KONAN ROĐEN NA BOJNOM POLJU po likovima Roberta Ervina Hauarda DARKWOOD, 2018.

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2 KONAN ROĐEN NA BOJNOM POLJU po likovima Roberta Ervina Hauarda DARKWOOD, Glavni urednik: Slobodan Jović Urednik i prevodilac: Petar Jandrić Lektura: Snežana Gligorijević Upis teksta: Zoran Pero i miš Retuši: Nenad Pero i miš Adaptacija dizajna: Savo Katalina Saradnik: Vladimir Mijatović Tehnički urednici: Marko Poznanović i Siniša Đukić Darkwood d.o.o., Beograd info@darkwood.co.rs 011/ / Štampa: AMD Sistem, Beograd Mike Richardson Dark Horse President and Publisher Scott Allie and Matt Dryer Editors CONAN VOLUME 0: BORN ON THE BATTLEFIELD Conan 2008, 2018 Conan Properties International LLC ( CPI ). CONAN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, HYBORIA, andr elated logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI. All rights reserved. Dark Horse Books and the Dark Horse logo are trademarks of DarkHorse Comics, LLC, registered in various categories and countries. All rights reserved. This volume collects issue zero and issues eight, fifteen, twenty-three, thirty-two, forty-five, and forty-six of the Dark Horse Comics monthly Conan series. CIP - Katalogizacija u publikaciji Narodna biblioteka Srbije, Beograd ISBN COBISS.SR-ID

3 ROĐEN NA BOJNOM POLJU Writer KURT BUSIEK Artist GREG RUTH Scenario KURT BJUSIK Letters RICHARD STARKINGS Crtež and COMICRAFT S ALBERT DESCHESNE GREG RUT Creator of Conan Robert E. Howard Based on the work and letters of Conan creator Robert E. Howard LEGENDA Scenario KURT BJUSIK Crtež KERI NORD Kolor DEJV STJUART Unos teksta RIČARD STARKINGS (COMICRAFT) Zasnovano na delima i pismima Roberta E. Hauarda, tvorca Konana.

4 ROĐENDAN NA BOJNOM POLJU eka dela su večna. Bez obzira na medij kome pripadaju, svima njima je zajedničko to što poseduju trajni kvalitet koji ih čini relevantnim i otpornim na zub vremena. Njihovo se istrajavanje slavi i obeležava raznim godišnjicama i jubilejima, te bismo želeli da čitaocima skrenemo pažnju upravo na jedan takav jubilej. Naime, Konan je krajem prošle godine proslavio svoj It s probably considered heresy of some kind to most Conan fans, but the Busiek/Nord and Busiek/Ruth Conan comics are my all-time favorite Conan product (books, movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, that does include the original Robert E. Howard stories, even. Because some pop culture just hits you at the right time in your life and it informs how you view it from then on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. My fi rst exposure to Conan was a few random issues of the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, way 85. back rođendan. when I was eight or nine years old, and those led me to seek out the original pulp-era Conan stories that Howard had written. And when I found those books, of course, I found Frank Frazetta s painted covers. And while I would pore over those covers and read some of the tales in the Howard books, for me Conan was always meant to be a visual treat. I wanted to see him moving through a world that looked like the places Howard described and Frazetta painted. I wanted to page through it, and not just imagine those towers and cities. And so I read the Conan comics, instead, and occasionally, I snuck a Savage Sword of Conan magazine into the house, too, when the clerk at the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. Osamdeset pet godina je izuzetno dug period i ne treba smetnuti s uma da je u tom vremenskom okviru svet pretrpeo velike potrese i promene od Drugog svetskog rata i oštrih ideoloških sukoba do uspona informatičkog doba. Međutim, naš varvarin smrknutog pogleda je sve te promene izdržao, a potrese nadjačao. Ako sklopimo oči, videćemo ga kako stoji na jednom od raskršća svih izmaštanih svetova i već skoro stotinu godina odbija da prepusti mesto nekom drugom junaku. Poput Gospodara prstenova, Robina Huda ili grčkih mitova, on je postao jedan But the thing is, even though I was a fan of those comics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and John Buscema s art, I always felt that the tone was somehow od trajnih softened spomenika in the Marvel ljudske Comics version. mašte. I felt like the Howard stories were harder and more raw, and although I understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they could be. But I fi gured they never would be, as interest in the character started to die off, and the license to publish his adventures lapsed. Prva priča o Konanu ugledala je svetlost dana u decembru 1932, na stranicama magazina Weird Tales. Njen autor bio je Robert E. Hauard, maštoviti mladić koji je čitav svoj kratki život proveo u ruralnom Teksasu i snagom svoje mašte uspeo da u rasponu od svega But then after a long silence, along came Dark Horse s new Conan books, and with them, Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new desetak godina stvori brojne svetove, pregršt interpretation of Conan when this series was announced, zanimljivih but after seeing junaka the early previews i čitav of podžanr Nord s art, književne I changed fantastike. my tune. Cary Nažalost, Nord, matched tragično with Dave je stradao Stewart od (one sopstvene ruke u tridesetoj godini života. Taj čin of the best in the business), was going to give us a Conan that looked and felt like those Frazetta covers. And then I je saw svet how lišio Kurt jednog Busiek was nadarenog going to approach pisca, ali the njegova material, and I was sold. dela su odbila da potonu u zaborav. This new comic would be a chronological interpretation Iako se Hauard nije ograničavao na jedan of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the žanr, gaps between niti samo them. na I spoke prozu, to Kurt ipak about će ostati this approach upamćen once, pre and svega he told kao me he d tvorac gone žanra through mača all the i magije Howard i Konana, texts and found junaka any koji reference je njegov to Conan s najbolji unseen i najpoznatiji the places predstavnik. he d been, at On what je uzor age, characters prema kome he d met su history and riches he d stolen and constructed a huge chronology that would chart Conan s entire brojni autori pokušali da obrazuju svoje sveto- life. ve, priče i junake mišićavi grmalj s mačem u jednoj ruci i oskudno odevenom lepoticom All of the moves were either dictated by Howard s stories u or drugoj, by letters uvek he d written, spreman or by da moving se upusti Conan across u sukob the s map nekim of the čarobnjakom, Hyborean Age to the čudovištem next place he ili was čitavim known to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to approach adapting a body of work like this. And in his in- vojskama. Ruku na srce, to ne zvuči kao recept za terweaving besmrtno of new delo, material te se with možemo straight zapitati: adaptations zbog of čega the original Konan Conan istrajava stories, umesto I felt that da Busiek nestane had found poput a bezbroj way to capture sličnih the spare junaka electricity i imitacija? of Robert Kako E. Howard s mu to voice. These stories felt authentic, and they looked like a uspeva i šta ga izdvaja? dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only when they were supposed to. Prostor nam ne dozvoljava da se ovde potanko pozabavimo odgovorima na ta pitanja, ali This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and bismo thanks to ipak the želeli growing da language istaknemo and maturation neke značajne of the comics art form in America, although they could probably osobenosti koje su Hauardu i njegovom varvarskom be enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At the nostalgic čedu and unashamed udahnule side besmrtnost. of me that always Nadamo craves se great da pulp će one comics. poslužiti i kao putokaz svima koji budu poželeli da se u dalje istraživanje otisnu sami. And then after seven issues of Kurt and Cary, there was a break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in

