A Witch Shall Be Born — Themes and Context

Twin Identities and the Usurper's Voice

The story hinges on a physical double: Taramis and Salome are identical in 'every contour of feature and limb,' yet Salome's face reflects 'the opposite of every characteristic the countenance of the queen denoted.' The text emphasizes this contrast through dialogue—Salome's speech is 'sweet, poisonously mocking,' while Taramis is bewildered and fearful. The usurper's cruelty is suggested by her plan to 'cut off her head in the public square,' but the excerpts do not reveal whether this is carried out. The mute beggar who overhears this plot recognizes the queen lives, hinting at a resistance thread that the incomplete text leaves unresolved.

Desert Politics and the Mercenary's Rise

Chapter 4 shifts to a tented camp where Olgerd Vladislav, a former Zaporoskan hetman turned desert chief, debates strategy with Conan. Olgerd's attire is described in lavish detail—'white silk,' 'pearls,' 'green silk turban'—contrasting with Conan's 'black mesh-mail' and 'worn leather scabbard.' Their exchange reveals a pragmatic alliance: Olgerd boasts of his leadership, while Conan counters that he has 'earned everything' with 'blood and sweat.' The dialogue touches on recruitment, raiding, and ambitions of empire, grounding the fantasy in the logistics of desert warfare. The catalog's 'Conan' subject is accurate, but the excerpts show him as a lieutenant, not the primary protagonist of the opening chapters.

Recurring Motifs: Scars, Mirrors, and Severed Heads

Several details recur across the excerpts. Scars mark Conan's palms and body, linking to his crucifixion; the beggar's hands are 'brown, sinewy' and 'quivering strongly,' suggesting hidden strength. Severed heads appear twice: the apparition's head in a disk of light, and a literal severed head held by the beggar. Mirror imagery pervades the twin scene—Taramis feels she is looking into a 'mirror which subtly altered her reflection.' These motifs reinforce themes of identity and violence, but the excerpts do not explain the beggar's role or the head's significance. The catalog's 'Fantasy fiction, American' label fits, but the story's structure—shifting from palace horror to desert adventure—is more varied than the subject headings suggest.

Readers should note that the excerpts cover only the first four chapters and the Project Gutenberg boilerplate; the full story may resolve the twin plot and Conan's rise. The catalog subjects emphasize Conan, but the opening chapters focus on Taramis and Salome, making the queen's fate a central question. Pay attention to how Howard uses sensory details—light, voice, texture—to distinguish the sisters, and how the desert setting contrasts with the palace's claustrophobic magic.

That Conan story left me thinking about how a twin can wear your face and still be a stranger, and how betrayal sometimes feels like losing your own name. It reminded me of something quieter but just as sharp in Mrs. Maxon Protests — Inside the Classic, where identity gets twisted in a more domestic, aching way. That ache lingers, believe me.