Favorite Stories: The Sowers of Thunder

This week and (at least) next week, I'm going to be looking at short stories that have always been particular favorites of mine. I picked stories that I inevitably re-visit at least once a year, both written by favorite authors of mine. But though these tales are prime examples of why these authors are considered fantastic story-tellers, I make no claims that they are the best of the best. They simply speak to my inner... well, my inner whatever. Perhaps they speak that part of me that is convinced--however irrationally--that I myself could be a skilled adventurer or successful detective. Perhaps the deeper themes in these stories speak to me on a more intellectual level. Or perhaps I simply think they're really cool. 

I first encountered "The Sowers of Thunder," by Robert E. Howard, when I bought this book from the Stars and Stripes bookstore at the Navy base in the Phillippines: 

The anthology, with great interior illustrations by Roy Krenkel, had four novellas and short stories set (with one exception) in the Middle East during the Crusades. All of them are wonderful stories and "The Shadow of the Vulture," which introduced the world to Red Sonya, is probably the most influencial of the four.

"The Shadow of the Vulture" actually is another story I frequently re-read, because no man can read about Sonya and not fall madly in love.

But it is antholgy's title story that stands out for me the most. First published in the Winter 1932 issue of Oriental Stories, it is set in Palestine in the years 1243 and 1244, recounting the adventures of Cahal Ruadhl O'Donnel (Red Cahal), a man who had once ruled Ireland. But after a betrayal that involved the woman he loved, he is now a penniless adventurer, traveling east to join the Crusades essentially because he doesn't have anything else to do.

Red Cahal is a creation of Howard, but the story does revolve around historical events--though Howard largely fictionalizes them. 1244 was a busy year. Jerusalem was sacked by a huge band of Turkish horsemen; the Western knights were decisively beaten at the battle of La Forbie; and a general in the Egyptian army began his efforts to eventually become the ruler of Egypt.

Red Cahal turns out to have a role in all these events. And he's the perfect character to do so. We will be seeing the breaking of the power of the Western Crusaders, to whom Cahal has allied himself. The losses he's already suffered and his melancholy nature work as thematic linchpins to the events around him.

But all this melancholy does not get in the way of telling a truly exciting adventure story. Cahal is traveling with a small band of knights when they are overwhelmed by a horde of 10,000 horsemen, riding down from Turkey to escape the Mongols, but destroying and conquering themselves along the way.

Cahal is the only one to hack his way clear and tries to warn Jerusalem of the approaching danger, but there's simply no time. The horde sacks the city and slaughters thousands of citizens, descerating both Christian and Muslim locations.

Cahal again hacks his way free and eventually joins up with the remnants of the Christian armies, who in turn have teamed up with some Muslim forces to face off against a mutual enemy.

But what about the Egyptians? They are marching as well and rumors are they may team up with the Turkish horde. If so, the makeshift Christian/Muslim army is doomed. Cahal is asked to be an emissary to talk to the Egyptian general Baibars and find out what the heck is going on.

Treachery, desperate escapes, a bloody battle and a doomed last stand all quickly follow.

Throughout all this, Cahal keeps running into the same guy--though the guy is using a different name and occupation every time they meet. It can be argued that a weak point of the story is that it's really not that hard to figure out who this fellow really is, but the revelation of his real identity is still dramatically effective. There's also a Masked Knight whom Cahal meets right after escaping Jerusalem. That's another identity that will be revealed at the story's climax.

"The Sowers of Thunder" is a fantastic adventure story and that really is 99% of the reason I return to it regularly. But it also deals very effectively with the ephemeral quality of temporal power and glory. In the end, a man is on his way to becoming a king. But, as Cahal points out and himself knows all too well, the glory is a witch-fire and the gold is moon-mist. No matter how skilled, smart or ruthless a king may be, nothing he does is permanent.

You can read "The Sowers of Thunder" online HERE.

Next week, we'll look at another favorite story and do some detective work in 1920s San Francisco, working on a case where a number of people die essentially because they are too dumb to live.