5 the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, way back when I was eight or nine years old, and those way to capture the spare electricity of Robert E. Howard s voice. These stories felt authentic, and they looked like a Počnimo od samog autora i njegovog autentičnog stila. Robert Hauard je bio crna ovca u svojoj sredini, buntovnik večito nemirnog duha i katkad nezgodnog temperamenta. Nije posedovao visoko obrazovanje, niti su mu bile dostupne dobro opremljene biblioteke. Međutim, zahvaljujući svojoj disciplinovanosti i strasti prema pisanoj reči, uspeo je da prevaziđe sve te prepreke. On nije bio autor koji se svim snagama zalagao za lepo i uzvišeno u umetnosti. Naprotiv, bio je spreman na kompromise i voljan da se povinuje zahtevima tržišta. Pisao je za vreme velike ekonomske krize u Americi i morao je sebi da obezbedi egzistenciju. Pa ipak, sirova snaga njegovog talenta uspela je da se iskaže čak i u takvim okolnostima. Hauard je gajio neposredan i žustar stil nije voleo da troši vreme na preduge opise, priče se odvijaju vratolomnom brzinom, akcija je žestoka i s njegovih stranica prosto iskaču varnice. interpretation of Conan when this series was announced, but after seeing the early previews of Nord s art, I changed the best in the business), was going to give us a Conan of (one Stewart Dave with matched Nord, Cary tune. my saw how Kurt Busiek was going to approach the material, I then And covers. Frazetta those like felt and looked that and I was sold. This new comic would be a chronological interpretation of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the once, and he told me he d gone through all the Howard approach this about Kurt to spoke I them. between gaps the places he d been, at what age, characters he d met history unseen Conan s to reference any found and texts and riches he d stolen and constructed a huge chronology that would chart Conan s entire life. or by letters he d written, or by moving Conan across the stories Howard s by dictated either were moves the of All to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to ap- known was he place next the to Age Hyborean the of map terweaving of new material with straight adaptations of in his in- And this. like work of body a adapting proach the original Conan stories, I felt that Busiek had found a A šta bi pripovedač bez pozornice na koju će smestiti svoje likove? Tako stižemo do Hiborije, izmaštanog sveta u kome Konan živi, voli, osvaja, ubija i pljačka. Hauard je voleo istoriju i najviše od svega je želeo da piše istorijsku fikciju, ali ondašnje tržišne prilike to nisu dopuštale. Međutim, svoju nesumnjivu strast prema istoriji uspešno je iskoristio u stvaranju Hiborije, njenih junaka i mitologije. U svom pristupu mitotvorstvu odabrao je zanimljiv postupak nije izmaštao potpuno novi svet, već je sačinio kolaž od mnogih istorijskih i mitskih civilizacija iz različitih epoha, koje skladno funkcionišu u okvirima zajedničkog sveta. Pozajmljivao je motive iz Biblije, irskih legendi, nordijske mitologije, a nije mu bilo strano ni da Hiboriji doda mitske kontinente poput Lemurije i Atlantide. Te pozajmice mu nisu služile samo kao inspiracija, već se na njihovu Conan fans, but the Busiek/Nord and Busiek/Ruth Conan most to kind some of heresy considered probably It s movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, (books, product Conan favorite all-time my are comics even. Because some pop culture just hits you at the right stories, Howard E. Robert original the include does that on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. then from it view you how informs it and life your in time My fi rst exposure to Conan was a few random issues of Howard had written. And when I found those books, of that stories Conan pulp-era original the out seek to me led I would pore over those covers and read some of the tales while And covers. painted Frazetta s Frank found I course, be a visual treat. I wanted to see him moving through a to meant always was Conan me for books, Howard the in Frazetta painted. I wanted to page through it, and not just and described Howard places the like looked that world comics, instead, and occasionally, I snuck a Savage Sword Conan the read I so And cities. and towers those imagine the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. too, when the clerk at house, the into magazine Conan of prepoznatljivost i nasleđe snažno oslanjao. Po- U jednom pismu Hauard svedoči da je pripovetke o Konanu pisao u takvom zanosu da je imao utisak kako ništa ne stvara, već samo beleži događaje koji su se zbili. Ne čudi onda što njegove priče poseduju izvesnu neposrednost koja često stvara utisak da nije reč o delu prekaljenog pisca, već elokventnog pripovedača koga širom otvorenih očiju slušate u noći, pored logorske vatre. Prosto rečeno u okvirima žanra koji je iskovao, Hauard je bio i ostao najumešniji pripovedač. dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only when they were supposed to. This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and comics art form in America, although they could probably the of maturation and language growing the to thanks be enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At the nostalgic and unashamed side of me that always craves great pulp comics. break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in a was there Cary, and Kurt of issues seven after then And ics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and of those com- fan a was I though even is, thing the But how softened in the Marvel Comics version. I felt like the some- was tone the that felt always I art, Buscema s John nekad bi im promenio ime (ili koristio arhaične oblike) tek toliko da ne budu istovetni sa svojim istorijskim pandanima, ali da im ostanu dovoljno bliski da njihova asocijativnost ne promakne čitaocima. Primera radi, na šta vas podsećaju Avgulistan ili Vendija? Tako je, u pravu ste. Dovoljna je samo jedna reč da u vašem umu pobudi čitav niz slika, te sada imate dobru pretpostavku o kakvim je zemljama reč. Takav postupak se idealno uklapa u Hauardov stil, jer asocijativnost otkla- understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they I although and raw, more and harder were stories Howard the character started to die off, and the license to publish in interest as be, would never they gured fi I But be. could his adventures lapsed. new Conan books, and with them, Kurt Busiek and Cary Horse s Dark came along silence, long a after then But Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new

