originally published Weird Tales, August 1932
Eric Marsh is part of a scientific expedition in Burma, c. 1902, in search of the legendary city of Alaozar, to be found on the Plateau of Sung. Things haven't been going easily, esp. since the natives are reluctant to provide guides, due to fear of the "Tcho Tcho" people said to live on "the Lake of Dread." In proper early 20the century style, the explorers have dismissed their fears and soldiered on.
Do I have to point out this was a bad move?
Marsh has to break ranks and briefly return to the camp they've left behind because the chowderhead expedition leader didn't remember to pack all his stuff. This happens to save Marsh's ass since, as he's riding back to join his buds, he hears a lot of screaming and, hiding in some bushes cuz he realizes he can't do anything to stop it, he watches them get slaughtered by a bunch of pygmies aka the Tcho Tcho's.
With his team slaughtered, Marsh decides there's no point in going back, so instead he rifles the bodies (the Tcho Tchos took all the tools and weapons but left the food and water - and since they took the shovels, he can't even bury the bodies) and sets off to find the lost city all by hisself. He does briefly stop to consider what's just happened with "grief mingled with fear", just so's we know he's not a complete idiot or asshole. Even though he obviously is both.
Marsh makes his way to within sight of the city itself, which isn't too difficult since the city is shooting beams of white light into the sky. Marsh settles down to make camp but is jumped by Tcho Tchos and wakes up in a nice soft bed in Alaozar. He's greeted by Dr. Fo-Lan, a Chinese scientist who was thought to have died some years ago. In fact, Fo-Lan's been a slave of the Tcho Tchos all this time, forced to help them unleash some awful terror upon the world. Fo-Lan tells Marsh that now, the two of them can thwart the Tcho Tchos sinister plans.
Fo-Lan leads him down a secret passage, where they watch the Tcho Tchos bow down to their leader, the priest E-Poh ("he is seven thousand years old" says Fo-Lan), and the tentacle-lump monster that lurks in the shadows, which Fo-Lan informs him is named Lloigor.
Fo-Lan asks Marsh to watch his body while he astrally projects to get help. This goes off without a hitch. Once back in flesh, Fo-Lan informs him that he must convince E-Poh to open the gates to Lloigor and Zhar (Lloigor's twin, buddy, girlfriend, whatever), at which time "the Star Warriors" can come and save everyone's bacon.
Fo-Lan goes to E-Poh and tells him that Zhar sez the Tcho Tchos must summon Lloigor and Zhar from the city, while he and Marsh go out onto the plateau and do a ritual of their own. Despite displaying a couple of seconds of incredulity that Zhar would communicate with Fo-Lan and not him, E-Poh, who obviously hasn't learned much in his 7K years, is down with it but sends four Tcho Tchos to accompany them.
They ride out onto the plateau, and Fo-Lan and Marsh promptly kill the four Tcho Tchos. Giant, flaming humanoid figures bearing tube-like weapons descend from the sky and whack the city of Alaozar but good. Satisfied, Fo-Lan and Marsh return to civilization.
Man ... y'know sometimes you come across something that's so bead it makes your head spin!
Last time I read "Lair", I was 15, and I remembered it as a slightly dumb but spooky and fun actioner. It's actually neither spooky nor fun, not much action and more than slightly dumb. The story goes that Derleth was outlining the plots and Schorer writing the prose, which scans since the writing is blander than skim milk and shows little or none of Derleth's usual style. The story also goes that Derleth/Schorer weren't exactly best buds, and I'm left to entertain myself by thinking that Auggie must've been pissed at Schorer the night he left him this crap plot. Seriously, not a single character makes an intelligent or even logical decision in the whole thing. A scientist, an explorer, and 7,000 year old high priest and not a one of them has a clue between them.
The geek squad would rate this story "important" I suppose since it introduces the Tcho Tcho people (who T.E.D. Klein would do more interesting things with) and Lloigor and Zhar, who Derleth himself (and Colin Wilson, sorta) would do more interesting things with. In the end, this is a bit of pulp throwaway without much to recommend it.
No comments:
Post a Comment