The Swords of Lankhmar

The Swords of Lankhmar is a book by Fritz Leiber.

It is the fifth in the canonical series concerning Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and is the only one presented as a complete novel.

Plot Summary

(Although presented as a novel, the first third was published as Scylla's Daughter.)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser return to Lankhmar after some time away, and casually rout a bunch of heavies who are awaiting to obtain recompense for debts unpaid and (more likely) thefts perpetrated. This ambush was in fact laid on specially as a test of their mettle. The Overlord of Lankhmar, Glipkerio Kistomerces, wishes to employ them.

They are on a diplomatic mission to Movarl, Overlord of the Eight Cities, aboard a grain ship Squid, one of several. Also on this ship are the Demoiselle Hisvet, her maid Frix and her twelve white rats. These rats are highly trained, and perform tricks for entertainment. Also on board ship is a black kitten, who (not surprisingly) is far from happy about being in the presence of these rats.

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are in competition for the charms of Hisvet, who is (not to put too fine a point on it) coquettish. She appears to favour the Gray Mouser, as he seems less loutish and has a slicker tongue.

With a great big 'Hoongk!', out of the fog of nowhere emerges a gigantic reptilian head. Before Fafhrd can recover from his surprise, out comes another even larger one. The latter is being ridden by a man who is cursing in German. He is an interdimensional collector of beasts for a zoo on some version of Earth, one presumes, somewhere in the Multiverse. He has a Lankhmarese-German dictionary, which he can employ to some useful effect. He introduces himself as Karl Treuherz, and his sea-monster as Scylla in tribute to Homer. Scylla, apparently, eats rats. She definitely goes for Hisvet with a lunge, which is a mortifying display of bad manners in Treuherz's eyes. He rides Scylla away with a cordial apology.

Meanwhile it appears that the Clam, one of Squid's sister ships, has been overrun with rats and has foundered. Hisvet's rats are blamed (via some superstition), and it is noticed that probably one of them is missing. There are surely but eleven now. Mouser springs to her defence (besotted as he is). The other sailors are suspicious, and now suspect Mouser for being in league with the rats. A challenge is issued, and Fafhrd beats Lukeen in one-to-one combat, thereby upholding Hisvet's honour.

Fafhrd and the Mouser have pledged themselves to watch Hisvet and her rats continuously, so as to ensure that none of them is the instrument of another ship going down. However, the pair are drugged by the cook and tied up. This is unfortunate, as the rats take over the ship. Not only are there the eleven white rats, but many ordinary black ship rats, all co-ordinating their attack on the remaining sailors that haven't fled in terror. However, Frix and Hisvet refuse to free our two heroes, still tied up against the ship's fitments. Fafhrd is still asleep from the drugged curry, while the Mouser has gradually been sawing through his bonds with a sharpened coin. The black kitten is clawing away at Fafhrd's face, trying to wake him, because the pair desperately need to be free and alert.

Squid is boarded by Hisvin, the father of Hisvet, and his henchmen. They discuss their grandiose lunatic plan for the rats (to which they are clearly kin) taking over the world. Skwee, chief of Hisvet's rats, can be heard speaking Lankhmarese. Bug by now the kitten has woken Fafhrd up by clawing his face to tatters and biting him on the nose. Fafhrd can hear Karl Treuherz's cursing in the mist, so with a great 'Hoongk! Hoongk!' calls Scylla. Mouser finally breaks free, and frees Fafhrd. Copious mayhem, which includes Scylla arriving and eating most of the rats on board Squid (did I mention she eats rats?), and the ship is saved. Treuherz exchanges greetings once more, and then, having found his own transport, hies off to his own homeworld with Scylla.

(This is the end of the part of the novel originally published as Scylla's Daughter.)

---

We next meet Fafhrd, hung over, having been debauching in Kvarch Nar, chief of the Eight Cities. He's been a naughty boy, and now has to flee to avoid a severe drubbing by the natives.

Meanwhile, Lankhmar is in the grip of a plague of rats. We meet a maid employed by Glipkerio Kistomerces. (It is worth pointing out, because this is apparently important to the author, that his maids are shaven hairless all over, and go completely naked.) This particular maid, startled by a rat unexpectedly poking its head up from under a loose tile, drops a tray of confectionery all over the floor. So she's going to get a severe whipping.

The Gray Mouser arrives back in Lankhmar, and presents himself at the Imperial palace, to find that Hisvin has arrived first, and has the ear of Glipkerio. He is going to cast a spell, he says, that will rid Lankhmar of the rats, but it has to wait for auspicious astrological circumstances. Anyone with half a brain-cell's worth of astrological know-how, Lankhmar or not, will know that Hisvin is talking the most righteous rubbish, but GLipkerio is evidently so lacking.

TO BE CONTINUED