6 nja potrebu za dugim deskriptivnim pasažima i omogućava da se zaplet odvija munjevito. Čuveni Hauardov savremenik, obožavalac i čovek s kojim je vodio prepisku, H. F. Lavkraft, kritikovao je taj postupak, smatrajući da takva imena u modernom čoveku bude drugačiji skup asocijacija. Nije razumeo da Hauard ne želi da izgradi svet odvojen od našeg, već pokušava da napiše istorijsku fikciju o dobu nesanjanom koje je čovečanstvo zaboravilo, ali koje pripada njegovoj dalekoj prošlosti i kolektivnom nesvesnom. Na taj način je Hiborija postala izuzetno raskošna, a u njoj se svi čitaoci mogu lako orijentisati i, zahvaljujući svojoj mašti, dograđivati svet čije je temelje autor već postavio. To je udoban svet koji ne želi da nam skrene pažnju s onog što je It s probably considered heresy of some kind to most Conan fans, but the Busiek/Nord and Busiek/Ruth Conan comics are my all-time favorite Conan product (books, movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, that does include the original Robert E. Howard stories, even. Because some pop culture just hits you at the right time in your life and it informs how you view it from then on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. My fi rst exposure to Conan was a few random issues of the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, way back when I was eight or nine years old, and those led me to seek out the original pulp-era Conan stories that Howard had written. And when I found those books, of course, I found Frank Frazetta s painted covers. And while I would pore over those covers and read some of the tales in the Howard books, for me Conan was always meant to be a visual treat. I wanted to see him moving through a world that looked like the places Howard described and Frazetta bitno painted. a to je I njegov wanted to glavni page through junak. it, and not just imagine those towers and cities. And so I read the Conan comics, instead, and occasionally, I snuck a Savage Sword of Conan magazine into the house, too, when the clerk at the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. Kao što je Hiborija uspešan proizvod sačinjen od naizgled nespojivih sastojaka, tako i Konana krasi pregršt različitih osobina i talenata. On je bio varvarin, lopov, ratnik, gusar, razbojnički vođa, osvajač i kralj. Hauard je na taj način sebi obezbedio čitavu lepezu ambijenata i pustolovina u koje je mogao da smesti svog junaka i istovremeno stekne naklonost But the thing is, even though I was a fan of those comics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and John Buscema s art, I always felt that the tone was somehow softened in the Marvel Comics version. I felt like the Howard stories were harder and more raw, and although I understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they could šire čitalačke be. But I fi gured publike. they never would be, as interest in the character started to die off, and the license to publish his adventures lapsed. Opis arhetipskog protagoniste žanra mača i magije iz jednog od prethodnih pasusa samo je površinski sloj osobina koje krase i najpoznatijeg But then after a long silence, along came Dark Horse s new Conan books, and with them, Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new varvarina. Međutim, on nije obični rmpalija koji interpretation of Conan when this series was announced, silom but after rešava seeing sve the early životne previews nedaće, of Nord s već art, je umnogome my odraz tune. Cary svog Nord, autora. matched Ispod with gomile Dave mišića Stewart (one nalazi of I changed the best in the business), was going to give us a Conan se usijano jezgro iskovano od Hauardovih životnih saw how uverenja Kurt Busiek i stavova. was going Njemu to approach su veoma the material, bliske that looked and felt like those Frazetta covers. And then I bile and I egzistencijalističke was sold. vrednosti, poput značaja koji se pridaje čoveku kao pojedincu i njegovoj slobodi. This new Ali comic pre would svega, be tu a chronological je ključna tema interpretation varvarstva suprotstavljenog dekadentnoj civilizaciji. of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the gaps between them. I spoke to Kurt about this approach Hauard once, and tvrdi: he told Varvarstvo me he d gone je čovekovo through all prirodno the Howard stanje. texts Civilizacija and found any je reference neprirodna. to Conan s Ona je unseen puki hir history okolnosti the i places varvarstvo he d been, na kraju at what uvek age, mora characters da prevlada. he d met Međutim, and riches he d Hauard stolen and kaže i constructed sledeće: Ne a huge idealizujem chronology that would chart Conan s entire life. varvarstvo. Po meni je to jedno tmurno, krvoločno i divljačko stanje, lišeno ljubavi. Odbojan mi je prikaz All of the moves were either dictated by Howard s stories varvarina or by letters bilo he d koje written, vrste or koji by moving se ponaša Conan poput across uvaženog, map of božanskog the Hyborean izdanka Age to the majke next prirode, place he was obdarenog known the to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to approach adapting a body of work like this. And in his in- mudrošću i rečitošću. Dakle, on se nije zalagao za varvarstvo, već ga je prosto doživljavao kao neminovnost the original Conan i čovekovo stories, prirodno I felt that Busiek stanje. had found a terweaving of new material with straight adaptations of way to capture the spare electricity of Robert E. Howard s voice. Konan These jeste stories varvarin felt authentic, iz ruralne and they zabiti, looked ali like njegova najdublja moralna načela neretko su uzvi- a dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only when they were supposed to. šenija od onih kojima se diče pripadnici takozvanih civilizovanih društava u Hiboriji. Uređenost This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and i thanks uglađenost to the takvih growing društava language samo and maturation su maska of koja the služi comics da art prikrije form in America, njihovu although moralnu they trulež could probably i licemerje. Ali u sudaru s Konanom te maske uvek be enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At the nostalgic and unashamed side of me that always craves spadnu. great pulp On comics. je sila od koje dekadentna civilizacija ne može da se odbrani. Hauard između ostalog poručuje: Civilizovani ljudi su neuglađeniji od And then after seven issues of Kurt and Cary, there was a break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in

