The Pool of the Black One
()
About this ebook
Read more from Robert E. Howard
The Christmas Library: 250+ Essential Christmas Novels, Poems, Carols, Short Stories...by 100+ Authors Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian: The Complete Weird Tales Omnibus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComplete Works of Robert E. Howard (Golden Deer Classics) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Conan Saga Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cthulhu Mythos MEGAPACK®: 40 Modern and Classic Lovecraftian Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Start Conan the Barbarian Super Pack Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Adventures of Solomon Kane Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRed Nails: With linked Table of Contents Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Occult Detective Megapack: 29 Classic Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horror Megapack: 25 Classic and Modern Horror Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tales of Cthulhu Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hyborian Age Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Weird Fiction MEGAPACK ®: 25 Stories from Weird Tales Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Shadow Kingdoms: The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, Vol. 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wildside Book of Fantasy: 20 Great Tales of Fantasy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greatest Christmas Stories: 120+ Authors, 250+ Magical Christmas Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Pool of the Black One
Related ebooks
Stephen Crane - A Short Story Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Be a Proper Lady Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Open Boat: Short Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fracture of Shackles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAgainst the Dangerous Tides: Daring Challenges, Thrilling Escapades and Heart-Stopping Moments (46 Sea Adventures in One Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDown to Davy Jones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lord Jim Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Eyes of Thar Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Unconventional Heiress Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Path Reforged: The Sentinels Saga, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Heart Remembers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Carthaginian Empire Episode 15 - Empires: Carthaginian Empire, #15 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pool of the Black One Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaptain Carnelian and the Speechless Island Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTarget Battleship (WWII Naval Adventure) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Autumn Empire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beach of Dreams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCarnivores of Light and Darkness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lost Bard of Taliyaven: The Red War Annals, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Iron Trail Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Open Boat and Other Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWolf on the Waves Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReprinted Pieces Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Heritage of Dedlow Marsh Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSword Of Wealth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThrowBack: Flashpoint, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Fantasy For You
Sarah J. Maas: Series Reading Order - with Summaries & Checklist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nettle & Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fairy Tale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tress of the Emerald Sea: Secret Projects, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Priory of the Orange Tree Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fellowship Of The Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Empire: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Phantom Tollbooth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This Is How You Lose the Time War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Piranesi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silmarillion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Sun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Pirate Lord: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neverwhere: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The City of Dreaming Books Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Unkindness of Magicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Desert: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Underworld: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Eyes of the Dragon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Immortal Longings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wizard's First Rule Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Pool of the Black One
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Pool of the Black One - Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
The Pool of the Black One
Warsaw 2018
Contents
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER I
Into the west, unknown of man,
Ships have sailed since the world began.
Read, if you dare, what Skelos wrote,
With dead hands fumbling his silken coat;
And follow the ships through the wind-blown wrack–
Follow the ships that come not back.
SANCHA, once of Kordava, yawned daintily, stretched her supple limbs luxuriously, and composed herself more comfortably on the ermine-fringed silk spread on the carack’s poop-deck. That the crew watched her with burning interest from waist and forecastle she was lazily aware, just as she was also aware that her short silk kirtle veiled little of her voluptuous contours from their eager eyes. Wherefore she smiled insolently and prepared to snatch a few more winks before the sun, which was just thrusting his golden disk above the ocean, should dazzle her eyes.
But at that instant a sound reached her ears unlike the creaking of timbers, thrum of cordage and lap of waves. She sat up, her gaze fixed on the rail, over which, to her amazement, a dripping figure clambered. Her dark eyes opened wide, her red lips parted in an O of surprise. The intruder was a stranger to her. Water ran in rivulets from his great shoulders and down his heavy arms. His single garment–a pair of bright crimson silk breeks – was soaking wet, as was his broad gold-buckled girdle and the sheathed sword it supported. As he stood at the rail, the rising sun etched him like a great bronze statue. He ran his fingers through his streaming black mane, and his blue eyes lit as they rested on the girl.
Who are you?
she demanded. Whence did you come?
He made a gesture toward the sea that took in a whole quarter of the compass, while his eyes did not leave her supple figure.
Are you a merman, that you rise up out of the sea?
she asked, confused by the candor of his gaze, though she was accustomed to admiration.
Before he could reply, a quick step sounded on the boards, and the master of the carack was glaring at the stranger, fingers twitching at sword-hilt.
Who the devil are you, sirrah?
this one demanded in no friendly tone.
I am Conan,
the other answered imperturbably. Sancha pricked up her ears anew; she had never heard Zingaran spoken with such an accent as the stranger spoke it.
And how did you get aboard my ship?
The voice grated with suspicion.
I swam.
Swam!
exclaimed the master angrily. Dog, would you jest with me? We are far beyond sight of land. Whence do you come?
Conan pointed with a muscular brown arm toward the east, banded in dazzling gold by the lifting sun.
I came from the Islands.
Oh!
The other regarded him with increased interest. Black brows drew down over scowling eyes, and the thin lip lifted unpleasantly.
So you are one of those dogs of the Barachans.
A faint smile touched Conan’s lips.
And do you know who I am?
his questioner demanded.
This ship is the Wastrel; so you must be Zaporavo.
Aye!
It touched the captain’s grim vanity that the man should know him. He was a tall man, tall as