Rahan. Episode Fifty Four. By Roger Lecureux. The mother of mothers. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

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Episode Fifty Four.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Andre Cheret.

The mother of mothers.

As the entwined skeletons were still clutching axes, the son of Crao understood that the two hunters had killed each other at the bottom of this gorge.
And together they joined the “Territory of Shadows”!

Which one was right?
Which one was wrong?
Why did they waste their lives?
Rahan will never know!

As he climbed the cliff he heard strange rumors.
Long moans punctuated by angry screams.

Page Two.

But they rose from the forest and he only saw the large shimmering lake at the foot of the hill.
Oh! Why were these unfortunate people abandoned to the “Wood skins”?

A large skiff ran aground in the rushes in the middle of the lake. A man and a woman were restrained there!

The “Wood skins” will soon pour out on this raft, and devour them!
The son of Crao was already hurtling down the slope, jumping the trees felled by lightning.

Ah!
As he fell on a trunk it rolled, throwing him off balance.
Other trunks, suddenly loosened, rolled in their turn.

And he was carried by the wave of wood to a large rock.

Page Three.

Against which this wave suddenly broke up!
A huge trunk was coming towards him.
Oh! Rahan will be crushed!

He only had time to dive behind the rock.
Ra-ha-ha!

Bong!

Avoiding the blasted trees that littered the slope, the son of Crao descended towards the bank.
Rahan will have to be more careful!

Between him and the skiff, numerous and worrying saurians were swimming.

The "Wood skins" would kill Rahan before he reached that raft!

Page Four.

He thought about making a lasso but gave up because the skiff offered no grip on the loop.
Oh! Rahan knows how to bring back the raft!

Rahan risks reaching these unfortunate people.
But this is the only chance to save them!

The ivory knife was firmly tied into the bamboo.
Thrown with as much force as precision, the javelin flew towards the skiff.

Ra-ha-ha!
Bang!
And stuck deep in a tree trunk, right between the two inert bodies!

Bringing the skiff back to shore was now easy.
Rahan hopes life has not yet fled their bodies!

Page Five.

A moment later.
They live!
These beatings in their chest say that they have not crossed the border of the “territory of shadows”!

The son of Crao knew how to find the "Sun Fruits" whose benefits he knew.
What?
Who are you?
What do you want from us?
Rahan saved you from the "Wooden Skins".

Still dazed, the man observed the lake where countless crocodiles floated like stumps.
Saved? So you have not seen Ohana's color!?

Yes, but Rahan is not surprised, he has already lived among black-skinned hunters.
These words stunned the man.

In our territory, whites and blacks hate each other and fight each other!
You don't seem to hate Ohana though!
Rahan, mischievous, pointed to the young woman who had recovered her spirits.

Page Six.

Garakk Loves Ohana!
But mine claim that black-skinned hunters are not men but beasts!

Because Ohana and Garakk love each other, they wanted to punish us!
A slow death! Said the wizard.

Mine are crazy to believe that because they have light skin, they are the only sons of the mother of mothers!
And they delivered us to the lake.
To the “Wood skins”!
And we remained attached to the raft as many days as the hand has fingers!

Intrigued, the son of Crao asked many questions.
He learned that Garakk’s clan, since the death of its leader, was terrorizing that of Ohana.

Page Seven.

Any black man captured becomes a slave to my clan.
Baha-the-witch commissions him to bring the great mother of mothers back to the village.
The great “mother of mothers”?

Rahan also learned that clan of Garakk had discovered in the mountain an enormous rock whose shape evoked the mother of mothers.

In these fierce times, the “Mother of mothers” was the symbol, the representation of life.

And the sorcerer demanded that this rock, of fantastic weight, be brought back to the village and erected in front of his hut!
A superhuman task imposed on black slaves!

Every day one of my brothers succumbs.
Baha be damned!
All white men be damned!
Garakk Also?

Do not let yourself be blinded by anger, Ohana!
There are good white men. Garakk is proof!
Attention Rahan! Hunters approach!