7 but after seeing the early previews of Nord s art, I changed announced, was series this when Conan of interpretation my tune. Cary Nord, matched with Dave Stewart (one of Conan fans, but the Busiek/Nord and Busiek/Ruth Conan most to kind some of heresy considered probably It s movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, (books, product Conan favorite all-time my are comics and I was sold. going to approach the material, was Busiek Kurt how saw of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the interpretation chronological a be would comic new This gaps between them. I spoke to Kurt about this approach texts and found any reference to Conan s unseen history Howard the all through gone he d me told he and once, when they were supposed to. the places he d been, at what age, characters he d met and riches he d stolen and constructed a huge chronology that would chart Conan s entire life. even. Because some pop culture just hits you at the right stories, Howard E. Robert original the include does that on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. then from it view you how informs it and life your in time the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, issues of random few a was Conan to exposure rst fi My led me to seek out the original pulp-era Conan stories that those and old, years nine or eight was I when back way course, I found Frank Frazetta s painted covers. And while of books, those found I when And written. had Howard in the Howard books, for me Conan was always meant to tales the of some read and covers those over pore would I world that looked like the places Howard described and through a moving him see to wanted I treat. visual a be imagine those towers and cities. And so I read the Conan just not and it, through page to wanted I painted. Frazetta of Conan magazine into the house, too, when the clerk at the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. comics, instead, and occasionally, I snuck a Savage Sword And then after seven issues of Kurt and Cary, there was a break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in the nostalgic and unashamed side of me that always craves great pulp comics. voice. These stories felt authentic, and they looked like a dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only the original Conan stories, I felt that Busiek had found a way to capture the spare electricity of Robert E. Howard s map of the Hyborean Age to the next place he was known to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to approach adapting a body of work like this. And in his interweaving of new material with straight adaptations of All of the moves were either dictated by Howard s stories or by letters he d written, or by moving Conan across the comics art form in America, although they could probably be enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and thanks to the growing language and maturation of the the best in the business), was going to give us a Conan that looked and felt like those Frazetta covers. And then I divljaka jer su svesni da ne moraju strahovati da će im neko razbiti glavu zbog njihove nepristojnosti. Ta poruka snažno odjekuje i u ovom dobu. ra ovog štiva. Taj mračniji ton nije prisutan u svim pričama, ali jeste u onim najboljim. Hauard nikada ne dozvoljava da te teme prevladaju ili budu same sebi svrha, ali bilo je dovoljno da se priče njima prošaraju kako bi se izdvojile iz mase i ponudile nešto više od puke zabave. Brojne teme mračnijeg tona ne obeležavaju samo naslovnog junaka, već i ustrojstvo njegovog sveta. Epsko junaštvo je u Hiboriji ništavno i prolazno. Simerijanski bog Krom ne pomaže svojim sledbenicima. Surova činjenica prolaznosti čovekovog života i njegovih dela jasno je istaknuta i time se nagriza eskapistička glazu- Mnogi pisci su pokušavali da za sobom ostave neprolazno delo. Većini to nije uspelo. Hauardu jeste, između ostalog zahvaljujući njegovom autentičnom i uzbudljivom spisateljskom stilu. Zahvaljujući svetu koji je u isti mah vrlo poznat i jezivo tajanstven, i junaku koji nije puko oruđe zapleta, već višedimenzionalni lik ispod čije se zastrašujuće spoljašnjosti kriju zanimljiva razmišljanja. Lavkraft je to najbolje sročio: Nije lako utvrditi zbog čega su Hauardove priče tako posebne. Možda je tajna u tome što se u svakoj od njih nalazi on sâm. Razloga za Konanovo trajanje ima još mnogo i o njima se može (i treba) diskutovati, ali sada ćemo sklopiti oči i stupiti na raskršće svih izmaštanih svetova. Tamo i dalje stoji jedan varvarin smrknutog pogleda. Nećemo ga povući za uho, jer bismo mogli ostati bez prstiju ili čitave ruke. Umesto toga, samo ćemo podići pehar, nazdraviti mu i poželeti još mnogo uspeha. Večni život je već obezbedio kako sebi, tako i svom tvorcu. ics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and of those com- fan a was I though even is, thing the But how softened in the Marvel Comics version. I felt like the some- was tone the that felt always I art, Buscema s John understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they I although and raw, more and harder were stories Howard the character started to die off, and the license to publish in interest as be, would never they gured fi I But be. could his adventures lapsed. Robert Ervin Hauard Petar Jandrić Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new new Conan books, and with them, Kurt Busiek and Cary Horse s Dark came along silence, long a after then But

