Stephen King's the Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance Revised and Updated (75 page)

When Roland challenged CORT and underwent an early test of manhood against his father’s wishes, he thought that his father was far away in this distant barony searching for one of MAERLYN’s glass balls. He was wrong. Cressia was famous for one of its sayings: “If ye’d steal the silver from the dining room, first put the dog in the pantry” (IV:175). Many of the gunslinger apprentices who failed their coming-of-age test against either CORT or his father FARDO went west to Cressia, where they joined forces with the GOOD MAN, JOHN FARSON.

IV:110, IV:163, IV:164, IV:175, IV:619
(Marten joins Farson here),
W:36

INDRIE:
IV:163

CYCLOPEAN MOUNTAINS
²⁴

The first foothills of the Cyclopean Mountain Range can be seen from the dry wastes of the MOHAINE DESERT. The WILLOW JUNGLE, where JAKE and Roland encounter the demonically sexual ORACLE OF THE MOUNTAINS, is located here among the first tumbling rises of granite and grasses.

These mountains are one of the many physical barriers which Roland and Jake have to traverse in order to pursue the MAN IN BLACK, also known as
WALTER. At first, their path winds through a much more hospitable landscape than the desert which Roland traversed earlier in
The Gunslinger.
Trees grow here, and there are rabbits to hunt and eat. However, as their experience with the sexual demon of the SPEAKING RING shows, Roland’s world contains sinister magic, much of it manipulated by the very sorcerer they pursue.

As Jake and Roland climb higher toward the mountain pass, following the burned-out ideograms left by their elusive and dangerous quarry, the way becomes steeper and less accessible, at times no more than a narrow
V
cut into the mica- and quartz-veined granite. Just before the mountains rise to their most inaccessible icy heights, the path zigzags into a canyon. There, our two friends follow a taunting Walter into the black cleft of a waterfall cave. Little do they know it, but they are eagerly awaited by the band of SLOW MUTANTS who nest in the deserted mountain subway system left by the OLD ONES.

I:11, I:44, I:56, I:65, I:72, I:92, I:112–34
(foothills),
I:134–44, I:149–58
(Gilead story 149–52),
I:174–216, II:31, II:32, II:168, II:177, II:231, II:232, II:242
(foothills),
II:275
(hills),
II:286
(brakes),
II:291–97
(they reach beach),
II:300–312, II:315
(abyss),
II:327, II:367, II:379, II:394, III:36, III:42, III:48, III:97, III:109, III:180, III:195
(indirect),
III:223, III:260, III:407, V:462
(indirect)

DARK TOWER

See entry in
PORTALS

DASHERVILLE

See
BLAINE’S ROUTE

DEAF RINCON’S BARN

See
NORTH’RD BARONY

DEBARIA, BARONY OF (DEBARIA OUTERS)

The Barony of Debaria included the towns of DEBARIA, LITTLE DEBARIA, BEELIE, SALLYWOOD, and the Women’s Retreat of SERENITY.

GENERAL REFERENCES:
IV:619, IV:620, IV:655, W:85

ALKALI FLATS:
The alkali flats were located west of the town of DEBARIA, and south of the abandoned SALT-HOUSES. Beyond them, at the base of the high rocks known as AMBUSH ARROYO, were the foothill meadows known as the LOW PURE.W:39, W:57
(flats),
W:67

ALORA FARM:
The skin-man killed seven people at the Alora Farm. W:63

AMBUSH ARROYO:
The high rocks of Ambush Arroyo don’t exactly constitute an arroyo. However, the name was given to this area after the CROW GANG slaughtered the old High Sheriff, PEA ANDERSON, and his POSSE there. Ambush Arroyo was located in the hardpan north of Debaria, east of the ALKALI FLATS, and west of the HIGH PURE. W:57

BEELIE TOWN (BEELIE STOCKADE):
Beelie Town was located west of DEBARIA. Five years before our story takes place, harriers rode through Beelie and left it a ghost town. (Some folks said it was FARSON’s men who destroyed Beelie.) In its heyday, Beelie had been the home of a militia outpost, and the Beelie Stockade had been their place of business. The circuit judge sent thieves, murderers, card cheats, cannibals, witches, and warlocks to the stockade. Anyone who did time at the stockade had a blue ring tattooed around his ankle. Watching the Beelie hangings was a favorite pastime in Debaria. Families would pack lunches to watch criminals dance the dead-man’s jig. W:102–4, W:278–93
(blue rings)

CRESCENT:
We don’t know exactly where the Crescent is, but we do know that after the Justice Man STRINGY BODEAN retired, he decided to raise horses in the Crescent. W:66

DEBARIA HIGH ROAD:
Debaria High Road ran along a ridge close to the rails of the WESTERN LINE. It ran past SERENITY WOMEN’S RETREAT, and all the way to the town of DEBARIA. W:43, W:63, W:95

