"The City in the Jewel" by Lin Carter (1975)

Originally appeared in Fantastic, December 1975.

Plot: Thongor flees three dragons that chase him from the Mountains of Mommur which he was crossing after the battle that wiped out his clan. He runs and is prepared to sell his life dearly but the dragons turn back when he approached seven stone pillars on the plains. Inside this circle is a gigantic gem which contains a city. Thongor sleeps then hears the gem calling to him. He touches it and is sucked down into the city of Ithomaar. He lands in a garden filled with unicorns. He is arrested by the bird-headed soldiers and disarmed of his sword Sarkozan. He is taken to the citadel where he is imprisoned. There he meets Yllimdus, once the counsellor of the ruling wizard Zazamanc. Yllimdus's face has been entirely removed by evil sorcery. Yllimdus tells Thongor that he must be taken to Zazamanc and his fate would be decided. He also explains the city in the jewel dwells eternally without death, the weather and day immoble for all time. Thongor meets Zazamanc and is sent to the arena to fight the sorcerer's hybrid monsters. There Thongor is introduced to Jothar Jorn, master of the gladiators. One of the gladiators choses to pick on Thongor but the lad, only 17, breaks his jaw. He is left alone and even makes friends with the other fighters. Thongor is trained in many new weapons but Thongor demands to have his long sword back. Jothar relents and lets him have it, perhaps something novel for the arena. It is about this time Thongor learns of an unlocked door near the pits. He dares to open it and heads down the corridor. Meanwhile Zazamanc summons his pet demon Xarxus of the Crawling Eye. Zazamanc demands to know if the demon's predictions of the future are accurate, that Thongor will be the wizard's doom and why should he not simply kill the boy? The demon tells him to set Thongor free or be destroyed. Zazamanc fears death for once he dies he will become Xarxus's slave in Hell. Thongor finds his way back to the chamber where he first met Yllimdus. He confronts Zazamanc who (in Voldimortish style) prepares to kill the boy with a wand of lightning. Yllimdus shows up, grabbing Zazamanc's arm. The wizard blasts the old man, whose face reforms in death. Zazamanc freaks out because this isn't supposed to happen. Zazamanc realizes he has let death into Ithomaar. Thongor takes this moment to slash the villain, who sees the runes written on Thongor's sword, old words written by no human hand. Thongor finishs the job by decapitating him. Freed of Zazamanc's power, Thongor prepares to leave the jewel. He asks Jothar Jorn what he will do. The master of gladiators will become the new ruler for those who wish to stay. Thongor is on his way south.

Monsters:

Dragons of Mommur - The dragons of the mountains chase Thongor to the stone pillars that house the gem city.

Magic Hybirds - Zazamanc the wizard plays with humans by twisting them magically. This includes unliving slaves and bird-headed soldiers.

The Demon Xarxus of the Crawling Eye - Three times the size of man, warty skin with one eye, hands like crab pinchers.

History: When I read there was an arena in this story I though Carter was going to do another Edgar Rice Burroughs bit. The master of the gladiators even has an ERBish name, Jothar Jorn, but it doesn't happen! He bypasses the whole thing and we never get to see him take on the weird hybrids that the evil wizard created. I have to admit I was disappointed. The miniature city inside a gem reminds me of "Ghoul's Garden" by John Jakes, a Brak story written a year earlier. Lin Carter explains that the title for the story was created playing a game of 'Title Chains' at a WorldCon. When told there was no such story he said, "There should be!" and wrote one.

Rating

2

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2

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