Anyone ever read about Enk?

[primar]

When I was a lot younger, I remember reading a short(ish) story about a prisoner of war, on an alien planet. The story related how he managed to con his way out of jail & (I think) into the alien society using a fictitious religion.

His "call to prayer" consisted of using a wooden block with a wire loop stuck in it, followed by the hero calling the word/name "Enk" to the wire loop.

The hero developed an entire religion to effect his escape, & I've been trying to remember what the story was called & if it is still available. Does anyone have any ideas?:errrr:

 

[Dave]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Moving this to Books & Comics General.

(The Q&A forum was intented for questions to moderators regarding the bulletin board itself)

Ray and Status in books might be better to help you with this query.

I've no idea myself, unless it was 'The Stainless Steel Rat', he did something similar once, but it doesn't sound the same, and I've never heard of 'Enk'.

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Zone/7318/books.html

 

[ray gower]

Ain't it good to be thought an expert?

Sadly, I can't live up to it. I really haven't a clue!

Not having some form of date to work with doesn't help either.

It sounds like the title to a Roald Dahl short story, whilst the theme suggests more Ray Bradbury or Theodore Sturgeon, so it might be worth keeping an eye open for anthologies from these two, neither of which I suspect will be in print.

Sadly that is the best I can offer at the moment

 

[primar]

Reply from Dave

Dave - thanks. Looking back I estimate that the story would have been around the late sixties/early seventies. I think it appeared in one of the magazines - Amazing Stories, or similar - hope this helps

 

[dasmith]

I am not sure but it sounds like the space willies by eric frank russel

 

[Dave]

Thanks dasmith, this one really had me puzzled, especially the Enk part, because all I could find out was that 'Enk' is Dutch for a tract of agricultural land.

You seem to have solved it:

'Next of Kin' (Dobson 1959), is an expanded form of 'The Space Willies' (Ace Double paperback line 1958), itself based on the short story 'Plus X' (Astounding Science Fiction, June 1956.)

They all feature a human PoW, John Leeming, who uses a piece of bent copper wire to wage psychological warfare on the enemy. This was one of Russell's favourite themes, the escape of a prisoner of war or group of them, more by native wit and imagination than technical skills.

dasmith -- please come again!