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Exact textual stateDraft

The Dragon of Kao Tsu

Part of The Dragon of Kao Tsu

StateDraft 3Surviving witnesses1TSS catalogue units19
Textual identity is not textual authority. “Catalogue primary/default” selects the default catalogue representation; it does not mean that this wording is automatically Howard’s most authoritative text.

Characters in this exact text

Betty ElstonBetty Elston — Marianne Allison's society rival and antique collectorMentionedfirst: Marianne complains about Betty Elston's Ming vase.Bull DaviesBull Davies — large seaman/agent pursuing the ivory figureOn Pagefirst: Introduces himself in the warehouse.Jum ChinJum Chin — Chinese servant/henchman of the shareef; secretly takes the contract figureOn Pagefirst: Ahmed orders Jum Chin to lift Marianne from the cellar.Marianne AllisonMarianne Allison — wealthy American woman who hires Clanton to obtain the elephant/dragonOn Pagefirst: Named during the opening sequence.Ram LalRam Lal — thief hired through Clanton to steal the ivory figureOn Pagefirst: Named in the opening discussion; corpse is later found in the warehouse.Old Man AllisonRichard J. Allison — Marianne Allison's wealthy father; principal in the concession agreementMentionedfirst: Repeatedly referred to as Marianne's old man/father in the exposition.Shareef AhmedShareef Ahmed — holder/broker of the disputed ivory figure and antagonist in The Dragon of Kao TsuOn Pagefirst: First named in the opening discussion and later appears at the warehouse.Wild Bill ClantonWild Bill ClantonOn Pagefirst: Opening sentence.YakubYakub — elderly Jewish silk-shop keeper consulted by Clanton about the carved figureOn Pagefirst: Clanton visits Yakub with the ivory dragon.

Surviving manuscript evidence

The records below describe surviving physical typescripts, carbons, manuscript material and documentary catalogue evidence for this exact textual state. TSS numbers identify physical catalogue units; they are not story or draft IDs.

Draft 3 — surviving Howard typescriptHoward typescript
Extent19 pagesCompletenessComplete

Physical extent: Complete 19-page untitled typescript on yellow paper; pagination error from manuscript page 13 onward

TSS: 50740–50758

Complete untitled Howard typescript on yellow paper.

Additional documentary notes

  • Untitled Witness: First Cuts describes Draft 3 as untitled. (witness level)
  • Paper Stock: The typescript is on yellow paper. (whole witness)
  • Pagination Anomaly: Manuscript page 13 is misnumbered 14 and the numbering continues incorrectly for the remaining pages. (manuscript page 13 onward)

Source: First Cuts: The Veiled Manuscripts v1.4, The Dragon of Kao Tsu, Editorial Notes p. 345; Draft 3 pp. 369–387

Published in

The Veiled Manuscripts - First Cuts: The Drafts and FragmentsREH Foundation PressJune 2026 (paperback) est. July 27, 2026 (hardcover)↗