"Hawk of Basti" by Robert E. Howard and J. 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 walking through the jungle when he hears someone call his name. It is Jeremy hawk, one of the fellow Englishmen who fought under Grenville. He has a wild tale to tell about how he survived an ill-fated slaving trip to discover a lost city and make himself king of Basti. His power slipped under the machinations of Agara, the high priest and he is now fleeing through the jungle from men who wish to kill him. He convinced Kane that Agara is performing blood sacrifices and torture and msut be stopped.Using Kane's flintlocks he shoots one of the pursuers and cows all the rest into subserviance. (Howard protion ends.) They return to the city and must injure the guard who protects the temple. Agara welcomes them back with open arms but stalls Hawk of being re-crowned king. Kane contacts N'Longa but receives only a garbled message about allowing hawk to use the cat-headed staff. In the night they hear a voice scream out. Agara says it was the dying guard but Hawk and Kane know he has been sacrificed to the moon. A search fails to find him. The coronation takes place. Plenty of food and drink are given to the white men to slow their reactions. When the time is right Agara and his serving girl cut the belts of the Europeans and take their guns. Agara crowns himself king, causing Hawk to challenge him in a magic duel. Hawk takes kane's staff and performs some amazing feats such as turning the staff to a serpent and passing it through his body. Agara returns fire by changing his face to look like the moon. Kane manages to get his pistols back and gives one to Hawk to kill Agara. Hawk becomes crazed with power, even threatening Kane. A change comes over Hawk and N'Longa's voice comes from his lips. The juju man has taken possession of Hawk and will return his body when the adventurer has learned to be a good king. Kane leaves Basti the next morning. Monsters None. History: The Howard section was written back in 1928 or so and Campbell finished it for the Bantam edition of Soomon Kane stories fifty years later. The Howard part of the story may have been inspired by Kipling's "The Man Who Would Be King". Campbell's wizard's duel seems more out of The Ten Commandments.
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