In 2010, Neil Gaiman
published the short story "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains"
in the anthology Stories, edited by Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.
Gaiman went on to commission Eddie Campbell to illustrate the story for a
multi-media reading accompanied by FourPlay Strong Quartet at the Sydney
Opera House. While the live version of the story is an ephemeral
event, occasionally performed when the principals are able to get
together, Campbell has provided additional illustrations to turn the story
into a combination picture book/graphic novel, in which the illustrations
help increase the meaning and mood of Gaiman's work.
Gaiman's narrator, a
dwarf of a Scotsman, seeks out Calum MacInnes to guide him to a mythical
cave located in the Black Mountains, which is said to be filled with
gold. The narrator is seeking the gold in an effort to finance an
invasion from the "King Across the Sea." Although MacInnes
is not particularly keen to make the journey, he allows himself to be
convinced and the two begin the trek to the Misty Island, where the cave
is located. Although the two men rely upon each other for the
journey, there is a clear sense of mistrust between them, with MacInnes
attempting, at one point to lose his employer and the dwarf demonstrating
almost supernatural abilities.
The two characters also
begin to bond with each other, sharing secrets of their past, with
MacInnes telling his employer about his deepest secret, a cruelty he once
did to a young woman when she came upon him while he was stealing her
cattle. The dwarf’s secrets are also revealed to MacInnes,
beginning with his amazing physical abilities, but other secrets about his
past as well. Both men’s
secrets are also ties, at least loosely, to the potential curse on the
gold in the cave. MacInnes
claims that he became a victim of the curse when he took gold from the
cave on a prior expedition, while his employer wonders how serious the
curse may be, or if it even exists.
Although only a short story, "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains"
is full of atmosphere, bringing to life the misty Scottish islands and
mountains the action moves through. It provides the perfect backdrop
for the tales of regrets and vengeance which the two characters
share. Campbell's illustrations, which occasionally include the text
of the story, complement Gaiman's works making this illustrated version of
the story more effective than the original text-only version.
For all the moodiness, illustration, and production of the book, the main reason "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains"
works is because Gaiman's story is well written and carries the reader
along, from its innocuous opening with the narrator seeking out Colum
MacInnes, through the two men's journey to Misty Island, to the
revelations and ultimate conclusion. While everything else is essentially
window dressing, it is decoration that heightens the story's strengths.