8 PREDGOVOR Ovo će većini Konanovih obožavalaca zvučati kao jeres, ali stripovi koje je Kurt Bjusik radio s Kerijem Nordom i Gregom Rutom moji su najomiljeniji konanovski proizvodi. Da, tu ubrajam knjige, filmove, stripove, video-igre i sve ostalo, pa čak i izvorne priče Roberta E. Hauarda. Ponekad se s nekim proizvodom pop- -kulture sretnete u pravom trenutku u životu i to oblikuje način na koji ga nadalje posmatrate, a meni će Konan uvek biti najbolji u formi It s probably considered heresy of some kind to most Conan fans, but the Busiek/Nord and Busiek/Ruth Conan comics are my all-time favorite Conan product (books, movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, that does include the original Robert E. Howard stories, even. Because some pop culture just hits you at the right time in your life and it informs how you view it from then on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. My fi rst exposure to Conan was a few random issues of the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, way back when I was eight or nine years old, and those led me to seek out the original pulp-era Conan stories that Howard stripa. had written. And when I found those books, of course, I found Frank Frazetta s painted covers. And while I would pore over those covers and read some of the tales in the Howard books, for me Conan was always meant to be a visual treat. I wanted to see him moving through a world that looked like the places Howard described and Frazetta painted. I wanted to page through it, and not just imagine those towers and cities. And so I read the Conan comics, instead, and occasionally, I snuck a Savage Sword of Conan magazine into the house, too, when the clerk at the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. S Konanom sam se prvi put sreo kada mi je bilo osam ili devet godina. Do ruku mi je došlo nekoliko epizoda Marvelovog serijala na kome su radili Roj Tomas i Džon Bjusema, i to me je podstaklo da potražim Hauardove izvorne palp priče. Kada sam te knjige pronašao, susreo sam se, naravno, i s naslovnicama koje je naslikao Frazeta. Iako sam te korice podrobno proučavao i neke od priča u Hauardovim knjigama pročitao, Konana sam ipak oduvek doživljavao kao prevashodno vizuelni ugođaj. Želeo sam da ga vidim kako se kreće kroz svet koji je Hauard izmaštao a Frazeta naslikao. Nisam želeo da sve te kule i gradove zamišljam, već da ih vidim. I tako sam, umesto da čitam priče, čitao stripove o Konanu, a katkad bih kad prodavac u radnji nije dovoljno pazio u kuću But the thing is, even though I was a fan of those comics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and John Buscema s art, I always felt that the tone was somehow softened in the Marvel Comics version. I felt like the Howard stories were harder and more raw, and although I understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they could be. But I fi gured they never would be, as interest in the character started to die off, and the license to publish his adventures lapsed. But then after a long silence, along came Dark Horse s new krišom Conan uneo books, magazin and with Savage them, Kurt Sword Busiek of and Conan. Cary Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new Međutim, iako sam voleo te stripove i crtač- interpretation of Conan when this series was announced, ko but umeće after seeing Barija the early Smita previews i Džona of Nord s Bjuseme, art, I changed uvek my tune. Cary Nord, matched with Dave Stewart (one of mi se činilo da je u Marvelovim stripovima ton the best in the business), was going to give us a Conan nekako umekšan. Premda sam razumeo zašto je that looked and felt like those Frazetta covers. And then I tako, saw how ipak Kurt sam Busiek priželjkivao was going to strip approach koji bi the bio material, slič- and I was sold. niji Hauardovim pričama jer sam ih doživljavao kao sirovije i silovitije. Ali pretpostavljao sam This new comic would be a chronological interpretation da se to nikada neće obistiniti, jer je interesovanje of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the gaps za between Konana them. slabilo, I spoke a to licenca Kurt about za objavljivanje this approach njegovih once, and he pustolovina told me he d u gone stripu through bila je all istekla. the Howard texts and found any reference to Conan s unseen history the A onda places he d su se, been, posle at what dugog age, characters zatišja, pojavili he d met and riches he d stolen and constructed a huge chronology that would chart Conan s entire novi stripovi o Konanu, u izdanju kuće Dark life. Horse, a s njima su na scenu stupili Kurt Bjusik i Keri Nord. Priznajem da uopšte nisam bio All of the moves were either dictated by Howard s stories zainteresovan or by letters he d za written, novu or verziju by moving Konana Conan across kada the je taj map serijal of the Hyborean najavljen, Age ali to sam the next se predomislio place he was known kad to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to approach adapting a body of work like this. And in his in- sam video prve promotivne odlomke s Nordoviterweaving crtežima. of new On material će nam, with straight zajedno adaptations s Dejvom of Stjuartom the original Conan (jednim stories, od I najboljih felt that Busiek u svojoj had found branši), way podariti to capture Konana the spare electricity koji ostavlja of Robert isti utisak E. Howard s kao a onaj voice. na These Frazetinim stories felt authentic, naslovnicama. and they Potom looked like sam a dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only video kako će Kurt Bjusik pristupiti izvornom when they were supposed to. materijalu, i to me je potpuno osvojilo. This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and thanks U tom the novom growing stripu language Hauardove and maturation priče of biće the comics art form in America, although they could probably obrađene hronološkim redom, a praznine izmebe enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At đu njih popunjene novonapisanim pričama. the nostalgic and unashamed side of me that always craves Jednom great pulp sam comics. razgovarao s Kurtom o tom pristupu. Rekao mi je da je pročitao sve Hauardove tekstove i pronašao svaku referencu na And then after seven issues of Kurt and Cary, there was a break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in

9 way back when I was eight or nine years old, and those led me to seek out the original pulp-era Conan stories that comics art form in America, although they could probably be enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At proach adapting a body of work like this. And in his interweaving of new material with straight adaptations of saw how Kurt Busiek was going to approach the material, and I was sold. Konanove neobrađene pustolovine mesta na kojima je bio i u kojoj životnoj dobi, ljude koje je upoznao i blaga koja je poharao i da je od toga sačinio ogromnu hronološku pripovest koja pokriva čitav Konanov život. Redosled njegovih putešestvija zasnivao se na Hauardovim pričama i pismima, a ako oni nisu pružali dovoljno podataka, Konan bi bio usmeravan preko mape hiborijanskog doba do sledećeg mesta za koje se zna da ga je posetio. To je fascinantan i metodičan pristup adaptaciji ovakvog materijala. Činilo mi se da je Kurt Bjusik, preplićući novu građu s adaptacijama već postojećih priča, uspeo da prenese energični stil Roberta E. Hauarda. Te su priče delovale autentično, katkad poput sna ili mračnog košmara, ali samo onda kada je tako i trebalo da bude. but after seeing the early previews of Nord s art, I changed announced, was series this when Conan of interpretation my tune. Cary Nord, matched with Dave Stewart (one of that looked and felt like those Frazetta covers. And then I Conan a us give to going was business), the in best the Upravo sam takav strip o Konanu oduvek želeo, i mada su ga zahvaljujući razvoju stripskog jezika i sazrevanju devete umetnosti u Americi verovatno mogla čitati i deca, meni se činilo da je namenjen baš meni. Tačnije, mojoj nostalgičnoj i besramnoj strani koja uvek žudi za odličnim palp stripovima. of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the interpretation chronological a be would comic new This gaps between them. I spoke to Kurt about this approach texts and found any reference to Conan s unseen history Howard the all through gone he d me told he and once, and riches he d stolen and constructed a huge chronol- met he d characters age, what at been, he d places the ogy that would chart Conan s entire life. or by letters he d written, or by moving Conan across the stories Howard s by dictated either were moves the of All A onda je posle Kurtovih i Kerijevih prvih sedam epizoda usledila pauza, a mi smo dobili priliku da se upoznamo s Gregom Rutom, još jednim umetnikom kao stvorenim za ovaj žanr, map of the Hyborean Age to the next place he was known to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to ap- the original Conan stories, I felt that Busiek had found a voice. These stories felt authentic, and they looked like a Howard s E. Robert of electricity spare the capture to way dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only when they were supposed to. This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and thanks to the growing language and maturation of the the nostalgic and unashamed side of me that always craves great pulp comics. break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in a was there Cary, and Kurt of issues seven after then And koji se pridružio Kurtu kako bi ispričali priču o Konanovoj mladosti, od njegovog rođenja do odlaska iz rodne Simerije. Greg Rut je bio umetnik na koga sam obraćao pažnju i čije sam radove viđao s vremena na vreme, tako da mi je bilo dvostruko drago kad mu je zapao rad na ovom poduhvatu. Knjiga koju držite u rukama rezultat je tog rada, a epizode koje je čine objavljivane su između dužih priča koje su radili Kurt i Nord i svaka je bila instant klasik. Conan fans, but the Busiek/Nord and Busiek/Ruth Conan most to kind some of heresy considered probably It s movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, (books, product Conan favorite all-time my are comics even. Because some pop culture just hits you at the right stories, Howard E. Robert original the include does that on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. then from it view you how informs it and life your in time the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, issues of random few a was Conan to exposure rst fi My course, I found Frank Frazetta s painted covers. And while of books, those found I when And written. had Howard in the Howard books, for me Conan was always meant to tales the of some read and covers those over pore would I world that looked like the places Howard described and through a moving him see to wanted I treat. visual a be imagine those towers and cities. And so I read the Conan just not and it, through page to wanted I painted. Frazetta of Conan magazine into the house, too, when the clerk at Sword Savage a snuck I occasionally, and instead, comics, the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. ics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and of those com- fan a was I though even is, thing the But how softened in the Marvel Comics version. I felt like the some- was tone the that felt always I art, Buscema s John Okrenuvši se ponovo Hauardu kao izvoru inspiracije, Bjusik je uspeo da isplete priču koja mi se čini autentičnom i uzbudljivom. Od bojnog polja na kom je Konan rođen, preko teške mladosti koju je proveo u svom selu kao opasno dete i razdoblja kad je bio izgnanik među svojim sunarodnicima, pa sve do velike bitke kod Venarijuma ovo je najbolja priča o Konanovom poreklu. Hauard je neke od tih važnih trenutaka Konanovog života ovlaš naznačio u pismu obožavaocima koji su pokušavali da sačine hronološki sled njegovih pustolovina. Kurt Bjusik je od svega nekoliko šturih redaka uspeo da stvori nešto novo i blistavo, a Greg Rut je toj zverki udahnuo život. Retko se dešava da se ljubitelji stripova obraduju kad se među priče u njihovom omiljenom serijalu ugura neka izdvojena i često nebitna epizoda, ali upravo je tako bilo s pričama koje čine ovu knjigu. Kad bi nova epizoda koju su potpisali Bjusik i Rut understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they I although and raw, more and harder were stories Howard the character started to die off, and the license to publish in interest as be, would never they gured fi I But be. could his adventures lapsed. new Conan books, and with them, Kurt Busiek and Cary Horse s Dark came along silence, long a after then But Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new

