
In the blistering sands of a forgotten desert, an unlikely partnership forms between Yar Ali, a fierce Afghan rifleman, and Steve Clarney, a lean American scout. After a desperate skirmish with a band of white‑robed horsemen, the two men find themselves stranded with dwindling water and ammunition, their survival hinged on a whispered legend. The story that drives them forward is the myth of the Fire of Asshurbanipal—a flaming gem said to rest upon a skeletal throne in a silent, black‑stone city.
Guided by rumors from a dying caravan guard, they set out on a perilous trek across Persia and Turkestan, chasing a treasure that promises riches and perhaps redemption. Howard’s prose thrusts listeners into relentless gunfights, scorching heat, and the eerie allure of ancient curses. As the desert opens its secrets, the duo must balance their greed with the ever‑present danger of the unforgiving landscape.
Language
en
Duration
~54 minutes (52K characters)
Series
Cthulhu Mythos Tales
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Popular Fiction Publishing Company, 1936.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2023-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1906–1936
Best known for creating Conan the Barbarian, this Texas-born pulp writer packed his stories with action, strange worlds, and a fierce sense of adventure. In just a short life, he helped shape the modern sword-and-sorcery tradition.
View all books
by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard

by Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard