The Lost Conan Adventures: "Queen of the Black Coast," Part 1

The Tigress ranged the sea, and the black villages shuddered. Tom-toms beat in the night, with a tale that the she-devil of the sea had found a mate, an iron man whose wrath was as that of a wounded lion. And survivors of butchered Stygian ships named Bêlit with curse, and a white warrior with fierce blue eyes; so the Stygian princes remembered this man long and long, and their memory was a bitter tree which bore crimson fruit in the years to come.
But heedless as a vagrant wind, the Tigress cruised the southern coasts, until she anchored at the mouth of a broad sullen river, whose banks were jungle-clouded walls of mystery.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p129

Perhaps more than any other Conan tale, "Queen of the Black Coast" is the one most ripe for expansion.  In a way, it's actually two tales in one: the story of Conan's first meeting with Bêlit, and the story of their last adventure.  An entire saga could be spun between the first chapter and the rest of the yarn, and Conan's time among the corsairs is one of the most commonly referenced periods in other Conan stories.  It seems clear that Conan's time with Bêlit was a significant and lengthy period of his youth, and there are copious clues which could be teased into the legend of Amra and the She-Devil.

Before Our Story Begins

Prologue Expansion
The most obvious route for expansion would be the prologue: Conan relates his judicial woes to Tito, but the tale could be expanded into a story of its own.

Travel to Argos

“I came into Argos seeking employment, but with no wars forward, there was nothing to which I might turn my hand.”
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p122

Conan hears of war in Argos, and so he travels there, perhaps along with Amalric's mercenary army ("Black Colossus").  What is the nature of this war?  Is it a brawl with their nemesis Zingara, an attempt to bully some rebellious Shemite cities, an expansion inward to Ophir, or was it an aborted first strike at Stygia, which would be delayed for another several years (the Tombalku typescripts)?  Maybe it was a war against Koth: Conan is no friend of the king, and it's likely Amalric wasn't either considering his time in Khoraja, and it could provide an impetus for Koth's betrayal of Argos in the Argossean-Stygian war.  It could also be an internal conflict: a peasant revolt, a succession crisis, a baronial uprising, an idealogical revolution, or attempted usurpation.

A Young Soldier

“Well, last night in a tavern, a captain in the king’s guard offered violence to the sweetheart of a young soldier, who naturally ran him through. But it seems there is some cursed law against killing guardsmen, and the boy and his girl fled away. It was bruited about that I was seen with them, and so today I was haled into court, and a judge asked me where the lad had gone. I replied that since he was a friend of mine, I could not betray him."
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p123

Somewhere on the way to Argos, he befriends a young soldier while he waits for mobilization.  Was he a fellow mercenary he merely met in Argos, or was he a veteran of Amalric's army?  Could this friend of his turn out to be a certain Poitanian whom Conan would meet again?  Mobilization of the army would take a while, so Conan would have to hang out in Argos a bit: here he may learn of Publio, the merchant supporting his business with black market dealings. A captain of the king's guard makes trouble for the young man, who slays him: since there is a law against killing guardsmen the boy and the girl fled, possibly with Conan's help.  For his trouble, Conan gets hauled into court...

Trouble in Messantia

“But I choked my ire and held my peace, and the judge squalled that I had shown contempt for the court, and that I should be hurled into a dungeon to rot until I betrayed my friend. So then, seeing they were all mad, I drew my sword and cleft the judge’s skull; then I cut my way out of the court, and seeing the high constable’s stallion tied near by, I rode for the wharfs, where I thought to find a ship bound for foreign parts.”
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p123

After what I'm sure was a great deal of patience on the Cimmerian's part, he makes a bloody escape.  Conan seems to recognise the High Constable's stallion, which indicates some amount of familiarity with him.  Most intriguing to me is the identity of the young soldier: while it's possible Conan never sees or hears from him again, I think it's also possible he's someone he meets again.  Could this be the first meeting between Conan and Prospero, and strengthens the two's bond with each other?

Other Adventures
There are a few bits and pieces which suggest, due to context, adventures which took place before the story began, and not necessarily during Conan's time with Bêlit.

Other Cimmerians

The wanderer was no less of interest to the sturdy seamen, few of whom had ever seen one of his race.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p124

Though Conan is the only Cimmerian ever encountered or discussed individually in the Conan stories, it's clear from this and other clues (his grandfather's tales, other references to Cimmerian raids) that he was not the only Cimmerian to travel south in his lifetime. While Argos seems awfully far south for the Cimmerians to travel, one must remember that the Argosseans are hardy and far-travelled, so they could have encountered Cimmerians further north in some fashion. Did Conan encounter any other such Cimmerian wanderers in his journeys?