10 stigla na police, mrštenje bi zamenio osmeh, a It s probably considered heresy of some kind to most Conan ta epizoda fans, but bi the bila Busiek/Nord prva na redu and Busiek/Ruth za čitanje. Conan comics are my all-time favorite Conan product (books, movies, comics, video games, etc.) ever made. And yes, Ta je priča sada konačno završena i upakovana Because u jednu some predivnu pop culture knjigu. just hits you Pre at nego the right što that does include the original Robert E. Howard stories, even. time sam in napisao your life and ovaj it tekst informs još how jednom you view sam it from je then celu on, and for me, Conan will always be best in comics form. pročitao i moram reći da mi se sada još više dopada. Puna je okrutnosti i ljubavi, gorko- -slatkih jada i okrutnosti (da, znam da sam dvaput pomenuo okrutnosti), i sve je to tako vešto izvedeno da vas drži od početka do kraja, i budi u vama želju da odmah saznate šta se dalje zbilo. My fi rst exposure to Conan was a few random issues of the Marvel series, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, way back when I was eight or nine years old, and those led me to seek out the original pulp-era Conan stories that Howard had written. And when I found those books, of course, I found Frank Frazetta s painted covers. And while I would pore over those covers and read some of the tales in the Howard books, for me Conan was always meant to be a visual treat. I wanted to see him moving through a world that looked like the places Howard described and Frazetta painted. I wanted to page through it, and not just imagine those towers and cities. And so I read the Conan comics, instead, and occasionally, I snuck a Savage Sword of Conan magazine into the house, too, when the clerk at the 7-11 wasn t paying attention. A rekao bih da vas to vodi pravo ka prvoj knjizi serijala Conan izdavačke kuće Dark Horse i prvoj priči koju potpisuju Bjusik i Nord. Dok privodim kraju pisanje ovog teksta, hvatam sebe kako polako posežem za tim lepim tvrdokoričenim izdanjima na svojoj polici i razmišljam o šolji čaja i fotelji kraj kamina. To je svakako odličan način da provedem ostatak dana ponovo čitajući sjajnu fantastiku u stripu i uživajući u pričama o Konanu, baš onakvim kakve sam oduvek želeo. But the thing is, even though I was a fan of those comics, and even though I loved Barry Windsor-Smith and John Buscema s art, I always felt that the tone was somehow softened in the Marvel Comics version. I felt like the Howard stories were harder and more raw, and although I understood why the comics weren t like that, I wished they could be. But I fi gured they never would be, as interest in the character started to die off, and the license to publish his adventures lapsed. Ed Brubejker Badnje veče, Ed Brubejker je višestruki dobitnik Harvijeve i Ajznerove nagrade za rad na naslovima kao što su Kriminal, Spavač, Kapetan Amerika i Derdevil. But then after a long silence, along came Dark Horse s new Conan books, and with them, Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord. Quite honestly, I wasn t even interested in a new interpretation of Conan when this series was announced, but after seeing the early previews of Nord s art, I changed my tune. Cary Nord, matched with Dave Stewart (one of the best in the business), was going to give us a Conan that looked and felt like those Frazetta covers. And then I saw how Kurt Busiek was going to approach the material, and I was sold. This new comic would be a chronological interpretation of the Howard stories, with new tales written to fi ll the gaps between them. I spoke to Kurt about this approach once, and he told me he d gone through all the Howard texts and found any reference to Conan s unseen history the places he d been, at what age, characters he d met and riches he d stolen and constructed a huge chronology that would chart Conan s entire life. All of the moves were either dictated by Howard s stories or by letters he d written, or by moving Conan across the map of the Hyborean Age to the next place he was known to have been. It s a fascinating and methodical way to approach adapting a body of work like this. And in his interweaving of new material with straight adaptations of the original Conan stories, I felt that Busiek had found a way to capture the spare electricity of Robert E. Howard s voice. These stories felt authentic, and they looked like a dream, or maybe sometimes a murky nightmare, but only when they were supposed to. This was the Conan comic I d always wished for, and thanks to the growing language and maturation of the comics art form in America, although they could probably be enjoyed by little kids, I felt they were aimed at me. At the nostalgic and unashamed side of me that always craves great pulp comics. And then after seven issues of Kurt and Cary, there was a break, and we got to meet another artist born to work in

11

12 Legenda Epizoda je premijerno objavljena 12. XI i dobitnik je Ajznerove nagrade za najbolju pojedinačnu epizodu godine.

