Plot summary The Secret of Sinharat

map of mars in fiction of leigh brackett.

for first 7 chapters, queen of martian catacombs , secret of sinharat word-for-word identical; differences inconsequential plot. in chapter 1, brief paragraph inserted situate reader in leigh brackett solar system , excuse presence of non-terran humans on planets mars through concept of prehistoric seeding - not mentioned elsewhere in brackett s novels. in chapter 5, explicit reference events of brackett s story beast-jewel of mars (planet stories, winter 1948) has been cut, perhaps on assumption readers of novel not know or interested in earlier story. arabic word khamsin consistently replaced storm wind , perhaps on grounds readers might not familiar word (or mistake martian technical term).

chapter 1 - eric john stark, fleeing venus has been running guns native opponents of terro-venusian mining concern (mining , mineral extraction companies recur villains in brackett s stories), has come mars fight mercenary in private war in martian drylands on behalf of delgaun, lord of martian city of valkis. pinned down agents of earth police control. leader, simon ashton, offers him deal: lifting of sentence, if agrees act spy on delgaun, whom ashton claims plotting major war barbarian leader called kynon, of dryland tribe of shun; war ashton says disastrous drylanders. stark agrees go valkis ashton s agent, , return report him in martian city of tarak.
chapter 2 - stark enters valkis late @ night , sees drylanders gathering there. meets delgaun , several other mercenaries delgaun has hired. 1 of them luhar, old enemy of stark venus. challenge each other, delgaun separates them. @ dawn, kynon of shun enters valkis.
chapter 3 - delgaun, stark , mercenaries go see kynon. in public square of valkis, kynon demonstrates technology claims have recovered lost secrets of ramas, ancient race of martians had acquired form of immortality. kynon, using 2 crystal circlets , glowing rod, appears transfer consciousness of old martian man young terran boy. old man collapses , dies. kynon returns delgaun , others council room in palace.
chapter 4 - stark accuses kynon of elaborate charade in boy coached in part , old man killed poison. kynon admits it, justifies necessity uniting drylanders against city-states of dryland borders, depriving them of water resources. men of valkis , other low-canal cities, conquer city-states , become independent of terra. stark goes quarters , sleeps through day. @ dusk goes council-room, , finds delgaun there kynon s female companion, berild. delgaun asks stark bring 1 of kynon s trusted captains, freka, indulging in vice ; needs before kynon sets out @ midnight desert headquarters. on way, stark stopped fianna, berild s serving girl, warns him going trap set delgaun. stark accepts warning, continues anyway.
chapter 5 - stark comes kala s, broken-down dive in uninhabited part of valkis. finds freka there, indulging in shanga, radiation-induced temporary atavistic regression bestial state. stark realizes empty room near freka contains trap set him. when refused entrance room, leaves kala s , waits outside. followed luhar, had been waiting in empty room chance attack stark. stark jumps luhar; fighting goes kala s, shanga addicts , kala herself become involved. stark knocks freka out, stabbed luhar, knocks luhar out, , returns freka delgaun s palace. delgaun surprised , angry; berild pleased.
chapter 6 - @ midnight, kynon leaves valkis drylanders , mercenaries. kynon orders stark , luhar remain apart each other. delgaun remains behind. luhar , freka confer. caravan proceeds across desert 3 days, , on fourth day hit sandstorm.
chapter 7 - luhar , freka take advantage of storm jump stark , leave him dead. finds himself berild. when storm blows out, lost in desert. proceed on foot. after 4 days, running out of water, come wilderness of rocks.

from chapter 8 on 2 versions diverge.