Page Eight.

If they are mine, Ohana will die!
If it is Ohana's brothers, we will die!

Give me your weapon, Rahan, I want to defend Ohana-the-sweet.
Ah!
Thrown from the thickets, a club struck Garakk.

The son of Crao narrowly avoided the one that was destined for him. And caught a glimpse of the two hunters who were clearing the bushes.

And rushed towards him.
Leave this man, brothers!
He is not an enemy!
He saved Ohana from the “Wood skins”!

Ohana betrayed our clan!
Her place is no longer among us!

One of the hunters was going to pick up the club.

Page Nine.

He did not have time!
Rahan hates fighting with "Those Who Walk Upright", whether they are white or black!
But he must defend himself!
Schak!

Raised by the knee, the man immediately collapsed under the punch that followed.
Ra-ha-ha!

Attention Rahan!
A second hunter, was going to deliver a terrifying blow.

He was torn from the ground and rolled off Rahan’s shoulder. Then fluttered several steps.

“Fire hair” is the strongest!
What is he going to do? Kill us on the spot or make us die slowly by bringing the mother of mothers back to the white wizard!

Page Ten.

Garakk had come to his senses.
They attacked me!
You have the right to kill them!
Rahan leaves this right to wild beasts!

These are not wild animals, but men!
One day they will understand that Rahan is a friend!
The hunters were amazed.

And they were even more so when Rahan returned their clubs to them.
Go back and tell your people that not all white people are like Baha!

Tell them that black and white hunters can live together.
Like Ohana and Garakk decided to do!

The two men disappeared into the thickets.
Thank you for my brothers, Rahan!
And thank you for mine! Let your wise words be heard!

Page Eleven.

We will first have to get them admitted by Baha-the-sorcerer!
Rahan was thoughtful, but his resolution was made.
He would not leave this territory without having brought back harmony between “Those-who-walk-upright”!

However, a hundred stone throws from them.
I saw him as I see you, Baha!
This fiery-haired hunter has delivered the black girl and Garakk-the-traitor!

Bring back that hunter!
Baha wants to see alive the fool who had the audacity to oppose his orders!

A few men went into the forest.
They showed no enthusiasm.
Since Baha replaced Tanguy the clan has not been doing good things!

Baha is no longer satisfied with black slaves.
He wants us to capture a white hunter.
Soon he will demand that we fight among ourselves!

Page Twelve.

During this time.
My people will not listen to Rahan-the-wise!
But if you do not give up on this idea, Garakk will lead you to them!
An Ohana?

Ohana promised to never leave Garakk!
She will go with you!
You will conduct Rahan to the outskirts of the village and then flee!

We will not make it to the village! Look!
Brandishing their long spears, five men emerged from the forest.

Do not resist, fire hair!
We have orders to bring you back alive!

Rahan wanted to join your clan.
He could not hope to find better guides.

Page thirteen.

And Garakk? And the black girl?
Baha only talked about "Fire Hair".
He does not need to know that we found these two!

Our clan has already tormented them enough.
Let them go and live in peace in another territory!
The men exchanged knowing glances.

And Rahan understood that these white hunters could still have good sentiment.
Farewell, Garakk!
Farewell, Ohana!
Rahan wishes you lots of happiness!

The sun was still high, when escorted by men, he left the forest.
If you do not oppose Baha-the sorcerer, he will perhaps spare you!

Down below, on the rocky slope, dozens of black men were busy around an enormous rock.
They pulled, braced themselves, and their groans underlined their superhuman efforts.

Page Fourteen.

This explained the complaints that had intrigued Rahan as he climbed the cliff.
And these unfortunate people have no chance of escaping!

Indeed, from place to place, hunters armed with bows monitored the slaves.
How many seasons will pass before the mother of mothers stands in the village?

The rock is so heavy that the slaves could not advance more than a spear length each day!

Baha-the-sorcerer must be crazy to impose such suffering!
The men did not respond, but Rahan guessed their approval.