DEBARIA RAIL LINE:
See
WESTERN LINE,
listed separately

DEBARIA STREAM:
Two COWPUNCHERS were camped out here near a MANNI COUPLE on marriage retreat. They heard screams and went to investigate. They saw a tyger-like creature, but one which ran upright like a man, loping off with the Manni woman’s lower leg in its jaws. W:45

DEBARIA, TOWN OF:
The town of Debaria was located on the edge of the ALKALI FLATS, in the lands far west of GILEAD. It was a dusty, hide-smelling railhead town where cattle and block salt were shipped south, east, and north—in every direction except the one where FARSON’s harriers ruled. Although STEVEN DESCHAIN believed that Debaria would soon dry up, when Roland and JAMIE visited it in search of the murderous SKIN-MAN, it was still a lively place full of saloons, whoredens, gamblers, and confidence men. Luckily there were still a few good men there, including the HIGH SHERIFF, HUGH PEAVY.

Debaria was also the location of the women’s retreat where Roland’s mother, GABRIELLE DESCHAIN, secluded herself while Roland was in HAMBRY. Supposedly she went to the retreat to pray for Roland’s safe return, but—in
The Wind Through the Keyhole
—we come to understand that she was sent there by Roland’s father, Steven, to pay penance for her betrayal. Earlier in the Dark Tower series we were led to believe that Gabrielle met her lover, MARTEN BROADCLOAK, while in Debaria, and that she was schooled in the ways of deceit while there. (Steven Deschain certainly never trusted the Sisters of Serenity afterwards.) However, despite whatever part Gabrielle played in Broadcloak’s plot to overthrow the aristocratic gunslingers, and to assassinate her husband, it seems that Lady Deschain’s mind was unhinged by the time she reached this far western land. Hence, she cannot be fully blamed for her actions. IV:619, IV:620, IV:655, W:38, W:39, W:40, W:42, W:43, W:44, W:53–106, W:267–300

DELIGHTFUL VIEW:
Delightful View was DEBARIA’s only hotel. The view wasn’t delightful, and the beds were full of bugs as big as toad’s eyeballs. SHERIFF PEAVY told Roland that if he wanted to sleep at Delightful View, he should wear a full suit of ARTHUR ELD’s armor. W:66

HIGH STREET:
DEBARIA’s High Street was wide and paved, though the pavement was already crumbling away to the hardpan underneath. (Luckily, the High Street also had boardwalks.) Roland thought that the remains of the pavement would be entirely gone within a few years. Nonetheless, there was a good deal of commerce on that road and the saloons were busy. W:53–54, W:98, W:270, W:274

BIDDER-WEE SALOON:
When the whores of DEBARIA’s Bidder-Wee grew too old or diseased, they ended up in the wrecked saloons of LITTLE DEBARIA. W:62

BLACKSMITH’S SHOP:
The blacksmith’s shop was located across the street from DEBARIA’s LIVERY. It was here that Roland had the silver bullet made that would eventually kill the SKIN-MAN terrorizing the town. W:98–99

BUSTED LUCK SALOON:
The Busted Luck was one of DEBARIA’s saloons-cum-whorehouses. Although KELLIN FRYE disliked the place, it was a sight better than the saloons and whorehouses found in LITTLE DEBARIA. It was in the Busted Luck that Roland gave all the horse-riding SALTIES a final drink before making them take off their boots. (Roland wanted to discover how many had spent time in BEELIE STOCKADE.) W:62, W:272, W:273, W:277–80, W:286, W:294

CHEERY FELLOWS SALOON AND CAFÉ:
When the woman from DEBARIA’s MERCANTILE asked Roland whether he and Jamie had come to kill the SKIN-MAN, a man standing in front of this saloon retorted that the boys didn’t look old enough to kill a bottle of rye. W:54

HIGH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND JAIL:
HIGH SHERIFF HUGH PEAVY’s office was a little wooden building attached to the much larger stone-built town jail. The jail was in the shape of a T. There were eight big cells down the central aisle and a dozen small ones on the cross quarter. One of the smaller ones was the drunk-and-disorderly cell, where Roland stayed with YOUNG BILL STREETER to keep him safe from the SKIN-MAN. W:54–69, W:95–96, W:98–106, W:267–74, W:274, W:281–94

LIVERY:
When SMA’ TOOT went off her rails, Roland promised the ENJIE, TRAVIS, that he and JAMIE would ride to DEBARIA’s livery and get help. The livery was located on the far end of the HIGH STREET. W:44, W:98

MERCANTILE:
When Roland and JAMIE first road into DEBARIA, a woman came out of the town mercantile and asked the boys whether they had come to kill the SKIN-MAN. W:54

RACEY’S CAFÉ:
There were only two restaurants in Debaria, and Racey’s was the better of them. W:99, W:279, W:294

