I Read Books: Conan The Liberator

 

Conan The Liberator

King Numedides of Auqilonia is a mad tyrant; his madness is encouraged by the sorcerer Thulandra Thuu who has promised him immortality*. This involves blood rituals; distracted by this Numedides has appointed Thuu chancellor. Several noblemen of Poitain, a southern province of Aquilonia, have decided to overthrow Numedides and for reasons not entirely clear in this volume have chosen Conan the Cimmerian, a former mercenary general who Numedides turned against, as their leader. Following a previous adventure the conspirators arrive by ship in neighbouring Zingara with a treasure they intend to fence to finance their army***.

They raise an army fairly straightforwardly – the combination of money and Numedides tyranny attracting recruits. However Aquilonia has spies and agents, one of whom boasts of Alcina, a dancing girl, in front of Conan; he then picks her up. She is, of course, an agent of Thulandra Thuu, and she passes on their plan. The ford they feint at is unguarded by the Border Legion, while the one they attack is a trap. With Conan’s army in retreat they’re saved by several fortuitous interventions. However Alcina then poisons Conan. Having done that, and falsely believing Conan is dead, she’s then sent to poison the general of the Border Legion, who is too old-fashioned and honourable, replacing him with an ambitious but untested noble who is more loyal. This is a disaster as Conan’s army strikes, scattering them and entering Aquilonia.

There’s some thought to the timing and logistics of moving armies, though for (not-) medieval European troops they’re fast and disciplined. Still, timing it for meeting local supporters as they travel makes sense. There’s almost an idea of the sheer friction involved in having an army do anything, though it’s concentrated on the vigour, charisma, and will of the officers and generals. Thulandra Thuu tries to control events from the capital where he can keep watch over Numedides, and this inevitably has him moving late, or making other errors. And his attempt to move to the front is disaster because…

The first published Conan story The Phoenix On The Sword, dealing with events shortly after these lets us know how it will turn out; two facts that are spoilers****. And that story by Howard is a much stronger piece. This novel, created to fill a gap in Conan’s timeline that practically cries out for detail, is fine. It has all the ingredients, “Mighty Conan leads an army of thousands!”*****, an evil sorcerer, a mad king, a femme fatale, some slightly odd magic. But by aiming to fill the gap it says too much, lifting the veil. How does Conan pay for his army is answered, which raises yet more questions. And then reveals how little thought there is behind this. The armies exist to create battle scenes; then later an opportunity to end the war without a battle rises and we forget about them. As I said it’s fine – but not powerful, nor elegant, nor stylish, nor especially inspiring.

Read This: Pacy, entertaining slice of heroic fantasy
Don’t Read This: Inferior Conan, and where it expands on elements it fails to convince

* He later decides he is going to become a god, a plot point we’ve seen before in Hawks Over Shem**.

** To work for one king with delusions of divinity may be regarded as a misfortune, to work for two looks like carelessness.

*** Robert E Howard would neglect logistics for the sake of his stories, something I can respect without condoning. De Camp and Carter’s explanations raise more questions than they answer. They don’t declare the treasure as the king of Zingara might decide to seize it. Yet does no one notice that they suddenly have a lot of cash? And does Old Varro the “discreet dealer” he sells it to really have the payroll for an army on hand? The selling of a great treasure could be an adventure in itself!

**** Conan is king, and he strangled Numedides on the steps of his own throne – a detail they struggle to make sense of here.

***** But notably not for the first time