| "The People of the Summit" | |
|---|---|
| Short story byBjörn Nyberg andL. Sprague de Camp | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publication | |
| Published in | The Mighty Swordsmen |
| Publication type | Collection |
| Publisher | Lancer Books |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Publication date | 1970 |
| Series | Conan the Barbarian |
"The People of the Summit" is ashort story by Swedish writerBjörn Nyberg, subsequently revised byL. Sprague de Camp, featuring the fictionalsword and sorcery heroConan the Barbarian created byRobert E. Howard. Nyberg's version of the story was first published byLancer Books in the paperback anthologyThe Mighty Swordsmen in December 1970. The revised version was first published byBantam Books in the paperback collectionConan the Swordsman in August 1978. Later paperback editions of the collection were issued byAce Books (1987 and 1991). The first hardcover edition was published byTor Books in 2002. The book has also been translated intoItalian. It was later gathered together withConan the Liberator andConan and the Spider God into the omnibus collectionSagas of Conan (Tor Books, 2004).
Conan and his comrade, Jamal, are the sole survivors in a cavalry of Turanian soldiers ambushed by Khozgarian tribesmen. Fleeing the massacre, they encounter Shanya Karaz, daughter of a Khozgari chief, whom they seize as a hostage. Their journey brings the three across Bhamlar Pass, which they brave despite Shanya's warnings about the People of the Summit, remnants of a dying race who haunt the high mountains. Lost in the pass, all three are attacked simultaneously. Jamal is killed, while Shanya is captured during the struggle. After escaping a troop of grey-haired apes, Conan pursue the creatures towards an ancient tower in his quest to rescue Shanya.
| Preceded by | Complete Conan Saga (William Galen Gray chronology) | Succeeded by |