Apparel for a Cimmerian

Young in years, he was hardened in warfare and wandering, and his sojourns in many lands were evident in his apparel. His horned helmet was such as was worn by the golden-haired Æsir of Nordheim; his hauberk and greaves were of the finest workmanship of Koth; the fine ring-mail which sheathed his arms and legs was of Nemedia; the blade at his girdle was a great Aquilonian broadsword; and his gorgeous scarlet cloak could have been spun nowhere but in Ophir.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p124

The origin of Conan's fine clothing and armour could be integrated into their own adventures: did he go to each of the realms mentioned on his journey to Argos, were they plundered from the battlefield, or just bought with a sudden windfall of gold?  Were they bought individually, or at the same time?  Horned helms are not frequently seen outside of Nordheim, but Conan could have picked it up on either a second stay with the Æsir, or on his journey home to Cimmeria.

Could the hauberk and greaves have been forged in the flaming mountains of Khrosha, speculatively placed in Koth ("The chest forged in unholy fires among the flaming mountains of Khrosha; the metal no chisel can cut." - The Hour of the Dragon, The Bloody Crown of Conan, p170)?  Was the fine Nemedian ring-mail the garb of an Adventurer - possibly the spoils of battle, where Conan first discovers firsthand what a deadly foe they are ("Conan knew that he could have been discovered by no more dangerous a foeman." - The Hour of the Dragon, The Bloody Crown of Conan, p124)?  Was the Aquilonian broadsword of the same nigh-unbreakable steel as the sword he wielded as a thief in Numalia ("It seems less destructible than Aquilonian steel..." - "The God in the Bowl," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p59)? 

Ominous Portents

So they beat southward, and master Tito began to look for the high-walled villages of the black people. But they found only smoking ruins on the shore of a bay, littered with naked black bodies. Tito swore... "The wildest she-devil unhanged. Unless I read the signs a-wrong, it was her butchers who destroyed that village on the bay..."
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p124

Exactly how could Tito know that the ruined town was the handiwork of the black corsairs? Was it simple forensic observation based on their particular manner of destruction, or something more sinister?  Did they make some form of message or signature, warning other pirates or traders, as a fearmongering tactic?  Did they leave some grim token or symbol?

The Hardy Argus

“Mine is no warship. We run, not fight. Yet if it came to a pinch, we have beaten off reavers before, and might do it again..."
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p125

Tito and the Argus are clearly experienced in repelling pirates, though they'd rather avoid them altogether: one wonders what sort of escapades the Argus got to before its final voyage.

Learning Archery

“It’s not my idea of a manly weapon, but I learned archery among the Hyrkanians, and it will go hard if I can’t feather a man or so on yonder deck.”
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p125

It's something of a matter of concern exactly when Conan learned archery among the Hyrkanians: most of the stories set in the east appear to be set later in his career than "Queen."  Presumably it was during his mercenary period: perhaps he sojourned in the Turanian army for a space before or after "Black Colossus," or during the Yaralet period.  The fact that Conan refers to archery as effectively "not manly" is curious: does he imply it's a feminine weapon, or that it's a cowardly one?  It's quite thematically appropriate that Conan would use a weapon he considers "unmanly" against the inhuman horrors in the story's climax.

Not his first dance

The men shouted in confusion, and Conan took command in characteristic fashion.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p126

"Characteristic fashion" indicates that Conan has taken command before: while it might not indicate Conan being in command of anything more than a crew of bandits, this has been considered a clue that "Black Colossus" and possibly "A Witch Shall Be Born" take place before this tale, not to mention the mercenaries of Corinthia as stated in the former.

The Fires of the Ultimate South

“Who are you?” she demanded. “By Ishtar, I have never seen your like, though I have ranged the sea from the coasts of Zingara to the fires of the ultimate south. Whence come you?”
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p127

The Fires of the Ultimate South is certainly an evocative, suggestive phrase, and one wonders what Bêlit could mean by it.  What are these fires, and where is the ultimate south?  Could they be the Hyborian ancestors of modern volcanic ranges, such as what are now the French Southern and Antarctic Islands?  Or are fires metaphorical, indicating a particularly hot region?  Bêlit's territory tends to range along the Black Coast, so they could even be a volcanic range on the southern tip of the Thurian continent.  Bêlit could return to those lands with Conan, or tell him the tale of her visit.