13 KAKVA UŽASNA ZEMLJA. NiČEGA OSiM ŠUMA i BLATA, RUŠEViNA i NEKOLiKO ZbiJENiH UDŽERiCA KOJE NAZiVAJU SELOM. kiša, MUVE, VLAGA TUPi, ODSUTNi POGLEDi LJUDi KOJi BORAVE U OVOJ KALJUZi FUJ. ZA DVA BAKRENJAKA SVE BiH OVO SPALiO DO TEMELJA. SPALiO, PA SE ispišao PO PEPELU i NE BiH SE OSVRTAO.

14 ALi VAŠA uzvišenosti, Vi STE NA VAŽNOM ZADATKU. TREBA DA izvrši- TE PRoCENU OViH NOVOOSVOJENiH ZEMAlJA DA SAKUPiTE PODATKE KOJE ĆETE POSLATi VAZiRE, MOLiM TE. NiSAM BUDALA KAKVOM ME OTAC SMATRA. POSLAO ME JE U OVU NEDOĐiJU, A ZA TO VREME SE ON ZABAVLJA S NEKOM NOVOM BLEDOM KURVOM i SMiŠLJA KAKO DA UBijE MOJU BRAĆU i MENE. BiTNO JE SAMO DA ŠALJEMO OPLJAČKANO ZLATO i OKOVANE ROBOVE. KAKVA GOD DA JE BiLA istorija OVE ZEMLJE, ONA JE ODAVNO iščezla, A NJEN NAROD JE SAMO STOKA KOJA ĆE CRNČiTi KAKO Bi ON NAPUNiO SVOJE... ViSOSTi! ViSOSTi! PRONAŠLi SMO......NEKU PODZEmNU ODAJU MEĐU RUŠEViNAMA... UFF. MA JESTE Li? SVETiH MU BOGOVA, OVA JAMA JE VAŠE VELiKO OTKRiĆE? HM ROBOVi PAUČiNA. OVDE NE MOŽE BiTi NiČEGA OSiM PACOVA, PAUKOVA i OSTALE GAMADi. i ZMiJA, NESUMNJiVO. NE MOGU DA ZAMiSLiM ŠTA Bi DRUGO...

15 E PA, MOJ SLAVNi OTAC ĆE BiTi ZADOVOLJAN. NEKA NAŠi LJUDi izvrše POPiS OViH DRAGOCENOSTi. VAZiRE, Ti Si PROUČiO POVESTi OViH ZEMALJA. KAKVO JE OVO MESTO? MOJ PRiNČE, JOŠ NiSMO imali DOVOLJNO VREMENA DA UREDiMO GOMiLE ZAPiSA KOJE SMO OTKRiLi istočno ODAVDE. ALi, KOLiKO SAM UPUĆEN... OVO JE BiLA TARANTiJA, GRAD... MOJ PRiNČE...?

16 A ŠTA Li JE OVO...? VaZIRE! OVAJ SPOMENiK... OVAJ ČOVEK. KO JE ON BiO? NEKi VOJSKOVOĐA ili...? MOŽDA NEKi... LOKALNi POGLAViCA ili SiTNi KRALJ, VAŠA PREUZViŠENOSTi? SAMO NEKi KRVOŽEDNi, ODAVNO MRTVi PROSTAK. NiKO BiTAN... NE. NE, OVAJ SE NEKAKO RAZLiKUJE. SVi OSTALi PORTRETi i REZBARiJE KOJE SMO PRO- NAŠLi PRiKAZUJU NAKiĆENE BOŽANSKE KRALJEVE, ODENUTE U SViLU, GORDE i ZALJUBLJENE U SOPSTVENi ODRAZ. OVAJ ČOVEK izgleda GRUBO. OPASNO. STVARNO. ima NEČEGA U NJEGOVOM izrazu... U NJE- GOviM OČiMA. ViDi, NA POSTOLJU... TU JE NEKi NATPiS! Ti POZNAJEŠ OVO PiSMO, VAZiRE. ŠTA TU PiŠE? ŠEMAJE! DODiRUJE GOLiM RUKAMA!

17 HM. ZVAO SE KONAN. TO JE Vrlo UOBiČAJENO, SELJAČKO ime. HMM. PiTAM SE, DA Li SE VRATiO? SLOVA SU SE izlizala, A JEZiK JE SiROV... ALi AKO DOBRO RAZUMEM, NATPiS KAŽE... U NAŠEM NAJTEŽEM ČASU, KADA GUJA NASRNE, ON ĆE SE... VRATiTi? MOJ PRiNČE, UVERAVAM VAS DA JE OVO POTPUNA BESMiSLiCA. NAJ- OBiČNiJA LEGENDA. TA PRiMiTiVNA PLEMENA SU SVAKU LOPUŽU PROGLAŠAVALA POGLAViCOM, SVAKOG POGLAViCU KRALJEM, A SVAKOG KRALJA BOGOM. TAJ KONAN JE NESUMNJiVO BiO SAMO NEKi ZVERSKi GRMALJ KOJi JE POMOĆU STRAHA i MAČA NAKRATKO VLADAO PREPLAŠE- NiM SEljACiMA. ONi SU GA... POŠTOVALi. PRiŽelJ- KiVALi SU NJEGOV POVRATAK. ŽELiM DA SAZNAM ViŠE O NJEMU. HM? MOJ PRiNČE, SiGURNO SE ŠALiTE... RECi Mi NEŠTO, O PLEMENiTi VAZiRE. KO JE OD NAS DVOJiCE NASLEDNiK KOLiKO GOD TO BiLO NEiZVESNO NAJMOĆNiJEG CARSTVA NA SVETU? KO OD NAS DVOJiCE OVDE ZAPOVEDA? A KO JE OVDE DA SLUŽi, SAVETUJE i ispunjava ŽELJE ONOG DRUGOG?

