Clovogarlix
Is Lutetia burning? The golden sickle makers have gone missing, prices are sky-rocketing, the air is foul and the traffic jams (which we later learned were known as "amphora-necks"!) are provoking a torrent of invective and insults among the chariot drivers in the streets of the city of lights.
Asterix and Obelix, in search of a golden sickle for Getafix, think that Clovogarlix could be the seller they are looking for. Big mistake!
Clovogarlix is an incorrigible rogue who is fully prepared to diddle our indomitable Gauls! Indeed, after introducing us to the stupid and mean Roman hierarchy in Asterix the Gaul , the Asterix authors offered up another brand of bad guys in Asterix and the Golden Sickle, the first in a long series of undesirable, treacherous, thieving Gauls. If anyone still had any doubts, they will see that not all the Gauls were as indomitable as our heroes in 50 BC!
Some, motivated by gain, dealt with the Roman occupiers by unsavoury trafficking. Such was the case of Clovogarlix, who oversaw a lucrative trade in golden sickles under the protection of his boss, Navishtrix, with the tacit approval of Surplus Dairiprodus, the prefect of Lutetia.
After learning that the two Gauls were searching for Metallurgix, the cousin of Obelix who was a well-known maker of golden sickles that he kidnapped in order to bring up the prices in his illicit trade, Clovogarlix smelled a good deal and followed our heroes through the streets of Lutetia to try to sell them a sickle for an outrageous price.
After being on the receiving end of a few good blows, delivered by Obelix, who was in top form, he cooled his enthusiasm, and Clovogarlix ran away as if, in the words of Asterix, "Toutatis himself were after him" Then, all our heroes had to do was free Metallurgix and finish the job of crushing the trafficking ring.
