This article is about a short story.
For the protagonist and principal character, see
Conan the Barbarian.
"Black Sphinx of Nebthu" is a short story by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard. It was first published in the July 1973 issue of the magazine Fantastic, and was first appeared in book form by Ace Books in the paperback collection Conan of Aquilonia in May 1977, which was reprinted several timesthrough 1994. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in October 1978.
Plot summary
In the wake of the events of "The Witch of the Mists," King Conan of Aquilonia leads a military expedition overland through Zingara, Argos and Shem to Stygia to confront his arch-enemy, the sorcerer Thoth-Amon. Accompanying him are his son Prince Conn, his right-hand men Trocero and Pallantides, and Diviatix, a White Druid from Pictland, who promises divine support for Conan.
The goal of the expedition is the ancient ruin of Nebthu, site of the massive sphinx depicting the hyena god of Chaos and reputed haunt of the sorcerers of the Black Ring. Forcing an entrance into the sphinx, Conan descends into the earth, reaching a vast chamber where he confronts the massed assembly of wizards.
Thoth-Amon and his fellows initially bring all their power to bear and prove too powerful for Conan. But his Pictish ally throws him a powerful jewel, the Heart of Ahriman, one of Aquilonia's magical treasures, which the king has taken the precaution of bringing.
Many of the wizards are killed or driven mad by the Heart's powers, but Thoth-Amon is still able to unleash the monstrous hyena of Chaos against Conan's host. Unfortunately for him, the hell-hound is incapable of fine discrimination. The first army it encounters, and therefore destroys, is that of Stygia. His sanctum in ruins and now persona non grata in his own country, Thoth-Amon is forced to flee.
References
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- Prospero's Isle (1987)
- "Professor Harold and the Trustees" (1992)
- "Sir Harold and the Monkey King" (1992)
- "Knight and the Enemy" (1992)
- "Arms and the Enchanter" (1992)
- "Enchanter Kiev" (1995)
- "Sir Harold and the Hindu King" (1995)
- "Harold Shakespeare" (1995)
- "Return to Xanadu" (2005)
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- The Flame of Iridar (1967)
- The Man Who Loved Mars (1973)
- The Valley Where Time Stood Still (1974)
- The City Outside the World (1977)
- Down to a Sunless Sea (1984)
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- "The Martian El Dorado of Parker Wintley" (1976)
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| Novels |
- Journey to the Underground World (1979)
- Zanthodon (1980)
- Hurok of the Stone Age (1981)
- Darya of the Bronze Age (1981)
- Eric of Zanthodon (1982)
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- The Nemesis of Evil (1975)
- Invisible Death (1975)
- The Volcano Ogre (1976)
- The Earth-Shaker (1982)
- Horror Wears Blue (1987)
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| Great Imperium |
- The Man Without a Planet (1966)
- Star Rogue (1970)
- Outworlder (1971)
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| Hautley Quicksilver |
- The Thief of Thoth (1968)
- The Purloined Planet (1969)
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- "Thieves of Zangabal" (1969)
- "Keeper of the Emerald Flame" (1970)
- "Black Hawk of Valkarth" (1974)
- "Diombar's Song of the Last Battle" (1975)
- "The City in the Jewel" (1975)
- "Black Moonlight" (1976)
- "Demon of the Snows" (1980)
- "The Creature in the Crypt" (2012)
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| Short works |
- "Exile of Atlantis" (1967)
- "Black Abyss" (1967)
- "Riders Beyond the Sunrise" (1967)
- "Wizard and Warrior" (1967)
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| | | The Gondwane Epic |
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| Novels |
- The Warrior of World's End (1974)
- The Enchantress of World's End (1975)
- The Immortal of World's End (1976)
- The Barbarian of World's End (1977)
- The Pirate of World's End (1978)
- Giant of World's End (1969)
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- Kesrick (1982)
- Dragonrouge (1984)
- Mandricardo (1987)
- Callipygia (1988)
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- "Vault of Silence" (1970)
- "The Higher Heresies of Oolimar" (1973)