18 BACi SE NA POSAO, VAZiRE. AH, plemeniti moj VAZiRE! KAKO NaPREDUJE TVOJE istraživanje? JA SAM... VEROVAO DA ĆE VAŠA iznenadna RADOZNALOST DOSAD iščeznuti, PREUZViŠENi... MiSLiŠ ZBOG SViH TiH SiLNiH DiVOTA U OVOJ JALOVOJ PUSTOŠi KOJE Bi MOGLE DA Mi ZAOKUPE PAŽNJU? TEŠKO. HAJDE, UNESi MALO RAZONODE, MOLiM TE. ili MOŽDA NiSi USPEO DA OBA- ViŠ SVOJ ZADATAK?...ODVAJANJE istorijskih SPiSA OD ZAMORNiH BELEŽAKA O KUPOViNi i PRODAJi PŠENiCE ZAHTEVA PUNO VRE... PREĐi NA STVAR. SVAKAKO, UZViŠENi. NE, moj prinče. ALi TREBA PREGLEDATi HRPU ZAPiSA. Ti TAKOZVANi NEMEDiJANCi SU SVE VEOMA STRASTVENO BELEŽiLi...

19 SVE SU TO i DALJE SUJEVERNE BESMiSLiCE, ALi NALOŽiO SAM PiSARiMA DA SASTAVE P RiPOV EST, KAO ŠTO STE ŽELELi. ONA SE ZASNiVA NA SVEMU ŠTO SMO DO SADA OTKRiLi O TOM KONANU... znaj, o prinče... *...da je između godina kada su okeani preplavili Atlantidu i blistave gradove i godina uspona sinova Arijevih... *...bilo jedno doba nesanjano... *...kada su se blistava kraljevstva prostirala preko sveta poput plavih odora rasprostrtih pod zvezdama... *Nemedija, Ofir, Britunija, Hiperboreja...

20 *...Zamora, koju krasiše tamnokose žene i silne kule, tajanstvene i uklete... *...Zingara, po viteštvu čuvena... *...Kot, čije granice dodirivaše blagorodna šemska polja... *...Stigija, senovitim grobnicama protkana... *...Hirkanija, čiji jahači behu odenuti u zlato, čelik i svilu.

21 *Ali najslavnije kraljevstvo na svetu... *...beše Akvilonija, na raskošnom zapadu suverena. *Tu stiže Konan Simerijanac...

22 *...crnokos... *...smrknuta pogleda... *...s mačem u ruci...

23 *...lopov... *...pljač kaš... *...ubica...

24 *...čovek ogromne sete... *...i ogromne radosti...

25 25 *...da gazi draguljima optočena prestolja Zemlje...

26 *...svojim u sandale obuvenim stopalima.

27 DA GAZi... DA GAZi PRESTOLJA...

28 ...U SANDALE OBUVENiM... VAZiRE? JESi Li DOBRO? GOSPODARU, ŽELEO BiH PONOVO DA NAGLASiM DA JE OVO NEiSPiTANA LEGENDA, izvedena iz HRONiKA SUMNJiVOG POREKLA. MOGUĆE JE DA TAJ KONAN NiKADA NiJE Ni POSTOJAO, A ČAK i AKO JESTE, SVE OVE PRiČE SU NESUMNJiVO PREUVELiČANE. A NEKE SU i ČiSTE izmišljotine, PiSANE DA KUJU U ZVEZDE TAMO NEKOG VAZiRE. ŽELiM DA ČUJEM JOŠ. NASTAVi. UFF. KAKO ZAPOVEDATE, GOSPODARU. *I dalje se ne zna mnogo o Simerijančevoj mladosti, provedenoj u mračnim šumskim predelima njegovog rodnog kraja. Bilo mu je šesnaest leta kada je prvi put zakoračio preko granica svoje domovine i prešao u zemlju Esira...

29

30 Rođen na bojnom polju

31 KAKVA JE BiLA NJEGOVA MLADOST? NJEGOVO DETiNJSTVO? PRiČAJ Mi O TOME. MOJ PRiNČE? NEMEDiJANSKE HRONiKE SU... NEPOTPUNE i NEUREĐENE. A SAMO OVLAŠ POMiNJU ZABiTi POPUT SiMERiJE, GDE... VAZiRE. ON SE UZDiGAO iz PONORA VARVARiZMA DO PRESTOLA NAJSLAVNiJEG KRALJEVSTVA SVOG DOBA. SiGURNO ih JE NJEGOVA PROŠLOST MAKAR MALO ZANiMALA? AH... STVAR JE U TOME... POSTOJE iskazi KOJi TOBOŽE POTiČU OD NJEGOVE ŽENE, ZENOBiJE. ALi ČAK i AKO JE TO TAČNO, ONA NiJEDNOM OD TiH DOGAĐAJA NiJE LiČNO SVEDOČiLA. PUKA PRETERiVANJA, izmišljanje BAJKi... VAZiRE. KAKO ŽELiTE, MOJ GOSPO- DARU. * A te šume tamne što obronke sumornih brda kriju... i oblaci... O, BOGOVi KRVi i PATNJE! *...i oblaci, sivi, teš ki, koji se nad njima večito viju... - *...to beše Simerija, o prinče, zemlja njegovog rođenja. Simerija, zemlja večne Noći i Tame... Nemedijanske hronike-

32 N#padi su bil% uč$stali. Gr#nični sp&rovi s Vanirima %li Esirima. Zavade. Stara n$prijateljstva. Kamenito tlo Simerije bilo je red&vno zalivano krvlju. Ov&ga puta to behu V#niri. Muškarci su se borili, # žene držale po stran%, kao što to žene čine. Spremal$ su hranu, krpile kožne prsn%ke i zašivale ran$. NN... HM? JEL SE...? To su ž$ne r#dile. To N-UHH! NE! NE, Ti SMRDLJiVO SEVERNJAČKO KOPiLE! TO JE MOJ MUŠKARAC... MOJ MUŽ... ŠTA...? # kada bi bil& potrebe 32

33 i više.