ALAN QUATERMAIN RETURNS
Alan Quatermain is brought to life by remodelling Jeffrey Dharma’s transhuman DNA and programmed with the writings of his creator H. Ryder Haggard. He’s recruited to join the battle against an almost forgotten Hindu god. His story takes place in Aurum, a mystical golden realm, that exists in the legends of every nation. New Hades is one of the principal cities in this vast empire.
KING OF THE GOLD WORLD – PART 1
AN ALLAN QUATERMAIN NOVELLA
I had installed myself as the owner of the New Hades citadel palace, after ousting that Megapollyon fellow to the delight of the populous. In fact, their joy was so profound that they offered me the regency, providing I could get consent from the true monarch, King Midas. The former Phrygian king was a bit of a recluse, on account that he was rather embarrassed by his donkey’s ears.
Contrary to legend Midas had not lost his golden touch, true he had washed his hands in the river Pactolus, also true was the fact that the sands were turned to gold and its waters then flowed underground. The king had followed the river tunnel and came across a great civilisation, where Midas proceeded to turn everything in this lost world to gold. At first the inhabitants were very pleased with their newfound fortune, but unhappy that the king had turned hundreds of their children into a precious metal.
For a few months I did my best to put an end to the trade of slaves for gold. Unfortunately, the economy of Aurum turned on trading in human flesh, a far more valuable commodity than gold, when one lives in a world made from the stuff. However, you can’t eat, drink or dress in gold so the exchange of flesh to buy life’s essentials was still the order of the day. As a result, the beastly trade of human trafficking, made flesh worth more than gold.
Several complaints reached Midas ears and I was ordered to turn a blind eye on the slavery trade. However, finding the beastly business abhorrent to my nature, I continued my private crusade against these vile slavers.
ZODIAC MAN Chapter 77 abridged extract. KING OF THE GOLD WORLD continues in THE 1000 NAMES OF GOD.
ZODIAC MAN
THE 1000 NAMES OF GOD
