The Bride of Osiris by Otis Adelbert Kline

Book Details

A hidden underground city has been established, deep in the earth, underneath Chicago. Ruled by Osiris, this city is the gateway to the Karneter, the afterlife, from which no man returns. Into this hidden realm, a woman is brought — she who will become The Bride of Osiris.

The Bride of Osiris (1927) – A three-part Egyptian serial story of Osiris, the Festival of Re, strange murders, the Am-mits, and the dungeons of Karneter
Chapter 1 – The Pock-Marked Man
Chapter 2 – The Mystic Symbol
Chapter 3 – A Clue And A Trap
Chapter 4 – The Muffled Figure
Chapter 5 – A Strange Rooming House
Chapter 6 – The Fate Of A Renegade
Chapter 7 – Walls With Ears—and Voices
Chapter 8 – The Hall Of The Two Truths

Part 2 – The Story So Far
Chapter 9 – Delra, Vestal Virgin
Chapter 10 – The Death Watch Begins
Chapter 11 – The Man In The Dungeon
Chapter 12 – The Temple Of Isis
Chapter 13 – Rafferty Limbers His Joints
Chapter 14 – The Festival Of Re

Part 3 – The Story So Far
Chapter 15 – Behind The Scenes
Chapter 16 – The Bride Of Osiris
Chapter 17 – In The Most Holy Place
Chapter 18 – The Vengeance Of Alcibar

Otis Adelbert Kline (1891–1946), born in Chicago, Illinois, was a songwriter, an adventure novelist and literary agent during the pulp era. Kline was an amateur orientalist and a student of Arabic.

In the mid-1930s Kline largely abandoned writing to concentrate on his career as a literary agent, primarily for author Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. Kline represented Howard from the spring of 1933 till Howard’s death in June 1936, and continued to act as literary agent for Howard’s estate thereafter.

Kline is perhaps best known for an apocryphal literary feud with fellow author Edgar Rice Burroughs, over their respective Mars, Venus and jungle series of stories, but this was debunked when the source of the supposed feud admitted to making it all up.

The Bride of Osiris has 5 illustrations.

Files:

1. OAKline-BrideOfOsiris.epub

Excerpt: The Bride of Osiris

Chapter 1

The Pock-Marked Man

“ALAN, that man has followed us here! Look!”

Alan Buell glanced guardedly in the direction indicated by the frightened blue eyes of his dancing partner. He saw two men seated at a table edging the dance floor. The one nearest him did not appear extraordinary—just a plain man-about-town, middle-aged and a bit portly— the kind one meets at every turn in Chicago’s places of amusement. The other presented a striking figure. He was tall and broad-shouldered and sat with the erect carriage of a soldier. A black, square-cut beard hid the lower part of his features, accentuating the prominence of his aquiline nose, above which his heavy eyebrows met in a straight line. In his piercing black eyes as they swept the room was the look of one accustomed to command.

Alan’s eyes returned to those of his troubled fiancee as the intervening dancers shut the black-bearded man from view, and he smiled slightly.

“I don’t know that we can do anything about it, Doris,” he said. “This is a free country, you know, and we’re in a public cafe.”

Doris Lee pouted prettily.

“I wish you would be serious for just one minute, Alan. You know that man has stared at me across the orchestra pit all season. I haven’t been able to enjoy the opera one bit on account of him. Now he grows bolder and follows us to this cafe. Of course he hasn’t done anything one could openly resent, but I’ve noticed his covert glances time and again, and I’m afraid.”

“Perhaps,” replied Alan, dryly, “he thought you were staring at him and was trying to confirm his suspicions.”

“Alan Buell, you are exasperating tonight. If you could only realize how I feel. Why, I fairly shudder every time we pass that table.”

When they passed the black-bearded man again Alan looked at him with unconcealed ire. He was lazily lighting a long Oriental cigarette, the while he attended the animated conversation of his companion.

The music stopped with a raucous syncopated wail and they returned to their table.

“If that man makes you nervous let’s go somewhere else,” suggested Alan.

He summoned the waiter and asked for the check.

“I don’t believe I care to dance any more. My nerves are in shreds. Take me home, please.”

As they made their way between the tables many admiring glances were cast on Doris by the late diners. Alan noticed them, and although he had always been proud of her sparkling beauty, somehow he resented the attentions paid her at the moment. He looked sharply at the black-bearded man, but that individual still appeared absorbed in the conversation of his pudgy companion.”

“Pausing to don his topcoat at the check stand while Doris walked slowly ahead, Alan suddenly heard a scream of terror. He ran forward, hatless, an awful fear gripping his heart. The doorman, resplendent in blue and gold braid, lay on the floor, blood trickling from a gash in his temple. Beyond him two men were dragging Doris, kicking, struggling and screaming, into a waiting car!

Alan reached the running board with a frantic leap, just as the car started. He wrenched at the handle of the rear door but found it locked. A brutal, pock-marked face glared out at him. Beyond that face he saw Doris still struggling with the second man. In desperation he smashed the glass with his bare fist, and reaching within, grappled with the man with the pock-marked face.

The second abductor, seeing his companion in danger, suddenly whipped a blackjack from his pocket and brought it into play. At the first blow Alan hung on doggedly, but at the second he toppled from the now rapidly moving car, rolled over and over, and struck the curbing with a crash. Then came oblivion.

Excerpt From: Otis Adelbert Kline. “The Bride of Osiris.”

Reviews

Lovely Things NC reviewed The Bride of Osiris. Their review is HERE.