WIDOW BRAILEY’S BOARDING HOUSE:
The WIDOW BRAILLEY ran the last boardinghouse in DEBARIA. Two years before Roland and JAMIE arrived, a drunk saddletramp tried to rape her while she sat in the outhouse. She slit the man’s throat. Although the Justice Man, STRINGY BODEAN, declared her not guilty of murder, she decided she’d had enough of Debaria and returned to GILEAD. W:66

DOOLIN RANCH:
The Doolin Ranch was located north of DEBARIA. BELINDA DOOLIN, wife of Rancher DOOLIN, was kidnapped by the CROW GANG and taken to the SALT HOUSES where the gang had their hideout. W:56

HIGH PURE:
The High Pure was the high meadowland located northeast of the ALKALI FLATS and AMBUSH ARROYO. W:57

JEFFERSON RANCH:
Soon after ROLAND DESCHAIN and JAMIE DeCURRY reached DEBARIA, the SKIN-MAN struck again. This time he massacred the people of the Jefferson Ranch. All told, he killed sixteen proddies, the COOK (BILL STREETER),
sai
JEFFERSON, Jefferson’s WIFE, and his two DAUGHTERS. The Jefferson Ranch was located ten wheels due north of the town of Debaria. It had a wide stock gate with JEFFERSON posted over it in white birch letters. Near the entrance was the shakepole fence of a horse corral, which stood near to the big house. A half mile or so north, standing atop a little hill, was the bunkhouse. W:69–87, W:91–95
(Young Bill’s hypnosis vision),
W:270, W:278, W:280

BIG HOUSE:
The SKIN-MAN killed
sai
JEFFERSON’S WIFE in the kitchen of the big house. Her body was under the table and her half-eaten head was by the pantry door. Jefferson’s two DAUGHTERS lay halfway between the house and the barn. Roland and SHERIFF PEAVY questioned YOUNG BILL STREETER under the big house’s willow tree. W:69–87, W:91–95
(Young Bill’s hypnosis vision)

BUNKHOUSE:
The Jefferson Ranch bunkhouse was located on a little hill a half mile north of the big house. By the time ROLAND, JAMIE, SHERIFF PEAVY, KELLIN FRYE, VIKKA FRYE, and TRAVIS (the ENJIE of SMA’ TOOT), arrived at the Jefferson Ranch, the bunkhouse door was unlatched and was swinging back and forth in the alkali-wind. Most of the SKIN-MAN’s carnage was discovered in the bunkhouse. The dismembered bodies of
sai
JEFFERSON, COOKIE, and sixteen PRODDIES were found there. W:69–87, W:91–95
(Young Bill’s hypnosis vision),
W:268

TACK SHED (ABANDONED HOSTELRY):
Roland and JAMIE found YOUNG BILL STREETER hiding in this abandoned tack shed under a pile of old tack. (Many years previously, this tack shed had been a hostelry and a jackleg veterinary.) Located on an uphill lane north of the bunkhouse, it was the perfect place for the SKIN-MAN to tether his horse before he transformed into a monster. After slaying almost everyone at the ranch (and becoming injured in the process), the flesh-eating shapeshifter staggered into this tack shed. It was here that Young Bill spied the killer’s feet and ankles as he transformed back into a human being. Although Billy didn’t see the skin-man’s human face, he
did
see the blue ankle ring that he had tattooed around his ankle as well as the scar that bisected it. This proved to be the skin-man’s undoing. W:78–87, W:91–95
(Young Bill’s hypnosis vision)

LITTLE DEBARIA:
The poor and run-down town of Little Debaria served the needs of the SALTIES, or salt miners, who mined salt from the nearby SALT ROCKS. (Little Debaria was located in the foothills of the Salt Rocks.) There were two saloons in Little Debaria, and they were both nasty places. When the whores who served DEBARIA’s whorehouses became too old or diseased, they ended up in Little Debaria. (When the salties were drunk on
White Blind, they didn’t care if a woman had a nose, as long as she had her sugar-purse.) Although the DEBARIA SALT COMBYNE was owned by rich men from GILEAD, the company store (and most of little Debaria) was owned by a nasty character called SAM SHUNT. W:45
(indirect),
W:55, W:62, W:64, W:85, W:270, W:275–77
(and Shunt the Cunt),
W:289

COMPANY STORE:
The DEBARIA SALT COMBYNE’s company store belonged to a man named SAM SHUNT (known as Shunt the Cunt to the miners). As well as the company store, Shunt owned the bars, the whores, and the skiddums, or shacks, where the miners slept. Twice a year, he set up races for the miners—footraces, obstacle course races, and horse races. He took the entrance fees out of the miners’ wages to pay his expenses. The winners got a year’s worth of debt forgiven at the company store. However, Shunt charged the other miners such high interest rates that he never lost out. W:275–76