- "The Curious Custom of the Turjan Seraad" (1976)
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| Short works |
- "For the Blood is the Life" (1984)
- "The Love of the Sea" (1984)
- "Pale Shadow" (1985)
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| | | Simrana the Dream World |
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| Short works |
- "The Gods of Niom Parma" (1966/70)
- "The Whelming of Oom" (1969)
- "Zingazar" (1971)
- "How Sargoth Lay Siege to Zaremm" (1972)
- "The Laughter of Han" (1982)
- "The Benevolence of Yib" (1987)
- "The Thievery of Yish" (1988)
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- "The Red Offering" (1997)
- "The Dweller in the Tomb" (1971)
- "The Thing in the Pit" (1980)
- "Out of the Ages" (1975)
- "The Horror in the Gallery" (1976/97)
- "The Winfield Heritance" (1981)
- "Perchance to Dream" (1988)
- "Strange Manuscript Found in the Vermont Woods" (1988)
- "Something in the Moonlight" (1980)
- "The Fishers from Outside" (1988)
- "Behind the Mask" (1987)
- "The Strange Doom of Enos Harker" (1989/2001)
- "The Bell in the Tower" (1989)
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- "The Tired Tailor of Oz" (2001)
- "The Awful Ogre of Ogodown" (2004)
- "High TImes on Tip Top Mountain" (2004)
- "The Wooden Soldier of Oz" (2004)
- "No Joy in Mudville" (2004)
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- The Merry Mountaineer of Oz (2004)
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- The Star Magicians (1966)
- Destination: Saturn (1967)
- Tower at the Edge of Time (1968)
- Lost World of Time (1969)
- Tower of the Medusa (1969)
- The Black Star (1973)
- Time War (1974)
- Found Wanting (1985)
- The Black Pharaoh (2007)
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- "The Castle beyond the World" (1950)
- "Masters of the Metropolis" (1956) with Randall Garrett
- "The Slitherer from the Slime" (1958)
- "Uncollected Works" (1965)
- "Crown of Stars" (1966)
- "Owlstone" (1969)
- "Keru" (1969)
- "Harvey Hodges, Veebelfetzer" (1969)
- "Under the Eaves" (1969)
- "A Guide to the City" (1969)
- "Azlon" (1969)
- "The Mantichore" (1969)
- "The Seal of Zaon Sathla" (1970)
- "Shaggai" (1971)
- "The Sword of Power" (1971)
- "The Double Tower" (1973)
- "The Utmost Abomination" (1973)
- "The Scroll of Morloc" (1975)
- "In the Vale of Pnath" (1975)
- "The Tower of Time" (1975)
- "The Twelve Wizards of Ong" (1976)
- "People of the Dragon" (1976)
- "The Stairs in the Crypt" (1976)
- "The Pillars of Hell" (1977)
- "A Farmer on the Clyde" (1978)
- "Rhian and Garanhir" (1979)
- "Zurvan's Saint" (1980)
- "The World Beneath the World" (1980)
- "Dreams in the House of Weir" (1980)
- "The Descent Into the Abyss" (1980)
- "The Light From the Pole" (1980)
- "The Offering" (1982)
- "The Vengeance of Yig" (1983)
- "History & Chronology of the Book of Eibon" (1984)
- "The Necronomicon: Concerning Them from Outside" (1984)
- "Confessions of the Mad Monk Clithanus: The Incantation of the Elder Sign" (1984)
- "The Feaster from the Stars" (1984)
- "The Goblinry of Ais" (1985)
- "Geydelle's Protective" (1985)
- "The Acolyte of the Flame" (1985)
- "The Stone from Mnar" (1985)
- "Papyrus of the Dark Wisdom" (1988)
- "From the Archives of the Moon" (1988)
- "How Ghuth Would Have Hunted the Silth" (1988)
- "The Secret in the Parchment" (1988)
- "How Her Doom Came Down at Last on Adrazoon" (1988)
- "Black Stars in the Skulls of Doom" (1988)
- "Dead of Night" (1988)
- "Carcosa Story about Hali" (1989)
- "Terror Wears Yellow" (1989)
- "A Bottle of Djinn" (1989)
- "Sweet Tooth" (1989)
- "The Necronomicon, Book II: The Book of Preparations" (1990)
- "The Necronomicon, Book III: The Book of the Gates" (1990)
- "The Necronomicon, Book IV: The Book of Dismissals" (1990)
- "King in Yellow: A Tragedy in Verse" (1993)
- "Cthulhu & Co." (1997)
- "The Light in the East" (1997)
- "Curse of the Black Pharaoh" (1997)
- "Khymyrium (excerpt)" (1997/98)
- "The Demon Star" (1998)
- "The Life of Eibon According to Cyron of Varaad" (2002)
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| | | | | | | Poetry |
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- Sandalwood and Jade (1951)
- Galleon of Dream (1955)
- A Letter to Judith (1950)
- Dreams from R'lyeh (1975)
- The Intelligent Child's Own Book of Interesting and Instructive (1987/88)
- Limericks from Yuggoth (1983/88)
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