Conan's Barbarian Women

Yet in his heart he did not fear; he had held too many women, civilized or barbaric, in his iron-thewed arms, not to recognize the light that burned in the eyes of this one.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p127

That Conan has known the hot embrace of civilized women is, naturally, well-known: this is proof that Conan had done the same with barbarian women.  It seems logical to suppose that Conan had a Cimmerian sweetheart, or a lover among the Æsir: it's too early in his career to encounter Kushite or Afghuli women. It is notable that Conan doesn't seem nonplussed that the terror of the Black Coast was a woman, also suggesting an earlier age for Conan.  It also suggests "Queen" was set after "Black Colossus," since not only did Conan fully expect Princess Yasmela to don armour for battle, but he didn't retort with the example of Bêlit as a leader who led her warriors into the thick of combat.  It is likely that Conan's comparatively dismissive treatment of certain civilized women is not because they're women, but because they can't compare to the likes of Bêlit and the barbarian women he's known.

Barbarian Raids

To the people of the exotic climes, the north was a mazy half-mythical realm, peopled with ferocious blue-eyed giants who occasionally descended from their icy fastnesses with torch and sword. Their raids had never taken them as far south as Shem, and this daughter of Shem made no distinction between Æsir, Vanir or Cimmerian.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p128

This is an example of the extent of northern barbarian raids, and how the facts were distorted the further south one travelled: the Aquilonians knew Cimmerians were real, but almost doubted the existence of Æsir and Vanir; the Shemites viewed all three as half-mythical. 

Ends of the Earth, Ends of the Sea

"Go with me to the ends of the earth and the ends of the sea! I am a queen by fire and steel and slaughter – be thou my king!"
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p128

Bêlit obviously has plans for Conan: perhaps with him by her side, she can go to places uncharted and undreamed even by her.

Hyborian Cities

"Mitra of the Hyborians must be a strong god, because his people have builded their cities over the world."
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p131

Conan would have to have visited a substantial enough portion of the Hyborian Age world to come to such a conclusion. Since Conan is imparting this to Bêlit, it seems logical that this is personal experience, rather than one shared with Bêlit: otherwise, why would he mention it?

Bel, the Good God

And Bel, god of thieves, is a good god. When I was a thief in Zamora I learned of him."
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p131

This is a direct reference to "The Tower of the Elephant," where the Kothian scoundrel and Taurus both mentioned the deity: evidently, Conan learned more of Bel during his time in Zamora.

Nemedian Skeptics

I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by the Nemedian skeptics, or Crom’s realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer’s Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p131

We can guess that Conan learned of Valhalla from his time among the Æsir, but where did he encounter the Nemedian skeptics and their theory of a blackness beyond death?  Who were these skeptics - were they Hyborian-era atheists, or something closer to agnostics?  Did Conan listen into the skeptics' debates in Nemedia as he did with Zamorian philosophers?

Black Lotus

From a cluster of green, curiously leafed stalks, great black blossoms nodded at him. One of these had touched him. They seemed to beckon him, to arch their pliant stems toward him. They spread and rustled, though no wind blew. He recoiled, recognizing the black lotus, whose juice was death, and whose scent brought dream-haunted slumber.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p135

Conan's first encounter with the Black Lotus was "The Tower of the Elephant," but in powder form: evidently Conan learned to identify the lotus' blossoms at some point, or he simply recognized its scent from Yara's garden.  Where did Conan encounter a Black Lotus flower so far from Khitai and Stygia?

The Well of Skelos

By what godless alchemy these beings had been brought into existence, he could not guess; but he knew he faced diabolism blacker than the Well of Skelos.
 - "Queen of the Black Coast," The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, p142 

Skelos is a figure of much mystery in the Hyborian Age: his incantations, votaries and iron-bound books have been used by sorcerers from all over the world. The first mention of him in the Conan stories, however, was one of the most vague: the Well of Skelos. From context, it seems that Skelos was either a sorcerer, or some form of demonic horror like the Master of Yimsha; as such, the Well of Skelos could be a great cavernous opening, from which "black diabolism" issued.  There are many examples of demons emerging from, or returning to, great wells in the ground: Thog ("Xuthal of the Dusk"), Thaug ("A Witch Shall Be Born"), and the many horrors of the Scarlet Citadel being the most notable. The Well of Skelos could be the most notorious of these.  The real question is, is Conan speaking figuratively, merely knowing of the Well - or did Conan actually lay eyes upon this well? Was this during his reign of terror on the Black Coast, or before?