The Shadow of the Vulture
Text taken from The Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. 389.14.5: the; 390.4.13: comma after “departed”; 390.34.8: mêlée; 393.4.3: simitar; 394.16.10: comma after “it”; 396.26.13: some one; 397.18.4: no comma after “dark”; 397.35.8: comma after “supplies”; 398.16.3: say; 398.30.6: digged; 398.37.7: comma after “women”; 400.3.4: no comma after “square”; 401.10.2: simitars; 401.24.7: a; 402.7.1: no comma after “colorful”; 402.17.10: no comma after “it”; 404.1.10: no comma after “snarling”; 404.16.2: simitars; 404.19.5: some one; 404.32.3: simitar; 405.37.11: comma after “mines”; 405.38.1: no comma after “accordingly”; 406.7.5: some one; 406.37.7: Am-Hof; 409.12.6: some one; 411.36.8: simitars; 412.8.6: no comma after “narrow”; 412.12.13: some one; 412.13.4: some one; 413.16.1: simitar; 413.21.9: simitar; 413.25.1: some one; 417.15.7: she; 420.6.6: then; 420.23.8: Cæsars; 420.27.3: fête
The Road of the Eagles
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by the Cross Plains Public Library. There are numerous editorial pencilings on the typescript; these have been disregarded in the preparation of this text. 424.41.10: shore-line; 425.2.9: water-line; 425.10.1: counter-part; 425.22.4: shore-line; 425.23.12: headlong (“o” and “g” have lines penciled through them and “a” and “d” penciled above, but the hand appears to be the same that made other editorial markings, not Howard’s); 425.30.13: comma after “Cossacks”; 426.32.10: was running; 427.23.7: “zhukk!” not underlined (i.e., not italicized); 428.2.3: beards; 428.11.9: buzzard’s; 428.16.2: corspe; 428.20.6: comma after “this”; 430.16.4: prince; 431.1.1: sentance; 431.21.3: comma after “craft”; 431.30.11: “of” not in original; 431.36.5: comma after “comment”; 431.40.4: disastrious; 432.1.7: prince; 432.4.7: Alexandria; 432.6.8: prince; 432.15.11: setting; 432.23.5: ardour; 432.29.9: independant; 435.1.8: “a” not in original; 436.7.4: period rather than comma after “least”; 436.18.6: comma after “creek”; 436.38.1: suddeness; 437.16.6: no comma after “Ekrem”; 439.23.4: Well-led; 439.38.5: portentiously; 440.11.6: nitch; 440.35.8: hyphen rather than comma after “Ayesha”; 441.7.1: prince; 441.15.12: proft; 442.3.14: “how” not in original; 443.40.13: nitched; 444.18.4: comma after “wall”; 444.40.16: “it” not in original; 446.34.12: “and” not in original; 447.28.4: ecstacy; 447.32.14: for ever; 447.39.2: warriors; 447.41.2: invulunerable; 448.1.14: that; 448.34.5: agiley; 449.21.1: court yard; 450.32.11: no comma after “Instantly”; 450.32.12: comma after “as”; 451.8.6: on; 452.2.12: for ever; 452.4.12: prince; 452.5.10: “the” not in original; 452.25.2: devined; 452.33.2: prince; 453.8.2: prince; 453.31.3: no hyphen; 453.35.13: new-comers; 453.38.4: prince; 455.32.11: T’is; 456.3.12: Phillip’s
Untitled Fragment (The Track of Bohemund)
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.
Untitled Synopsis (The Slave-Princess)
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.
Untitled Fragment (The Slave-Princess)
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.
Untitled Fragment (“He knew de Bracy …”)
Text taken from Howard’s original manuscript, a copy of which was provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.
Untitled Fragment (“The wind from the Mediterranean …”)
Text taken from Amra, November 1959. No changes have been made for this edition.
