User:DoctorWho42/The Isle of the Torturers

"The Isle of the Torturers" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the March 1933 issue of Weird Tales.

Plot
A plague known as the Silver Death arrives from the star Achernar to Yoros. It kills everyone except the king Fulbra who wields a magic ring protecting him. The ring was made by the wizard Vemdeez who warns the king never to take it off. Before the plague, Vemdeez learns about its coming and also that king Fulbra will not die in Yoros. As king Fulbra looks upon the desolation, he finds three slaves beneath the palace who survived. They take a galley and sail down the river Voum for Cyntrom who has friendly relations with Yoros. However, a storm drives them wildly off course and they find themselves shipwrecked on Uccastrog or the isle of torturers. Fulbra meets with the king Ildrac who refuses him to leave for Cyntrom so soon. As Ildrac's guards take him to his room, Fulbra runs into Ilvaa who speaks the language of Yoros. In the next few days, Ilvaa pleads Fulbra to endure the tortures so they may escape together soon. While the days of torture pass, Fulbra learns Ilvaa's broken promises were part of the torture. While fulbra is on a breaking wheel, he decides to tempt Ildrac to take off his ring so he may die. Begging Ildrac not to take away his ring, Fulbra succeeds in his plan. As Ildrac puts the ring on, Fulbra dies and the Silver Death is unleashed on Uccastrog. As everyone dies, Ildrac who remains blames the ring for the plague. Throwing it into the ocean, Ildrac dies as well.

Reception
Reviewing Lost Worlds in the 1983 book The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, E. F. Bleiler recommended the "best stories are "The Seven Geases", "The Isle of the Torturers", "Necromancy in Naat", which may well be Smith's three best weird stories." In the 1981 book Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers, Will Murray appraised the story with "hope and futility are expertly balanced." Reviewing the March 1933 issue of Weird Tales in the 1977 book The Weird Tales Story, Robert Weinberg called it "the best story" and "had an especially effective ending."