| "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story byStephen King | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| Language | English | ||
| Genre | Fantasy | ||
| Publication | |||
| Published in | The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction | ||
| Publisher | Mercury Press | ||
| Media type | Print (Magazine) | ||
| Publication date | November1981 | ||
| Chronology | |||
| Series | The Dark Tower | ||
| |||
"The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" is afantasy short story by American writerStephen King, originally published inThe Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in November1981.[1] In1982, "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" was collected with several other stories King published inThe Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction asThe Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" formed the fifth and final chapter of the book, and was slightly revised for the inclusion.[2][3] For theRevised and expanded edition published in 2003, "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" was retitled to "The Gunslinger and the Man in Black."[4]
After sacrificingJake in the mountain,Roland makes his way down to speak to theman in black. The man reads Roland's fate from a pack ofTarot cards, including "the sailor" (Jake), "the prisoner" (Eddie Dean) "the lady of shadows" (Susannah Dean), "death" (but not for Roland), and the Tower itself, as the center of everything. The man in black states that he is merely a pawn of Roland's true enemy, the one who now controls the Dark Tower itself.
Roland attacks the man in black, who retaliates by knocking him out with an incantation. Roland enters a terrifying visionary hallucination revealing the nature of the cosmos. Upon awakening, he questions the man in black further and recognizes him as Marten Broadcloak, the court sorcerer who had manipulated Roland into undergoing an early trial to earn his status as a gunslinger. Roland had left his home for a time after passing the trial, but found on his return that Marten had joined a rebellion against the realm.
The man in black puts Roland to sleep for ten years; when Roland awakes, he finds that nothing is left of the man except for his skeleton. He takes itsjawbone with him as he departs, as a replacement for the one he had given to Jake in "The Oracle and the Mountains," and travels by foot to the Western Sea.
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