"The Children of Asshur" by Robert E. Howard and Ramsey Campbell (1979)

Fragment originally appeared in Red Shadows (1968). Completed version in Solomon Kane: The Hills of the Dead, Bantam 1979.

Plot: Solomon Kane is staying in a village of friendly natives, when he rises in the night to find them under attack. A strange figure comes from the lightning-filled sky and knocks Kane unconscious. When he wakes he finds all the villagers dead and all his possessions taken. He follows the attackers across lion-haunted plains to a city in the hills. There an armed guard finds him. In a desperate fight, Kane kills the man with his own dagger but is knocked unconscious again. He is found by more soldiers. Kane awakens this time in a cell in the city. He watches as he waits in chains. A kingly man and his visier come to him one time. Later he talks to a slave and finds out he is in the city of Ninn. The slave is killed by the large jailer Shem. Kane is taken to another cell high in a ziggurat. He has time to think about the art and costume of these people and figures they are an offshoot of the Assyrians. Kane is then taken to a weird audience chamber where he is chained and drugged. He begins raving and shouting oaths at the men around him. Later he learns this farce was interpreted as an oracle and a powerful young prince Bel-lardath was condemned to death by it. Kane watches the man being tortured publicaly in the streets. Kane learns the history of Ninn with its original Assyrian population and two lesser groups, one white and one black. Kane witnesses the Sula, atribe of Aficans, attack the city and defeated by the Ninnite army. The king and his servants watch from Kane's chamber high above the city. The slave Sula becomes enraged as the Sula warriors are defeated and attacks the priest Yamen. Kane gets his chance to kill Shem the jailor as the rest flee. He gets the key from the man's belt and is free. Sula and the priest have slain each other so he is alone. He begins to find his way out of the temple and city when he sees a lion, that has got into the city during the battle, attacking a noble woman. kane throws away his chance to escape to save her. Kane is surrounded but the girl's brother, a lord of some kind takes kane with his party. (Howard) Through an intrepeter, Kane learns tha the brother is Labashi, contender for the throne. The girl is his ambitious and devious sister, Suduri. Labashi convinces Kane to return to the oracular chair but with an antidote to stop the drugged smoke the priests use. Kane agrees and goes through the ritual again, almost failing to gesture the king out of his position. He manages it in the end and the king tries to kill Kane. A guardsman kills the king with a spear. Labashi becomes the new ruler but Siduri doesn't want to let Kane leave. She has new plans tht involve him remaining a prisoner but her brother declares Kane a free man. Siduri tries to stab Kane but Puzur, her jealous lover kills her then flees. Kane walks out of the city, sure he will never see Ninn again. (Campbell)

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