Recap of Harold Lamb’s “The Wolf Chaser”
Text taken from Lord of Samarcand and Other Adventure Tales of the Old Orient, 2005. No changes have been made for this edition.
Untitled Fragment (“The Persians had all fled …”)
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.
The Sign of the Sickle
Text taken from A Rhyme of Salem Town and Other Poems (Robert E. Howard Properties, LLC, 2002). No changes have been made for this edition.
Mistress of Death
Text taken from Howard’s original typescripts, copies of which were provided by Glenn Lord. There are two drafts of this story. One consists of seven pages, apparently a first draft, in which the final paragraphs seem to be a synopsis of the story’s conclusion. The other draft, apparently a second, consists of ten pages, and ends just as Agnes and John Stuart are setting off for the house of Françoise de Bretagny. We have followed the second draft until it ends (at 511.29.2), using the first draft for the remainder of the text.
The first artists who grabbed my imagination worked in the comics field. They were John Buscema, Alfredo Alcala, and Nestor Redondo. On the classical side, there were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Later, in my twenties and thirties, I came to love the works of Sir Frank Brangwyn, William Waterhouse, and Solomon J. Solomon. These artists were masters of composing the sensual and dramatic. I also came to appreciate the Golden Age illustrators of America, like Charles Dana Gibson, Alex Raymond, Dean Cornwell, Mead Schaeffer, etc. These artists collectively inspired me to pave a way for my own creative vision.
John Watkiss
Our thanks to Marcelo, Rusty, Stuart, Jack and Barbara, Gary, Mark, Greg M., Greg S., Tim, John, Ed, Michael, Jay, Thommy, Fred, Kaitlin, Keith, and David. It’s been a privilege to work with each of you.
Jim & Ruth Keegan
Thanks to the extraordinary vision and leadership of Marcelo Anciano, and the dedicated efforts of a number of exceptionally talented people, I think we’ve produced a series of books that Robert E. Howard could be proud of. I have benefited enormously from the efforts of Rob Roehm and David Gentzel, and the sage advice and assistance of Paul Herman and Patrice Louinet, throughout this series. The editorial and production team at Del Rey Books has been a complete joy to work with, exceptionally good at their business and profoundly patient with my shortcomings. Jim and Ruth Keegan have provided marvelous design and artistic direction. None of this would have been possible without Glenn Lord, the greatest champion that a writer could have hoped for, and a finer friend than I have ever deserved. And speaking of things I don’t deserve, the love and understanding of my wife, Shelly, has carried me through.
Rusty Burke
All good things must come to an end and I’d like to thank everyone I’ve worked with on this Robert E. Howard series; all the talented artists – a long-time Watkiss fan, I can’t wait to see what John’s done for this book; mainstays Rusty, Patrice and Jim and Ruth, Jay at Paradox and last, but not least Marcelo Anciano, for getting me involved way back when.
Stuart Williams
Table of Contents
Cover
Other Books by This Author
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Illustrations
Artist’s Foreword
Introduction
Spears of Clontarf
Hawks Over Egypt
The Outgoing of Sigurd the Jerusalem-Farer
The Road of Azrael
The Lion of Tiberias
Gates of Empire
Hawks of Outremer
The Blood of Belshazzar
Red Blades of Black Cathay
The Sowers of the Thunder
The Skull in the Clouds
A Thousand Years Ago
Lord of Samarcand
Timur-Lang
Sword Woman
Blades for France
The Shadow of the Vulture
The Road of the Eagles
Miscellanea
Untitled Fragment (The Track of Bohemund)
Untitled Synopsis (The Slave-Princess)
Untitled Fragment (The Slave-Princess)
Untitled Fragment (“He knew de Bracy …”)
Recap of Harold Lamb’s “The Wolf Chaser”
Untitled Fragment (“The Persians had all fled …”)
The Sign of the Sickle
Mistress of Death
Appendices
Howard’s Journey
Notes on the Original Howard Texts
Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures Page 69
