Red Nails
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Art by Margaret Brundage.
| "Red Nails" | |
| Author | Robert E. Howard |
|---|---|
| Original title | "Red Nails" |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | Conan the Cimmerian |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Published in | USA |
| Publication type | Pulp magazine |
| Publisher | Weird Tales |
| Publication date | 1936 |
| Red Nails | |
 Dust-jacket of the first stand-alone book publication of the novella |
|
| Author | Robert E. Howard |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | George Barr |
| Cover artist | George Barr |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Donald M. Grant Conan |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novella |
| Publisher | Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. |
| Publication date | 1975 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 143 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Preceded by | The Tower of the Elephant |
| Followed by | The Devil in Iron |
"Red Nails" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine circa July – October 1936. It is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age and concerns Conan encountering a lost city in which the degenerate inhabitants are proactively resigned to their own destruction. Due to its grim themes of decay and death, the story is considered a classic of Conan lore and is often cited by Howard scholars as one of his best tales.[1]
The story was republished in the collections The Sword of Conan (Gnome Press, 1952) and Conan the Warrior (Lancer Books, 1967). It was first published by itself in book form by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. in 1975[2] as volume IV of their deluxe Conan set. It has most recently been republished in the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 2: The Hour of the Dragon (Gollancz,2001) and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Three (1935-1936) (Del Rey, 2005).
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
| “ | Techotl pointed to a black column of ebony which stood behind the dais. Hundreds of red dots scarred its polished surface — the bright scarlet heads of heavy copper nails driven into the black wood. "Five red nails for five Xotalanca lives!" exulted Techotl, and the horrible exultation in the faces of the listeners made them inhuman... | ” |
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— Robert E. Howard, "Red Nails"
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Valeria of the Red Brotherhood flees after slaying a fellow brigand, and is pursued by Conan. They meet, but their stand-off is interrupted by a dragon that mauls their horses. They retreat to a crag where they thrust a poison tipped spear into the jaws of the monster. Although blinded, the raging monster pursues them by their scent. Overtaken, Conan whirls to face the beast and lures it to its death.
Conan and Valeria come upon a walled city called Xuchotl where they separate to search its seemingly empty halls. Valeria encounters a man named Techotl whom she joins in a fray between two factions that dwell in the once populous city. Aided by Conan, they defeat their enemies. Techotl invites Conan and Valeria into the stronghold of his people, the Tecuhltli. They are welcomed by the rulers, Olmec and Tascela. As Conan and Valeria rest, Olmec recounts the history of his people.
The city of Xuchotil was built long before its current inhabitants arrived. In those earlier times, a slave — Tolkemec — betrayed his masters and guided the newly arrived invaders into the city where they put to death the original builders. The conquerors were led by two brothers, Tecuhltli and Xotalanc, who afterward ruled peacefully over the city until a feud developed when Tecuhltli stole the bride of his brother Xotalanc. The slave Tolkemec betrayed both sides for his own purposes and was exiled to the catacombs.
As Olmec tells his tale, Tascela becomes enraptured with Valeria and, later, has a slave attempt to drug Valeria with the Black Lotus. Valeria manages to overpower the slave and attempts to force the slave to reveal the motive behind such treachery; however, the slave feigns submission and escapes.
Valeria's pursuit of the slave is interrupted when the Xotalancas breach the Tecuhltli defenses. In the end the Xotalancas are exterminated and only Conan, Valeria, Olmec, Tascela, and fifteen Tecuhltli defenders remain alive. When Conan and two warriors leave to scout the Xotalanc stronghold, Valeria is left behind while her wounds are tended.
Olmec attempts to force himself on Valeria, but he is thwarted by Tascela. She is revealed to be a sorceress and the stolen bride who originally started the feud. She plans to use Valeria's vitality to restore her youth. Erstwhile, Olmec secretly ordered his two warriors to slay Conan. Conan kills them and hurries back for Valeria. Returning to Tecuhltli, Conan finds Olmec bound and tortured. Conan releases him, but Olmec attempts another betrayal and Conan slays him.
Conan comes upon Tascela who has Valeria pinned to an altar. Conan, caught in a steel trap, watches powerlessly as Tascela proceeds with the sacrifice of Valeria. The scene is interrupted by Tolkemec who has returned from the catacombs, wielding a wand of terrible destructive power. Desperate for assistance against Tolkemec, Tascela frees Conan. Conan is able to defeat Tolkemec. Valeria, freed, avenges herself upon Tascela with a dagger thrust to the heart.
With the last inhabitants of Xuchotl slain, Conan and Valeria depart the dead city.
[edit] Notes
The story contains perhaps the only Howardian depiction of a genuine "magic item" (Tolkemec's wand), magic in the Howardian milieu being more geared toward the control of natural elements or the summoning and binding of extradimensional or alien entitites and beings.
[edit] Adaptations
The story was later adapted by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith for issues #2-3 of the Marvel Comics magazine series Savage Tales. The Thomas/Smith tale was later reprinted in the 1987 black-and-white magazine Conan Saga.
An animated feature based on this story, Conan: Red Nails, is currently in production. Actor Ron Perlman will provide the voice of Conan.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Patrice Louinet. Hyborian Genesis: Part 3, pages 383, 384 and 385, The Conquering Sword of Conan; 2005, Del Rey.
- ^ Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd., 323.
[edit] External links
- Conan wiki • Red Nails • Synopsis, characters, locations, and publishing history
- Conan the Barbarian at AmratheLion.com
- Conan.com: The Official Website
- Conan: Red Nails - Official film website
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