SOURCE: "Black Tears" by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter  (1968)

DESCRIPTION: "Something was propped up on that rich throne--the shriveled mummy of some long-dead king? Withered hands were clasped over a sunken breast. From throat to heel, the thin body was wrapped in dusky cerements. A thin mask of beaten gold, worked in the likeness of a woman of unearthly beauty, lay over the features...She was beauty incarnate--save for the great dark orb between her brows. The third eye met Conan's gaze and riveted him fast..." ("Black Tears" by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)

NOTES: The gorgon is actually a demon summounded by an ancient king to destroy his enemies. The king was unable to control the monster and it took over Akhlat, making it "Akhlat the Accursed", a city no one would visit. The demon uses a third eye in its forehard to turn victims to stone while it sucks out their life essense. Conan faces the monster and stabs it in the third eye, causing black tears to fall.

HISTORY: An obvious play on the Medusa legend, Conan doesn't use a mirror to kill the demon just simple will-power.

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