El Borak (2)

Introduction

“El Borak” is an unfinished tale by Robert E. Howard that blends adventure and intrigue in the deserts of the Middle East. It features two of Howard’s recurring characters, El Borak, known for his sharp mind and deadly skills, and Stephen Angus Allison, also known as The Sonora Kid, who navigates his own moral code in foreign lands.

The story features a team-up of different Howard characters. Today we would probably call them crossovers. El Borak teams up with the Sonora Kid. Never published in Howard’s lifetime. The opening line is “Were you ever stranded . . .”

Summary

The story begins with Stephen Angus Allison recounting a desperate situation in Aden where, after a conflict with his ship’s crew, he finds himself stranded without money or friends. In a desperate attempt to survive, he plans to rob a local merchant but is intercepted by a mysterious figure who offers him a job with a lucrative reward.

Allison is introduced to a complex political situation involving local power struggles. He meets an influential figure named El Bahr, who hires him to kill a rival, Diego Valdez, a gunman believed to be influencing regional politics adversely. However, as Allison prepares for the task, he discovers that Valdez is actually Frank Gordon, an American known as El Borak, and not the villain he was made out to be.

A series of events reveals the manipulative nature of El Bahr, who had misled Allison to remove a political threat. Meanwhile, Allison and Gordon form an unlikely alliance when Gordon saves Allison from an assassination attempt by El Bahr’s men, recognizing a shared heritage and potential in Allison.

The narrative highlights various characters from diverse backgrounds, each playing a role in the broader political games of Oman, including:

  • Yar Ali Khan, a strong and loyal Afghan ally to Gordon.
  • Ghopal Ramm, a well-educated Indian who is initially found being tortured and later aligns with Gordon.
  • Rustum Bey, a sophisticated Persian involved in the regional politics.
  • Lal Singh, a Sikh warrior demonstrating the diverse ethnicities drawn into the Middle Eastern conflicts.

Characters

  • Stephen Angus Allison/The Sonora Kid: An American adventurer, initially manipulated into assassination plots but eventually allies with El Borak.
  • Frank Gordon/El Borak: A skilled American gunslinger and adventurer deeply involved in Middle Eastern politics, known for his quick reflexes and strategic mind.
  • El Bahr/Ahmed Habib: A deceptive and ambitious local leader using Allison to eliminate his political rival, El Borak.
  • Ghopal Ramm: An Indian scholar and adventurer, mistaken for a spy, who provides comic relief and intellectual discourse.
  • Yar Ali Khan: An Afghan warrior, loyal to El Borak, who brings strength and a deep knowledge of local terrain and politics.
  • Rustum Bey: A Persian nobleman, adding to the international intrigue and complexity of alliances.
  • Lal Singh: A Sikh from Lahore, representing the broader Indian involvement in Middle Eastern affairs.

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Artwork for the teaser-image: Guillaume Sorel