Rahan. Episode Sixty-Eight. By Roger Lecureux. The Captive of the great river. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

Episode Sixty-Eight.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Andre Cheret.

The Captive of the great river.

The wind had died down, but Rahan, amazed, noticed that the large skin sail was inflating in the opposite direction to the raft's movement!
He understood that this phenomenon was due to the speed of the skiff.

That an increasingly rapid current carried him towards the horizon.
The force of this current became such that its "rudder" no longer had any effect.

The son of Crao could not have known, not yet, that this one, which fed hundreds of rivers, poured its waters into a gigantic gorge.

Page Two.

The current thus created carried him irresistibly towards these falls, and nothing could stop this race towards death.

He saw a rocky island beyond which the lake ended abruptly!
A dull growl reached him.

If Rahan does not reach this island, it is the "Territory of Shadows" that awaits him!

He tried to change the course of his skiff.
The latter, helpless, turned on itself and.

Glided on the tumultuous flow, and rushed towards the islet that was circled with foam.
Ra-ha-ha!
Rahan will see the sun set!

Page Three.

The shock was incredibly violent.
The raft broke apart and its trunks disappeared between the rocks whipped by the waves.

Entangled under the main sail, the son of Crao managed to free himself.

A few trunks remained stuck in the rocks, but most were carried towards the thundering falls, two arrow-shots from the islet.
Rahan will not be able to rebuild his raft!

The rocks on this side of the islet had been worn and polished by the waves.
The others arose from sharp edges.
Suddenly.
Oh! A killer from the sky!

Rahan used this name for the pterodactyl.
This one held a very young boar in its beak.

Page Four.

The bird released its prey and, flapping its wings, fluttered towards the son of Crao.
Rahan understands!
You do not want to share this refuge with him!

Rahan dodged the first peck.
His ivory knife was going to strike when.
Stop, Man! Do not kill "Arak"!

Rahan was frozen in astonishment.
An old man was finding it difficult to extricate himself from a fault in the rocks.
I am Kaagou. And “Arak” is my companion!
Approach. Approach.
You are the first man I have seen since my raft, like yours, was shattered on this cursed island!

Every time the river carries the dead leaves, I draw a new sign!
There were signs that numbered twice the fingers of both hands!

Rahan was still just a little man when Kaagou ended up here!
Yes! Kaagou and his brothers wanted to know where the big lake ended.

Page Five.

But the flood carried them away, no doubt like you.
Kaagou was luckier than his people, who were swallowed up by the falls!

Kaagou had another chance.
Being able to treat an injured bird.
Since then, “Arak” has remained faithful to him.
He is the one who hunts and fishes for Kaagou.

And Kaagou will live like this until his last day!
Rahan will not remain prisoner of the river!

The old man gave a sad smile.
Kaagou believed it too, at first.
How can you make a skiff on this island without trees!?
And how can you swim without being caught by these falls!?

Page Six.

Any attempt was not only impossible, but also unthinkable.
And the days passed.
"Arak" brought back enough fish to feed the captives of the river.

The vision of distant but inaccessible forests, like the incessant roar of the falls exasperated the son of Crao.
Ah! If Rahan could fly like "Arak"!

This idea haunted him until the morning when,
Do you think “Arak” could take away Rahan!?
Rahan is no longer in his right mind!
But if he wants to try this madness, Kaagou can only wish him good luck!

If Rahan succeeds, Kaakou will be able to abandon these cursed rocks in turn.
“Arak” will come and get him!
Alas. It will not be so, my son!

The large pterodactyl was docile and powerful.
The son of fierce ages hung on his legs, and he seemed to rise quite easily.

Page Seven.

But, very quickly, he showed signs of fatigue.
Rahan discovered the staggering spectacle of the falls.
Everything beneath him was fantastic.

The torrent of water surged to a height he never imagined.
The swirls and whirlpools only subsided near the falls. Too far!

Return, "Arak", return!
You will not be able to go any further!
The exhausted pterodactyl was falling almost headlong towards the raging waves!

However, he found the strength to regain height and returned, gliding, towards the rocky islet.
Rahan cannot blame you, "Arak"! His idea was crazy!

A little later.
Do you understand that we cannot escape the river?
You will have to live here until the end of your days!
After Kaagou's death, you will be left with "Arak"!

Page Eight.

No! No!
Rahan will find a way to escape this island!
He saw! He now knows that a few stone's throws from the falls, the river becomes peaceful again!

The thought of growing old, and then dying on these rocks, captive of the river, was untenable to the son of Crao.
But what could he do except feel the claw on his necklace which symbolized “confidence”?

As night fell, he felt the urge to light a fire.
And he thought of the trunks stuck in the rocks.
The trunks were still there, near the skin sail.

But the wood, soaked in water, did not catch the sparks of his stones.
We will not have a fire, Kaagou.
It will be a night like any other!

As always, there was the sound of the current in the center of the island.
As always, the incessant roar of the falls, the same whistling of the wind.
And yet this night was not like the others!

Page Nine.

Rahan knows how to escape, Kaagou!
You will be thrown into the falls, you and these trunks!

Trunks, yes!
But Rahan will fly to the “Calm Waters!”
The skins will bear him better than the wings of "Arak"!

The old man thought that his companion had definitely lost his mind.
He was wrong.
Rahan had dreamed of the wings of "Arak" and the wind inflating the mainsail!
The wings. The wind.
The ideas had merged to form one!

