When idols Walked by John Jakes

Brak: When Idols Walked by John Jakes(1964)

Originally appeared in Fantastic Stories (August-September, 1964).

Plot: Brak begins as a galley slave in the Gord invasion fleet. He witnesses the Gord witch Ilona attack a rival fleet from Prince Rodar's city, using illusionary monsters. Only when another sorcerer shows up is she defeated. Their ship is sunk but not before Brak kills the general and sees Ilona memorizing his face with hatred. Brak is wounded and washed ashore. He is nursed to health by Saria, daughter of Phonicios, head of the Merchant's Guild in Rodar's city (which annoyingly has no name!) Brak attaches himself to Phonicios' household in thanks. He goes with Phonicios to try and talk to Prince Rodar's regent, Mustaf ben Medi about Ilona and the Gords. They are turned away. On the return home Phonicios is assaulted by Huz al Hussayn, a merchant thrown out of the guild. He attacks them with magic, the spirit of a strangling murderer named Yem. Brak forces the ghost away. The shadow-strangler has killed some members of the guild already. Huz attacks again by animating a ten-foot statue of the god Jaal. It rips several slaves apart before leaving. Brak follows it to a whorehouse where he destroys it by collapsing a balcony in it. He realizes that the soul animating the statue, known as the Thief-Taker, was lustful in life and had been attracted to the carnal place. A rumor comes to the city that Prince Rodar has had a great battle with the Gord invasion army and has been killed. Huz attacks again through threatening guild members, who try to force Phonicios out. He refuses to step down. Brak helps Phonicios face down the other members of the guild. Huz kidnaps Saria, then sends a message that Phonicios must step down if he wants her back. He is to send a slave to the Sulpher Fields with a message. Brak doesn't believe Saria will return alive so he heads there and sneaks around. He finds Huz tormenting Saria. Brak is discovered and Huz sends the funerary statues around them against Brak. He desparately fights them and eventually discovers Ilona is there too. He is knocked out. Instead of killing Brak (stupid villains!) they send him and Saria into the underground burial chamber. Here priests and their apprenctices dispose of the dead. It is forbidden for anyone to return from the immense caverns. Brak attacks several slaves armed with clubs but is beaten . The head priest explains to Brak how things work. He and Saria will be ransomed then exiled beyond the kingdom, never to return. The priests are actually organized thieves. Brak attacks the head priest but is knocked unconscious. When he wakes he finds that Calix, Phonicios steward and Saria's love, is also there. When Calix heard that Saria had gone there he had followed. He was once one of the apprentices to the priests and knows all about their schemes. He explains to Brak that only the main fire hole, a huge volacanic pit, is real. The others are merely illusions for effect and they are actually holes into an underground river. The two plan their escape by jumping into one of these pits. This will only work if they can convince their minds that the fire coming from them (really a spell) is unreal. The trio is lead off to the big pit to be burned alive. Brak pretends he is crying in cowardice, steals a sword and attacks the priests long enough for all three to jump into a small pit along with a funeral skid used for hauling bodies. The three ends up in the river, and use the skid as a boat. The dark cavern below is inhabited by a terrible monster, a gigantic three-headed pterodon called the Hydra Bird. Brak uses the sword he stole to cut off the monster's head as it swoops but it grows back. The Hydra Bird attacks again and again. Brak's strength is failing when the river passes under the wall of the cavern, taking them outside. The Hydra Bird hits the wall and is too big to escape out the opening. They return to the city but the Gords are attacking with their army of scythe-bladed chariots. Using catapults they smash down the city walls, where Brak is helping to throw stones upon them. Mustaf ben Medi has promised a magical secret weapon. This proves to be Huz and his animated statues. The gigantic bronze statue of Jaal the Leveler, one of the two dieties of the city, faces the invading army, only to turn around and begin stomping the citizens of the city. Ilona has betrayed Huz. She arrives and take a position on Jaal's shoulder as they flatten buildings. Brak heads for the central temple of the city to find Saria and Phonicios. He realizes that the Gords want the sacred sheepskin that is the central relic of the city's faith. Wih this the city will capitulate without a fight. He arrives at the temple to find Huz stealing the skin, to give to the Gords as a price for his own life. He and Brak have a rooftop duel that Huz is winning because Brak is so badly injuried and tired. The fight ends when Huz trips and impales his face on Brak's sword. Taking the skin, Brak heads for the other gigantic statue in the city, that of the goddess Ashtir. This mechanical statue has wheels and gears so that it can be moved around the fields to bless the crops. Brak sets it rolling out of the city and toward the ocean. He knows the ghost animating Jaal is a horn-dog and will follow. Both statues fall into the ocean. Ilona falls to her death when Jaal topples. Brak escapes when he falls into the sea. Saria nurses him back to health. When Brak wakes he finds out the citizens of the city fought the Gords from the rooftops where their nasty chariots were useless. He also find out Rodar had not been killed and his returning army cut off the Gords and destroyed them. Calix and Saria are to be married and Brak gets a new pony and rides away.

Monsters:

Illusionary Monsters - Ilona the Witch attacks with phantoms that kill if you believe in them.

Strangler Ghost - a phantom that uses a ghostly knotted cord to strangle its victims.

Hydra Bird - three-headed pterodactyl that regrows its head when severed. It dwells in a cavern under the cave of the funeral priests.

Walking Idols - statues are animated by the ghosts. Their original persoanlities (faults such as lust) are evident in their actions.

History: Of the Brak tales, the three serials seem to me to be the most satisfying because they weren't cobbled together from shorter pieces. This novel doesn't mention Yob-Haggoth or the Nestorians which Jakes added later. Jakes ' choice of names seems a little questionable today. The characters with Arabic or Celtic names are evil or inept (Huz al Hussayn, Mustaf ben Medi, Ilona) while the good guys have Romanesue names (Phonicios, Calix, Rodar).