queen of martian catacombs

chapter 8 - stark , berild dying of thirst. berild leads stark 3 miles out of way ruined monastery. miraculously discovers long-buried well. after have drunk , slept, stark suggests berild surviving immortal rama, , knew location of memory. berild dismisses accusation. stay in ruins 2 days, , leave.
chapter 9 - stark , berild arrive @ sinharat, old city of ramas, kynon has made headquarters. find kynon s army , mercenaries camped in desert outside city. stark enters sinharat looking luhar, , fatally attacks him when finds him. delgaun mysteriously there. kynon arrests stark , places him in subterranean cell in sinharat under freka s guard. before freka can kill stark, fianna appears , shoots him. stark disposes of freka in pit in catacombs. fianna explains delgaun , berild both ramas, , while kynon wants empire, delgaun , berild want control mars - without kynon - through mercenary outlander clients.
chapter 10 - stark , fianna proceed crypt below sinharat berild waiting. kynon there her, drugged , under berild s hypnotic control. berild offers become stark s lover , make him rama, exchanging mind kynon s, , disposing of delgaun after war. stark agrees, , berild produces real crowns of ramas, , puts them on stark s , kynon s heads.
chapter 11 - stark awakes find himself in kynon s body. own body still there, alive kynon s mind still under hypnosis. berild locks kynon, in stark s body, in small cell. stark-as-kynon goes berild address armies assembled @ sinharat high ledge in city. delgaun there. instead of leading them war, stark reveals charade of false rama crowns. berild stabs stark in back. stark reveals berild s treachery delgaun. delgaun throws berild ledge , attempts unseat stark steed , flee. stark, though wounded, grasps delgaun , throttles him, while delgaun stabs him repeatedly. stark kills delgaun , loses consciousness. fianna runs him.
chapter 12 - stark awakes , finds himself fianna. in crypt below sinharat, in own body. kynon next him, dead. fianna reveals rama, unknown berild , delgaun. expresses remorse past evil , destroys rod , crowns of ramas. stark , fianna leave , find sinharat deserted. fianna decides stay in sinharat while before decides do. stark departs tarak meet simon ashton.

the secret of sinharat

chapter 8 - stark , berild dying of thirst. berild leads stark 3 miles out of way old ruin, both collapse. @ night, stark wakes see berild tracing steps site of long-buried well. uncover together, drink, , sleep. next night, stark suggests berild must witch have discovered well. berild explains knew secret of s location father, had crossed desert in place years ago. stark accepts explanation, privately unconvinced. stay in ruins 2 days, , leave.
chapter 9 - stark , berild arrive @ sinharat @ dawn , find kynon s caravan encamped outside. dryland armies have not yet arrived, kynon , mercenaries in city itself, drylanders regard taboo. stark , berild enter sinharat looking luhar, kynon prevents stark , luhar fighting. berild kills luhar knife. kynon not punish berild, warns stark not fight freka, has gone desert, , condemns infighting threatens plans. berild lies kynon how , stark reached sinharat, pretending had more water did. kynon dismisses berild , stark.
chapter 10 - stark awakes @ dusk , finds fianna there. warns him life in danger delgaun, when arrives. stark refuses flee. fianna leads stark chamber berild waiting. warns him against delgaun, , expresses resentment @ kynon. drums beat announcing late arrival of delgaun , allies sinharat, , stark , berild part. stark leaves, meets fianna, hints berild may rama.
chapter 11 - kynon unveils banner of ramas before massed armies of drylands , low-canals in front of sinharat. stark confronts delgaun fellow-follower of kynon, , forces delgaun accept him comrade-in-arms. later, in council, delgaun backs down before kynon, , proceed plot conquest of city-states. kynon warns confederates not reveal not have secret of ramas. days pass. freka returns shun more fighters, kynon keeps him , stark fighting. later, stark goes sinharat , finds berild reading ancient wall-inscription in unknown language. stark follows goes high window.
chapter 12 - stark accuses berild of being rama. berild dismisses statement smooth explanations, stark not accept them. stark deduces delgaun must rama. berild leaves suddenly. stark goes later, , attacked freka under influence of shanga. fighting, kynon , fighters discover them. stark accused of murdering freka, , shunni demand blood. stark knocked out tries blurt out truth of kynon s charade. awakes in underground cell, guarded shunni warrior. (this portion of expansion rewrite of middle of chapter 9 of catacombs.)
chapter 13 - fianna appears, shoots shunni, , frees stark. fianna reveals she, berild, , delgaun surviving ramas, though dependent upon them sending-on of minds. leads him catacombs, stark disposes of guard s body in pit , takes sword. fianna describes delgaun , berild s plans empire, , explains intend dispose of kynon putting delgaun s mind kynon s body. asks stark prevent it, , leads him berild s chamber. there find kynon in bonds, , berild preparing real crowns of ramas sending-on of minds.
chapter 14 - stark enters, attacks delgaun , kills him sword. berild drops crowns , draws knife. fianna frees kynon, throttles berild slashes him. stark tells wounded kynon stop march of drylanders. , fianna kynon out open stairway leads sinharat. there, kynon addresses tribes, telling them of delgaun , berild s treachery , own lie having secret of ramas. collapses , dies. mercenaries , armies break , leave. stark returns sinharat , finds fianna. explains has hidden crowns of ramas, unable destroy them. invites stark return sinharat late in life, offering make him rama then. refuses. fianna says stay in sinharat. stark departs tarak meet simon ashton, looking @ sinharat goes.