Baha approached.
This then is the one who opposed my will!
Why did all of you not disarm him?
He agreed to follow us without resistance, Baha!
I believe he is a loyal hunter!

Page Fifteen.

He delivered Garakk-the-traitor!
He will be punished!
Garakk did not betray his people!
He has the right to love a black-skinned woman!

A woman!?
Black skins are beasts!
And must be treated as such!
And since you too betray your race, you will suffer the fate of these!

And if tomorrow, at sunset, the Mother of Mothers has not arrived at this bush, it is you who will be put to death!
The son of Crao was pushed among the slaves.

Do not rebel, hair of fire, otherwise Baha will kill you with his own hands as he has killed so many of us!
Your life depends on our efforts!

His knife had been left with Rahan but the archers did not take their eyes off him.
These unfortunate people are exhausting themselves to save Rahan!

Page Sixteen.

The vines hurt the hands.
The gravel bruises the shoulders.
And the rock only moved imperceptibly.

As night fell, the torture ended.
The slaves were herded under a tree.
Tomorrow, everything will start again and it has been like this for years!

Every day, Baha designates the place to which we must pull the mother of mothers.
If we do not get there, he'll kill one of us at random.

The son of Crao did not sleep.
He thought of the vanity and cruelty of Baha who wanted the immense mother of mothers to stand before his hut.

He thought of the archers who prevented any escape.
But he thought, that night, of something else.

Page Seventeen.

The day was breaking when his cries woke the sorcerer.
Rahan wants to speak, Baha!

No, Baha! Rahan offers you a trade!
The “Mother of mothers” will rise here in two days if you promise to free your captives!

Two days! When I had planned two seasons?
Ha-ha-ha! If you are capable of this miracle, you have my word!
We will need axes!

Your people might watch us but will let us do as we please.
Understood!
But if you fail, you will be skinned alive!

The son of Crao had no trouble convincing his unfortunate companions.
That morning there reigned on the rocky slope, an unusual activity.

They brought trunks.
And they dug the ground in front of the loose rock.

Page Eighteen.

Since the trees have carried away Rahan, they will carry away the mother of mothers.
The carpet of trunks was finally ready.

The sorcerer, stunned, witnessed the “Miracle”!
The rock, like a granite monster, was crawling on this carpet!

As soon as it was no longer supported by a trunk, that trunk was placed back in front of her.
And what took days of effort required only a moment!

Was Rahan at the origin of this prodigious invention that is the “Wheel”?
Who knows?

Fire hair has more power than Baha!
He is sent from the gods.
Let us drive out Baha from the clan.

Just one day is enough to accomplish the impossible.
The same evening, whites and blacks set up the idol in the village.

Page Nineteen.

The mother of mothers never made a distinction between her sons!
She will watch over you all!
A clamor of joy arose.

Answered by that of the “black skins” emerging from all sides.
Garakk was among them.
We were coming to deliver the slaves but Rahan beat us to it!

They will search in vain for Baha.
Knowing he would forever be discredited, the sorcerer fled to another territory.

This is the first night of peace since our leader, supported by Baha, challenged the leader of the "Black skins".

The two leaders must have killed each other in the forest because no one ever saw them again!

Page Twenty.

Rahan found their bodies at the bottom of a ravine.
He will take you there!
You will see how similar “Those-who-walk-upright” are when they have joined the kingdom of shadows!

The next day, led by the son of Crao, the two clans discovered the entwined skeletons.
Who had been the white leader? Who had been the black leader?
No one knew how to say it.

If men are alike in death, they are also alike in life, whatever the color of their skin!

You will now live in peace, brothers!
Like Ohana and Garakk, you will know happiness!

In the protective shadow of the mother of mothers, Garakk embraced his companion.
This couple, tomorrow, would symbolize the reconciliation of the hunters.
It was because he was certain of it that the son of Crao felt so happy!

Index:
https://rumble.com/v3486cm-rahan-index-of-episodes-by-roger-lecureux..html

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