Puneet Varma (Editor)

The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 1: The Universal Threat

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Series
  
Blake and Mortimer

Artists
  
André Juillard

Originally published
  
November 2003

Preceded by
  
The Strange Encounter

ISBN
  
9781849180672

Writers
  
Yves Sente

Language
  
French

Author
  
Yves Sente

Date
  
November 2003

The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 1: The Universal Threat t3gstaticcomimagesqtbnANd9GcSkw34i6nl0NIYY

Followed by
  
The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 2: Battle of the Minds

Similar
  
André Juillard books, Other books

The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 1: The Universal Threat is the sixteenth Blake and Mortimer book in the series.

Contents

Plot

In February 1958, at Simla, Indian warlords came together around Acoka, former Emperor of India rose, who tells them to develop a "new weapon" that will allow India to take revenge on the West. After his speech, Acoka talks with the major Varitch of the Red Army participating in the operation, and they agree to get back at Blake and Mortimer.

De many years ago, the young Philip Mortimer returns for the first time in several years in India to find his parents. In Bombay, he is helping a compatriot, Francis Blake, plagued with extremists. The two young men became friends during their journey by train. After having escaped a bomb attack thanks to the fact of having been knocked out of Ambala station, Philip finally get to Simla, where he finds his parents. The next day, he finds his childhood friend, Sushil, who turns out to be very cold with him. Invited to come and listen to the speech of Acoka, the young Scotsman falls in love with the Princess Gita. During the reception organized by the Mortimer in honor of their son, Acoka appears suddenly and ordered the guests to leave his country and Philip more away from his daughter. Archibald Mortimer, the attitude of her son disappointed, decides to return to England the next day. At night, Philip goes on his date with Gita but, arrived late, he can't find it. The next day, at Simla station, Acoka comes to accuse him of being the cause of the suicide of his daughter and cursed him.

De back in February 1958, in London, Mortimer, awakened by a nightmare, is about to join the team of the British Pavilion of the world exhibition of 1958 in Brussels. At the same time, in Antarctica, Professor Anartapur supervises the unloading of a fragile equipment for the Indian base of Gondwana. In a secret underground cavity, he finds Acoka and major Varitch escorting colonel Olrik. The Emperor explains to the latter that he will have to work on its plan and that he will win the opportunity of revenge on Mortimer. In Brussels, Mortimer made visit to Blake the British pavilion where a permanent radio contact with the Halley Antarctic base is implemented. The french Pavilion, the two friends meet the Professor Labrousse who is about to leave for the French Antarctic base.

Dans Street, a cyclist passes a message to Blake, which forces him to admit to his friend the real purpose of his visit: a conspiracy against the West by several poor countries would be linked to a traffic of uranium to the World Expo. The message advising to look on the side of the Congolese flag, the two friends decided to take a look. In Antarctica, Acoka is about to send the spirit of Olrik sabotage Expo thanks to its sarcophagi and the radio link between the Pavilion and the basic British. Shortly after, in Brussels, all electrical equipment around Blake and Mortimer are flashing and fussing, leading to damage in the Congolese flag.

Blake and Mortimer are then meet their old friend and servant Ahmed Nasir, now the Indian intelligence officer. Together, they concluded that the presence of a spy in the British Pavilion team. Nasir integrated team to flush out the traitor, while Blake and Mortimer went to Soviet flags then Americans, where time and again, the strange phenomena recur until the appearance of the face of Olrik on a screen. The two friends understand that the liaison between the Pavilion and the British base is linked to the phenomena and Nasir reveals Badju Singh, the assistant of Mortimer, is the traitor. The same evening, the three friends him spin and discover that it exchanges a parcel of uranium with Bert Van den Brand, the foreman of the Congolese flag. Arrested thanks to the intervention of the Congolese, Van den Brand told them that Singh has to go to the Indian Antarctic base on the freighter Ravi Kuta. Blake, Mortimer and Nasir decided to join the Pr Labrousse in South Africa to quietly with him aboard the ship La Madeleine in the direction of the Antarctic.

English Publication

The first publication in English is planned by Cinebook Ltd, in 2011.

References

The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 1: The Universal Threat Wikipedia