And that was why Kaagou found him, at daybreak, on the side of the islet facing the falls, straddling two trunks.

Goodbye Kaagou!
If Rahan fails this time again, you will find him in the territory of shadows!
Farewell!
The wind suddenly swelled the sail that the son of Crao had just released.

Page Ten.

And, Kaagou-the elder thought he was dreaming.
The skin rose and Rahan left the rocks.
The wind, adding to the current, carried him away at a crazy speed.

Tightly gripping the trunks with his legs, Rahan caught a glimpse of "Arak" who was escorting him.
The roar of the falls became deafening.

And the abyss opened before him!
The trunks suddenly reared up, propelling him into the void.
If his sail did not support him it was certain death!

Page Eleven.

Clinging to the vines, he saw the gulf of water and terrifying swirls rising towards him.
The son of Crao fell!

But he was falling slowly.
Hanging from the sail, he was moving away from the falls!

It was an agonizing descent, obliquely above the whirlpools.

Ra-ha-ha!
The falls thundered in the distance.
The current which he was approaching was certainly still formidable, but it had crossed the deadly zone.

Carried by the sail, he plowed into the foaming surface and, to regain mastery of his movements, he released the vines.

Page Twelve.

A powerful swirl turned him around, another drew him towards the depths.
But these last manifestations of the river's anger.

Could no longer jeopardize the life of a swimmer like Rahan.
Rahan knew how to soar like a bird.
Now he swims like a fish!

The current became less strong, but the shore was still far away.
When the son of Crao reached it, his strength abandoned him.

He lay down on the sand, and before falling asleep, he thought of old Kaagou who had remained forever a captive to the river!

He slept for a very long time because the sun was rising behind the falls, when strange murmurings woke him up.
What? What?

Page thirteen.

Dozens of men, face down, were prostrate around him!
They suddenly stopped their prayer.
The “God-Who-Flies” is awake!
Stand up, brothers!

We saw you flying above the "Rumbling Waters"!
All night, we prayed for you while waiting for you to wake up!

You probably come from the “territory of the Gods”!
Our clan is flattered by the honor you do it!

Rahan is not a god.
He is only the son of Crao, a simple hunter like you!
Why are you lying?

Our eyes have not deceived us!
You had a big wing above your head and you were flying!
Our clan would like to see you fly again!
Uh!?
It is impossible.

Page Fourteen.

Rahan spoke of the wind.
A skin sail.
From the height of the falls.
Which allowed him to glide.

You are making all this up because you refuse to fly in front of us!
Do you despise our clan?

Be careful “God-that-flies”!
Our clan will not hesitate to kill a god who despises it!
The hunters, clutching their assegais, had become threatening!

Marrak demands that you fly in front of his brothers!
If you refuse, their spears will tear your chest open!
The son of Crao felt that these men would not hesitate to carry out the execution.

But, observing the puny Marrak, he suddenly had an idea.
Rahan will fly, But on one condition.
Marrak must defeat him in a fair fight!

Page Fifteen.

If Marrak triumphs, Rahan will fly, otherwise he will not fly!
Our clan accepts!
Rahan smiled.
He knew he was capable of defeating the leader with the first strike!

But.
Our clan accepts, but Marrak cannot ignore the custom that prohibits the leader from fighting!

This is why Ogloo will fight in his name!
Rahan's smile froze, the colossus who was approaching was a head taller than him!

But he could not refuse without unleashing the hunters.
May the “God-Who-Flies” and Ogloo face each other fairly!

The fight began and the son of Crao immediately felt that it would turn out badly for him!
Ogloo, who engulfed him, had the strength of a large four-hands.

Page Sixteen.

And he could not loosen his grip.
If Rahan loses, they will kill him, so he will not be able to "Fly"!

Rahan had unusual strength.
But did not Crao-the-sage say “that we always end up meeting someone stronger than ourselves!
That day had come!

He felt himself torn from the ground and found himself, dazed, five steps from his adversary.
Ogloo has won!
The “god-who-flies” must keep his promise!

The son of fierce ages had only one goal left: Escape as quickly as possible from these men who attributed to him a power that he would never have!

The circle of assegais prevented him from doing so.
It is understood. Rahan is going to fly, but he has to climb this tree.

Page Seventeen.

A moment later, he saw beyond the foliage, the course of the great river.
Salvation was on this side!

A clamor arose when he let himself fall into the void!
The god is flying! The god is flying!

The son of Crao, in fact, now gave the impression of flying.
Fluttering from one vine to another, he moved away into the kingdom of the "Four-Hands".
And the hunters followed him.

And cheered each of his jumps.
The “God-Who-Flies” is leaving!
The “God-Who-Flies” is leaving us!

No doubt he is angry with the clan.
We should not have forced him to fly!
Oh!
Look!

Page Eighteen.

High above, Rahan had just abandoned a long vine.

His tense body passed like an arrow above the tall thickets.

And he dived towards the calm of the river.
The clan screamed with joy, convinced that they had been visited by a supernatural being.

Rahan could join them.
But.
They would end up demanding that he fly without the help of the lines!
But Rahan is not a bird!

Very high in the sky, in fact, hovered a large bird.
And the son of Crao thought he recognized "Arak."

While the light current carried him away, he thought of everything that the bird had discovered and that his master would never see!
He thought of the old man forever captive of the great river, who would continue to engrave a sign in the rock each time he reached the season of dead leaves.

Index:
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