. Two figures, swathed in long capes, watched the seamen lowering the boat while they, themselves, tried to calm horses which stamped their hoofs on the unstable deck and snorted and rolled their eyes.
The shorter figure clung hard to his horse’s bridle and grumbled.
“Why should this be necessary? Why could not we have disembarked at Trepesaz? Or at least some fishing harbour boasting an inn, however lowly . . .”
“Because, friend Moonglum, I wish our arrival in Lormyr to be secret. If Theleb K’aarna knew of my coming—as he soon would if we went to Trepesaz—then he would fly again and the chase would begin afresh. Would you welcome that?”
Moonglum shrugged. “I still feel that your pursuit of this sorcerer is no more than a surrogate for real activity. You seek him because you do not wish to seek your proper destiny . . .”
Elric turned his bone-white face in the moonlight and regarded Moonglum with crimson, moody